Blog Archives
Today is our monthly “Ashram Sadhana Day” and all the monks are out cleaning. So, we don’t have too much news but share with you this beautiful song by Siva Yogaswami:
The single Word hath purified my dross,
The soulful incantation of Siva Siva
No more do I succumb to good and ill,
Nor to the distinction of one and the many.
No more aching sorrows, as I awaken
To the knowledge of my real Self.
Sing the sacred name of Siva, Siva
I’ve attained the goal of this life.
And am in command of everything around.
I roam at will in sweet leisure,
With the whole world as my ken.
Our Beloved and Revered Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
Attained Maha Samadhi on November 12th, 2001
Click to read for Details.
Click here to read
Gurudeva’s statement on September 11th
Sing ye in joyful strains Siva, Siva.
The felicity that generates from the Word,
I cannot recount, except be immersed in it.
The end of knowledge is mine without learning.
I hold the key of existence in my hand.
Oh magnify the praise of Siva, Siva.
The macrocosm, the whole of the cosmos
I see with veneration deep within me
Therein I behold His fragrant Feet,
Where arise the devas and the triune.
Enraptured in an ectasy, Siva, Siva.
By constancy of love do I apprehend;
Yet in trepidation, I gaze at nothing,
Magnificent indeed is the mystery
Baffling the ken of e’en the realised seers.
Natchintanai 18.
No Audio Today
|
Take this opportunity for an adventure. Close your eyes and click to get a message picked at random from the vast audio archives of our Satgurus’ discourses |
And click here for an Index to All Past CyberTalks. Study Gurudeva’s teachings. Visit the Master Course site! |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
On Ashram Sadhana Day each kulam is assigned to special areas by the Talaivar of the Siddhidata Kulam. The Ganapati Kulam takes care of the outside gathering areas, and they were inspired today to put a beautiful stain on the cement benches around the pool in front of the temple. These were actually created 17 years ago when we had the first Maha Kumbhabhishekam for Kadavul Temple in 1985.
Meanwhile Sadhaka Tyaganatha completed his wonderful work on sewing the new awning that covers the front of the temple so that when it rains people entering the temple, or standing at the door are protected. It just so happens that it matches our stain for the pool area.
We had checked with the local awning maker for prices to do this work. They wanted a lot! which is when Tyaganatha said “I can make one of those myself…”
We often think how blessed we all are… without Yogaswami, without Gurudeva where would we be in our lives? Standing here at this incredible place on earth…it is all a gift of Gurudeva and Lord Siva and we are so very grateful. This is an early morning shot looking toward the west as the sun is rising behind us… the famed “Usha” of the Vedas, the Daughter of the Sun which is the Holy Dawn is upon us once again… the flag of Hindutva just appears in the morning light that is cutting its way through the darkness of the Wailua River valley. Just then a brief tropical shower falls to bless us and the ever awesome rainbow appears.
Meanwhile the work goes on. The creative focus right now is on the new color edition of Dancing with Siva. A production deadline has been set for us to complete our work here by May 1st to send to the printer… and then it will be another six months before final books are available. Here is another piece of art from the new Dancing with Siva.
Is Temple Worship Only for Beginners?
Sloka 111
Temple worship is for all men and women at every level of spiritual development. Its meaning and experience deepen as we unfold spiritually through the stages of service, devotion, yoga and enlightened wisdom. Aum.
Since 1983 when the war broke out in Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan Tamil Hindus have moved to all parts of the world. Many of these communities have started “Sivathondan Societies” which are patterned after the original Sivathondan Society originally founded in Jaffna, Sri Lanka by Siva Yogaswami, as places for satsang, worship, meditation and service. These centers preserve the memory and songs of Siva Yogaswami and over the years many of them have become closely connected with Gurudeva and the Aadheenam, accepting Gurudeva as carrying Yogaswami’s work forward.
Here we are in the Sivathondan Center of Melbourne, Australia, started by Pundit Navaratnam, a world famous astrologer.
Here is Pundit himself before the picture of Yogaswami and Gurudeva.
The main altar at the society. On this left is one of Pundits jyotish students, Andrew Lynn, who himself is a very good astrologer.
One can sense the power of the darshan of the line of Gurus here.
A statue of Siva Yogaswami that Pundit had specially made for his center. After Gurudeva’s transition, Pundit wrote a long letter to the monks. Here is a short excerpt.
“The 5th of September 1995 is a very important day in my life as Gurudeva planned to visit my home and a pada puja was arranged. At the back of my head I was in contemplation as to whether I was doing the right thing by performing a pada puja to Gurudeva when my actual Guru was Yogaswami.
Yogaswami appeared to me in a meditation in the place where arrangements had been made for the pada puja and approved my action of having the puja to Gurudeva. Actually Gurudeva was pleased with the pada puja function and on his return to Hawaii he had mentioned that he had the best time at my home. After Gurudeva visited my home I had many happy events in my life. “
|
Study Gurudeva’s teachings.
|
transcription begins
Date: February_15_2002
Title: Valentine’s Day to Lord Siva
Category: God and Lords of Dharma
Duration: 8 min., 26 seconds
Date Given: February 13, 2002
Given by: Bodhinatha
Starting our new phase today and we have an invitation tomorrow to give the blessing at the County Council. We are one of the Churches that they invite on a regular basis. Of course, in the past Gurudeva has given the blessing. This will be my first opportunity. They give you three whole minutes. It can be three minutes or less. They want a blessing but they want to get down to business too. That is tomorrow, which is Valentine’s Day.
You cannot help but run into advertisements for Valentine’s Day all over the place. I was thinking about it and saying, “Well … Valentine’s Day, giving a blessing on Valentine’s Day, isn’t that interesting! Valentine’s Day is a secular Holiday, a holiday to do with romance.” It doesn’t have much to do with being a Hindu monk was my first conclusion. But then I started to think, “Well, you know Valentine’s Day … Maybe there is a way we can turn it into a Saivite Holy Day.”
So that is my first thought this morning that I wanted to share with you. How can you turn Valentine’s Day into a Saivite
Holy Day? What is Valentine’s Day? It is the day you compliment a sweetheart with cards and gifts. That is what the dictionary says. Compliment a sweetheart with cards and gifts. So, I hope all of our husbands and wives have that well in hand for tomorrow.
The question is to turn it into a Saivite Holy Day, does God Siva qualify as a sweetheart? God Siva has to qualify as a sweetheart, otherwise He can’t be honored on Valentine’s Day. So what is a sweetheart? A sweetheart is a three-fold definition. One who is dearly loved. Okay, that sounds reasonable. Second one – a generally likeable person is a sweetheart. Third one – a remarkable one-of-a-kind. Remarkable one of its kind.
So you think God Siva qualifies as a sweetheart? I think so, He definitely has all three qualities. If we want to make God Siva our Valentine, we just have to express all of this on Valentine’s Day. We are a day early but you have to allow for poetic license here.
We need a Valentine card. What does a Valentine card express? The dictionary again says, “It expresses uncritical praise and affection.” Uncritical praise and affection. Doesn’t that sound like so many of our Saivite hymns? Potri, Potri? Uncritical praise and affection. Saivite lore is filled with Valentine cards, filled with hymns we can use on Valentine’s Day to praise and love God Siva in that way. I chose one from the Natchintanai. It is called, “All is You.” So this is our Valentine’s Day card to God Siva. I actually I sent it to God Siva in the fire, so it would be delivered on time. Burned a copy.
“All is You.
Father and Mother are You
Dear brothers and sisters are You
Incomparable wife is You
Precious sons are You
Royal potentates are You.
The devas and all the Gods are You
This great Earth is You
And that which guards and governs me is also You
You it was who stayed the river
You are He whose half is Shakti.
You are the truth revealing Vedas
You are both righteousness and error
You are the one adorned with ashes
You are He with an eye upon His brow
You are the prize that I have gained.
You are the one who has made me Yours
Indra and the Gods are You
The multitude of Rishis are You
Both the sun and the moon are You
‘Tis you who as the Lingam stands.
Mantra and Tantra are You
This life and the next are You
All beauty and loveliness is You
And our protector too is You
You are the one without an end.
You are the Lord who is my father
You are in truth the changeless one
You are that which is in the heart
You are he who has no parts
You are also all beliefs.
You are that which is known through search
You are order and perfection
That which is love is You
Body and life are also You
Far and near are You.
Truth and untruth too are You
Verse and melody are You
The contents of the song are You
Numbers and letter are You
And that which is my help is You.
You are all benefits
You are the true support of life
You are the almighty Judge
You are yesterday and today
You are that understood by learning.
You are the heart of the best of men
You are religion and You are race
And it is You who has made of me your man
Everything that is, is You
Your Lady forms one half of you.
All might and power is You
All the days of our life are You
Many there are who glorify You
He who came on the horse was You
The hearts of all good men are You
And that which is myself is You.
You are He who rides the bull
‘Twas You who kicked the God of Death
‘Tis You who are the Guru comes
‘Tis You who as the Guru comes
‘Tis You indeed who are my refuge.
You are what cannot be told
You are the self-existent one
You are that beyond all praise
And ’tis you behind the intellect
He who bestows alms is You
And he who accepts alms is You.
The entire Universe is You
The bright-browed lady-spouse is You
He adorned with snakes is You
That which is sweet to worship is You
He of beauteous form is You.
What lies within the heart is You
The Universal One is You
That without place or name is You
That which is good is You
What will be tomorrow is You.
Mountains and Seas are You
The whole of this wide world is You
What is in the open hall is You
That devoid of taint is You
That splendor known as Aum is You.
That which has no form is You
That which affirms is You
And that which negates is You
That which is free of sloth is You
That which is the truth is You.
Our safe guard is also You
And all embodied souls are You
That which envy knows is You
What becomes the letters five is You
He who holds the deer is You.
That which exists as I is You
All upright minds are You
That behind all thought is You
That which is divine is You
Guru and disciple both are You.”
That is our Valentine!
transcription ends
|
MORE UPLIFTING THINGS |
Innersearch 2002 in Hawaii!
Our next Innersearch Travel-Study program will be held right here on the island of Kauai in the summer of 2002. It’s the first such program on the Garden Island since 1974! From July 17 to July 22 we will enjoy daily classes with the swamis, join in the annual Guru Purnima festival, be inspired by local culture, explore the lush tropical island in exciting and non-touristy ways, and more. Be prepared for a wonderful spiritual experience in paradise with meditations, seminars and sacred ceremonies at the Siva temple of Kauai’s Hindu Monastery. Many have applied already, and there is a limit of 50 participants, so we recommend everyone apply as soon as possible. Interested? Please request an application from pilgrim@searchbeyond.com |
|
|
Check our children and youth section for new items for the young and young at heart! | |
|
1. SIGN OUR GUESTBOOK and receive a FREE GIFT |
||
| 2. Newest Book: LIVING WITH SIVA | ||
|
3. Visiting KAUAI’S HINDU MONASTERY |
||
|
4. Contribute to THANK YOU, GURUDEVA FUND |
||
From Our Gurus' Teachings
Archives are now available through 2001. Light colored days have no posts. 1998-2001 coming later.
