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Prabhupada's extensive preaching directly after his life-threatening illness demonstrated that he was totally transcendental to the state of his health. He soon took up active correspondence, particularly with Madhudvisa Swami, about the on-going business of whether or not to purchase the massive beachside convent in Melbourne.

Just weeks after Srila Prabhupada had seen the place, towards the middle of August, the church authorities had given Madhudvisa Swami a decisive condition: Sale would be conditional on the chapel being demolished. The news was sent to Srila Prabhupada who made a final decision:

Regarding the convent, they have put an awkward condition that the chapel must be demolished. Never before has this been done. Indirectly they have denied to sell it to us. Never mind. Find out another property.

Srila Prabhupada suggested in a postscript that, as a last hope, Madhudvisa could ask the Reverend Gordon Powell and Bishop Kelly to approach the owners of the chapel to reconsider their radical condition.

"The proposal," he wrote, "is malicious, but they can rectify it". The owners, however, were adamant, and the convent property idea was abandoned.

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The devotees in Sydney were also looking for a suitable large temple for their presiding Deities, Sri Sri Radha-Gopinatha. Although the devotees desired a permanent place, all the temples so far had been temporary rented premises. Each time rental conditions changed, or when the temple became too small, they found themselves looking for yet another place to stay.

By mid-1974, the Deities had moved twice: from Paddington to Glebe, then to Double Bay. But only a month after the Ratha-yatra, the Sydney devotees had to give up their temporary lease on their headquarters in Double Bay, and had moved to a large house in the hilly, high-class residential suburb of Bellevue Hill.

The two-storey house was quite suitable, but only rented. And, more seriously, the neighbours complained daily about the kirtanas. After a very short stay, Radha-Gopinatha were on the move again.

Their fifth home was the best yet -- a multi-room two-storey mansion in Drummoyne. The picturesque property, a few miles west of central Sydney, was surrounded by expansive terraced gardens directly bordering the Parramatta River. Wide open balconies afforded breathtaking views. Sunday feast crowds increased, new devotees joined, and things flourished in Sydney. Amidst all the enthusiasm, however, few devotees thought to realise that this, too, was yet another temporary, rented property.


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