Vrindavan das: They had a room set up for Prabhupada to greet the media people. So then we all go in there and it was set up really luxuriously, and there was lots of prasadam and flowers. Prabhupada sat down, and then the media people started asking him questions. That’s a famous one where they ask, “Well, what is a hippie?” One thing I noticed even as a kid was the way our teachers had a way of making us look down on karmis and people who weren’t devotees. So we always had this feeling, “Oh, once we see Prabhupada interacting with these people, they’re either going to fully surrender or he’s going to smash them and show them what fools they were.” So first I noticed how charming he was to everyone. He really knew how to bring out the best in the people and want them to feel positive about meeting him, and I really noticed that. He didn’t smash them and get heavy with them. He actually would win them over through charm. He would get them to laugh, he’d get them to feel good and comfortable around him, and I really, really admired that, especially because our teachers were kind of young guys and they didn’t have much life experience so they had a real heavy mentality. So when we would see Prabhupada, we were always waiting for him to do that to people, but I never saw him like that. He was always wonderful, charming, and he would reinforce the sincerity and the genuineness in the people that came to see him. I have to admit too, I remember feeling a little surprised, “How come these people that just got this wonderful exchange with Prabhupada didn’t immediately run to the temple and follow us and shave up or put on a sari or anything?”
– Following Prabhupada Remembrance Folio views
