Blog Archives
One of Gurudeva’s wonderful qualities was how masterfully he put his own teachings into practice. Paramacharya Palaniswami asked the question after Gurudeva passed: “How often did any of us hear Gurudeva talking about how things were? How often did he express longing for the past? Or ask wouldn’t it have been better if this or that happened?” The answer, of course, was never. This photo shows Gurudeva’s attitude of always looking to “the future of futures.” It was taken onboard the ship in Northern Europe in late August of 2001, just 90 days before his transition.
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
Bodhinatha has been working on various writings that serve to help everyone implement Gurudeva’s vision. One of Gurudeva’s directions had been to take the teachings of Positive Discipline and present them in a simple format that could be easily integrated. Bodhinatha has created a wonderful guideline we refer to as the “Nine Keys” which you have heard here on TAKA. It is now available as a PDF on the web at:
/books/parenting/nine_keys.pdf. You may freely print this document and share it in your community.
Cybertalk: A question came in by e-mail: “Do I have two gurus now? Are both
you and Gurudeva my guru?” Each guru works inwardly from the inner worlds
with his initiated successor, such as with Yogaswami and Gurudeva. Many
devotees have seen Yogaswami working through Gurudeva, and devotees of
Yogaswami who knew Chellappaswami must have seen Chellappaswami working
through Yogaswami. How far back does it go?
The duties of the disciple and the intensification, happens when one is with
a satguru. Being challenged spiritually and always trying to improve oneself
is what it is all about. We don’t want to settle down in a comfortable place
and feel that this is as far as we need to go. Even the most spiritually
mature continue to strive.
Cybertalk Ends”
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And click here for an Index to All Past CyberTalks.
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Bodhinatha will be happy to hold “Prasnottara Satsang” — “Questions and Answers” over the telephone with any Hindu religious societies, Hindu youth groups, Radio talk show hosts etc. All you need is a phone with a speaker and an enthusiastic audience. Arrangements may be made in advance by sending email to Sadhaka Mahadevan
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Guests today… another “cross cultural couple.”
Sanjeev and Melissa Patel from Chicago. They were married 6 months ago in the Swaminarayana Temple.
Here is our wonderful Yogi Madadevan who was recently “reborn” into “yellow,” by taking his vows as a yogi tapasvin and entering pre-sannyas training.
Durvasa Alahan comes to the Aadheenam on Sundays and spends his four hours of weekly seva working on outdoor projects. We are going to “renovate” the Ganesha mound by removing and replanting…. Before starting he talks to Ganesha and the devas.
Durvasa is an experienced heavy equipment operator and is puttnig our new Bobcat to work with expertise.
He is digging out many of the old plants, some of which, like the giant “century” plant were getting a bit beyond the appropriate size for this small space.
Since the hurricane in 1992, our land has been planted with thousands of new trees, palms, flowers, fruit trees, ornamentals, ground covers, etc. As you can see, it is all grown up now. Our monastery has gained an island reputation as another “botanical wonderment,” to be viewed by tourists who love to see all the different gardens on this “Garden Island” of Kauai.
Here is the entrance to Kauai Aadheenam at the place we call the “Puakenikeni Mandapam and Nepali Ganesha entrance to Tiruneri” the path up to Kadavul Hindu Temple. It is an unassuming entry way that takes the pilgrim under a spreading banyan tree and then out to a vista of incredible beauty… our secret “Shangrila–Rishikesh of the Pacific.”
The small Ganesha installed at the entry way is from Nepal and has the traditional Nepali art style. It is a potent shrine with more behind it than meets the eye. Here is a testimony from a pilgrim:
“I was staying alone in a nearby bed and breakfast, within walking distance of the monastery. For some reason I couldn’t sleep that night. I decided to get up and come over to the Puakenikeni Mandapam and worship Ganesha and meditate there for a while. When I walked up to Ganesha and looked into His face… suddenly his eyes, trunk and ears started to move! I thought to myself, being a very rational person… “What! Am I still asleep?… Am I dreaming?” I stopped myself, looked away and shook my head and made sure I was 100% awake and both feet on the ground… and looked at Ganesha again… and He was still moving! I prayed for a while and went back to the house to bed… then as I fell asleep… suddenly a vision of Lord Ganesha appeared at the foot of my bed. I felt so blessed and went to sleep happily feeling that all was well….”
Gurudeva’s Coloring Book for Children
Released in Trinidad
We bring you more photos from the important event in Trinidad where Mystic Mouse, the Hindu Interactive Coloring Book has been released by Kashika Publications… the work of the husband and wife team of Pundi Narendra and Ashwinee Ragoonanand… A special book launching event was held inviting the public to see and hear about the new book. Here are photos and captions send by Ashwinee:
“Here Ashwinee is explaining the Mystic Mouse.”
Here we have Kamini Mahabir with daughter Varsha and her mother, all subscribers of HT.
Who were very supportive for Caribbean Innersearch.
Here, the first child receives the Mystic Mouse from Pt. Lutchmee.
Here we have Kashika, Nandi and Deo proudly displaying their copy of the Mystic Mouse together with the rest of the devotees.
Dev and Josh, our young graphic designers, responsible for putting together the Mystic Mouse book together from files sent by the swamis from Kauai Aadheenam. Another instance of “global collaboration.”
This devoted family helps in the distribution of HT, Gurudeva’s teachings and now the Mystic Mouse.
Here is Pt. Lutchmee, Pt. Narendra, Kashika, Ashwinee and some of Gurudeva’s devotees at the launch of Mystic Mouse. These are some of the hard working followers spreading the teachings of Gurudeva.
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Study Gurudeva’s teachings.
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Date: March_11_2002
Title: Parental Closeness
Category: Family
Duration: 5 min., 26 seconds
Date Given: February 21, 2002
Given by: Bodhinatha
Working on the talk, ‘Parents are the first Guru’, it is coming along. One of the points, is called ‘Parental Closeness’. I thought I would share that. Parental closeness in this sense, means the children being close to the parents.
Parental closeness is when children reach adulthood. They choose to spend time with the parents because they really enjoy being with them. A strong bond of love and understanding exists. This is epitomized in the instances when the adult daughter considers her mother to be her best friend or the adult son considers the father as his best friend. Unfortunately, the result of current parenting techniques is quite often the opposite. We know of many instances of when the boy reaches adulthood, he moved out of the home and maintained as little contact with his father as possible.
How then is parental closeness developed? It is through expressing our love through actions and words. Interesting story here on Gurudeva, our family of monks who were raised by Gurudeva were often hugged by Him. Even now, some monks have told me that the first thing Gurudeva does when He meets them in the inner worlds is to give them a big hug. He really does. He give you a big hug. In addition to hugging, the three magic words need to be verbalized often. What are the three magic words? I love you.
So the point here is, particularly in Asia, there is not enough expression of love. It is not enough just to say to yourself, “I love my kids.” You actually have to express it and these are just two suggestions for verbalizing, ‘I love you’. It is definitely important. Otherwise, closeness does not necessarily develop.
Closeness develops by disciplining a child’s misbehavior with positive discipline methods, such as, ‘time out’ and appropriate, natural, logical consequences, use of reason without blame and shame. Distance is produced by the use of physical violence, anger, irrational punishments and blame-and-shame. Closeness happens when quality time is spent together in activities that all members of the family enjoy. It is developed from the father binding with his sons and the mother binding with her daughters through developing common interests in hobbies or games and working on them together.
Closeness is nurtured when parents create a non-threatening atmosphere of love in their home in which their children feel free to tell them everything they have done, without fear of the consequences. Distance develops from the existence of a threatening atmosphere in which children keep secrets, each additional secret adding to the distance between the child and the parents. That is a point Gurudeva makes so beautifully in the chapter on ‘Family Togetherness’ in ‘Living with Siva’.
How many homes are like that, where the children are so secure that they will tell their parents everything they did without fear? That is the goal that Gurudeva gives in the chapter. The home is so filled with love, so non-threatening that no matter what the child did wrong, eventually the child feels okay about telling the parents. Zero secrets.What a wonderful ideal!
As Gurudeva points out in the chapter, each secret creates a greater distance. Five secrets this year, ten secrets five years later, twenty secrets when they are an adult. These secrets, things they never told their parents end up causing a distance between the children and the parents. Why are there secrets? Because the children felt if they told, boy, they would really get it! “No way am I going to tell my parents that. That will be the end of me!”
You can see how it all relates to the sense of love and what kind of discipline is used. It needs to be a very gentle, appropriate discipline and a real sense of trust and love, in order for ‘zero secrets’ to result when the children reach adulthood.
transcription ends
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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 |
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Check our children and youth section for new items for the young and young at heart! | |
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1. SIGN OUR GUESTBOOK and receive a FREE GIFT |
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| 2. Newest Book: LIVING WITH SIVA | ||
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3. Visiting KAUAI’S HINDU MONASTERY |
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4. Contribute to THANK YOU, GURUDEVA FUND |
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From Our Gurus' Teachings
Archives are now available through 2001. Light colored days have no posts. 1998-2001 coming later.
