Vancouver

Hundreds of people were waiting for the Master at the Vancouver airport, and, after a long wait, were overjoyed when He finally arrived at 12:40 p.m. More than thirty initiates had travelled on the same plane, and most of them accompanied Him to the Centennial Motor Hotel, where He stayed for the four days in Vancouver.

Morning meditations and afternoon darshans, and two evening talks, were held at the Unity Centre; the meditation sittings here were especially powerful, and on one occasion, when everyone in the room had had unusually high experiences, the Master asked how many were new. About half the people stood up!

The evening talk on 8^th November was held at Kitsilano High School in the main auditorium and was attended by more than 1200 people; 300 more were turned away by school authorities, on the ground that the hall was already full.

This saddened the Master, that people were turned away; and His talk at the same building three nights later was given in the gymnasium, where there was ample room.

The dear ones came up to Master’s hotel room after the talks each night in Vancouver, hoping to get a glimpse of Him; and He usually came out to see them, sitting in a big room down the hall where they could all fit. Among others, seven followers of the Eckankar movement came to see Him, and after many questions, requested initiation, which Master graciously granted them at the appointed time. Others who came included a man who had written several books on Zen, who enjoyed very much a brief interchange with the Master; a Professor of Religion at a university in the State of Washington; and many people, high and low, with their problems and their love.

On 10^th November at 1 p.m. the Master graciously visited a site for a proposed Ashram in the town of Surrey, 25 miles from Vancouver. About 200 people accompanied Him to the site. He looked the land over carefully, then said to the dear ones,

This land is being offered to you for the purpose of the teachings and meditation. You will have to maintain it. How many are from here and are willing to help?

Many hands went up. He told them that they should think of it as their own home, and that

Water and trees are a great blessing.

Mr Khanna said that anyplace that Master put His feet was blessed; but Master said,

All is holy where devotion kneels.

Then the Master asked us to sit in sweet remembrance of God, and meditation was held for about half an hour.

During the meditation, a train came by on a railroad track that runs right adjacent to the site; afterwards, Mr Khanna mentioned what was in many people’s minds: that Master’s Ashram in Delhi also had a railroad track running along next to it.

Master then personally handed Parshad to each person present before leaving.¹

On the following morning, 11^th November, the Master initiated 221 persons at the Unity Centre – the largest number by far on the tour. That afternoon, at the request of some Indian families, the Master held Satsang in Punjabi at the Unity Centre. The final talk was held that night at Kitsilano High School, and the following morning Master left for San Francisco.

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Footnote: 1) For pictures of the Master at the ashram site – donated by a dear Satsangi – see Sat Sandesh, December 1972: ‘Blessings for the West Coast – New Ashram in Vancouver.’