By the Divine Grace of God one finds a genuine Spiritual Master -- And by His Divine Grace one can find God.
The poster advertised Prabhupada's premier public speaking venue for this visit -- the Palais Theatre in St. Kilda. Adjoining Melbourne's most famous amusement grounds, Luna Park, the theatre had been hosting celebrities for decades. Now its rather nondescript hall was filled with hundreds of people who had gathered in the evening to hear Srila Prabhupada. The audience chiefly consisted of Melbourne's young eclectics -- the yoga crowd, followers of popular gurus, and those involved in various types of meditation.
While the audience settled, devotees made last-minute adjustments to Prabhupada's vyasasana -- also newly designed by Syamananda. Some devotees thought it looked like something out of Aladdin's Lamp. The large seat covered with pink and magenta cloth was flanked by clusters of pink and cream-coloured plaster lotus petals, tips pointing downwards. One last-minute addition completed the picture. A circular halo, one metre in diameter, was added to the back piece. Studded with orange and blue stones and flaming, swirling pink and gold designs, it flashed and sparkled under the powerful stage spotlights.
Devotees on stage commenced the program with a lively kirtana. Powerfully-built Madhudvisa Swami rhythmically played his clay drum accompanied by Dvaipayana on guitar.
Srila Prabhupada was driven the short distance from the temple. The kirtana reached a climax, and as Prabhupada entered the hall through the front door, the entire audience rose from their seats in spontaneous respect. Prabhupada mounted the stage, and with youthful agility negotiated the three or four steps to his raised seat. Devotees garlanded him with pink frangipani garlands.
Caru gave a brief preliminary speech introducing Srila Prabhupada to his audience, urging them to listen attentively to the forthcoming lecture. Prabhupada's dark-rimmed spectacles accentuated his wisdom. His demeanour was grave and somewhat stern. After a rousing rendition of Jaya Radha Madhava, Prabhupada commenced his talk on Bhagavad-gita, Chapter 9 verse 2, the subject being "Raja Vidya", the king of knowledge.
The main defect of modern society, Prabhupada pointed out, was the bodily concept of life. "Everyone is identifying himself as his body. If I ask any gentleman what he is, he will say, 'I am Mr. Such-and-Such'; 'I'm American'; 'I am Australian'; 'I am black'; 'I am white'; 'I am Hindu'; 'Muslim'; 'Christian', this, that, so many things. But I do not belong to any of these things. "Aham brahmasmi, the Vedas say, "you are not all these things". These are your designations."
This knowledge, unfortunately, was lacking even in so-called learned circles. "I was talking with one professor in Moscow, Professor Kotovsky. He was a learned man, but I studied him thoroughly and he does not believe in the next life. He says: 'Swamiji, after this body is finished, everything is finished.' This is their philosophy. What kind of ignorance is this? Not only him, ask anyone. He will not know what he is. Everyone will identify."
Prabhupada gave a practical example: "Just like you are dressed, all these ladies and gentlemen present here, they are differently dressed, but does that mean that the dress is the lady or the gentleman? No. Within the dress the person is there. Similarly, I am within the body of a child, or sometimes I am within the body of a boy or within the body of a young man. Now I am in the body of an old man. So it is natural to conclude that next I shall change this body and I'll get another body. This is very clear. This is not very difficult to understand. Any sane man can understand that I am changing this body so many times." This knowledge, Prabhupada explained, is called raja vidya, the king of all education.
Cont'd
- From "The Great Transcendental Adventure" by HG Kurma Prabhu
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