It is Sun Two today. Bodhinatha’s talk from last Sun One is online. (Note there is a bit of silence at the beginning, just wait a bit and he will begin.)

Ekadanta Kulam News

Saravananathaswami has been working on the annual distribution of Guru Purnima rededications, advance coordination for Bodhinatha’s up and coming trip to Singapore and Malaysia and the on-going communications to members and missions around the world.

Sadhaka Dandapani has been doing a great deal of hosting as more and more visitors are coming during the summer months. He is also forging ahead with plans for the next Innersearch, and, as you saw yesterday, we are almost sold out! Only 4 seats left!

This morning was Chitra Padapuja. Our beloved Gurudeva is shining inward and outwardly, every present in our hearts.

We often think of the songs of Yogaswami, who sang of his Guru. here is a rough translation of one song. Where Yogaswami sang “he who lives in the halls of Nallur temple” we simply put in “Kauai” Kauai instead.

engal gurunaathan elil Kauai vaasan
   Our – gurunathan – beautiful – He who lives on Kauai
ingum angum engum piragaasan
   Here and – there and – everywhere – He is shining Light

mangalagaramaana vaakya prasaathan
   auspicious – words – He offers
maaraatha mauna thiyaana praveysan
   unchanged – silent – meditation – He enters

anbar sagaayan aanantha saagaran
   He who helps the loved ones – he is an ocean of bliss –
allum pagalum nallai veethiyil seygaran
   night and – day – all around Kauai’s temple – He gathers us

en pil.ai yaavum porutth enai aandavan
   my – misdeeds – all – patient with – He who rules me
iravum pagalum enthan manatthinil thaandavan
   night and – day – in my mind – He dances

vanjam poraamai kohpam vaitthidum maantharkkum
   deceitful – envious – angry – even to such people
anjaathey yendrarulai eenthidum suthanthiran
   fear not – such a grace – he gives – He who is free

kanja malar pathatthai kanavilum maravohrkku
   lotus – flower – Feet – even in dream – to those that do not forget
panjaamirtham pol nenjil panbudan inippavan
   like panchamritam nectar in the heart – always – He is sweet

Dr. Rajni Jani and his wife Ranna performed abhishekam to the Narmada Lingam beside the lotus ponds this morning before departing for their home in Fort Worth,Texas.

Sudarshan and Valli his wife meditate on the sacred Wailua River following a morning in the beautiful and very spiritual Kadavul Siva Temple.

They were so moved by their experience here that they plan to join the Innersearch Pilgrimage to Malaysia, Cambodia and Tamil Nadu in January 2008 with H. H. Bodhinatha Veylanswami.

We come now to Sunday, June 17th. Our Swadhyay Pariwar hosts invited just to join the weekly meeting in the nearby zone of Northern Virginia, which is held on Sunday mornings at the Jewish Community center.

We sat with the adult group to view a video of their found Dadaji who expounded in Hindi with sub-titles on the subject of the noble Aryan character of the ancient Hindus who had given us the great teachings of yagna and idol worship and a culture of inner strength.

The Pariwar has an interesting policy of not distributing copies of their founder’s video discourses which they have been showing since 1978. Some in the group were taking careful notes as they might not see this same video again for several years.

After wards we continued to interview the participants on their youth programs to learn about their careful set up of different age-levels and the great success they had with their educational youth program.

You will hear more details of this in the next issue of Hinduism Today.

We finally arrived back at our hotel at about 4 PM, with less than 10 hours left in Washington D. C. before we were to awaken at 2:30 am to go to the airport.

With all our official duties dispatched it was time to “play tourist!”

There are many Smithsonian museums all close by but they all would close by 5 PM. We could only go to one, so we chose the fabulous Air, Space Museum.

Don’t miss it the next time you are in D.C. You really need at least 2 hours here if you plan to read all the information signs by each exhibit. Some very scary rockets 3 stories high!

Arumugaswami has his picture taken touching the moon rock.

This is the capsule that John Glen was in when he made the first orbit around earth. We were surprised at how small it was…

Next we were off for a walking tour to the White House…

We had a long walk ahead of us to the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. We stop for a bit of refreshment and give this squirrel an M and M.

I’m not sure the park rangers would approve of giving candy to these lovely little creatures, but the squirrel was content.

It scurried off up the tree to eat the treat in peace.

Next stop: the Washington Monument.

It was past hours so we did not get to go up inside.

A look back toward the city. A giant building with typical Washington D. C. architecture.

Standing on the north edge of the monument, we contemplate another long walk to the Lincoln Memorial in the distance. In three days in Washington D.C. we walked more miles than we might every do on Kauai in several weeks!

But, Lo! there are security forces in front of us… and suddenly from the left the sound of giant Marine One Helicopters — well, who knows, maybe it was Marine 2, 3,or 4 (smile).

Policemen guarded the field in front of us.

First one huge helicopter swooped down and then took off without landing. We assume it was a decoy…

then suddenly another one arrives and lands in front of us. The air is full of noise and the dust fills the air 1/4 a mile away.

Our new zoom lens… some very official type people descend and drive away with a full escort.

We asked the stone-faced policemen who it was and got the public line: “It’s a test exercise.”

Later we asked the Park Rangers as we walked by on the way to the Lincoln Memorial. It was the First Lady who had just landed.

After a good walk we arrive at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial, looking back to where we were.

Inside with the giant statue of Abraham Lincoln. Wow! It’s even bigger than we imagined.

From the steps…

One last photo before a side trip to the Vietnam memorial wall of names…and then a taxi back to our hotel, with only 5 hours left for a quick nap and then off to Dulles International Airport at 3:30 am to catch the flight home.

Here we are flying over Colorado, full of mountains and lakes. Though short on sleep, we were flying into a new day, barely 40 minutes on the ground in Los Angeles and then off on a direct flight to Kauai and home to the monastery by 12:30 …about 15 hours in transit, just in time for lunch and ready to get back to work.