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Happy New Year! April 13th and the Sun has moved into the sign of Mesha-Aries, marking the beginning of the new year for the Vedic astrological calendar. This day is also celebrated as New Year by Tamils, Sinhalese Buddhists and other communities.
Bodhinatha gave a beautiful talk this morning about making a resolution this year to tune in to Gurudeva, find him within and feel the strong force, testified to by many, of his pulling us inwardly into the same state of consciousness that he is now in on the inside.
Our simple but joyful ceremony to change the flag as we move into the Nartana Ritau. We bring you this seasons guidelines from the Saiva Dharma Shastras:
Beginning with Hindu New Year in mid-April, three seasons of the year divide our activities into three great needs of humankind�the learning of scripture in the first season, Nartana Ritau; the living of culture in the second season, Jivana Ritau; and the meditating on Siva in the third season, Moksha Ritau. Thus we are constantly reminded that our life is Siva’s life and our path to Him is through study, sadhana and realization. In ritau one, we teach the philosophy; in ritau two, we teach the culture; and in ritau three, we teach meditation.
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Sun One Homa….
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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 teaching is Dancing with Siva: Hinduism’s Contemporary Catechism, Sivena Saha Nartanam. This foundational text is featured in all mission satsangas. 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.
Nartana Ritau continued:
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 Mother’s Day in May, Father’s Day in June and Grandparent’s Day in August. In the monastery the monks begin their annual 31-day ayurvedic herbal cleansing. Intensive cleaning of monastery buildings and grounds takes place.
The special dietary adjustments for the season come into effect and new menus are established. 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 nine realms of the Aadheenam’s 51 acres. Kadavul temple and the Guru Temple are cleaned and renewed during this season, and the adjacent grounds receive special, abundant attention. Karma yogis are invited to help in this and other areas with planting and weeding, digging, fertilizing, fence repair and more.
During the Nartana Ritau 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. In the family community, prashnottara satsanga is held for one and all to attend. Families plan for their annual pilgrimage. 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, and of the entire year, is Guru Purnima. The mathavasis hold special conclave on Vaikasi Vishakham, the full moon day of May. The three Aadheenam realms of the season are: 1) Rishi Valley�with its secluded Guru Hut and parampara shrines on the banks of Rishi Valley’s Saravanabhava Lake; 2) Wailua Farm, with its pastures, orchards and gardens; and 3) Kadavul Koyil, with its Guru Temple, entry gardens, Banyan Pavilion, Tiruneri path, sacred tank and its Puakenikeni and Mango Mandapams.
Bodhinatha give a short inspired New Year’s day talk on resolving bring Gurudeva into our spiritual lives and to accelerate our spiritual evolution in the coming year.
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Nartana Satsanga is held from mid-April through mid-August. Whenever a satsanga gathers, a chakravala is created. Nartana Ritau is the time of year when those in the grihastha ashrama are honored, and we can optionally bring garlands to express our love and support of kulapatis and kulamatas in this ashrama of life. All pay close attention to their testimony on raising children, dealing with family problems, keeping harmony in the home and fulfilling the duties of grihastha dharma. Informal meetings and discussion groups are encouraged to find ways to strengthen the many families in the community and to plan the schooling of children in the 64 kalas and the first seven books of The Master Course for the coming year.
Our silpis joined us today for the Sun One Homa and came forword for blessings.
Each was given a new shawl and cash gift to mark the New Year.
Next, the changing of the flag….the pink coral flag of the Moksha Ritau is down and the bright orange flag of the Nartana Ritau is prepared.
Up goes the Hindu Dvaja for the next four months
Happy New Year!
A few relaxed moments after the happy event.
Tandu Sivanathan of the Kauai Mission.
The ladies of Kauai Mission with Kavita Mardemootoo and her children who are staying on in Kauai for a while.
Since it is New Year’s day we thought to bring you pictures of one of the really outstanding themes of our India Odyssey and that was the amazing cultural events that were arranged throughout.
Of course everywhere at all the temples were the ever-present and spine-tingling music of the nadasvaram horn and thavil drum
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Himalayan Academy Travel Study Programs |
Images from the Recent 2004 Indian OdysseyJanuary 19, 2004 – February 5, 2004 Bangalore, Madurai, Tanjavur, Chennai and |
And along the way, several nadasvaram concerts performed by the very best.
We still have some personal photos with Bodhinatha to share… Here is Tyler Pearson from Ontario, Canada. He’s been reading Gurudeva’s books and was a real trooper. He enjoyed India so much, he decided to stay on afterwards and make another round of temples in Tamil Nadu.
Josan Feathers from South California has been close to Gurudeva’s devotees in Southern California for many years.
If you haven’t seen Kathakali dancing live on stage, you have yet to experience one of the most enthralling art forms ever done by man… well, we should say, in this case by ladies as this is an all-ladies troupe of dancers!
They traveled all night and all day from Kerala to reach Madurai in time to perform for the Innersearch. It was stupendous!
Traditionally, only men performed this dance, but times have changed and this troupe of all ladies is among the top in South India
Behind the dancers, drummers and cymbal players mark time with hypnotic intensity, while one ladies narrates the story. The dancers can hold very tight positions and display remarkable poise and mudras with their hands….
Then suddenly spring forth with enormous energy….
At Madurai we experience the music of the amazing Shashank, a young prodigy flute player…
He and his accompanists were astounding. One can hardly believe one’s ears that such music can come from these simple instruments. Shashank more than fulfilled his reputation for the special melodic lyrical quality of his music, which yet had all the finesse and sometimes incredible speed of the great Carnatic masters.
It was also a special moment for him. Playing out in the open under the night sky with the giant Nandi of Brihadeewarar behind the group and the lights of the temple entrance nearby, it was truly such a magical moment for everyone.
Another evening at the Brihadiswarar temple: tradition songs by the best Oduvars of Tamil Nadu. We asked our elder innersearcher, Mrs. Sivayogam, to do the translation. At first we sensed a bit of concern on the part of the Oduvars as to whether this lady from far away would be qualified to speak to the group on their behalf. But in no time at all they were nodding respectfully to her as she translated their introductions and songs with perfect poise and accurate articulation.
The cultural greatness of Thanjavur of old found new prana and a new beginning with the Innersearch initiative to bring these events to the temple grounds.
One of the most advance Bharata Natyam dancers we have ever seen… at Gitananda Ashram in Pondicherry. She has won many awards and is also an accomplished Hatha Yogini.
Footware of the dancer…
And, unexpectedly, when we went to Palani Hills, a luncheon was schedule at the hotel of our old friend Hari Haran. Little did we think that we would then have a cultural performance done by a troupe lead by a wealthy businessman who has decided to try playing Carnatic music on an electric guitar. Surprise! It was quite good, and certainly an entertaining novelty!
Happy New Year!
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MORE UPLIFTING THINGS |
Color Trilogy Complete! We are happy to announce that the new edition of the enormously popular Dancing with Siva is now available in hard back with all new color artwork. It’s truly an amazing and beautiful work, with more art than any of the collection. This completes the fulfillment of the vision that Gurudeva had of his Master Course Trilogy being produced in full color. In addition, Bodhinatha is taking pro-active steps to bring Gurudeva’s teachings out in a new forms that can be broadly disseminated in the mass mind. With this in mind we, are also pleased to announce that the Dancing with Siva pocketbook is also available. Keep the three-pound book in your shrine room, and take the little one with you on the airplane or subway! How little? It’s just 3″ by 4.5″ — truly pocket-sized, and just over half an inch thick. Yet it is a full 375 pages, containing ALL of the 155 sutras. Available now at our online store. The complete Trilogy is being offered at a discount. |
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From Our Gurus' Teachings
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