Blog Archives

Cybertalk: A cyberspace devotee wants to know why some Hindus do not like to have pets in the home. Gurudeva says in Hindu villages in India there are no veterinarians to take care of the pets but in the homes of western educated Hindus one would often find pets that are well taken care of and that meet the Ayurvedic sanitation requirements.

Cybertalk Ends"
For more information about listening to Gurudeva's talks online and to hear them in other formats, click here.

Gurudeva will be happy to hold "Prasnottara Satsang" -- "Questions and Answers" over the telephone with any Hindu religious societies, Hindu youth groups, Radio talk show hosts etc. All you need is a phone with a speaker and an enthusiastic audience. Arrangements may be made in advance by sending email to Sadhaka Mahadevan

Click to send Gurudeva a spiritual question he will later answer for all to benefit.

transcription begins

Date: August_31_1998
Title: Sadhana to Uplift
Category: Medatation and Yoga
Duration: 3 min, 41 seconds
Date Given: August 31, 1998

The month of August has been a wonderful month, as you know. You have been following what we have been doing. What we are doing is not what we want to do, we just do the next thing. We have to do it. Therefore, we want to do it. We do what we do, in love. Same with you. Go to your place of work, in love with your work and with everyone there. Don't make differences. Don't like one person more than another, because that causes division. Also it is not professional. A lot of people in the work place have their favorite people and the favorite people together, have their enemies. Often the boss is the enemy.

We must love everyone. Love comes from the higher chakras. Contention, division, gossip, back-biting are the lower chakras. You saw the big chakra man on the pervious issue of Hinduism Today? Look at it carefully and you can lift yourself from the lower to the higher, if you happen to find yourself in the lower. You have the will to do that and only you can do that. The grace of God within you can help you do this.

Of course, visitors have been coming and going, wonderful devotees on pilgrimage coming in the right spirit and when that happens, that uplifts all of us. We really are uplifted by the pilgrims.

Just a word of advise, in summary, to you. Treat everyone equal in your family. Treat everyone equal in your work place. Don't have likes and don't have dislikes. This means, if you don't like somebody, you love everybody. Liking is kind of tolerating their existence, loving is accepting them into your heart. Everyone is your teacher. Some teach you what to do and others have the greater lesson, they teach you what not to do by their example. But still, love them anyway and thank them for who they are. Accept everyone for the wonderful being on the spiritual path of evolution towards the Self, which the Vedas speak so eloquently about.

Aum Namasivaya.
transcription ends

On the right is Ashvin Pundit who is a teacher on Kauai. Today Ashvin brought his parents who are visiting from Bangalore to the morning homa to meet Gurudeva.

Today's homa was bright with the joyful news that our seven silpis who will start the building of the Iraivan temple have received their visas and will be here next Monday!

Paramacharya Bodhinatha leads the parade out to the Iraivan temple. He is Gurudeva's designated successor. Sadhaka Dandapani holds the umbrella for shade -- a traditional way to serve and honor a Hindu religious leader.

This wonderful photo shows the approach to Iraivan temple from the main monastery property. Slowly in the years to come, the temple will rise on this platform to nearly 40 feet in height.

Acharya Kumarswami chats with Kulapati Deva Seyon.

Sadhaka Tyaganatha blesses the foundation with the sacred water that has been transported from the Kadavul Temple to the Iraivan temple.

Before long, this end of the foundation will be covered with a layer of floor stones.

These stones for the main sanctum are here for display but will soon be removed as they will need to be carefully joined together. The granite is remarkably full of crystal.

Acharya Palaniswami talks with Sivananda Katir who recently injured his finger but he's doing well now.

Our colorful multi-national monastic order... Sannyasin Yoginathaswami with Acharya Ceyonswam, Sadhaka Thondunatha and young Thambynathan Nutanaya.

Gurudeva's spiritual center in the island country of Mauritius
in the Indian Ocean near South Africa

In order to reach the large Mandapam where is installed the tall granite Pancha Ganapati, visitors would have to walk over this wooden bridge under which is a very nice pond full of berri rouge, a local koii fish. Children love running over this Japanese looking symbolical bridge which reminds us of the muladhara chakra where our Loving Lord Ganesha sits to pull those who fall into the lower chakras, below the bridge. The next time you cross this bridge remember this spiritual teaching! And to know about lord Ganesha, surf our web.....

A Tamil priest from Bhavani, India, accompanied the delegates of the International Muruga Conference held in the island last month. The worship of Muruga is very popular among Mauritian Tamils who have dedicated most of their temples to this deity. Muruga is mostly worshipped on Thai Pusam with thousand of pilgrims carrying Kavadi as a penance. Thai pusam is also a public holiday in Mauritius, thus allowing people of all faiths to participate in the festival.

Mr. Toddha, man on the right, is the rector of the Royal College Curepipe, one of the best High Schools for boys in the island. Mr. Thodda is on his second visit to the park. Here he is accompanied by his wife and a relative, a neurologist from abroad. Mrs Thodda, a lady from Russia, loves the serene atmosphere prevailing at the park: " I love coming here with my husband. It's such a lovely place !". When asked what he feels about the rat race competition prevailing in local primary schools, Mr. Thodda said:" This is not really necessary. Our educational system needs somehow to be reformed to give more opportunities to creative learning than competitive learning. We should not put primary school kids under pressure. Those who attend the Royal College, mostly come out with a string of 3 A at HSC exams, but do they really become creative and responsible individuals ?".

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