The Golden Age
State News
Adelaide DLM recently celebrated its third anniversary of existence with a slap-up three-course dinner.
It was almost three years to the day since Mary Starrs and John McGregor arrived in Adelaide on a Honda Motorbike and rode around the city 'til they found some premises, cramped but functional, in Pulteney Street.
Three years later our community filled a university refectory. We dined, danced and were entertained in superb style by Rainbow Music, soloists, an extravagant light show, and a play.
During the ten days Ira Woods spent in Perth, the clarity of his satsang, the inspiration of his example and the encouragement he gave to us, really lifted the collective consciousness of Perth. premies and aspirants alike.
As a result of the three public programs that were held, a total of thirty people left their names and addresses so that they could be contacted about the Introduction to Knowledge Series.
Twelve aspirants attended the three day seminar, and of those, one sister was revealed Knowledge. Three Knowledge Reviews were also held.
Ira inspired us into the understanding that there is only one thing to do - really put all our energies into realising this Knowledge, into surrendering to Maharaj Ji's agya.
One of the highlights of Ira's visit to Brisbane was the meditation retreat. Altogether one hundred and fifteen premies and aspirants from Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Toowoomba and Mullumbimby left their homes and minds behind for the camp at Southport. A continuous downpour keeping everyone indoors, added to the incredible feeling that we were really one big family. There was absolutely nothing to do except service, satsang and meditation, but that was all anyone wanted to do anyway. As someone commented, "If there's anything better than service, satsang and meditation, it's doing service, satsang and meditation together."
Following the retreat, Ira travelled to Mullumbimby where he spoke at a beautiful program attended by 172 people. While he was there, he was able to give satsang to many individual premies, and a Knowledge review was held at Murwillumbah. Then back to Brisbane for another week of satsang, each night getting higher and higher. People seemed to be coming from everywhere like moths to the light.
Just before his departure to Cairns, Ira revealed knowledge to three sisters, one from Mullumbimby, one
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from Brisbane and one from Toowoomba. So each centre got a new premie: in fact, Toowoomba's premie population has doubled!
Hobart
Blue Gum Festival
Hobart's 'Blue Gum' is probably Tasmania's equivalent of Sydney's 'Waratah', and Melbourne's 'Moomba' festivals. A function planned years in advance and impatiently awaited by all factions of the general public, it is the feature highlight on our city's calendar.
A month before the grand opening, we decided to contribute. A beautiful wood- stained stall was constructed as an outlet for Soul Foods dry goods. Meanwhile, the Kingston Pottery mini-moke was rapidly transformed into a thirty-seven foot multicoloured dragon, complete with fins, scales and two huge tail sections moved by twelve legs clad in pyjama pants and Dunlop gum boots - all truckin' in perfect sync. Inside the belly of the dragon were our Community Director Nils, and Terry, our National Controller. Looking out through a one-way vision windscreen of blue cellophane, they delighted the people who lined the highway with muffled gasps, groans and growls.
At the end of a path at the Village Fair stood the Soul Foods stall. A little off to the right in the basin of a small natural amphitheatre was what proved to be the most popular attraction of the festival - for the children at least - the Rainbow Theatre company. PLAyers clad in brilliant costumes continuously performed plays and pantomines to the delight of the packed audiences that gathered. Children, whisked into the action, found themselves transformed into goblins, visitors from another galaxy, or multi-coloured butterflies flitting from flower to flower on a summer breeze.
All day the most unexpected things happened. Rainbow Theatre created ever more exciting and outrageous characters as each pantomine was performed. Mid-afternoon was the grand opening of the festival. Our dragon was awarded the trophy for the best float in the parade. While we were pondering whether it would be more appropriate to send the cup to Guru Maharaj Ji, use it as a PLA prop or have it as a holy water container, someone accidently stepped on it, breaking it in two!
At last, people couldn't resist the obvious. As evening drew near, everyone finally let it all go, linked arms and danced together, weaving through the scrub to the up-tempo music of Jiva.
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