A few days ago, powerful winds swept across Kauai, leaving behind unexpected damage at the monastery. One of the hardest-hit areas was the greenhouse, where the tarps were completely torn apart by the force of the storm. Without hesitation, the mathavāsis of Siddhidata Kulam stepped forward. With determination and teamwork, they put on their boots and got to work—rebuilding, restoring, and protecting what sustains us. Yesterday, their efforts came to completion. The greenhouse now stands secured once again—sheltering the greens that nourish both body and spirit. Aum
A Kartikeya Deity adorns the side of Muruga Hill on San Marga path, tall bamboo swaying above. The Deity was previously at the entrance to the Svayambhulingam square. Just before completing his taskforce stay a couple weeks ago, Maruthu Darmalingam and one of the monks cleaned the murti and surrounding platform, lightly oiled and dressed Him in clean garments, with new pottus.
A couple days ago we had very strong wind gusts, so formidable that, just before Muruga Hill, a tall rudraksha tree clump fell across the San Marga path. It had been growing in a swampy area, so the roots were unstable. It’s now leaning at a 45 degree angle over the path because more rudraksha trees on the other side halted the fall! It’s going to be quite a job to safely remove this clump, probably involving a excavator. For now, no one is allowed to pass through this area.
Recent rains have been swelling our ponds and streams
High winds have kept the clouds moving over the aadheenam at a quick pace
We are on the north fork of the Wailua River. The rain overflowed our rain gauge, so the river is bound to rise even more that this
This is the overflowing bridge to our agricultural land, along the southern river fork. The river is usually 10-15ft below this.
Easy to find water on a lotus leaf in this weather
Our pathways and roads become little waterways of their own
“Be like the river water. Water flows freely anywhere, easily finding its way around rocks and trees. Be pliable in your life, moving in rhythm with life. Let go of everything that blocks the river of life’s energy.”
The Narmada Lingam receives a constant abhishekam
This is a 8 inch seed pod of a carnivorous flower vine
The Blue Jade Vines are starting to bloom
There are very few things in nature that produce blue pigment
The walking palm doesn’t have to walk very far to reach water today
Many of our various palm species have been vigorously flowering this month
San Marga is still very walkable, as long as you bring an umbrella
Many types of plants are blooming along it
The bamboo on Muruga Hill is loving the extra rain
Muruga’s Vel gains contrast in the weather and shines with water
We have many ginger plant varieties that are flowering too
The lava rock bell along San Marga is full of green life
Between bouts of rain, the sun dries Iraivan’s stonework, only for it to receive water again a few minutes later
Aum Namah Sivaya
Join us on an adventure through our gardens as we enjoy our fresh jungle rainfall! Recently a large weather system has been passing over the island. First a cooler atmosphere with torrential rains, and then warm winds with powerful gusts. At time of writing, the winds seem to have concluded and our gentle, sunny days have returned.
“We are divine souls on a wondrous journey. We came from God, live in God and are evolving into oneness with God. We are, in truth, the Truth we seek.” Gurudeva
Sadhaka Shankaranatha is making sure they stick together.
Jai Ganesha!
The Siddhidata Kulam has been working on completing the fish tank’s cap, and it has now reached the final stage. Sadhaka Shankaranatha, one of the members of the Siddhidata Kulam involved in this project, is carefully putting the pieces together by gluing them and ensuring they hold firmly in place. After this, it will need a bit more sanding and polishing, and then it will be ready to be placed on top of the fish tank.
The mondo at Iraivan Temple does well in some areas, but suffers in others
ChatGPT portrays the volunteers at work in April
Kadavul’s thriving patch, planted in 1975
Up close.
A good shot of the issues around Iraivan
A ficus bonsai that charms visitors
This one is Ficus microcarpa with its thick, oval leaves and glossy surface
As the third photo in today’s gallery shows, the mondo grass around Kadavul Temple is lush and happy, a sea of green that waves in the wind and gives a nurturing feeling which, importantly, is virtually maintenance-free. When we planted mondo (which is actually a Japanese lily) around Iraivan Temple, this was our vision. But it has proven difficult to attain the kind of healthy maturity out there, and the team has been struggling for some three years now, and losing the battle.
Cue the cavalry! Yesterday a four-man team of agronomists visited the monastery to help. They are experts, from the staff of the global company Corteva Agriscience on the island’s west side. They spent a couple of hours assessing the conditions, then took soil samples which will go to their lab for analysis. They expect to find that our problem is a lack of specific nutrients, and they even said they would provide needed amendments when the time comes. Plus, they want to bring a team of 12 skilled volunteers to work for a day getting the mondo on its feet.
The mondo team is much encouraged by this unexpected and generous assistance. We asked ChatGPT to imagine the day of help, and slide two is the result.
We end the show today with the two new bonsai trees Tandu Sivanathan placed in the Kadavul pool. Amazing!
Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami gives his weekly upadesha in Kadavul Temple at Kauai’s Hindu Monastery in Hawaii. It is part of a series of talks elaborating on the inspired teachings of Satguru Śivaya Subramuniyaswami as found in his book Merging With Śiva.
“We shall now discuss the three perfections of our Supreme God Śiva: Paraśiva, Satchidānanda and Maheśvara. Isn’t it wonderful to know that two of God’s three perfections are inherent in the soul of man? What are those three perfections? The great God Śiva has form and is formless. He is the immanent Pure Consciousness or pure form; He is the Personal Lord manifesting Himself as innumerable forms; and He is the impersonal, transcendent Absolute beyond all form. We know Śiva in His three perfections, two of form and one formless. First, we worship His manifest form as Pure Love and Consciousness, called Satchidānanda in Sanskrit. Second, we worship Him as our Personal Lord, Maheśvara, the Primal Soul who tenderly loves and cares for His devotees—a Being whose resplendent body may be seen in mystic vision. In our daily lives we love, honor, worship and serve God in these manifest perfections. Ultimately, in perfectly simple, yet awesomely austere nirvikalpa samādhi, we realize Him as the formless Paraśiva, sought for and known only by yogīs and jñānīs. We cannot speak of His Absolute Reality which is beyond qualities and description, yet knowable to the fully matured soul who seeks God within through yoga under the guidance of a satguru.“
