Bodhinatha meets with Senthilathiban. Though just 29, Senthil has taken the family business “Artha Enterprises” in India to grand heights.

Here Senthil give Bodhinatha a gift… Having grown up the past decade side-by-side with his father Jiva Rajasankara, mother, Kanmani and brother, Thuraisingam, at the Iraivan temple carving site, Senthil really understands and knows about granite. Under his guidance Artha Enterprise has won first prize in two annual international STONA shows in India and is now actively sought after by leading builders, no only in India but in UK and elsewhere.

A small image of Lord Siva on a swing…

The Umakanthan family from California visited and met with Bodhinatha today. They have visited prior and one time the daughter, Janani, actually danced for Gurudeva. Today they asked thoughtful questions to Bodhinatha about the reasons for needing a satguru in one’s life, and whether it is okay to change from guru lineage to another. Bodhinatha explained that it is okay, if following certain protocols. Formal release must be obtained from one guru lineage before seeking out another.

Today is also a special day as it is the 18th anniversary of the Maha Spatika Lingam’s arrival on Kauai…

After our meditation this morning we were off to change the flag…

[More on the Jivana Ritau from the Saiva Dharma Shastras… ]

The Second Season: Jivana Ritau

During Jivana Ritau, the rainy season, from mid-August to mid-December, Living with Siva: Hinduism’s Contemporary Culture is the primary text. The key word of this season is work. The colors are rust, copper-maroon and all shades of red–rust for earthy preservation, copper-maroon for fulfillment and red for physical energy.

The Aadheenam’s 60-foot flag pole flies the rust-colored dhvaja, symbolizing environmental care. Copper-maroon and all shades of red adorn our smaller flags.

This is the season of honoring and showing appreciation for those in the vanaprastha ashrama, life’s elder advisor stage. The focus is on preserving what has been created, manifesting goals and fulfilling plans made in the past.

Inwardly the emphasis is on direct cognition and caring for the practical details of the external world. Practicality is a word much used this season. In the monasteries and the missions, there is a big push on studying the sutras of Living with Siva and these Saiva Dharma Shastras.

The format of the mission satsanga changes into one that in fact helps everyone live and breathe with Lord Siva through personal adjustment to the aphorisms of Living with Siva, which define tradition, culture and protocol. Gurukulams are established or renewed to teach the 64 kalas for boys and girls.

All work hard to perfect and strengthen Saivite culture in the life of each member. Kulamatas, grihinis and their daughters should think ahead and make plans to send talented children to dancing, singing and art schools for special courses, and ponder ways to make this possible through scholarships and special funds.

It is a time of building and repairing and caring for what has been built, planted or created in any realm of life. It is a physical time, of exercise and exertion in the Bhuloka, a magnetic time for action and willpower, of finishing all jobs started since the first ritau. On the farm, there is harvesting of the land’s fruits as we celebrate abundance. In the missions during Jivana Ritau, the shishyas can form tirukuttams, and thereby visit students’ homes, see how they live and meet their families.

119 Festivals, Realms of the Second Season

Krittika Dipa is the major festival of Jivana Ritau. This grand event, conducted by the family missions, is open to members, Academy students and to special guests by invitation, including honored dignitaries of the island, neighbors and friends of the Church.

Ganesha Chaturthi and Skanda Shashti are also conducted by shishyas on the Island.

The Aadheenam Realms of this period are: 1) San Marga, the straight path to God, with its rudraksha, neem, konrai and bilva forests, and Agni Mandapam. 2) The Wailua River, with its Nani Kaua Waterfall and Pond, Bali Hai Falls and Ganga Sadhana Ghats. 3) Pihanakalani Trail–legendary Hawaiian path toward the volcano, beginning at the Aadheenam and continuing past the Orchid Pavilion of Religions to the Teak Tree Turnaround at the edge of Rainbow Amphitheater.

Securing a new flag for a new season…

Senthil leaves back for India tomorrow. During his stay here he has had numerous meetings to help with the Iraivan’s on-going construction and to take designs home for many new wonderful things in stone for Kauai Aadheenam.

We are all very proud of him and the whole family… who we know are watching TAKA from Bangalore… (smile)

Today we received some photos from Dr. Shirish Parekh of Bodhinatha’s visit to the Sri Venkateswar temple in Bridgewater, New Jersey on August 12th.

Temple trustees welcome Bodhinatha.

Saiva and Vaishnava priests greet Bodhinatha inside the temple.

Navagraha shrine.

Circumambulating the shrines.

With the temple priests. The temple has 10 full time priests.

Bodhinatha giving his talk.