Parks are necessary for cleansing the mind
Monday, 19 May 1975
Early in the morning, Prabhupada sat in his room and sang bhajans as he played harmonium. Accompanied by Srutakirti on mrdanga and Madhudvisa on karatals, Prabhupada's fingers deftly traversed the keyboard. He played the morning melody to various Bengali songs as his face strained with deep devotional emotions.
Then, before the sun had fully risen, Srila Prabhupada stood, dressed himself warmly, and descended the red-carpeted stairs. He walked down the front path and out of the white caste-iron front gate to the waiting maroon Ford convertible, as Ugrasrava ran ahead, opening the rear passenger door. Prabhupada climbed in, and offered his pranams to the assembled party of devotees. The car zoomed off to the Botanic Gardens.
Ever since his first walks there in 1972, the Melbourne Botanic Gardens had certainly become Srila Prabhupada's favourite walking spot in Melbourne. In fact, Prabhupada admitted, "I have seen many botanic gardens in the world, but hardly one as nice as this."
The 50 hectares of parklands were one of the most celebrated examples of nineteenth-century English landscaping. As well as its impressive collection of tropical plants and trees, it was particularly famous for its skilful balance of lawns and gardens, stretches of water, gently curving paths, its careful positioning of shrubs and expert placing of trees on the skyline. The park's original landscaper had planned for "a paradise garden that pays homage to nature by following the pattern set by her". This was not at all inconsistent with the Vedic version.
"Perfection of human civilisation," Prabhupada had written in one purport to Srimad-Bhagavatam, "is made possible by utilising the gifts of nature in their own way. Human energy should be properly utilised in developing the finer senses for spiritual understanding, in which lies the solution of life. Fruits, flowers, beautiful gardens, parks and reservoirs of water with ducks and swans playing in the midst of lotus flowers are essential for developing the finer tissues of the human body."
"Parks," Prabhupada had also said, "are necessary for cleansing the mind."
Prabhupada looked snug and warm in his pink woollen coat as he walked briskly with his entourage. The winding pathways led past a tranquil, ornamental lake where black ducks and fluffy dabchicks splashed and played. Native black swans glided with their cygnets huddled close behind them. Prabhupada stopped, briefly surveying the scene. As usual, he saw everything with a higher vision.
"This swan is black, and the crow is black," he said. "But the crow's place is different, although they are both birds. The crows will enjoy a filthy place where all refuses are thrown. It is stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam: 'Na yad vacas citra-padam harer yaso, jagat-pavitram pragrnita karhicit, tad vayasam tirtham' The literature that does not describe Krsna, that is the place for crows." Whereas literature about sex was enjoyed by crow-like men, he said, the Bhagavatam was enjoyed by the swans.
The first rays of the sun appeared over the horizon, lighting up the square, cream-coloured tower of Government House that peeked out through the trees. The conversation turned to Vedic cosmology. Paramahamsa brought up the example of elephant-eating eagles. As Prabhupada stopped beside a lawn that stretched to the water's edge, little yellow-beaked birds hopped for cover.
"Yes. Big, big birds, they carry elephants."
Madhudvisa attempted a mock challenge. "We have not seen such a bird."
Prabhupada opened his eyes wide. "What you have seen? You have seen your father and mother, that's all. You are still in the womb of your mother!" This response drew howls of laughter.
Prabhupada pointed his cane towards the sky. "Are you seeing the stars now? Why are you not seeing? The stars are there."
Madhudvisa admitted that his eyes were not good enough. Prabhupada concurred. "Yes. Your eyes are imperfect. Why you are so proud of your blind eyes? Therefore don't try to make experiment to understand these things. Accept what the Bhagavata says. It is already experimented, and the mature knowledge is stated there. Hearing from Vedic evidence, sruti-pramana, is the first-class evidence."
The morning sun shone weakly through the mist. Prabhupada and the devotees reached a section of the park ankle-deep in crisp autumn leaves. As they crunched through the brown carpet, Prabhupada commented that in India, poor men would utilise such leaves and twigs for fuel, and, at the same time, the ground would be cleansed. "But here," he said, "they do not know the method."
On their way out of the gardens, Srila Prabhupada noticed cars parked bumper to bumper on the perimeter road. He inquired whether they all belonged to people on morning walks.
"Oh no, Srila Prabhupada," Madhudvisa replied, "these people are all city workers." He explained that since parking was so costly downtown, it was cheaper for them to park here and walk to their office.
"There is a Bengali proverb," Prabhupada said. "'Garib manus ca chinga khai hakta gelo gauda jaya'. The garib manus, poor man, can only afford to eat grasshoppers. But when he goes to pass stool in the fields, gauda jaya, he rides on a big horse. Similarly, these workers cannot even afford to pay their parking fee, but still they keep a big car."
- From "The Great Transcendental Adventure" by HG Kurma Prabhu
Comments