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Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami left for Singapore with Sannyasin Arumugaswami very early this morning at 5 AM. He will be arriving there on Thursday.

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Thambynathan Shailesh has been doing wonderfully well here and seems right at home. He sends love and alohas to his Mother and Father in California.

Selvan Kumar Katir comes to the monastery regularly to do karma yoga. I like to "detail" Bodhinatha's car. This is really Car-ma yoga!

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Gate Mission
Ajaya Tali Tying Ceremony

The Ajaya family recently completed the long and very thorough process of conversion to Saivite Hinduism, after studying with Gurudeva for many years. They wanted to consecrate their marriage in the Hindu tradition and so held this Tali Tying ceremony. First we have the Ganesha Arati, by Hotranatha.

Hotranatha read his vows to his long time beloved wife, Punita.

Punita reads her vows to Hotranatha.

The Tali is blessed on the Kumbha.
Hotranatha had this made in Malaysia in the shastric way, with a Sivalingam in the center

Tying the knot takes on a literal meaning in this Samskara

The priest, Marepalli Shastri, invoked Ganesha, the planets and many Devas who blessed all.

Hotranatha affixes toe rings on his wife's feet.

Now three times around the sacred fire.

Hotranatha placing the Tali around his wifes neck, a sacred symbol of their divine union.

A thank-you offering to the priest, who worked so hard to make this a perfect ceremony.

The deed is done.
The happy couple, after the ceremony.

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The Iraivan Temple site from the Southwest corner.

On Iraivan Day Yogi Japendranatha went on a photo shoot and did a splendid job. Here are pillars ready to be raised.

The pillar symbols each have a teaching to tell.

Exquisite.

Please, feel free to sponsor one of these magnificent pillars and participate in holding up the roof of Iraivan your very self!

Pillar bases are being worked on here.

The silpis actually adjust the level of the base by cutting into the foundation itself, thereby also give the pillar base a "socket" into which to fit and be secured against movement.

Some major work here. Raman gets out the big hammer.

This is not ornamental carving. Raman gives a blow with all his might.

Then carefully finishes off.

Here and there around the foundation the pillar bases are being prepared.

Meanwhile the Tongans have started work on the Dakshinamurthi Peedam under the Banyan tree at the north end of the temple.

This is being faced with lava rock.

It will take them just a day to do the job... not like working in granite!

Dakshinamurthi will be here soon, stay tuned!

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Date: January_18_1999
Title: Karma and Violent Video Games
Category: Karma
Duration: 3 min., 24 seconds
Date Given: January 18, 1999
Given By: Gurudeva

Today at Kauai Aadheenam, January 18th.

We begin a two-week retreat. This means our daily work goes on as usual but we have no guests. Some of the religious routine is performed outside the building, like walking the beautiful lands, looking at the lakes and becoming one with Siva's perfect universe. Whenever a thought arises about yesterday or tomorrow, we turn that thought form into a beautiful flower. Whatever happens in our mind, you know, is a creative, productive function that eventually will manifest in the future. So, during this retreat we look into our minds. We step back a little from what we are doing and we reflect for a two-week period. This retreat is called Sadhu Paksha and it comes up twice a year.

This makes us reflect on video games that are on the computers these days, all over the world that teach violence. When a person, young or old, is mentally killing someone else or something else, he is putting the seed of 'alrightness' of that, within his sub-conscious mind. Now, for instance, looking at the karmic chain - one thing makes another thing happen, which makes another thing happen, which makes another thing happen. If someone actually does harm to another because he was trained to do that, by playing a video game, the bad karma goes on to the creator of the game, the manufacturer of the game, the salesperson who sold the game, and the store clerk. It is all a shared karma. That is the karmic chain. Therefore, think about it.

I know some of you there in our cyberspace congregation, especially maybe the new ones that are just coming in and finding us for the very first time, and finding this ashram in the middle of nowhere on the Garden Island of Kauai, have had the experience or are having the experience or maybe have just turned off, a violent game, to enter the Cyberspace Ashram. What are you doing to yourself? Not good. You have the power of decision. You can make choices. Make a choice to put good things into action in your future.

Today, we are going to talk to a Lieutenant Colonel of the United States Army about violent video games for our magazine, 'Hinduism Today'. He is going to explain in his own words that violent video games teach people to kill, exactly the same way the army teaches people to kill to defend our country. How about that? We will have more on that tomorrow, and hear what he has to say.

So, think this over. You will improve your future.

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MORE UPLIFTING THINGS		Innersearch 2004 in India! Bodhinatha will lead the next Innersearch to India, January, 2004. We will visit Bangalore and the Iraivan Carving Village, and settle in the South in Tamil Nadu, Click on the above for details on what will be an inspiring journey to our holy land of Bharat!
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