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After leaving the house and its contents in the care of Ganesa's mother, Srila Prabhupada's party set off at around 12.30pm for Perth airport to board their flight to Melbourne.

The terminal building was crowded and noisy. Amogha decided that it would be more appropriate to offer Prabhupada a quieter place in the garden area just outside the airport entrance. Prabhupada sat on a chair, holding his cane, with his back straight and his right leg crossed over his left.

As the sun cast dappled shadows through the shade trees, the breeze sent light flickering across his saffron dhoti, kurta and dark brown shawl. Prabhupada looked elegant in his neat, brown canvas shoes, saffron socks and thick, fragrant garland of red and pink roses. Watching hundreds of people walk in and out of the airport terminal, Srila Prabhupada sometimes inquired about their appearance and their clothing styles. A couple of plump, middle-aged ladies walked by. "Is it the style to be fat in Australia?" Prabhupada asked with a grin.

When a boy with long hair, beard and jeans walked past, Amogha pointed out that this was the style of dress favoured by university students.

"Accha," said Srila Prabhupada. "George Harrison also dresses like this."

The "in-vogue" male shoe-style of the day -- elevated heels -- also drew Prabhupada's attention. Amogha related that the shoes, sometimes elevated up to 15-20cm high, were called "stacks". It was not uncommon, he said, for people to twist their ankles while wearing them, all in the name of "fashion".

Prabhupada laughed lightly. "There is a Bengali proverb," he said. "Whatever you do, do something new, even if it means walking on your hands. Be different!" So-called fashion, he said, was all mental concoction.

The flight was delayed. Srila Prabhupada asked Amogha to go to the desk and find out the departure time. The desk clerk told him that the new boarding time would be in fifteen minutes. After twenty minutes, when there was no call, Prabhupada asked Amogha to check again. Again the report was "fifteen minutes". Srila Prabhupada kept looking at his watch every fifteen minutes and asked the devotees to find out more information.

After some time, Prabhupada told a story. He said that a man once testified in a court case that he had been fifty years old for the last fifteen years, and he claimed that due to honesty he had not wished to change his statement. "So," Srila Prabhupada said, "still they say 'fifteen minutes to boarding time'. That is honesty. It is one hour and fifteen minutes, and still they do not change their word -- 'fifteen minutes'."

Amogha was feeling awkward and apologetic that Srila Prabhupada had to sit and wait. "Srila Prabhupada," he said, "some day we shall have our own airport."

"It is our airport," Prabhupada replied. "Everything belongs to Krsna, so it is already ours."

When it finally came time to board the aircraft, the devotees, loaded down with hand baggage, accompanied Prabhupada to his seat in the first-class section of the plane. Srutakirti served Prabhupada his lunch and tended to his other needs, as the other devotees sat in the economy section towards the rear of the aircraft.

The devotees, physically tired but blissful, recalled the long ten days of merciful association with their beloved spiritual master.

Ganesa: I remember thinking that while I was with Srila Prabhupada in Perth, I was completely happy and satisfied just to be engaged in his service. I prayed to be able to take advantage of my great fortune. I was reminded of an analogy that I once heard Prabhupada give: When you're holding on to the bus, you're going the same speed as the bus. When you get off the bus, you slow down to your own speed. So, I was thinking, 'I feel totally, spiritually satisfied in Prabhupada's presence. Perhaps my lusty thoughts and my desires to enjoy the world in so many ways would come back to my heart after my association finished.'

Nevertheless, I could understand that this time was of immeasurable benefit to myself. I felt that there may never be another opportunity in this lifetime to associate so intimately with Srila Prabhupada; and I was right.


- From "The Great Transcendental Adventure" by HG Kurma Prabhu