Today at Kauai Aadheenam

Beans Sprout

Beans Sprout in the initial stage

As they are starting to grow

Jai Ganesha!

We’ve recently started growing some sprouts in our garden. Mostly we’ll be growing the gold standard of alfalfa and broccoli sprouts. But this first batch is mung micro greens. At this stage of growth, the harder-to-digest compounds are all gone. They get rinsed in a light vinegar solution before serving with food.

From ChatGPT about it:

Microgreens like mung, broccoli, and alfalfa are considered exceptionally good for you because they concentrate nutrients at a stage of growth when the plant is most metabolically active. Here’s why each is so beneficial:

1. High Nutrient Density:

Microgreens can contain 4 to 40 times more nutrients by weight than their mature counterparts. This includes vitamins (C, E, K), minerals (iron, potassium, zinc), and antioxidants. Because they’re harvested just after sprouting, they retain the compounds the plant generates to fuel its early growth.

2. Rich in Antioxidants and Enzymes:

Broccoli microgreens are especially high in sulforaphane, a compound known for its anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. Alfalfa sprouts contain phytoestrogens, which may support hormonal balance and bone health. Mung sprouts provide digestive enzymes and bioavailable proteins, making them easier to digest than dried beans.

3. Easier Digestion and Better Absorption:

Sprouting breaks down complex compounds (like phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors), making nutrients more bioavailable. This means your body can absorb vitamins, minerals, and amino acids more easily from microgreens than from unsprouted seeds.

4. Support for Detox and Immunity:

Many microgreens, especially cruciferous types like broccoli, support the body’s detoxification pathways and help balance oxidative stress. Their high chlorophyll content may also support liver function and overall immune resilience.

In short, microgreens are a super-concentrated form of plant nutrition. They’re not just a garnish—they’re a living food that can powerfully support vitality and well-being. Aum.

Completing the Stone Bell Tower

By 9am the work was 30% complete.

This was the floor being pressure washed yesterday.

Tools of the trade.

We begin with stone. Today we are installing quartzite from Brazil on the floor of the Stone Bell Tower. It will match the floor of the nearby Silpi Pavilion, which you see in the background in this first photo. Quartzite is a dense kind of stone, which makes it perfect for tropical paths and floors since it does not give a foothold to lichens or molds to grow and it has a slip-proof texture.

Happy New Year. This morning we had a Siva homa and hoisted a new flag to mark the change of seasons into the Nartana Ritau.

Here follows the passage from Saiva Dharma Shatras about how we should approach this new season:

Nartana Ritau, the season of Dancing with Siva, begins on Hindu New Year. This is the period of creation, the warm season, from mid-April through mid-August. The key word of this season is planning. The colors are orange, yellow-gold and all shades of green–orange for renunciation, yellow-gold for action, and green for regeneration. High above, the main Hindu flag flies the color orange, heralding the Nartana Ritau throughout this season, symbolizing sadhana and self-control. The other colors adorn smaller flags. This is the season of giving special attention to those in the grihastha ashrama. It is a time of awakening, renewal, review. The emphasis is on seeing ahead, planning for future years. It is a time of planning retreats and other activities for youths and adults for the entire year. During this time of looking forward, the Church’s six-year plan is updated by the Guru Mahasannidhanam and stewards and another year added. The Saiva Dharma Shastras are studied; and any needed additions in supplementary manuals, representing new growth, are made.

The practical focus is completion of unfinished projects. Secular holidays to observe among the families include Mothers Day in May, Fathers Day in June and Grandparents Day in August. In the monastery intensive cleaning of buildings and grounds takes place. New clothing is issued and old garments mended.

This season of harvest and new growth is also the time to review and reestablish picking and planting routines for the gardens. It is a time for ordering seeds and plants for the year, of planting trees, fragrant vines and the annual crop. Review is made for scheduling the care of all realms of the Aadheenam. Kadavul temple and the Guru Temple are cleaned and renewed during this season, and the adjacent grounds receive special, abundant attention.

The daily sadhana is the Sivachaitanya Panchatantra: experiencing nada, jyoti, prana, shakti and darshana. In Sanskrit, it is a time of learning new shlokas and mantras. Shrine rooms are renewed and redecorated for the year, and the clothing of all is renewed in the Hindu style of the current fashion. It is a time of doing things for others, religious outreach. In the missions, Nartana Ritau is the time of bringing in new students and Church members. It is a time of hatha yoga and philosophical teaching.

The main festival of Nartana Ritau is Guru Purnima. The mathavasis hold special conclave on Vaikasi Vishakham, the full moon day of May.

Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami gives his weekly upadesha in Kadavul Temple at Kauai’s Hindu Monastery in Hawaii. It is part of a series of talks elaborating on the inspired teachings of Satguru Śivaya Subramuniyaswami as found in his book Merging With Śiva.

“There are many things in life which endeavor to keep us away from our true being. These are the cycles of life. We must watch and be careful of these recurring cycles in our life. These joyous and sorrowful occurrences that awareness experiences, sometimes each day, sometimes each week, sometimes each month, are totally dependent upon the positive control that we have of awareness. But then there are greater experiences that have even longer cycles—perhaps a three-year cycle, a five-year cycle, a ten-year cycle or a fifteen-year cycle.“

Bridge not finished; waiting for drier weather after a downpour

New crop of rudrakshas falling from the tree next to Kadaitswami

One of the many areas being cleared of weeds around the Path of Satgurus

Here we are on the looping Path of The Satgurus. Another shortcut bridge is being added just to the right of Gurudeva’s statue and the Narmada Lingam. It caters to those who desire to reach that popular sadhana spot sooner than later, or who just take pleasure in whimsically walking over a gurgling stream as often as possible.

Then a couple more current looks on the Path of Satgurus.

Aum Namah Sivaya. Today we thought we’d bring you something a little different. It’s a little word game by which you can work out some of Gurudeva’s many quotes. Enjoy playing, and hopefully something resonates with you along the way. Aum

Note: it was coded fairly quickly… so bugs are to be expected. Just hit refresh and try again!

To enjoy more quotes by Gurudeva, you can download the Gurudeva app for your smartphone.

Mayilnathaswami giving us tips on how to grow vegetables in the greenhouse

Leeks

Lettuce

Celery

coriander

Jai Ganesha!

Today, we took a stroll through the greenhouse and had the pleasure of speaking with Mayilnathaswami, who was in the midst of harvesting fresh greens. We took the opportunity to ask Swami if he could show us around, and he graciously agreed. As he guided us through the greenhouse, he shared insightful updates on how quickly the greens are growing and explained how to determine the right time for harvesting them. It was a wonderful experience to learn firsthand about the care and timing involved in nurturing these vibrant plants.