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What Happened Today at the Monastery?
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Bodhinatha at the Malaysia Hindu Sangam National Tirumurai Contest (more news below)
At home at the Aadheenam, we had about 50 visitors this morning from the Vedic Astrology Symposium that was held here on Kauai over the past few days. The gathering was organized by the American College of Vedic Astrology to provide accredited classes for certification and training in Jyotish. The conference officially ended yesterday and many participants and teachers came up for a tour of the monastery this morning. After the tour, the President, Dayananda (Dr. Dennis Harness) said the College would like to sponsor the Navagraha Mandapam of Iraivan Temple.
Meanwhile the big news is from Malaysia.
Saravananathaswami sends us photos.
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Our documentary continues… Here we are at the top of the hill in Kuala Lumpur, at the Gasing Sivan Temple, on the morning of the Sunday, the 11th…
Children sing thevarams for Bodhinatha
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Bodhinatha gives a talk about Siva as the God of love who encompasses, for Saivites, not only destruction but also creation, preservation, veiling and revealing grace
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Silvarajoo Muniandy, left, and Dr. Arjunan Subramaniam, right
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View from the Gasing Hill Sivan Temple
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As part of morning function, the temple asked Bodhinatha to ceremoniously open their first-ever website, www.gasingsiva.org.
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Bodhinatha is asked to open the first pages of the website
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They set up a projector and screen right in the temple mandapam so everyone could see the new website
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Now the process of mantra diksha is introduced, most importantly sharing that in our organization, the diksha is only given after many years of study and preparation
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First to receive diksha is Tirumati Parimala
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Bodhinatha signs the Panchakshara Mantra booklet that she will keep, which describes various ways of chanting Namasivaya
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Now giving the diksha to Tirumati Devika
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Applying vibhuti blessing
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She signs the book
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Parimala and Devika very happy with this deepening of their spiritual life
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Next, Komaldeva Sivananda takes his brahmacharya vrata, vow to remain celibate until marriage
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Bodhinatha ties the cord around his waist which is a reminder of the vow
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Komaldeva sets a good example by taking this vow
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Now giving vibhuti blessing to everyone present
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The audience waiting to approach
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Leaving the Gasing Hill Sivan Temple
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In the afternoon we attended the final hours of the Malaysia Hindu Sangam’s national Thirumurai contest and prize-giving
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About 18,000 youth had participated from across Malaysia, and the cream of them from each state had gathered here this weekend for the final recitals
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The youth excitedly waiting to receive prizes
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One of older youth sings some beautiful thevarams
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Swami Guhabhaktananda on the left, Dr. S.M. Ponniah and Dato Vythilingam to his right
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Bodhinatha again speaks about how Siva is the “God of Love”, Anbe Sivam, not “The God of Destruction”
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The large audience listens attentively
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The happy children receiving prizes
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Bodhinatha presents prizes to the top “Gold Medal” winners
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More prizes
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Honoring the teachers of the youth
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At the very end, Bodhinatha was asked to perform arati to Nataraja as the audience sang some closing prayers
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The Thirumurai contest was held at Batu Caves, so afterwards we went next door to the Divine Life Society to chat with Swami Guhabhaktananda for a while.
From Our Gurus' Teachings
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