Sadhu Paksha Day 10

This is a quiet Sunday morning and several Hindu visitors arrived for the morning Abishekam at the very beautiful Kadavul Siva Temple. Sevla Subramaniam and his wife Saro.

Their daughter and son-in-law Thanuja and Ragulan Sinnarajah, and their two children, Ishani age 4 1/2 and Malika just a year and a half old. Following the puja the whole family went on a tour of the Iraivan Temple.

Selva Subramaniam was born in Alaveddy, Sri Lanka near Gurudeva’s Ashram. He grew up knowing Gurudeva. Also Kandaiya Chettiayar was a family friend. Selva and his family now live in Toronto, Canada.

Another surprise visitor was one of Gurudeva’s beloved devotees, Thondunatha who served Gurudeva as a Sadhaka for many years before returning to the world to earn funds to care for his aging parents in Kopai, Sri Lanka.

Sivanadiyar Satya Subramaniam is in a month long intensive period of preparation to enter the monastic order, sitting by the wall daily, working on his “life story” which we call the Ten Documents which each monk writes and submits to the monastery before entrance.

The November Bodhinatha’s MC students Gathering was held at Montagne Blanche at the residence of MC student Bala Krishna. The schedule for the day was:

• Arati to Lord Ganesha
• Testimonies on how Bodhinatha’s Talks and Trilogy teachings have been applied in one’s life
• Bodhinatha’s Talk on Enlightenment Part V: Ashtanga Yoga
• Guided Meditation
• Progress on Master Course work sheets for Kauai
• Questions/answers based on Trilogy and the Master Course

A nice group turned up. The place was very quiet and fine for meditation.

Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami’s talk emphasizes the precise meaning of Yoga, not exactly what modern media attributes as below :
“In modern times, in both the east and west, the term yoga has become more or less synonymous with the yoga asanas or postures. And the goal of this approach to yoga is quite often simply the health oriented benefits. A typical description from one yoga studio website states that yoga “increases the circulation of oxygen rich blood, nourishing and detoxifying the internal organs, musculature, cardiovascular, immune, endocrine, digestive, reproductive and nervous systems.” Sometimes mental benefits are also mentioned such as improving concentration and clarity of mind.”

Bodhinatha says that “However, it is crucial to remember that the goal of ashtanga yoga in its classical sense is samadhi, oneness with God. And that the deepest Samadhi is the state of enlightenment….. Esoterically, it dawns when the kundalini resides coiled in the sahasrara chakra. ”

Ashtanga Yoga, it consists of eight limbs which describe progressively more advanced practices.

The eight limbs in Sanskrit and English.

• Yama – restraints
• Niyama – observances
• Asana – yogic postures
• Pratyahara, sense withdrawal
• Dharana, concentration
• Dhyana, meditation
• Samadhi, enstasy, Or oneness with God

In Saivism, the spiritual path is divided into four progressive stages, called padas. These four stages, are called:

• Charya, service
• Kriya, devotion
• Yoga, meditation
• Jnana, wisdom

Following the meditation on Siva’s five states of consciousness and questions on the MC worksheets, the group shared a lunch together….

We had some ‘buryani’ with pickles and salad

Some of the ladies preparing juice …. After the introduction on Astanga Yoga, the next series of MC Gatherings will be looking deeper at each of the eight steps as explained by Satguru Bodhinatha. Should you wish to have a complete copy of Satguru Bodhinatha’s introductory Talk on Astanga Yoga, kindly email us at iceberg@intnet.mu.