September 22, 1965 : Butler
Satsvarupa: It was a fact that Srila Prabhupada was immediately a great curiosity for whoever saw him. In anxiety, Mrs. Agarwal decided that instead of having people speculate about the strange man in orange robes who was living at their house, it would be better to let everybody know about him from the newspapers. So Sally Agarwal hurried Srila Prabhupada off to a Pittsburgh newspaper office, but unfortunately the first woman who interviewed him simply wasn't able to comprehend why Mrs. Agarwal thought this person would make an interesting story. Mrs. Agarwal then took Srila Prabhupada to the local Butler Eagle, where he was interviewed more avidly.
On September 22, a feature article ran in the Butler Eagle. "In Fluent English," the headline read, "Devotee of Hindu Cult Explains Commission to Visit the West." A photographer had come to the Agarwals' apartment and taken a picture in the living room, showing Srila Prabhupada standing in front of a wall plaque decorated with Chinese lanterns. In this first news photo in America he is holding an open volume of Srimad-Bhagavatam, and the caption reads, "Ambassador of Bhakti-yoga."
The article begins, "A slight brown man in faded orange drapes wearing white bathing shoes stepped out of a compact car yesterday and into the Butler Y.M.C.A to attend a meeting. He is A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swamiji, a messenger from India to the peoples of the West." The reporter refers to Srimad-Bhagavatam as "Biblical literature" and quotes Srila Prabhupada as saying, "My mission is to revive people's God consciousness. God is the Father of all living beings, in thousands of different forms. Human life is a stage of perfection in evolution; if we miss the message, back we go through the process again." The article ends, "If Americans would give more attention to their spiritual life, they would be much happier, he says."
The article begins, "A slight brown man in faded orange drapes wearing white bathing shoes stepped out of a compact car yesterday and into the Butler Y.M.C.A to attend a meeting. He is A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swamiji, a messenger from India to the peoples of the West." The reporter refers to Srimad-Bhagavatam as "Biblical literature" and quotes Srila Prabhupada as saying, "My mission is to revive people's God consciousness. God is the Father of all living beings, in thousands of different forms. Human life is a stage of perfection in evolution; if we miss the message, back we go through the process again." The article ends, "If Americans would give more attention to their spiritual life, they would be much happier, he says."
Reference: Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta Volume 2 - Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami
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