Blog Archives
What Happened Today at the Monastery?
Here we are, the second day of Guru Purnima. Early this morning all the devotees gathered for “walk San Marga” sadhana as a group, walking down the San Marga path, gathering water into small kumbha pots from the Narmada Stream, singing bhajans along the way, doing abhishekam to the lingam and then sitting for the puja and a guided meditation.
Later in the morning Bodhinatha gave a workshop on parenting, launching some new technology….
He has had the monks help him prepare a Keynote presentation. This is software designed by Steve Jobs of Apple, sort of an Apple version of PowerPoint, with more graphics power. Using this system Bodhinatha has notes on his computer relating to the slides being shown, and Keynote also shows him his next slide. He gave his morning and afternoon presentations from the Simhasanam in the Guru Peedam where the monks meditate each morning.
He reads, offers spontaneous thoughts, answers questions and the whole group is kept attentive with the visuals, which include art, engaging transitions and fun effects.
He is planning to take this particular presentation to Toronto in about two weeks and use this for more such educational workshops in during his future travels, including the Dharma Summit at Rutgers University in New Jersey in mid-August.
Our Guru Purnima pilgrims are all eyes and ears, listening attentively to issues that are important to their life.
Our sweet and gentle Kovilur Swami, here from India, enjoyed the session. That’s the projector behind him… He is enjoying a retreat from otherwise very demanding schedules at home in India where he is in charge of 20 mutts and a large publications operation in Chennai.
Open House, July 16, 2005
Stepping back in time to yesterday… after the morning ceremonies our team of devotees and monks were all set for the flood of guests. At 9:15 the parade started in front of the monastery… Our Open House official photographer, Sadhaka Jivanandanatha, has himself stationed out in front of the coming procession.
Next Sadhaka makes his move out to climb up on top of Iraivan… A wonderful shot of Dakshinamurthi under the banyan.
He is wearing a giant, 12-foot-long, red and white carnation garland made for today.
Here they come! Conch players leading the way and 83-year-old Kovilur Swami driven by Natarajnathaswami in front….
People from all parts of Kauai near the temple, some looking skyward to marvel at the height of the Pigefetta palm trees.
Some have flown in from Honolulu and the Big Island to be with us today.
The massive white “circus” tent looked magnificent in the morning sun. Here is the entrance, decorated with coconut fronds and mango leaves.
Then Bodhinatha arrives with the entourage of mathavasis.
Kulapati Thanabalan garlands his satguru at the entrance.
Ladies from California offer arati to the arriving holy man in the traditional manner, waving a flame on a tray before him.
Kovilur Swami on stage, awaiting his turn to speak.
Aletha Kaohi, a leading Hawaiian “treasure,” gave a blessing and a sacred Hawaiian gift of sacred salt, waters, soils and plants to Bodhinatha and all the monks. Stanley is holding the gift, which has a taro plant.
Sacred waters from Mount Waialeale and Ti leaves are presented, along with an engraved plaque…
Paramacharya Palaniswami welcomes our guests from all over the world, tells a few stories and plays a two minute talk by Gurudeva, after which he introduces Bodhinatha and honors him for four years of remarkable work in continuing Gurudeva’s work around the world.
Bodhinatha shares some of the work the monks are doing for Kauai and introduces another gift to the county….
Two banners that will hang permanently at the Aloha Center, a new cultural place near our port. Barbara Bennett with the purple muumuu receives the gifts on behalf of the island.
Bodhinatha next garlands our visiting Kovilur Swami from India and invites him to say a few words.
Kovilur Swami has known Gurudeva and the monks for over 30 years and was even here in the early days of the Aadheenam after we had just moved to Kauai. He shares his love of Gurudeva and how Gurudeva influenced his life and work.
He tells the audience that Gurudeva saw something spiritual in him and because of Gurudeva’s example and words he renounced the world at age 72, 11 years ago, after a lifetime of bachelorhood.
Swami told the audience that his passion is art and printing (with a spiritual dimension), and thus he feels right at home here where there is so much publishing going on and so much artwork is being commissioned.
His mutt has a 300-year-old black granite temple and he offered help to Iraivan in doing some of the stone sculptures.
Seated on the stage from the left are Shanmugam Sthapati, Arjunan Subramaniam, Jay Furfaro (our local councilman) and Bodhinatha. All are enjoying a musical interlude by talented Venita Katir on the veena and her brother Kartikeya on mridangam.
Arjunan Subramaniam, a prominent attorney from Malaysia, offers inspirational thoughts about the Aadheenam and Gurudeva’s work from his perspective in Kuala Lumpur. He loves Hinduism Today, and the work of the Aadheenam, Iraivan and all the monks. He spoke openly of how Gurudeva transformed his life and how he has now dedicated himself to just one thing–support of Gurudeva’s mission worldwide. Specifically he listed the three things that mean the most to him: Gurudeva’s monks, Hinduism today magazine and Iraivan temple.
County Council member, Jay Furfaro, representing the local governmental administration at today’s event, gave a view of the monastery from outside, listing all the many ways he has seen the monks help the community.
At the end, he turned to the audience and said, “Don’t you think these monks deserve a round of applause for all that they do?” He began clapping. Suddenly a few stood, then more and soon the entire crowd was on its feet, giving the monks a standing ovation. What a surprise! It was very probably the first standing ovation ever given to our swamis, yogis and sadhakas throughout history.
Our able coordinator for today’s elaborate events, Sadhaka Dandapani, introduces the stone workers to the audience and tells everyone some of the magical aspects of the temple.
Shanmugam Sthapati makes a presentation on Iraivan, in Tamil translated by Yoginathaswami. He spoke of the mystical side of the temple, how it is actually the sacred body of God and not just a building for God to live in.
Local videographer and ever bright TV and radio announcer and interviewer, DQ Jackson, out in front with his camera, has been commissioned to film the event for island TV.
The five silpis are given gifts by Bodhinatha, introduced to the visitors and honored for two years of diligent, patient and artistic work. They are leaving for India tomorrow morning, and will be replaced by a larger team in the weeks ahead.
Yoginathaswami gets a good opportunity to talk to many of the key people associated with the building of Iraivan that he deals with in a regular basis: contractors, local tools and materials suppliers, our customs broker from Honolulu, the Young Brothers’ shipping people, etc. They are all overjoyed to have an opportunity to see the incredible temple that is coming up and in which they are each playing a small part.
Our pilgrims from Malaysia get to know the silpis and speak Tamil together.
Meanwhile guests are wondering around, getting a first hand view of Iraivan… Many of them have not seen the the temple for two years… since the last open house when there was nothing but a foundation here.
The event ends with appreciation for all the help given by our local Church members and devotees. Then everyone is invited to a sumptuous rice and curry feast!
Our deepest gratitude to our friends, the Thai community on our island, owners of the Sukhotai Restaurant in Kapaa, for providing a delicious eggplant curry. Many mahalos also to the Rotary Club of Kapaa for loaning the monastery dozens of their chafing dishes for the food serving tables!
Devasiva, from Edmonton, Canada, continues with duties… ferrying food from the kitchen to the catering stations…
More Open House photos tomorrow…
From Our Gurus' Teachings
Archives are now available through 2001. Light colored days have no posts. 1998-2001 coming later.
