(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 15 September 2012, Pretoria, South Africa, Initiation lecture)

There is a story which I like to tell. It is about a marriage ceremony and during the marriage ceremony everything was arranged perfectly. You know how people get into their marriages. It was this big thing and everything was there at the last minute. And then… suddenly… believe it or not… a black cat (appeared)… oh my God… black of all colours… a black cat… bad luck… inauspicious! So, what to do?

It was at the very last minute. So, the lady who was actually supervising the whole arrangement, the mother of the bride, she just grabbed an empty basket which was used for flowers and put it on top of that cat. And the cat was under basket for the whole ceremony and didn’t meow once! Everything went fine. It was a great ceremony.

Thirty years later, it was the brides turn to arrange for the marriage of her own daughter. She made all the arrangements and everything, and then the last inspection… and then, oh my God… we forgot one thing… WE NEED A BLACK CAT! Then they quickly brought a black cat and put it under a basket. Since that time, in every ritual there is a black cat!

After Kadamba Kanana Swami told this story in Melbourne, the devotees “followed the tradition” at a wedding that took place there. However, they could not find a fully black cat!

 

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