Srila Prabhupada in Park Hotel, Hong Kong, 1972.

This is The Asia Magazine photo of Srila Prabhupada in the Park Hotel, Hong Kong, 1972.

Prabhupada's one day in Hong Kong was considered a stopover, and the airline was providing the hotel room at no charge. This was Prabhupada's first visit to Hong Kong. To be frugal with Krishna's money, Prabhupada accepted the airline's arrangement in living in the Park Hotel.

Dom Moraes, a reporter of The Asia Magazine, which was sent out in newspapers throughout Asia, would like to interview Prabhupada. Dom Moraes was a published author of Indian, but not Hindu, origin. He had immigrated to Hong Kong from Bombay and had been living in Hong Kong for years. He was not a pious man. I was surprised at how candidly Prabhupada answered his questions.

The article came out a month later, with pictures of Prabhupada's reception at the Park Hotel and excerpts from the interview. The article turned out neither sweet nor complimentary, and it received many angry letters of complaint from readers throughout Asia. I also visited the Asia News editor and complained. He agreed, saying, "Dom Moraes is too cynical. We should have sent someone else." But it was too late; the article had already been published. If at all possible, devotees lining up newspaper and magazine coverage should demand the right to approve articles prior to publication.