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Welcome back to Sun One of a short four-day phase. We have a rich set of photos beginning with some from Houston where Bodhinatha’s visit is fulfilling this important vision that Gurudeva worked with all his life:
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“Tonight we are going to discuss an issue that is essential to the future of Hinduism in America, I would even say in the world. It is a complex matter, but in brief it may be defined as the relationship of Hindus to Hindus, of Vaishnavites to Saivites, of northern traditions to southern. I call it Hindu solidarity, and I can assure you that there is no single more challenging or significant lesson that we as members of the world’s oldest religion have to learn. If we can achieve this, and we can, many of our problems will be solved, and Hinduism will take a new place of pride in North America.
I call it “solidarity in diversity.” Solidarity in diversity is really a better term than unity in diversity, just like the mosaic is more accurate than the melting pot. In America we have Saivite Hindus, Vaishnava Hindus, Shakta Hindus, Smarta Hindus, liberal Hindus, agnostic Hindus and anti-Hindu Hindus, all working together for Hindu solidarity, a grand Hindu front competent to master and reform Hinduism today.
Hindu solidarity is not an original idea. It has become very popular in India itself. Whatever our background, we can and we must maintain our sectarian roots and heritage, cultivate our differences and become strong within them, as the Christians did. There exists a common bond between all Hindus. What is that bond? Number one, it is the belief in karma and dharma. The Saivites and the Vaishnavites, the Shaktas and the Smartas all believe in karma and dharma. Number two is reincarnation. Number three is the all-pervasiveness of God and the sanctity of the Vedas. If we accept these three basic beliefs–along with tolerance for all the religions of the world coupled with the belief that all people, whatever their spiritual path, will one day attain to knowledge of God–then we can say, “Yes, we are Hindus.”
Though the branches of Hinduism are many and different, the roots are common to us all. We share so much, and we can never forget this. Sharing a common heritage, we can then, with confidence, follow our own path. If that path is liberal Hindu, fine. If that path is Saivite Hindu, Vaishnava Hindu or Shakta Hindu, fine. Let each follow his own path. Let each perfect himself and purify himself within the context of his individual way. We must know and get the strength from the heritage of our roots. That is a real strength; that is a genuine Hindu solidarity. It is not strength for us all to call out for others to be exactly as we are. A tree has one trunk, one root system, but for survival its branches must reach in many directions. The different directions are not a weakness in the tree. In fact, its very life depends on this diversity. The very life of Hinduism has always depended on a similar diversity. That is why I say it is not uniformity or sameness that we seek together. It is solidarity, the strength which comes from appreciating and cultivating our differences, not denying them or trying to restrain or even destroy them altogether.
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Bodhinatha with the Sadhus in Texas….
TRAVEL NEWS! Bodhinatha’s next visit is July 23-27 to Houston, Texas. See travel page for more information.
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Yogi Japendranatha sends us a lot of photos which we will see over the next few days… Here he is on Day Two of their stay in Houston:
“Our motel amidst fields of possibility in Sugar Land.”
Bodhinatha walking with Atmaswarup Swami. See those huge ducts going into one of the tents? Air conditioning. Lots and lots of air conditioning. And these tents are white; no other color would do in the Texan sun.
Sitting amongst our brothers on the stage while Swamishree performed puja for Sri Harikrishna, a small gold, jewel-encrusted image of Lord Krishna. Pramukh Swami takes this image with him wherever he travels and performs puja to the Lord daily.
Gyanpriya Swami, frontmost, head of Toronto center.
Akshaymuni Swami, chief architect and engineer for the BAPS temples. He is very quiet, as his name implies.
Bodhinatha holding Pramukh Swami’s Sri Harikrishna shrine after the puja. This image is the symbol of Pramukh Swami’s leadership of BAPS in the lineage of Lord Swaminarayan.
Bodhinatha’s and Swamishree’s first official meeting, amongst a flurry of photographers’ flashes.
Jnanpurush Swami, head of the Houston center. He was a very sweet, gracious host.
Bodhinatha, Atmaswarup Swami and Dr. Swami, senior-most of all the swamis under Pramukh Swami, chatting outside the tent.
Sadhus, grihasthas, volunteers, devotees, parade floats, all getting ready.
Now we are back home at the Aadheenam… 6 PM on the last day of the retreat we held the monthly Chitra puja for Gurudeva.
Sadhaka Dandapani and Sadhaka Tejadeva perform the puja.
Then the next day was our “Siddhidata Day” of the retreat when all the monks work together outside for most of the morning. The exciting moment had come to remove the pillar of sand that was inside the sanctum of the temple, going all the way to the top behind these heavy boards. The sand provided a working platform for the silpis to place the stones are they worked up to the top of the sanctum, just as the scaffold provided support on the outside. Now that the final course was finished, it has to be removed before the capstone is placed.
Yoginathaswami coordinates and he looks up at the top of the temple discussing with Sthapati issues relating to the coming raising up of the capstone.
We must remove the sand before the capstone goes up. Our Siddhidata team removes the boards inside. We don’t know what to expect. Sometimes sand can compact as hard as a rock….
They have set up a chute to the base of the wall of boards across the sanctum entrance that will carry the sand and water out to the main slab.
A fire hose is connected and set up on a support and the pumps are turned on. Happily the sand flowed out with the water very easily.
Everyone is delighted and there is a joyful feeling in the air as the inner sanctum of Iraivan opens up …
If the sand were to get stuck way up high, it would have been a big task, but the sand came down from the top in a gentle, even flow.
The silpis watch from above as the pile of sand slowly washes out the front door.
Yoginathaswami moves the sand away with the Bobcat…
Sadhaka Nilakantha takes a turn on the hose.
The light finally came down from the top…
Our hardworking Sivathondars, Sadhaka Adinatha, Yoginathaswami and Sadhaka Nilakantha gleefully hop inside to help shovel out the remainder.
Laughter from 20 feet above…
It was a perfect day, the plan fulfilled and we are poised to put the capstone on soon.
Then, on Guha day… a team of monks went to Himalayan Acres where Sannyasin Arumugaswami had planted some corn which turned out to be very happy there. Time for harvest.
Our land across from the temple is beautiful… Here is another field of corn that is still young.
With special boxes on hand, we are ready to pick and pack and ice the corn, for delivery to the local wholesale vegetable distributer.
Walking through… picking all the ripe, mature corn heads. Today we picked about 1,500 pieces and there is more yet to come!
It was really excellent… very sweet and plump…
This is a field of sun hemp that has just been planted and is doing very well.
Take time… look up… stop and see the beauty around you. Gurudeva once said: “Sometimes people forget that they have already realized many things. They just have to accept it and stop and bask in the awareness of the realizations they have had.”
Coming finally to this morning… Sun One homa. And a new photo of Gurudeva for this month in the light box above his shrine in Kadavul.
Chanting opens the ceremonies as usual.
Sadhaka Jivananandanatha is this week’s morning pujari and so he performs the homa today.
Agniye Svaha!
Bodhinatha’s Tiruvadi on his seat… we will see him late tomorrow evening after some 12 hours of travel to get home…
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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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