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Sadhu Paksha is over and we begin a new season today — the Jivana Ritau which focuses on culture and the study of Living with Siva, in which Gurudeva wrote:
“These sannyasins are not looked upon as individuals so much as an integrated council, assembled and working in unison to perform a holy work as Sivanadiyars, servants of God Siva. Guided by the satguru, the Saiva Swami Sangam forms the ecclesiastical body of our Hindu Church which works in a humble way to protect the purity of the faith among all Hindu sects, through inspiring publications and other means of encouragement. Specifically, our order’s mission is to protect, preserve and promote the Saivite Hindu religion as embodied in the Tamil culture, traditions and scriptures of South India and Sri Lanka.
The Tamil people should take a lesson from the fate of the Jewish religion. The liberal Jewish movement is bringing about the end of the race, which means the end of the religion. It is doing this through its modernistic concepts, through its sweeping compromise of the duties and disciplines set down for Jews to follow, through its disregard for Jewish ethics, values and practices. We have to take heed. It is happening in India and in Sri Lanka, too. “
Our Beloved and Revered Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
Attained Maha Samadhi on November 12th, 2001
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We had a wonderful Sun One Homa with all the devotees present after a two week retreat.
Cybertalk: 2002 Kauai Innersearch Day 2, Part 2: Bodhinatha discusses three
correct concepts about karma: that it is a universal system in place which
works automatically, that it is divine, created by God for a specific
purpose, and that it is our teacher.
Cybertalk Ends”
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After the powerful ceremony, Bodhinatha gave a wonderful talk and introduced us to the new season, saying: “Gurudeva always liked to have change, and the three seasons provide this opportunity.”
Afterwards everyone paraded out for the flag-changing ceremony.
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Gurudeva wrote in the Saiva Dharma Sastras a description of the Jivana Ritau and what we should all focus on. it is instructive to review this today.
“117 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…. [cont.]
“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. ” [cont.]
“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. ” [cont.]
“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.” [cont.]
“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.” [cont.]
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.” [cont.]
“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.”
“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.” [cont.]
“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.”
It is August and with school not in session in the US, famlies are on the move together. Here are two families, the Palaniappans on the right from Missouri with their three sons and little daughter and on the left Mrs. Nagappan and her two sons from Washington. In the middle is Kalaiselvi, sister of Mr. Palaniappan. They heard about the temple from friends.
Here is the Bhavsar family who came to Kauai and learned about the temple from some locals.
This is Theresa from Texas who is here on the island with her son Theodore (“Ted”) She is a devotee of Sai Baba and met him in India where he performed the miracle of producing a lingam from his
chest. She bought a portrait of Gurudeva to put in her son’s room and said that Ted loves
Lord Muruga.
This young couple, Prakash and Rachna, visited this morning just before flying off to Mauai to continue their vacation. They live in the San Francisco area. Prakash’s family used to attend our Murugan temple in San Francisco before it shifted to Concord in the East Bay Area. Prakash’s grandmother told him that during his visit to Hawaii, he must perform an archana ceremony at our Kadavul Temple. So he did! Rachna is a kathak dancer, studying with the famous virtuoso, Mr. Chitresh Das.
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transcription begins
Date: May_13_2002
Title: Yamas and Niyamas Part 3 Ashtanga Yoga
Category: Yamas and Niyamas
Duration: 3 min., 54 seconds
Date Given: May 05, 2002
Given by: Bodhinatha
Another way of at looking at the Yamas – the first stage of spiritual
practice. Of course, that is most pointedly seen in ashtanga yoga or the
eight-limbed yoga or the eight stages of yoga that are common. First
stage, of course, is Yama. That points out, it is first, right? No question
about it! Yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana,
samadhi.
So, samadhi is a long way from yama. There are six things in the middle.
That points out in a way you cannot ignore that there is a lot of things
that come before samadhi and that yama is first. Or said another way, if
someone wants to follow the traditional yoga practices to be successful in
meditation, they have to perfect Yama and Niyama first.
About two years ago, Gurudeva was inspired in that area and did a pamphlet
on ‘The Yamas and Niyamas’. We had our vigilese, who were meeting the
public, present this information in a very gentle way and suggest, “Gee, if
you are interested in following the spiritual path, this is a good place to
begin here. At the beginning, with the Yamas.”
In terms of Charya, Kriya, Yoga and Jnana, the Yamas are a part of Charya.
The first practice, the basic practice. So they are first in both sets of
terminology.
Another aspect of the Yamas is seen in the phrase, “They are advise, not
commandments.” I read the whole phrase. “The Yamas and Niyamas are
scriptural injunctions for all aspects for thought and behavior. They are
advise and simple guidelines, not commandments.”
What does Gurudeva mean by that? Saying they are advise and simple
guidelines, not commandments?
Well, a comparison can be made to the Monastics vows. Monastic vows say the
same idea in another way. They are ideals towards which we strive. But if we
fall a little short, that is not a catastrophe. The Yamas and Niyamas are
the same thing. These are ideals to which we strive. For example, if our
words are hurtful to someone, that is not a crisis, not a catastrophe. We
haven’t committed a major sin here. We say, “Oops, I didn’t quite uphold
that idea, as well as I should have. I am going to try better the next
time.” In that sense, it is something we strive for. But if we fall short,
it is not a problem, as long as we are striving.
transcription ends
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Innersearch 2003-4 in India!
We just completed the July 17-23 Kauai Innersearch, 2002. Bodhinatha will lead the next Innersearch to India, between Dec 2003 and Jan 2004. We will visit Bangalore and the Iraivan Carving Village, and settle in the South in Tamil Nadu, Click on the above for details on what will be an inspiring journey to our holy land of Bharat! |
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From Our Gurus' Teachings
Archives are now available through 2001. Light colored days have no posts. 1998-2001 coming later.
