Vedanta in Australia
WHILE SWAMI VIVEKANANDA was still gracing this earth one of his brother-monks, Swami Shivananda, had been deputed by him to go to Sri Lanka and do preaching work there. Among the Swami’s students was an Australian lady, Mrs.Elsie Pickett to whom he gave the name Hari Priya. When she was returning to her country the Swami entrusted her with taking Vedanta to Australia. She did it successfully. Still, due to lack of proper follow up, the vigour of this early Vedanta work in Australia slowly faded away.
Just over two years later a Swedish lady, Sister Avabhamia, was commissioned by her guru, Swami Abhedananda, to carry the torch of Vedanta and the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda to Australia.
She was a powerful woman. Her work of three years made a deep impact on many of the educated minds of the time, both in Australia and New Zealand. She even started some journals which ran very successfully. But this work also did not flower into something concrete and longstanding due to lack of support and spiritual backing from the Headquarters in India. It slowly dimmed into non-existence. She left the country never to return.
A young man, James Wale from Sydney, inspired by a vision and the strange name of Vivekananda ringing in his ears, found his way in 1927 to Belur Math to seek shelter at the feet of Swami Shivananda, the then abbot of the monastery. Accepted as a novice and even initiated as Vivek Chaitanya the young postulant unfortunately had to return to his homeland because of shattered health. There he continued his austere life and lived Vedanta quietly in his day-to-day life till his passing away in 1951. Many were introduced to Vedanta by him.
Eighteen years later Swami Ranganathananda appeared on the Australian horizon, as the exponent of Vedanta and Hindu philosophy. The Swami paid his first visit to Australia in 1968, regularly visiting Australia annually or biannually till 1986. Through parlour talks, public lectures, Retreats and media interviews the Swami generated a lot of interest in Vedanta. During an early visit the Swami was the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s ‘Guest speaker of the week’ addressing a National radio audience. The Swami also appeared on National television interviewed by the host of a popular daytime program.
Plans for a Ramakrishna Order Centre in Sydney
“A Vedanta Society in any country is a happy proposition. It is a very rational system. There is no sensation or mystery-mongering in Vedanta. Only calm, silent spirits can understand and profit from it and I am very glad to see that in Australia there are people who think in this way.”
These were words of clarification and encouragement from the address given by Swami Ranganathananda, (the late President of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission) on June 9, 1974, at the inaugural meeting of the Ramakrishna Vedanta Society of New South Wales.
The Swami was visiting Australia on his annual world lecture tour. The meeting was held in the home of Mrs.Vilma Spencer who played a crucial role in the pioneering work for the Vedanta movement in Australia. She had already started a Vedanta Book Agency to assist the spread of Vedanta and Ramakrishna/ Vivekananda literature. The Book Agency and later a Vedanta Bookshop established in the historic Sydney Rocks area succeeded in this providing a point of contact between many people with a common interest, interested enough to now be present at this inaugural meeting of the Society. The Swami went on to say:
“It is not giving you one more religion to add to the number of religions that are already here—it will give you a certain philosophy of life, where life and religion are integrated in a comprehensive spiritual outlook. This kind of contribution is vital to a country like Australia. Its history is not like other countries, it is a new land. People came from many other countries bringing with them [other] cultural ideas, but as yet it doesn’t have a distinct personality of its own, it is still reflecting the personality of English culture and other cultures. Now is the time for Australia to begin to develop a personality of its own.”
An Interim Management Committee sought to have a permanent Centre established in Sydney under the direction of a monastic member of the Ramakrishna Order. As the international demand for monks far outstripped supply, Sri Sarada Math was approached, who graciously agreed to establish to send two nuns to Sydney to establish their first Centre outside India.
Pravrajika Ajayaprana visits Australia
In preparation for the new Centre, Pravrajika Ajayaprana made two visits to Sydney in 1977 and 1978, giving weekly classes on the Bhagavad Gita and Swami Vivekananda’s Bhakti Yoga in the Vedanta Bookshop.
During these two visits a strong and loving relationship developed between the members and friends of the Society and Pravrajika Ajayaprana.
Reassured by the success of these two visits the Sri Sarada Math confirmed that the new Centre could be established.
Pravrajika Ajayaprana in the Vedanta Bookshop, 1977. (Vilma Spencer in back row on the right).
Pravrajika Ajayaprana returned to Sydney along with an assistant nun, Brahmacharini Girija, to begin her role as head of the first officially affiliated Centre of Sri Sarada Math outside of India, on April 19, 1982.
Pravrajika Ajayaprana visits Australia
In preparation for the new Centre, Pravrajika Ajayaprana made two visits to Sydney in 1977 and 1978, giving weekly classes on the Bhagavad Gita and Swami Vivekananda’s Bhakti Yoga in the Vedanta Bookshop.
During these two visits a strong and loving relationship developed between the members and friends of the Society and Pravrajika Ajayaprana.
Reassured by the success of these two visits the Sri Sarada Math confirmed that the new Centre could be established.
Pravrajika Ajayaprana returned to Sydney along with an assistant nun, Brahmacharini Girija, to begin her role as head of the first officially affiliated Centre of Sri Sarada Math outside of India, on April 19, 1982.
The Early Years
After spending a few months in devotees’ homes, the two nuns moved into a spacious home on a one-year lease at 25 Anderson Road, Mortdale. An informal opening of the nuns’ residence – known as “Sarada Tapovan,” was performed by Swami Ranganathananda during his annual visit in June 1982. Pravrajika Ajayaprana conducted the official inauguration on Guru Purnima Day, July 6, 1982.
Pravrajika Ajayaprana began giving weekly Bhagavad Gita Classes and talks on Vedanta. The Vedanta Bookshop in the Rocks was closed, and the books were brought to the Sarada Tapovan where they were displayed and stored in the double garage.
After renting properties for several years the Society purchased a house for the nuns in Burwood in 1985 and in 1987 a church was purchased in Croydon and renamed ‘Vedanta Hall.’
Alderman John Lutman, the Mayor of Burwood performed the opening of Vedanta Hall on Sunday November 22, 1987. Welcoming the Society and Pravrajika Ajayaprana to the community he shared some interesting facts,
“..[Burwood] is often called the city of churches. It is a place where people wishing to pursue religious practice and religious freedom tend to gravitate to for some reason. I guess one of the reasons is that it is a very old area, some 120 years old now and it had plenty of time to get used to the manifold ways in which people wish to pray to whomsoever they wish to pray to. … you have begun in the midst of one of the biggest ethnic areas in Australia where probably at least six or seven out of ten have a background of being born outside Australia. That is a phenomenal number … So, you are welcome … on behalf of the city you join, the city of religious pursuit, you should feel very much at home.”
In Pravrajika Ajayaprana’s speech she observed:
“Australia is a child in the history of the world. That is its beauty; that is its good fortune, because a bright future, a vast region to explore is before it. It can model its future in any way it likes.”
In 1990 the Society purchased a rural property, Darama, near Robertson in the Southern Highlands to be used as a Retreat Centre. It has proved to be a valued asset, highly appreciated by all who have visited there and been able to absorb the tranquil atmosphere.
In January 1997 a larger house for the Sarada Tapovan was purchased in Burwood Heights.
Interstate & Intrastate Work
Once or twice a year Pravrajika Ajayaprana visited Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth. Retreats, public lectures, parlour talks and classes were arranged. Many people from diverse backgrounds benefited from these activities. Due to the great interest in Vedanta in Adelaide a group of devotees formed the Ramakrishna Sarada Vedanta Society of South Australia with Pravrajika Ajayaprana as the President. Pravrajika Ajayaprana visited Adelaide up to three times a year. In between her visits the devotees met together in a house and held a one-and-a-half-hour session every second Sunday morning according to a programme chalked out by her. The Carter family made their home in the Adelaide Hills available for all the sessions. They were very active in all of the Society’s activities. Subsequently Nermalla Koo and husband, David, have been hosting the fortnightly meetings in their spacious home in the Adelaide suburbs.
From 1983, Pravrajika Ajayaprana visited Newcastle, a two hour drive north of Sydney. A close Accommodation at Darama
Houses at Darama (Left) Sarada Tapovan Nunnery (Right) From left to right: Pravrajikas Sridharaprana, Satchitprana (Visiting from Sri Sarada Math HQ, Ajayaprana & Gayatriprana with devotees in Vedanta Hall group of devotees including the Kaushik, Dave, Darbar and Bhandari families hosted, by turns, a Saturday class four times a year on the Vivekachudamani (Crest Jewel of Discrimination) given by Pravrajika Ajayaprana. On many occasions she also gave a talk the following day at the Hindu Temple in Newcastle.
International Work
The news that a Sarada Math Centre had been established in Australia reverberated throughout the Ramakrishna Movement World. In Malaysia it was greeted with particular interest. Soon earnest invitations came for Pravrajika Ajayaprana to visit Malaysia for a lecture tour. Since 1985 she visited Malaysia at first, almost every year, and more recently, every second year. These visits have been organized by Toh Puani Uma Sambanthan, and Mr.R Jayasekar. Both have worked tirelessly for the Ramakrishna Movement in Malaysia for many years. Pravrajika Ajayaprana also visited Sri Lanka twice, giving talks and visiting areas affected by the 2004 Tsunami.
Interfaith Activities
Vedanta Hall has hosted numerous Interfaith lecture series over the years with senior representatives of the major world faiths and well-known religious media personalities accepting our invitation to speak on themes such as: “The Meaning of Life”, “The Concept of God”, “How to Maintain Inner Calm in Today’s World”, to name a few.
In March 2001 the launch of the Women’s Interfaith Network (WIN) was held at NSW Parliament House with Pravrajika Ajayaprana as one of the founding members. WIN meets monthly at the NSW Parliament House where senior representatives of the major world faiths have a platform to share ideas about the social and spiritual aspects of their traditions. Pravrajikas Gayatriprana, Sridharaprana and Jnanamayaprana are regular participants in the monthly meetings.
In 2008 Sydney was the venue for the Catholic Church’s World Youth Day. At Vedanta Hall an international group of 23 pilgrims came to learn about Hinduism. Pravrajika Ajayaprana represented Hinduism at a Multifaith Forum held at the prestigious Darling Harbour Convention Centre. She also represented Hinduism at an intimate Interfaith Meeting with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVl. Only 35 invitees were present for the gathering held in a small chapel under tight security and covered by the International media.
A Major Transition – Rev.Pravrajika Ajayaprana Mataji Returns to India
After twenty-nine and a half years it was with great sadness that the Society faced a painful and inevitable transition following Rev.Pravrajika Ajayaprana Mataji’s decision to spend her remaining years in India. On September 22, 2011, she departed Sydney with the satisfaction that the Sarada Math Centre here is well established. She now lives in the Ramakrishna Sarada Mission Centre in Thiruvananthapuram started by her in 1973. Pravrajika Gayatriprana was appointed as President of the Ramakrishna Sarada Vedanta Society of NSW at the Annual General Meeting in August, 2011.
Swami Vivekananda’s 150th Birth Anniversary Celebrations
International Icon the Sydney Opera House was the venue for a leading event during the’ international celebrations of the 150th Birthday Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. On September 17 and 18, 2013, through three performances, over 1,100 people saw the play: Oneness: Voice without Form – the extraordinary life of Swami Vivekananda. (There were two performances in Brisbane as well on Sunday, September 22, with over 400 attending).
A highlight in the history of the Ramakrishna Movement in Australia, the play was directed and written by leading Australian theatrical identity, Alex Broun. The play caught the attention of the Australian acting community with 200 applying for the auditions. Promotion of the play and the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda received a boost with the backing of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation who specially featured Vivekananda in their National Website and Pravrajika Ajayaprana meets Pope Benedict through articles and a photo gallery and a one-hour radio program broadcast nationally on Sunday, September 15. International Seminars were also held in Vedanta Hall and at the University of Sydney.
A firm foundation has been laid for ongoing success. In the 30 years since the establishment of the Sarada Math Centre in Sydney many people from all walks of life have come into contact with the rational, strengthening, life-affirming message of Vedanta philosophy. It can be confidently said that they have – almost without exception – greatly benefited from this experience and a good number more have found in it an indispensable framework for the conduct of their lives and a definitive iiguide to spiritual growth and happiness.