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Date: September_07_1998
Topic: Bear Cheerfully and Happily
Category:
Duration: 5 min., 59 sec.
Date Given: September 07, 1998

Today at Kauai Aadheenam! Welcome everyone. September 7, it is a Monday. We sit together on this day, it is Siva's day. All of our extended families, that I am the spiritual guide for, gather together, sharing with each other, loving each other, caring for each other, being grateful for each other, appreciating each other. It is a Monday.

On our calendar, the Panchangam, it is Sun One. You can access our calendar through the Internet. We have a homa, each Sun one. This is a beautiful fire-ceremony, where the mathavasi Swamis chant Sri Rudram. Our priest performs the Vedic puja for the foundation of Iraivan Temple, for bringing over the stones for Iraivan Temple, placing them carefully one on top of another, to last for a thousand years.

Also, there is a bit of news for you. Jyothi Palani will become a supplicant of our monastic community. His new name will be Jivananda, a beautiful name for a beautiful soul. Another supplicant will be taking his vows. His name is Nilakantha, also a beautiful name. Japendranatha Sadhaka, will be receiving his silver ring. It is going to be a wonderful day.

Bodhinathaswami, Nilakantha and Brahmachari Markandeya will be leaving for Malaysia, Singapore and India. Back to Malaysia and back to Kauai Aadheenam. But, Bodhinatha and Nilakantha will be going on to Mauritius for 2 weeks and then back to the United States. So, we are empowering them to send them off, as we are empowering you to send you off for a wonderful day.

You are a very special person. Look in the mirror. You will see a face. You will see the marks of your birth karmas upon your face. Maybe they are happy, maybe they are sad. You have lived through much in this life. You must bear your karmas cheerfully. That means, accept your karma, carry it cheerfully. Don't resent those who reflect your karma back to you. Don't fight life. Life is meant to be lived joyously. That means, be happy all through life. That is a directive that is very difficult to do, to be happy all through life. But, you can do it. I have faith in you. I have your darshan, through cyberspace, which I look through. I call it the astral plane, the plane within the material world, that is within the mind, the akasa. I am seeing you. You are seeing me. We are loving each other. We are together. I support you, protect you. You are a very special person, because you tuned in today, into Kauai Aadheenam, for darshan.

Larry Payne, a very prominent Hatha Yoga teacher in Southern California, is bringing a group to Kauai Aadheenam, 40 or more, Hatha Yoga students, that are having a seminar here, on the island of Kauai. Every year, he comes about this time, with his students. But this year, for the first time, we are giving him a demonstration of Hatha Yoga, also. by Yogi Kartikkeyanathaswami, an expert in Hatha Yoga, is the Hatha Yoga trainer of all of our young mathavasi monks and task-forcers.

Then, we are also introducing Lemurian Scrolls, our new book, to the entire group. I am giving them a good talk in the morning, emphasizing their dedication on the spiritual path, emphasizing stepping forward and stepping out of their norms into a bigger and better life, emphasizing the Vasana Daha Tantra cleaning up the past. Writing down everything they have on their mind, in the deep subconscious, burning it, releasing the emotion from the impressions within the subconscious mind. A mystical practice, very easy to perform.

They will be visiting the beautiful stones that have arrived here on Kauai Aadheenam, Iraivan Temple. Their presence is welcome. Big day for them.

Also, the day-after is an eclipse. A very intense time here, because we are all very sensitive to the movement of the planets and stars, the moon and the earth, all in association. We feel we are in tune with the Universe, in tune with nature. That is why, everyone feels the peace of Kauai Aadheenam.
transcription ends

The Sun One homa was performed as usual bringing us as always into the high realms of inner space as the "doors" between the three worlds open one to another.

Sadhaka Tyaganatha, our Agni Hotri (priest of the fire ceremony) prepares the traditional "homa ash" which is to take the durva grass that is laid on the fire altar during the ceremony, and "fire' it quickly and mix the ashes with ghee to make a black paste which is put on the sacred Kumbha pots and also offered to the devotees who put a dab on their foreheads as a pottu (sacred forehead mark.)

A small innovation has been implemented in our Cyber Talk program, which is to record Acharya Palaniswami reading the full question from those emailing in. This gives us a full idea of what is being asked. After he reads the question, then Sadhaka Thondunatha translates the question again in Tamil.

The Remarkable Vision

Iraivan Temple Progress Update

Join this historic undertaking. Please contribute generously. Sponsor a stone today! Monthly Report Sponsor a stone Iraivan Wonders

Work continues on finishing up course number one of the main sanctum. In the far background is Dennis, a local building inspector who signed off on the first phase of the foundation construction.

The silpis are very carefully filling in the space between the inner and outer stone walls.

In a process that probably no modern construction company would ever have the patience to use...first they mix the cement powder and sand.

What is different is that this mix is dry....

The dry mix is laid in to the space in a small layer and then these lava rocks are hand placed.

Next, the silpis hand water the layer, and usiing a trowel they meticulously work the mortar, sand and stone mix, inch by inch. As the building inspector said, who was watching them, work "water and sand will make for perfect compaction...it will be impossible for a single air pocket to form with this method. Modern construction for a similar situation would be to dispense entirely with the rocks and simply pour in a very wet concrete mix to fill the space as quickly as possible." But such a fast method would leave spaces and cracks as the concrete dried. Sthapati explained using stones also allows for moisture to be absorbed in the wet season and then given back in the dry season.

Our Siddhidata team backs up the silpis by providing them with materials right at the edge of the structure. Please give generously. Contact Iraivan.org to make a monthly pledge or choose a stone or a pillar to sponsor.

12 Glorious Days, 8 Enchanting Countries and One Chance in a Lifetime! Imagine spending 12 days with one of the greatest spiritual leaders of this century. Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami will be leading this exotic educational and spiritual voyage himself combining the mystical path of Indian spirituality with a superlative retreat from it all. Take advantage of this one chance to be in close proximity with a living master. Come with us on an inner and outer voyage to Northern Europe and Russia. www.innersearch.org

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Date: September_04_1998
Topic: Soul Love, True Love
Category:
Duration: 5min., 42 sec.
Date Given: September 04, 1998

On our beautiful Garden Island of Kauai, at Kauai Aadheenam, it is Friday, the 4th of September. We greet you. We love you.

We want to let you know what we are doing today. Today, 25 or 30 of the leaders of our island, business, political, social, cultural and some spiritual, are coming to Kauai Aadheenam. Some have been here many times, others just a few and some have never come to see our beautiful lands and meet us. They are all coming together on a special day. Interesting! We are into an eclipse and the eclipse is bringing us many good things. It brought a Swami yesterday. A very famous producer from Hollywood also came, who wishes to be anonymous. It is also bringing these most wonderful people, our friends who are the government on the island of Kauai.

We have a meeting called 'Vision Kauai', which myself and 2 Swamis are a part of. We have been meeting every month for a year and now, every 2 months. We have a new vision going, working for 20 years, a visionary program to guide the people of this Island, forward .

The Mayor, the former Mayor, the Head of the Kauai Council, the Planning Department, the General Plan - all of them are working together to create a new utopia, here on this garden island. These leaders look at the Iraivan Temple as one of the parts, a vital part, among others of this new utopia. They are the visionaries. They will be having lunch with us, eating in the traditional Tamil Hindu way on banana leaves, the monks chanting Sanskrit slokas, singing Tamil songs. It is going to be a wonderful event and it is happening today. We will let you know more about it, on what is happening at Kauai Aadheenam. Tune in.Tonight is your time.

Many are wondering how I see you through cyberspace. Well, I see you as a soul, shining. So many souls out there, shining brightly. All souls look pretty much the same. We have to attest to the wisdom of Lord Ganesa, who made Himself look quite different from all the other souls, so He would be quite recognizable. You are there, shining. But you are seeing me in the physical form. Try to penetrate that picture that you are looking at and see me in the soul form. Then, we will really be communicating.

Well, have a wonderful day today and tomorrow too, until we meet again on Saturday, Kauai, Hawaiian Standard Time.

Until we meet again, be strong. What makes you strong? Does anger make you strong? No. Anger is a sign of weakness. Does jealousy make you strong? No. Jealousy is a sign of weakness, embedded with anger that is in it.

No, love makes you strong. Love is from the higher chakras. The heart chakra, the throat chakra. Where is that? What is love? Forgiveness, letting everyone be the way they are. What is love? Guidance, helping each one from one step to another, through patience. Patience is the saving force of love. One of the boons that love gives, is giving you patience. To be impatient, is to be without love. To be impatient, is to be without love. To have someone or some child get on your nerves is to be without love.

Love for the physical body is sensual. You whip children, hit them, beat them. That is sensual. Love of the soul is true love. There is a continuity there that cannot be broken. There is a continuity there that cannot be tampered with, adulterated, tarnished, blemished in any way. That is the real you.

You are a soul living in a physical body, controlling all of your faculties, controlling your body, your appetite, your mind, your instinctive mind, most especially your emotions. You can do it. Try, for 24 hours, until we meet again.

See you at Kauai Aadheenam, next time you tune in. Do make it soon.

Aum Namasivaya. We all love you here at the Kauai Aadheenam.
transcription ends

Gurudeva's team of translators, on the left Sadhaka Thondunatha does Tamil, Sadhaka Jothinatha in the middle does the French and Sadhaka Mahadeva translates into Malay.

The Remarkable Vision

Iraivan Temple Progress Update

Join this historic undertaking. Please contribute generously. Sponsor a stone today! Monthly Report Sponsor a stone Iraivan Wonders

Work proceeds dynamically at the Iraivan temple site. After considering the silpis moving the sand from the ground level by hand to the foundation and then into the retaining wall, our Siddhidata Kulam got other ideas: Use the tractor!

Here Karttikeyanathaswami uses our big Ford to get the sand up on the foundation.

Meanwhile, Yoginathaswami runs our little John Deere, which has been specially modified with heavy weights on the back...allowing us to remove all implements in the rear and operate in a very tight situation. This is extremely tedious work because with so much precious stone and structures in place, you have to be REALLY careful. A tractor can do a lot of damage in a minute.

What might have taken the silpis several days of hand work was done in a single morning as the retaining wall around the first course of stones was quickly filled.

The silpis will simply level out the sand...in the meanwhile, as our tractor team was moving sand, the silpis were working through various stones, pulling our course number two stones that they will begin placing soon. It is an interesting process as the "garba griham" ("womb chamber"/inner sanctum) will disappear before our eyes as it is built and be encased as it were in a giant "egg" and then, when the last stones are placed, the retaining wall will be taken down and the sanctum will be revealed.

12 Glorious Days, 8 Enchanting Countries and One Chance in a Lifetime! Imagine spending 12 days with one of the greatest spiritual leaders of this century. Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami will be leading this exotic educational and spiritual voyage himself combining the mystical path of Indian spirituality with a superlative retreat from it all. Take advantage of this one chance to be in close proximity with a living master. Come with us on an inner and outer voyage to Northern Europe and Russia. www.innersearch.org

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Date: September_03_1998
Topic: Exchange Love in Cyberspace
Category:
Duration: 4 min., 47 sec.
Date Given: September 03, 1998

In our beautiful Garden Island of Kauai, our Island Temple is celebrating today, Thursday, September 3, Swami Sri Sri Sri Pragyananda Maharaj's 54th birthday. There are 108 rudraksha beads in a mala and he is half-way through his mala. He has a tremendous project going in India. To build up that project, he talks to thousands and thousands of people, travels around the world. He has been travelling 19 years, here and there and everywhere.

We have given him a mission to perform. To stop corporal punishment and to raise up the next generation in love. To work with the priests and trustees in temples, so that they work in harmony, one with another. One more mission, to honor the priests of our great religion and lift their status to the heights of engineers, doctors, the priests and ministers of other religions. They deserve it, for they invoke the Gods.

We are here in cyberspace, looking at you. You look really nice today. It is amazing what you can see through cyberspace, just like looking into the akasa, and now through your computer. Sometimes we see things we don't want to see. But, we know they are going to be corrected because we feel that coming to an Ashram everyday is a changing experience, has been for thousands of years in Hindu culture. Now through your computer screen, you can in your mind, break the barriers of time, break the barriers of space and come right here, pick up on the vibration that we generate and live in, every single day.

We will have darshan together tomorrow. Darshan works both ways. I have your darshan, looking at you and you have my darshan, looking at me. We are exchanging feelings of love, back and forth.

Aum Namasivaya.

Swami Pragyananda Maharaj gave a beautiful talk in the Kadavul Hindu Temple this morning, to a large group of devotees, swamis, sadhakas, and yogis. We would like, for him to share just a few words of that inspired lecture, to you today. We don't want to miss this rare opportunity to catch, for cyberspace, what he has to say.

Swami Pragyananda Maharaj : I met Gurudeva in 1981, in Kuala Lumpur. Since that day, I have the feeling that he is always with me. When he blessed me, he just hugged me and told me "I am with you". I was in stress in 1986, I was out. That time also I was here. That was a great challenge to me. I was alone like a Christ, that time. Everybody kicked me out. He knows the history. Palaniswami knows those days, that history. That time also he told me, "Don't worry. I am with you."

That day I thought that I am just like a lion. When the child is with his mother, even if a lion comes, he feels safe. So, when the mother is with me, the father is with me, my Guru is with me, then no one can touch me. Since that day I feel that no one can harm me, no one can touch me, because the blessings of Gurudeva is with me.

Thank you very much, all of you who are here. Gurudeva has blessed me and you are here to convey your best wishes for the long life of not my body, but my life-long project. That project is essential, body is the medium. I want the blessings for my project. Here he has already blessed me for my project. The project is essential, body is immaterial. If this project will remain, I will remain, and Gurudeva's blessings will remain. If project is no more, then I am no more. So, your blessing is with me. Thank you very much.

Aum Namasivaya. Aum Namasivaya. Aum Namasivaya.
transcription ends

Here is Ravi and Shashi Vinayak family from Mountain View, California.

The Remarkable Vision

Iraivan Temple Progress Update

Join this historic undertaking. Please contribute generously. Sponsor a stone today! Monthly Report Sponsor a stone Iraivan Wonders

As you can see a lot of progress is being made. The posts for the retaining wall for main sanctum have been erected.

The silpis have completed setting all the stone of the first course of the sanctum and have been working on clean up and getting the next course of stones into position.

Meanwhile another load of sand arrived. It will be used to serve as fill for the retaining wall and to make the mortar rock mix that fills the empty space between the inner and outer walls of the main sanctum

The top of the temporary posts are the same height as the pillars and main roof will be. The sanctum tower will rise another 16 feet above this.

All the stones you see have been leveled, fitted and laid into position. Gigantic four by twelve beams have been set up as posts for the retaining wall.

The dark shadowed space between the inner and outer walls will be the mortar/stone mix and the space between the wooden wall and the outside stone wall will be filled with sand. The stones you see here are all below the actual floor level and will not be seen.

The next course of stone will be the ones that appear just at floor level.

Our dynamic team starts moving these into place. It will be quite interesting to see how they get these giant pieces of granite up onto the next course!

12 Glorious Days, 8 Enchanting Countries and One Chance in a Lifetime! Imagine spending 12 days with one of the greatest spiritual leaders of this century. Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami will be leading this exotic educational and spiritual voyage himself combining the mystical path of Indian spirituality with a superlative retreat from it all. Take advantage of this one chance to be in close proximity with a living master. Come with us on an inner and outer voyage to Northern Europe and Russia. www.innersearch.org

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Date: August_30_1998
Topic: Guha Day
Category:
Duration: 2 min., 45 sec.
Date Posted: August 30, 1998

This is our second retreat day. We are so happy that you have come to see us in cyberspace. This is the day when the mathavasis, the Hindu monks at Kauai Aadheenam, go within themselves into the light of their soul. Each one has a private guha.That is why we call it 'Guha Day'.

It is a time for washing our clothes, we have no servants. It is a time for paying attention to our inner self, realizing the Self. It is only the soul that can realize the Self, but we have to realize the soul first. It is a time for the young monks to realize that they are not their mind, they are not their body, they are not their emotions. They are a living soul, with a soul body that has all the chakras in it, a being of light. That is very hard for some. They have to struggle with that, because there are memories of the past and the hopes of the future that have to be renounced. That is renunciation. You can do that too, at least one day a week. Think that day is your 'Guha Day'.

Guha means cave and the cave is within your heart, the lotus of the heart. It is within your head, above your head. It is your soul. The external mind would rest from things, memories, the future, activities and computers and goes within himself. Every once in awhile, every 5 days, 6 days, sometimes 7 days, we have a Guha Day. We are on the lunar calendar here. Our calendar does not relate to the rest of the people here on the beautiful island of Kauai. But, they love us and they appreciate us. They also tune in on Guha Day. You can, too. Take time out to be silent and realize. First realization on the path, that you are a perfect, indestructible soul, with powers such as will-power, memory, powers of reason, powers of cognition. Whether you know it or not, at this very moment you are seeing with your third eye, because you are understanding this message.

Aum Namasivaya!
transcription ends

Siddhidata Kulam Talaivar on the right Sannyasin Yoginathaswami at his morning staff meeting. On his right Anshul Mohaan from New Jersey. Anshul is 20 years old and born in America. He "met" Gurudeva on the internet and expressed serious interest in the teachings so he was invited to come for a month to Kauai Aadheenam for task force.

Here is Yoginathaswami with his whole team. Sannyasin Karttikeyanathaswami, Sadhaka Tejadeva and Sadhaka Nilakantha. The kulam has a very big responsibility and that has grown now to include many aspects of the Iraivan Temple Project.

Here you see the secret hidden enclave on the property called "The Path of the Saivite Saints." The giant Narmada Lingam is a center piece amidst this peaceful secluded area through which runs our all important stream. Hindu pilgrims can come here, wander the path in silence, offer water to the Siva Lingam and meditate.

Summer warmth is upon us as the nights have lost their chill and all sorts of seeds and plants are bursting into bloom.

The Remarkable Vision

Iraivan Temple Progress Update

Join this historic undertaking. Please contribute generously. Sponsor a stone today! Monthly Report Sponsor a stone Iraivan Wonders

A distance shot of the temple sight. At the South end entrance side a gravel ramp has been created allowing for foot traffic and forklifts to go up on the foundation. Later, in the spot where this photo is being taken, the Kodimaram (Flag Pole) and Nandi Mandapam will be raised.

A distance shot from the Aadheenam, you can see the tall posts that have been erected by Jeff Griffin and his team. These will eventually be boarded in to protect the sanctum as it rises up. Visualize in the empty space above them, a tall temple Gopuram.

12 Glorious Days, 8 Enchanting Countries and One Chance in a Lifetime! Imagine spending 12 days with one of the greatest spiritual leaders of this century. Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami will be leading this exotic educational and spiritual voyage himself combining the mystical path of Indian spirituality with a superlative retreat from it all. Take advantage of this one chance to be in close proximity with a living master. Come with us on an inner and outer voyage to Northern Europe and Russia. www.innersearch.org

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Date: August_20_1998
Title: Love, Harmony at Home
Category: Family
Duration: 3 min., 44 sec.
Date Given: August 20, 1998

August 20. Another wonderful day. You saw our beautiful little cow that was born. On the same day, we received a letter from the 'People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals', one of America's foremost Institutions. An aggressive ministry, this institution totally exists so that we treat animals properly.

Well, the little cow got lost and the entire Aadheenam was out looking for the cow. Who found the cow? A cat! One of the mathavasis, our monk, from Malaysia decided that the cat would know where the cow was. So, he picked up the cat and started walking around. The cat smelled the cow and jumped out of his arms and he found the cow. That was not a very easy thing to do, because we were walking around 51 acres. Anyway, the cow that ran away and got lost, shortly after birth, was found.

Now, we have been asked to write on the Hindu point of view on the ethical treatment of animals. That is a big job because, even now in Hindu temples, animal sacrifice is taking place. I just don't know what I am going to write. I hope that you will write to 'Hinduism Today', The Editor, and give some suggestions on the Hindu point of view, about what we could say.

I also think there should be a big organization in America, and maybe there is, for the ethical treatment of children. Children are being abused in many, many homes throughout our country. Many, many Hindu homes also beat, hurt, pinch, slap, take their aggressive stress out on their children. The asuras live in many homes. Asuras are like devils, you know, rather than angels or guardian devas living in the home.

Anyway, all that aside, we want you to have a wonderful day. These are my concerns. But, I thought I would share it with you today, because of the coincidence of the cow and the letter from the coalition to treat animals properly. Give it some thought. Let us hear from you. We need voices and you will see your voice here, on the worldwide web, in cyberspace. If you want it to be confidential, just write 'Confidential'. We will take the information and use it. We do need your help. We want to preserve animals, children and wives. We want happy homes. This is very important for us.

A new age is just breaking and coming into being. But, peace, harmony and well-being begins in the home. We need your voice and we need it today.
transcription ends

Dr Swaminathan and his son Arvind on vacation from Phoenix, Arizona. They found out about the monastery through the internet. They were both quite impressed to see the silpis carving stone by hand just like in ancient times.

The Remarkable Vision

Iraivan Temple Progress Update

Join this historic undertaking. Please contribute generously. Sponsor a stone today! Monthly Report Sponsor a stone Iraivan Wonders

Work began today on the outer "retaining wall" that will surround the central sanctum as it rises. Jeff Griffin who supervised the foundation work was back on the scene with his team to start the work.

As you can see our temple foundation is packed with stones and raw materials.

The work proceeds well. The temporary "wall" that will be built out of wood will be about three feet outside the surface of the outer stones and rise 17 feet high.

Jeff and his men were working at "top speed." Before the second course is placed, the area around the first course on the outside, is filled with sand to provide a work platform as the temple rises. The sand also protects the lower stones from any possibility of being damaged as the structure goes up and up.

While Jeff and his men work with electric drills and a generator. Silpi Sundaram Gomathiasari works with the age old tools of hammer and chisel to level this stone to it's proper height.

12 Glorious Days, 8 Enchanting Countries and One Chance in a Lifetime! Imagine spending 12 days with one of the greatest spiritual leaders of this century. Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami will be leading this exotic educational and spiritual voyage himself combining the mystical path of Indian spirituality with a superlative retreat from it all. Take advantage of this one chance to be in close proximity with a living master. Come with us on an inner and outer voyage to Northern Europe and Russia. www.innersearch.org

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transcription begins

Date: August_19_1998
Title: Express Love, Gratitude
Category: Meditation and Yoga
Duration: 2 min., 14 sec
Date Given: August 19, 1998
Given by: Gurudeva

August 19. Greetings everyone. We are really happy to be together again. Also, a lot of things are happening here at Kauai Aadheenam, quite a busy place.

To be centered in the eternal Now, that takes a little bit of doing. No matter what happens around us, we have to realise that the past and the future all exist right now. The past and the future all exist right now. That is a wonderful statement and I have been making that statement for over fifty years. Very hard to convince people. But through cyberspace, talking to you this very moment, I feel that you have caught the idea. The past and the future all exist right now.

The eternity of the moment basically, is the only time. It is a very short time, goes second by second by second. The past and the future exist in the totality right now.

What is the past? Our memory patterns. What is the future? Our hopes and fears. What is now? Sitting among those that we love, sitting among those that support us and that we support, a communication between people and people, animals and people, people and plants, plants and people, love, appreciation, gratitude.

Have a wonderful day, everyone. Expect love today. Give kind words of appreciation and gratitude for all the good that is in your life this very moment, the eternal moment, second by second by second.The past and the future exist right now.
transcription ends

Today was Sun One homa. The monastery follows the Vedic Panchangam system. Each lunar fortnight is a "paksha" and is divided into two "phases." Sun One will normally always fall on the dvitya tithi (second lunar day of the fortnight) or the ekadasi tithi (10th lunar day of the fortnight). New moon, full moon and Ashtami and the days following each of these are the monastery "retreat" days.

ANNOUNCEMENT--German translation needs your collaboration

A wonderful lady in Germany has begun to translate "Merging with Siva" into German. We are looking for a CyberCadet who can read the first couple of chapters and help us with the language. It will take just an hour of less. If you are a native German speaker with strong English skills, please e-mail us: palani@hindu.org and we will do the rest.

Mr. Nelliappan has been serving Gurudeva and his work with great dedication for many years, acting as our India liason officer and managing a great many business matters for us in South India.

Gurudeva listens as Nelliappan reads his dedication.

Thambynathan Girish Samugam, is the acting priest helper and blows the conch during the final arati of the homa. Girish has aspirations to one day become a monk. He will be with us for another month or so and then return to his family in Singapore.

Wonderful guests joined us today from Boston, Chaya and her daughter Charu.

Dr Ratnasamy and family also made a pilgrimage to the monastery from Florida.

Here is Mr. Thom of Mcees Logistics Pvt Ltd, Bangalore. He is the man who has been contracted to do all the shipping of the Iraivan temple. He takes this work VERY seriously and flew all the way from India to Kauai. He is inspecting the situation at each juncture where the containers carrying the stones for Iraivan will pass through. And he even met with the local trucking firm that delivers the containers from the dock on the island here to the temple. Mr. Thom is very inspired by the project and says: "Years after I am gone, my great grandchildren will remember only one thing.... that I was responsible for bringing this great temple from India to America." Mr. Thom is not only responsible for the shipping but all aspects of moving the stones beginning with the crates in Bangalore. He met with Gurudeva today for blessings and is soon back to India where he faces a challenge to get five more containers to Kauai by September, which he vowed he would do. He is a fine man.

The Remarkable Vision

Iraivan Temple Progress Update

Join this historic undertaking. Please contribute generously. Sponsor a stone today! Monthly Report Sponsor a stone Iraivan Wonders

Last phase there was a lot of progress on the temple construction. The first course of the central sanctum outer wall was all fitted in.

Meanwhile, massive deliveries of sand and lava rock have arrived. Here is the latest delivery of sand.

Yoginathswami and Karttikeyanathaswami watch as the truck unloads beside the temple foundation.

Four loads arrived, two of stones and two of sand. Look closely as the sanctum: the outer stones form the outside of the central chamber. The inside walls of the central chamber are set in about a foot and a half from the outside walls. The space between the walls will be filled with a mixture of mortar and stones, which will be done for this course in about 15 days from now.

You are seeing here the "footing" level of the sanctum. These stones are all below the actual sanctum floor which will be 4 feet higher than the surface of the foundation.

Yoginathaswami inspects the lava rock. Shanmuga Sthapati was very happy with the quality: hard, yet porous enough to absorb moisture and mortar.

The silpis are in the middle of finishing the installation of the inner layer of stones.

The back square and the small pole in the center is the area and point above which the giant Maha Spatika Lingam will eventually be installed.

More stones will be delivered soon and our silpis move the sanctum doorway stones out of the way to make more room on the foundation.

Shanmuga Sthapati stands on the left and softly chants "aiysa, aiysa" and on each note of the quiet song, the silpis bars lift and turn in a small motion that gradually moves the massive pieces across the surface of the foundation.

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