Blog Archives
“When one has reached an advanced stage on the spiritual path, in order to go further, the law requires giving back what one has been given. Hearing oneself speak the divine teachings and being uplifted and fulfilled by filling up and uplifting others allows the budding adept to go through the next portal. Those who have no desire to counsel others, teach or pass on what they have learned are still in the learning stages themselves, traumatically dealing with one or more of the restraints and practices. The passing on of jnana, wisdom, through counseling, consoling, teaching Sanatana Dharma and the only one final conclusion, monistic Saiva Siddhanta, Advaita Ishvaravada, is a fulfillment and completion of the cycle of learning for every monastic. This does not mean that he mouths indiscriminately what he has been told and memorized, but rather that he uses his philosophical knowledge in a timely way according the immediate needs of the listener, for wisdom is the timely application of knowledge. ” –Gurudeva
It’s good to have our Bodhinatha back with us… but he will be off again shortly, this time to California…
TRAVEL NEWS! Bodhinatha’s next travel is October 8-12 in San Francisco Bay Area, California. See travel page for more information.
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Click for most recent TAKA page with an Iraivan Temple progress update. |
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Sadhaka Jivanandanatha perform the Sun One homa to begin a new phase. It was a windless cool morning, no fans required in the temple… so very quiet today…
Dozens of prayers burned….
Putrika Shaila Pushpa Sendan will be 2 years old in just a few days (October 5th). She has been coming to the Sun One homas nearly every week even before she was born. Here she holds her hands in anjali mudra while the arati is passed during the homa.
Bodhinatha summarized his talk in Mauritius where he spoke on the concept of Hindu Solidarity, which is a unity in diversity. He shared with us all how some have told him that it might be better for Hindu unity if all Hindus followed one sacred book, and had a unified philosophy. Bodhinatha highlighted the point that Hinduism’s diversity is a result of its tolerance, and this tolerance amidst diversity is a strength and not a weakness. He explained that, of course, there are issues common to all Hindus, regardless of their differences and on those common issues they could work together because of the tolerance inherent within Hinduism… that this was the “Hindu Solidarity” that Gurudeva envisioned — a unity in diversity.
The rising sun over Iraivan in the morning. Shanmugam Sthapati is hard at work after his trip to India and expects the first Badra pillar to go up in two weeks.
Saravananathaswami on the move… hosting guests this morning.
A few photos taken by one of our guests on tour day… Sadhaka Dandapani leads the tour day guests….
Sadhaka Jivananandanatha, our homa priest today.
Hari Krishna and his wife, Padma, had heard about us from their friends so they decided to pay us a visit. They attended the morning homa, then enjoyed a tour of Iraivan.
Here is a their daughter, Surabhi, standing next to one of Iraivan’s lion pillars.
Jim & Nancy Barnhart were among our visitors today. Supporters of Iraivan temple and subscribers to Hinduism Today, they said no trip to Hawaii is complete without a visit to the Aadheenam.
A view from the front of the monastery…
This visitor stands quietly before the image of Lord Siva as Veenadhara.. the Master of Music.
We just passed through a full moon retreat. It was quiet but very intense as the Sun, Jupiter, Mercury, Venus and Mars are all conjunct, in near perfect alignment and the moon was, of course, exactly opposite.
Retreats are a great time for the monks to get outside, away from their desks and do some hands on craft work or gardening.
Our very well appointed carpentry shop put together with the kind donations of a benefactor and built up by Acharya Kumarswami, can turn out some very beautiful things. Here are new doors for a recently renovated monastic facility.
Gurudeva wrote: “Add to your contemplative lifestyle a craft. Working with your hands in doing a craft as a hobby, taking physical substance and turning it into something different, new and beautiful–this kind of creativity is important in remolding the subconscious mind. It is also symbolic. You are actually remolding something on the physical plane and, by doing so, educating yourself in the process of changing the appearance of a physical structure, thus making it easier to change the more subtle mental and emotional structures within your own subconscious mind.”
 The Remarkable Vision |
Iraivan Temple Progress Update |
Join this historic undertaking. Please contribute generously. Sponsor a stone today! |
| Gorgeous Gift Cards — Proceeds to Iraivan | ||
Other TAKA pages with recent Iraivan images.
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From Bangalore, we have a series of photos from the visit of His Holiness, Jayendra Puri Swami, the ordained successor to H.H.Tiruchy Mahaswamigal of Sri Kailash Ashram, Bangalore visited our Iraivan worksite at Bangalore on 20th September 2004. Jiva Rajasankara washes his feet and Kanmani does the traditional arati….
Swami it a bright clear minded new spiritual leader…
Swamiji is having tea with some snacks at the residence of Jiva Rajasankara
Swamiji accompanied by the resident sthapati of Sri Rajarajeswari temple, Tiru Shattanatha sthapati(standing to the right with his hands folded at the back). Chidambaram sthapati is standing to the left. Swamiji is admiring the kodungai(sunshade) with a crocodile that has been carved which will bring the rainwater from the roof through the sunshade.
Swamiji viewing the nandis that had just arrived from Mamallapuram for the Vimanam.
Another view of the nandis, all lined up and ready to come over to Kauai in a week’s time.
Jiva showing the Iraivan temple painting to swamiji.
Swamiji looking at the Hasti ( entrance stones/steps to the main sanctum) There will be 5 steps leading to the sanctum and each stone will have the letters, NA,MA,SI,VA,YA carved in Tamil at the center.
[more photos tomorrow]
Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami
Visits Penang Malaysia
We few more photos are arriving from Penang where bodhinatha first landed on his recent mission to Malaysia.
The Chettiar temples, usually Murugan temples, in India and wherever they are found throughout South Asia, are always beautifully appointed and maintained. The Nattukotai Chettiar Sri Bala Thandayuthabani Temple, Waterfall Road, Penang is one such temple.
On Sept. 10, 2004, Bodhinatha presented a talk on Lord Murugan
Devika Eswaran performed 2 pieces of Bharathanatyam.
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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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View the fabulous full-color PDF’s of the latest edition of Island Temple Magazine, and order copies if you don’t have one. | |
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From Our Gurus' Teachings
Archives are now available through 2001. Light colored days have no posts. 1998-2001 coming later.
