In August 1959, Dr. King gave a spiritual dissertation to an exclusive audience at the prestigious Hotel Bel-Air in California.

After the initial welcome, Dr. King gave the audience the message of the cosmic masters. Truth after truth was laid bare before the audience. The facts of reincarnation, the truth about the horrors of the H-bomb, the impending catastrophe on this planet, the Law of Karma and its implications, and a reminder of the missions of such people as Krishna, Buddha and Jesus.

Quite often, nods of agreement could be seen coming from the audience. This, of course, was to be expected. Any reaction to the contrary would have been amiss – to say the least, amidst such peaceful and, eloquent surroundings.

Towards the end of the meeting, however, the hostess rose and as was her custom on all such occasions asked the most controversial of all questions:

“Dr. King, what in your opinion is – success?”

“To give you my opinion of what is success,” answered Dr. King without hesitation, “It will be necessary to tell you all a little story.”

He went on to relate a story about the life of the Lord Buddha.

“It was some ten years later when he returned again to the palace gates. He came back, not to the lavish wealth of a whole empire but in the rags of a beggar. For he had turned away from what the world had to offer, but had discovered the everlasting jewel – wisdom!

“His fame spread throughout the world. Not as a powerful king, or as a great ruler, but as a wise man and today, thousands of years later, men revere this name, whenever it is mentioned.

“That, ladies and gentlemen is my opinion of the strange intangibility of that which constitutes – SUCCESS.”

At this closing remark, an agonizing hush fell over the audience as the vast implications of this simple story sank deeply home.

Any security, built upon the foundations of material success, relished by some members of that audience was shattered.

Reference: Cosmic Voice Issue 22, May – June 1960