Blog Archives
It’s a quiet Sun Two at the Aadheenam. We had a few Gujarati families visit who were on a boat cruise that stopped over on Kauai and planned to go to a local museum… the taxi driver asked them if they were going to the temple and they said they didn’t know about it and asked him to skip the museum and come here instead. We don’t have photos from here today, but lots of photos from activities abroad, including more from Texas and a series from Malaysia on the wedding of Sivaram and Devika which we will spread over a few days.
Don’t Miss the Show! Join Us for the
Gala Cultural Iraivan Temple Benefit
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We have a hundred or so photos from Texas and a great report to share with you… here is Bodhinatha in front of the new temple there. We will give you the captions that Yogi Japendranatha has sent us along with the running story, for Days Two and Three. Note, the story may not exactly match the event you see in the picture, and events of both days are a bit interleaved… but you will get the idea.
TRAVEL NEWS! Bodhinatha’s next visit is July 23-27 to Houston, Texas. See travel page for more information.
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Click for most recent TAKA page with an Iraivan Temple progress update. |
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A veritable sea of swamis and devotees in the main tent. And the morning of Day Three.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yogi Japendranatha’s report from Day Two:
By the grace of Ganesha, Sadhu Jnanpurush Swami called to say our transportation for the day was coming. Our VIP vehicle made its way through traffic barriers, around security guards and through crowds of people, passing by rows of giant generators and temporary AC units with bundles of very large temporary ducting going out to the various tents and temporary buildings, around to the back of the big tent set up next to the temple where this mornings worship events were taking place. We were whisked inside the “Saints Only” entrance behind the stage, meeting lots of happy sadhus with beautiful smiles all along the way, and there we were up on the giant Swaminarayan stage. Pramukh Swami Maharaj, now 84, was in his grand chair, back to the audience, performing puja. I think the puja was for Sri Harikrishna (Radha-Krishna, who also appears on their altar and is explained as an earlier incarnation of God, Lord Swaminarayan being more recent and, of course, the founder of their sampradaya).
On stage during the diksha ceremony.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[report continued…]
Bodhinatha was given a seat of honor amongst the many sadhus, stage right. Professional photographers and video cameramen were everywhere documenting the happenings. I got to sit at Bodhinatha’s feet and take what photos I could, as well as chat with some of the monks I found myself squeezed intimately amongst. Sadhu Atmaswarup Swami, the head of the London center, and Swami Gyanpriya Swami, the head of the Toronto center, were among them. All the sadhus remember Gurudeva, know who Bodhinatha is, and love Hinduism Today magazine. Gurudeva’s own Church and members are very much alive in their minds and hearts, every single one of them. Again I was struck, heart-warmed, and slightly overwhelmed by how comfortable I was with this group of fellow renunciates.
New sadhu in white receiving diksha from Swamishree.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[report continued…]
Looking down from the stage, there was a veritable sea of people in this giant tent, watching everything that was going on with rapt attention. Clearly this is an historic moment in their lives, and in their presence in America.
Sadhus lined up, daddies behind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[report continued…]
After the puja, Pramukh Swami rose with great dignity and came over to have photos taken with Bodhinatha. He deftly tied red and yellow strings around our wrists and put kumkum and rice on our foreheads, a traditional special blessing from him. He is a graceful and elderly swami surrounded by a great big shining aura of powerful love. He walks along in his orange robes as if floating on a cloud. He is sweet, humble, and preciously unassuming, though you know instantly a great soul is present. We felt quite blessed to have his… well… blessings. It was a powerful moment as all the sadhus (and cameramen) crowded around to witness the tying of those threads of connectedness.
Sadhu receiving instruction from Swamishree.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[report continued…]
Swamishree, as he is affectionately called, was then escorted off the stage. We were taken out into the hot Texan sun (thank God those tents are air-conditioned), and we had chance meetings with the head engineer (one of the swamis) on the way, as well as Sadhu Atmaswarup Swami, the head of the London center, who took us to one of the classrooms and told us some great stories of some recent seva the BAPS people in London did for the community. We were then taken to the media room where we interviewed a couple of grihastha men from the congregation and one of the leaders of their youth volunteers. Then it was time to go and meet with Dr. Swami, their affectionate name for the most elder swami, a swamibhai of Pramukh Swami and disciple of Yogiji Maharaj, their paramaguru.
[report continued…]
While we waited for Dr. Swami in a room in a house on the temple property that seems to be where some of the visiting (and resident) sadhus stay, we had a wonderful talk with Vishvamurti Swami and Tyagprakash Swami, both from England. Dr. Swami joined us, along with Atmaswarup Swami, and we ended up having a swami think tank, a sort of fantastic discussion, with wide-ranging topics, in sannyasasambandham as they asked Bodhinatha intelligent and important questions that have been on their minds. Bodhinatha had insightful, to-the-point answers, and there was a wonderful back-and-forth chat about such topics as what kind of dikshas are given in our order, misrepresentation of Hinduism in the West (the Emory University Ganesha book thing really irked them) and what to do about it, how Hinduism Today can help them with learned answers to university level questions from Americans about Hindu concepts that are difficult to explain (we have details on these for the HT team), how we (our monks from the west) came to Hinduism, adoption versus conversion, how we deal with those wanting to leave Christianity to join Hinduism, and more… Really great to be a part of such a wonderful chat amongst kindred souls with a common purpose.
They place a tremendous emphasis on character building, as Gurudeva and Bodhinatha do. The first half of this quote from Swamishree is “If wealth is lost, nothing is lost.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[report continued…]
They fed us lunch again (feast is the word), and after that we had an interview with Vishvamurti Swami about the monastic order.
Sorry, the lighting was too low and distance too great for a flash to capture the stage activity in perfect focus but you still get a good idea.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[report continued…]
In the afternoon we got ready to go for the parade. The murtis went all around town in a grand parade for a few hours before the swamis and we joined at the local high school. When we got there, we were ushered into a very fancy new car to be part of the parade. There were hundreds of people in the parade, lots of kids dancing, chanting, singing, walking, etc. There were countless thousands of people on the roads watching the parade. We didn’t get many photos from our position in the car in the parade itself, so we hope to get some from the pro photographers who were on the job. The floats were beautiful, the murtis are beautiful, it was great fun. More sadhus everywhere, very respectful of Bodhinatha, lots of love and a wonderful feeling of brotherhood in their eyes.
Here is what you see, sitting in front of one of the shrines in the temple during the murti pratishtha.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[report continued…]
The parade ended at the mandir.
[report continued…]
The temple is lit beautifully in the evening, and we got some nice pictures of it. It’s a perfectly elegant and awesomely beautiful temple, and there is a definite vibration, even before the Deities have been installed. It must be all the loving devotion, dedication and sacrifice by so many devotees that makes it so magnificent, not to mention the fact that an awesome order of 720 sadhus is behind it.
[report continued…]
Another thing we wanted to mention that has been happening is that numerous people have come up to Bodhinatha and introduced themselves as Hinduism Today subscribers. There are lots of them amongst the Swaminarayan grihastha membership, and they just love Hinduism Today. They walk up and say things like, “Oh, it’s so wonderful to see you! I am a Hinduism Today subscriber! We love your magazine!” Very nice support.
Report on Day Three in Houston:
It’s hot here in big sky country. Temperatures have been about 100� during the day, mid-high 80s at night, although it’s overcast tonight, we got a little lightning and rain, and it’s cooled down to the mid 70s. Also, it really is “big sky country.” Wide open spaces everywhere, vast open spaces even between the buildings! Huge housing communities, which are kind of packed together, but then there are these giant cleared areas with roads that seem to be set up to become industrial parks. There are usually a couple buildings, really far apart, with most of the space open for leasing, and giant fields with land for sale signs on them. The highways are giant too, and it looks like they run far below capacity. Everything is just big, really big, Texas big.
Almost every section of ceiling is unique. There are some 122 of these elaborate curling archways between the pillars of the temple.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[report continued…]
We had a wonderful day at the Swaminarayan Mandir in Houston today. The morning began a little earlier than usual, at around 8:00, with the sadhu diksha ceremony in the giant event tent (did I say this tent is huge? must be something like 100 x 250 feet). A bit of background first on their dikshas: They first go to Sarangpur for one year, equivalent to our premonastic program, to live and experience sadhu life before making a firm decision to become a sadhu. During this time they are called Sadhakas. If they decide it is right for them, they take Parshadi Diksha, where they are given the white robes and hat, and they begin 3 or 4 years of training at Sarangpur in preparation for sannyas. During this time at Sarangpur, they are watched carefully by the senior swamis, and if all feel that sadhu life is truly for them, then they take Bhagavati Diksha, receive their sadhu name and don the orange robes as full-fledged sannyasins.
Atmaswarup Swami shows Bodhinatha some literature about children’s programs they are conducting in London and elsewhere… in one of the Houston center’s classrooms.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[report continued…]
Five sadhus took Parshadi Diksha (white) and one sadhu took Bhagavati Diksha (orange) today in Houston. The ceremony is interesting. Each sadhu, accompanied by his father, went up on stage, already dressed in his new dhoti but bare-chested. Two senior swamis, Dr. Swami and the senior swami in charge of the Sarangpur training center, shared the duty of putting the shawl and hat on each new sadhu, and then one by one, accompanied by dad, they went up to Pramukh Swami for blessings. The father officially handed off his son to his second guru, Pramukh Swami gave his blessings in several ways such as touching him on the head, then looked him in the eye and spoke with him for a minute, apparently giving specific directions. The father then touched his son-now-sadhu’s feet, stood together with him and Pramukh Swami for a photo, and turned around and left the stage. The emotion of the parents was noticeable and touching. Some may not know that the Swaminarayan Sanstha is very strict in that, after diksha, sadhus never again have any contact with their family. They are not even allowed to acknowledge them should eyes fall on each other by happenstance.
[report continued…]
This was clearly a very big day for the BAPS congregation, sadhus and grihasthas alike. After the diksha ceremony in front of thousands of devotees and all the other sadhus present here in Houston, we sat for a while up front in front of the stage as most of the sadhus went off and prepared for the temple’s murti pratishtha ceremony.
[report continued…]
The murti pratishtha ceremony began, and we, along with most of the devotees, were watching it on the big screens. We think only the sponsors were able to fit in the temple itself. It’s not a very big temple, maybe the size of Iraivan plus a little more width. After a while one of the sadhus walked up and asked Bodhinatha if he’d like to go to the temple and participate in the ceremony. Yes, of course, and we were on our way. Going out of the AC tent into the Texan mid-day height-of-the-summer felt just like being in India. We were escorted as VIPs to the temple, entering from the back, and up right in front of the shrines. Bodhinatha was seated on a comfortable chair right in front of the right-most shrine. I was on the floor next to him amongst many sadhus, cameramen and some very hot lights. It’s amazing being around these swamis, because they interact with me just like I’m one of them. With Bodhinatha it’s a little different; they show him great respect and treat him like the great guru that he is.
The beginning of our senior swami think tank in the house. This was a powerful meeting. Some major issues were discussed. These men are clearly Swamishree’s inner circle, thinking about the major policies, the future of their order and congregation, of Hinduism in America and in the world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[report continued…]
Pundits were chanting the puja chants while an elaborate little tabletop shrine was setup in front of the central shrine (doors were closed). Pramukh Swami arrived with great pageantry beneath colorful festival umbrellas amongst an entourage of his sadhus, and the beautiful wooden shrine doors were opened so he could have the first darshan of the newly installed Deities. After that, he got settled in his elaborately carved chair and performed puja for the little Harikrishna Deity, which seems to be something he does to begin most ceremonies. He then gave a talk, then the naivedyam offering, then the arati. Bodhinatha was given an arati tray to perform arati for the Deity he was positioned in front of, and Pramukh Swami did the arati for the Swaminarayan Deities, other swamis such as Dr. Swami and another senior swami performing arati for the other Deities. It was a remarkable ceremony, beautiful.
Dr. Swami’s English isn’t very good, so Tyagprakash Swami, raised in Britain, translates for him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[report continued…]
As Pramukh Swami made his way out after the puja was finished, he walked by and paid his respects to Bodhinatha. It is quite clear to us that he is really happy Bodhinatha is here.
[report continued…]
Not making our exit soon enough, we found ourselves quickly surrounded by devotees in one of those shoulder-to-shoulder mob scenes thought only possible in India. At first we just went with it, and we ended up in front of the main Swaminarayan shrine, where we noticed a powerful darshan and paid our respects accordingly. It was evident that we needed to begin pushing, as others were, so we squeezed our way through slowly and popped out of the crowd at the edge of the temple, where we ran into Dr. Mehta, who was delighted to see us at his new masterpiece of concrete engineering (he did their foundation with fly ash sans rebar, just like ours, which was the first). Soon after walking down from the temple to the ground level, we were met by some grihastha men who took us back to the main tent.
There are seven unique pillar designs among the 136 carved pillars in the temple.
Vishvamurti Swami, a powerhouse of love and discrimination.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[report continued…]
A wonderful collection of talks were given, most in Gujurati or Hindi, as were most of the talks and announcements during this festival. Sadhu Atmaswarup Swami from the London center was the only sadhu who spoke in English. His English is very good. The head County Judge of North Bend Country was introduced, and gave a very nice talk with much admiration of BAPS for the temple and how he sees it influencing Texas and America. Next, to our delightful surprise, was House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (who hails from this part of Texas), who gave a fantastic talk beginning with “Jai Swaminarayan!” He began by speaking of religious freedom in America, and how that promise was extended to BAPS without restraint, and how when a religion lays down its roots here, it is a great day for all Americans. He made some absolutely amazing comments in praise and support of BAPS, something I know I wasn’t expecting. It was truly inspiring to see such an important congressional leader saying such things about our religion, our spiritual brothers, our American Hindu population.
Amazing ornamentation!
Pramukh Swami Maharaj, worldwide head the Swami Narayan Fellowship surrounded by his sadhus.
Also known as “Swami Shree” he is a man of great purity and spiritual attainment.
The parade apparently went for miles (grihasthas only) by motorcade through the city before it arrived at this high school to regroup and get ready for the swamis to join and take it to the temple.
Now, even in his 80’s Pramukh Swami Maharaj travels constantly.
Groups of boys dressed in beautifully elaborate, traditional Gujurati costumes joined and danced and sang.
Behind our car.
[report continued…]
Bodhinatha was invited to give a talk, which was by far the most clearly presented and most audible of them all. Everyone listened carefully and absorbed his message, which was all about the Swaminarayan group. All the events today were being live webcast and telecast on TV to 160 countries, in the US on the channel called TV Asia, and in India on Ashta, the major religious TV channel there. Hopefully somebody will send us a tape. We’ll ask the swamis tomorrow also…
[report continued…]
We had lunch at the out-of-town-guests’ tent. There we met Surender, of Zarposh India, an HT advertiser of four years, as well as a number of other nice people, including more happy HT subscribers. Then in the afternoon we spent time with long time supporter of Hinduism Today, Vijay Pallod and his associates discussing the topic that is on everyone’s mind: passing Hinduism on to the next generation.
We never saw the beginning or the end of this fabulous parade. It just seemed to go on forever. Countless thousands participated, and countless thousands lined the sides of the roads in witness. Local residents came out of their homes and enjoyed the pageantry.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[report continued…]
All in all, at the official end of the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir Mahotsav, we can say that we have had a very wonderful time at a great festival inaugurating a truly awesome temple, a major architectural masterpiece that is really a statement of Hinduism to not only the greater Houston community but also to the entire American community, much in the same way that the BAPS temple in Neasden was a great statement of Hinduism’s greatness to the UK.
[report continued…]
Tomorrow, in a more post-festival relaxed mood, we are going to meet again with Dr. Swami, who has requested some more discussion time with us, as well as some of the other swamis for interviews about various topics for the Hinduism Today article we are doing, including one or two of the just-initiated sadhus. We hear that we may also get a chance to sit with Pramukh Swami Maharaj for a few questions. We’re really looking forward to that.
Swami Shree performs arati at one of the shrines of the new temple.
Look familiar?
Look, just like us. Vishvamurti Swami coordinating on his cell phone.
This is the portable television studio that was used as the center of operations for the TV coverage.
Saiva Siddhanta Church
Malaysia Mission
We happy to share these photos sent to us from Malaysia where the newest couple in Saiva Siddhanta Church is getting married….
Today we bring you four photos from the legal, civil wedding held on June 25, 2004 at the Penang Registration Department.
Devika Says “yes” when asked if she accepts Sivaram Eswaran as her lawful husband at the legal wedding.
Sivaram signs the marriage licence
Sivaram and Devika with the family.
Sivaram and Devika pose together after the registration.
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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! |
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MORE UPLIFTING THINGS |
Color Trilogy Complete! We are happy to announce that the new edition of the enormously popular Dancing with Siva is now available in hard back with all new color artwork. It’s truly an amazing and beautiful work, with more art than any of the collection. This completes the fulfillment of the vision that Gurudeva had of his Master Course Trilogy being produced in full color. In addition, Bodhinatha is taking pro-active steps to bring Gurudeva’s teachings out in a new forms that can be broadly disseminated in the mass mind. With this in mind we, are also pleased to announce that the Dancing with Siva pocketbook is also available. Keep the three-pound book in your shrine room, and take the little one with you on the airplane or subway! How little? It’s just 3″ by 4.5″ — truly pocket-sized, and just over half an inch thick. Yet it is a full 375 pages, containing ALL of the 155 sutras. Available now at our online store. The complete Trilogy is being offered at a discount. |
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View the fabulous full-color PDF’s of the latest edition of Island Temple Magazine, and order copies if you don’t have one. | |
|
1. SIGN OUR GUESTBOOK and receive a FREE GIFT |
||
| 2. Newest Book: DANCING WITH SIVA — Pocketbook | ||
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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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Blog Archives
Welcome back to Sun One of a short four-day phase. We have a rich set of photos beginning with some from Houston where Bodhinatha’s visit is fulfilling this important vision that Gurudeva worked with all his life:
~~~~~~~~~~~
“Tonight we are going to discuss an issue that is essential to the future of Hinduism in America, I would even say in the world. It is a complex matter, but in brief it may be defined as the relationship of Hindus to Hindus, of Vaishnavites to Saivites, of northern traditions to southern. I call it Hindu solidarity, and I can assure you that there is no single more challenging or significant lesson that we as members of the world’s oldest religion have to learn. If we can achieve this, and we can, many of our problems will be solved, and Hinduism will take a new place of pride in North America.
I call it “solidarity in diversity.” Solidarity in diversity is really a better term than unity in diversity, just like the mosaic is more accurate than the melting pot. In America we have Saivite Hindus, Vaishnava Hindus, Shakta Hindus, Smarta Hindus, liberal Hindus, agnostic Hindus and anti-Hindu Hindus, all working together for Hindu solidarity, a grand Hindu front competent to master and reform Hinduism today.
Hindu solidarity is not an original idea. It has become very popular in India itself. Whatever our background, we can and we must maintain our sectarian roots and heritage, cultivate our differences and become strong within them, as the Christians did. There exists a common bond between all Hindus. What is that bond? Number one, it is the belief in karma and dharma. The Saivites and the Vaishnavites, the Shaktas and the Smartas all believe in karma and dharma. Number two is reincarnation. Number three is the all-pervasiveness of God and the sanctity of the Vedas. If we accept these three basic beliefs–along with tolerance for all the religions of the world coupled with the belief that all people, whatever their spiritual path, will one day attain to knowledge of God–then we can say, “Yes, we are Hindus.”
Though the branches of Hinduism are many and different, the roots are common to us all. We share so much, and we can never forget this. Sharing a common heritage, we can then, with confidence, follow our own path. If that path is liberal Hindu, fine. If that path is Saivite Hindu, Vaishnava Hindu or Shakta Hindu, fine. Let each follow his own path. Let each perfect himself and purify himself within the context of his individual way. We must know and get the strength from the heritage of our roots. That is a real strength; that is a genuine Hindu solidarity. It is not strength for us all to call out for others to be exactly as we are. A tree has one trunk, one root system, but for survival its branches must reach in many directions. The different directions are not a weakness in the tree. In fact, its very life depends on this diversity. The very life of Hinduism has always depended on a similar diversity. That is why I say it is not uniformity or sameness that we seek together. It is solidarity, the strength which comes from appreciating and cultivating our differences, not denying them or trying to restrain or even destroy them altogether.
Don’t Miss the Show! Join Us for the
Gala Cultural Iraivan Temple Benefit
Click for more Info…
Bodhinatha with the Sadhus in Texas….
TRAVEL NEWS! Bodhinatha’s next visit is July 23-27 to Houston, Texas. See travel page for more information.
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Click for most recent TAKA page with an Iraivan Temple progress update. |
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Yogi Japendranatha sends us a lot of photos which we will see over the next few days… Here he is on Day Two of their stay in Houston:
“Our motel amidst fields of possibility in Sugar Land.”
Bodhinatha walking with Atmaswarup Swami. See those huge ducts going into one of the tents? Air conditioning. Lots and lots of air conditioning. And these tents are white; no other color would do in the Texan sun.
Sitting amongst our brothers on the stage while Swamishree performed puja for Sri Harikrishna, a small gold, jewel-encrusted image of Lord Krishna. Pramukh Swami takes this image with him wherever he travels and performs puja to the Lord daily.
Gyanpriya Swami, frontmost, head of Toronto center.
Akshaymuni Swami, chief architect and engineer for the BAPS temples. He is very quiet, as his name implies.
Bodhinatha holding Pramukh Swami’s Sri Harikrishna shrine after the puja. This image is the symbol of Pramukh Swami’s leadership of BAPS in the lineage of Lord Swaminarayan.
Bodhinatha’s and Swamishree’s first official meeting, amongst a flurry of photographers’ flashes.
Jnanpurush Swami, head of the Houston center. He was a very sweet, gracious host.
Bodhinatha, Atmaswarup Swami and Dr. Swami, senior-most of all the swamis under Pramukh Swami, chatting outside the tent.
Sadhus, grihasthas, volunteers, devotees, parade floats, all getting ready.
Now we are back home at the Aadheenam… 6 PM on the last day of the retreat we held the monthly Chitra puja for Gurudeva.
Sadhaka Dandapani and Sadhaka Tejadeva perform the puja.
Then the next day was our “Siddhidata Day” of the retreat when all the monks work together outside for most of the morning. The exciting moment had come to remove the pillar of sand that was inside the sanctum of the temple, going all the way to the top behind these heavy boards. The sand provided a working platform for the silpis to place the stones are they worked up to the top of the sanctum, just as the scaffold provided support on the outside. Now that the final course was finished, it has to be removed before the capstone is placed.
Yoginathaswami coordinates and he looks up at the top of the temple discussing with Sthapati issues relating to the coming raising up of the capstone.
We must remove the sand before the capstone goes up. Our Siddhidata team removes the boards inside. We don’t know what to expect. Sometimes sand can compact as hard as a rock….
They have set up a chute to the base of the wall of boards across the sanctum entrance that will carry the sand and water out to the main slab.
A fire hose is connected and set up on a support and the pumps are turned on. Happily the sand flowed out with the water very easily.
Everyone is delighted and there is a joyful feeling in the air as the inner sanctum of Iraivan opens up …
If the sand were to get stuck way up high, it would have been a big task, but the sand came down from the top in a gentle, even flow.
The silpis watch from above as the pile of sand slowly washes out the front door.
Yoginathaswami moves the sand away with the Bobcat…
Sadhaka Nilakantha takes a turn on the hose.
The light finally came down from the top…
Our hardworking Sivathondars, Sadhaka Adinatha, Yoginathaswami and Sadhaka Nilakantha gleefully hop inside to help shovel out the remainder.
Laughter from 20 feet above…
It was a perfect day, the plan fulfilled and we are poised to put the capstone on soon.
Then, on Guha day… a team of monks went to Himalayan Acres where Sannyasin Arumugaswami had planted some corn which turned out to be very happy there. Time for harvest.
Our land across from the temple is beautiful… Here is another field of corn that is still young.
With special boxes on hand, we are ready to pick and pack and ice the corn, for delivery to the local wholesale vegetable distributer.
Walking through… picking all the ripe, mature corn heads. Today we picked about 1,500 pieces and there is more yet to come!
It was really excellent… very sweet and plump…
This is a field of sun hemp that has just been planted and is doing very well.
Take time… look up… stop and see the beauty around you. Gurudeva once said: “Sometimes people forget that they have already realized many things. They just have to accept it and stop and bask in the awareness of the realizations they have had.”
Coming finally to this morning… Sun One homa. And a new photo of Gurudeva for this month in the light box above his shrine in Kadavul.
Chanting opens the ceremonies as usual.
Sadhaka Jivananandanatha is this week’s morning pujari and so he performs the homa today.
Agniye Svaha!
Bodhinatha’s Tiruvadi on his seat… we will see him late tomorrow evening after some 12 hours of travel to get home…
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! |
|
MORE UPLIFTING THINGS |
Color Trilogy Complete! We are happy to announce that the new edition of the enormously popular Dancing with Siva is now available in hard back with all new color artwork. It’s truly an amazing and beautiful work, with more art than any of the collection. This completes the fulfillment of the vision that Gurudeva had of his Master Course Trilogy being produced in full color. In addition, Bodhinatha is taking pro-active steps to bring Gurudeva’s teachings out in a new forms that can be broadly disseminated in the mass mind. With this in mind we, are also pleased to announce that the Dancing with Siva pocketbook is also available. Keep the three-pound book in your shrine room, and take the little one with you on the airplane or subway! How little? It’s just 3″ by 4.5″ — truly pocket-sized, and just over half an inch thick. Yet it is a full 375 pages, containing ALL of the 155 sutras. Available now at our online store. The complete Trilogy is being offered at a discount. |
|
|
View the fabulous full-color PDF’s of the latest edition of Island Temple Magazine, and order copies if you don’t have one. | |
|
1. SIGN OUR GUESTBOOK and receive a FREE GIFT |
||
| 2. Newest Book: DANCING WITH SIVA — Pocketbook | ||
|
3. Visiting KAUAI’S HINDU MONASTERY |
||
|
4. Contribute to THANK YOU, GURUDEVA FUND |
||
Blog Archives
“Our nerve system is just like a harp. It can be played by other people. They can cause many tones to be heard in our nerve system. All styles of music can be played on a harp, but no matter what kind of music is played, the harp remains the same. People can do all sorts of things to our nervous system, and make patterns of tone and color appear. This does not hurt the nervous system. It, like the harp, remains the same. The same nervous system can be played by our superconscious or by our passions. We can experience beautiful knowledge from within, which is the outgrowth of good meditation abilities, or experience a mental argument with another person. All tones are played at different times through the same nervous system. We want our nervous system to be played from the inside out through the beautiful rhythm of superconsciousness. This is bliss. We do not want to allow other people to affect our nerve system in a negative way, only in a positive way. That is why it is imperative for those on the path to be in good company.” –Gurudeva
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Gala Cultural Iraivan Temple Benefit
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Bodhinatha is in Houston Today … and for the next three days… we have the tentative schedule below… read about it on the web also at:
Sun 6, Friday, July 23 BAPS Pre-Temple Dedication Activities
6:00pm Kirtan Aradhana (Swaminarayan sadhus leading bhajans; we hear that 150 of them are here for these events)
7:30pm Presentation of key to the city by Mayor of Stafford, Texas
7:45pm His Divine Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s blessings
Star 1, Saturday, July 24 BAPS Pre-Temple Dedication Festivities
8:00am-12:30pm Vishvashanti Mahayagna (as far as we can tell from photos of previous temple dedications in the brochure for this temple’s opening festival, a very large homa puja, some of which may be conducted by Pramukh Swami himself, for the new temple)
6:30pm-8:30pm Shobha Yatra (a very grand parade)
Star 2, Sunday, July 25 BAPS Sadhu Initiation and Temple Dedication, a.k.a. The Big Day
7:00am-8:30am Diksha Vidhi (Pramukh Swami will initiate 6 or 7 new sadhus)
9:30am-12:30pm Murti Pratishtha (installation of the Deities, we believe)
5:00pm-8:00pm Satsang Sabha
Sun 1, Monday, July 26 Bodhinatha will have darshan meetings with friends and associates in the Houston area…
Sun 2 — Arrive back on Kauai in the afternoon.
~~~~~~~~
END OF PHASE
Today is the last day of our phase
This edition of TAKA will remain posted
Over our coming two-day retreat,
Until Dasami Tithi, Sun One, Saturday, July 26th
TRAVEL NEWS! Bodhinatha’s next visit is July 23-27 to Houston, Texas. See travel page for more information.
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Click for most recent TAKA page with an Iraivan Temple progress update. |
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Incoming photos from Texas… with no flash at the evening bhajan event and a report from Yogi Japendranatha:
~~~~~~~~~~
Aum Sivaya, everyone.
Bodhinatha is happy and healthy. It’s going really well here so far. We were taken to the Stafford Center, a big conference/auditorium style building where the Kirtan Aradhana event was being held. Some of the sadhus were up on stage singing for the group. They are totally professional bhajan singers. Very good on their tablas, mridangams, harmoniums, keyboards, etc. Great voices. About a dozen sadhus were on stage, and cameras were on them with simultaneous projection on gimungous screens to both sides of the stage. Another 50 or so sadhus were on the floor in front of the stage, and another 20-30 milling around here and there. They gave Bodhinatha a seat of honor up front, facing the stage, and we sat and listened for a while. There were about 2,000 grihastha devotees in attendance, on the floor behind the sadhus, men in front, women in the back. Huge crowd. Organized chaos.
The family people just love their swamis. They shower them with so much affection, it’s amazing. The sadhus… I don’t know what to say. They are awesome. They are just like us, every single one of them. They relate to each other like true brothers, and they feel like our brothers in the deepest sense. Did you know that we have 720 more brother monks than we thought we did?
Here’s why: During the event I was sitting behind Bodhinatha with some of the sadhus talking story. The sadhu I was speaking with turned to me and said that the time Gurudeva came to their sadhu training center in Sarangpur was very important to them. He said, “Obey your guru, obey your guru, obey your guru. It’s the essence of our entire sadhana. That’s what Gurudeva told us.” It’s so sweet that nine years and hundreds more sadhus later, Gurudeva’s statement to them is right on the tip of each of their tongues and at the core of each of their hearts, like they said, the essence of their sadhana. Gurudeva had a huge and lasting impact on their Order. Maybe that’s why they feel like our brothers.
I asked him, “Do all 700 of the sadhus know each other that well?” He said, “720 of us! And, yes, of course we do.” I told him there were only 21 of us. He nodded and said, “And puja every three hours” with a big smile on his face. They know so much about us.
He also told us how much they all love (all of them) Hinduism Today and read it all the time.
These men really respect Bodhinatha, and they’re really glad he’s here. You can tell they’re looking at Gurudeva in their eyes.
At home today some earth work going on — Keoke came today to man his excavator to work on clearing the perimeter of a wild hau bush area that has spread out of control over the years.
Keoke (George) was actually here 15 years ago and was the master craftsman who with his huge instrument cleared areas and helped open up ponds in the bog to create the areas we now see as we go over from the monastery to Iraivan…
We found 20 feet of flat area next to our fruit orchard that had been taken over by this wild growth.
Many of the ponds have filled up with silt and we would like to restore them again for another decade or more to grow lilies and lotuses…
During heavy torrential rains lots of water comes rushing into this area… Keoke opens up a new channel to feed the water back into the ponds.
It’s a bit of a mess right now, but with a little planting and some time, everything will be back to normal.
Ok, let’s just push this bit of jungle back to where it was 15 years ago…. that would be about 15-20 feet back from the current edge….
Today was tour day… no photos of guests, but news is that we had a lot of locals today, Kauaians who have come to see their island’s “famous” Hindu temple.
Here are three final images from the last trip to Cincinnati … a shot of the parade of Lord Murugan around the temple.
The Gopurams of the temple in the background look wonderful.
This was a particularly special moment. Devotees applying sandalwood oil to the Deities at the Cincinnati Hindu Temple On the night of July 3, the evening before the final ceremonies. This was the only time that devotees were allowed to touch the Deities.
 The Remarkable Vision |
Iraivan Temple Progress Update |
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Other TAKA pages with recent Iraivan images.
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Here we are in the Mukha Mandapam of the Iraivan Temple. Behind the wooden wall is the sand inside the main sanctum that reaches all the way up to the top of the temple.
Course 28 is in progress, the last one before the capstone…
Excitement is building as we are only two weeks away from the capstone being lifted up…
Outside view….
Work also continues on the Chinna Gopuram of the east side of the temple.
No Audio Today
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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! |
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MORE UPLIFTING THINGS |
Color Trilogy Complete! We are happy to announce that the new edition of the enormously popular Dancing with Siva is now available in hard back with all new color artwork. It’s truly an amazing and beautiful work, with more art than any of the collection. This completes the fulfillment of the vision that Gurudeva had of his Master Course Trilogy being produced in full color. In addition, Bodhinatha is taking pro-active steps to bring Gurudeva’s teachings out in a new forms that can be broadly disseminated in the mass mind. With this in mind we, are also pleased to announce that the Dancing with Siva pocketbook is also available. Keep the three-pound book in your shrine room, and take the little one with you on the airplane or subway! How little? It’s just 3″ by 4.5″ — truly pocket-sized, and just over half an inch thick. Yet it is a full 375 pages, containing ALL of the 155 sutras. Available now at our online store. The complete Trilogy is being offered at a discount. |
|
|
View the fabulous full-color PDF’s of the latest edition of Island Temple Magazine, and order copies if you don’t have one. | |
|
1. SIGN OUR GUESTBOOK and receive a FREE GIFT |
||
| 2. Newest Book: DANCING WITH SIVA — Pocketbook | ||
|
3. Visiting KAUAI’S HINDU MONASTERY |
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4. Contribute to THANK YOU, GURUDEVA FUND |
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Blog Archives
“Gratitude and appreciation are the key virtues for a better life. They are the spell that is cast to dissolve hatred, hurt and sadness, the medicine which heals subjective states of mind, restoring self-respect, confidence and security.” –Gurudeva
Don’t Miss the Show! Join Us for the
Gala Cultural Iraivan Temple Benefit
Click for more Info…
This afternoon Bodhinatha left for Houston for a 5-day function at the Swami Narayan temple opening there…
TRAVEL NEWS! Bodhinatha’s next visit is July 23-27 to Houston, Texas. See travel page for more information.
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Click for most recent TAKA page with an Iraivan Temple progress update. |
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About 150 participants of the Kamadon Academy’s “Kauai Event” came to the monastery today. Here they are in a session with Bodhinatha.
Bodhinatha spoke to them on a few subjects, talked about Yoga’s Forgotten Foundations (Yamas and Niyamas) and then opened the session for Questions and Answer…
This is a new age group who follow the teachings of the late Alton Kamadon, the founder of “The Melchizedek Method”, a clairvoyant channel and spiritual teacher who died suddenly of a heart attack in November, 2003. You may visit their web site at www.melchizedekmethod.com. It is interesting that one of Altons dreams was to have a program on Kauai and his “Level Six” teachings include introductions to Hindu Deities and teachings. This year, his students made his dream come true.
One of Gurudeva’s ardent students in Honolulu, Deva Magdalena, helped facilitate the “Kauai Event” program at the monastery today. Bodhinatha says they asked many intelligent questions. We sold ALL copies of Lemurian Scrolls in the Minimela shop and also almost our entire stock of crystals and crystal images. Many also gave generously to the Iraivan temple building fund.
The gold leafing of Yogaswami was completed yesterday.
And he was brought back to his home in the Guru Peedam.
We have to thank Yogaswami and those before him…
We would not be here without him.
Jai Siva Yogaswami!
A few candid shots today… Natarajnathaswami taking a break from his Hinduism Today articles to do some chores outside on a beautiful day.
It’s a happy time to see Bodhinatha off to Houston…
All the monks check out the delivery of boxes that came today.. and chat together while waiting for Bodhinatha.
Sadhaka Nilakanta… says Hello to his Mom and Dad…all is well 😉
Sadhaka Tejadevanatha is back from his “Sojourn in the World” which is a mandatory practice for our younger sadhaka… a time for them to get some training and solidify their inner commitments on their own… but he’s really happy to be back and we are really happy to have him back…
Yogi Japendranatha is going with Bodhinatha to Houston.
Good bye! See you next phase on Sun Two, have fun in Texas!
Gurudeva’s spiritual center in the island country of Mauritius
in the Indian Ocean near South Africa
The Muruga Pavilion has now taken shape and looks impressive for any visitor going there for the first time. Plastering of the beams and pillars are going on…These are the last works needing wooden structures around the Mandapam.
A closer view of the beam and pillar
You can see Lord Muruga inside.
Here is a closer look of Lord Muruga, the Dispeller of ignorance.
The masons have done a very nice job. They are about to complete the plastering of the pillars.
Now construction works are over. The next phase will be to paint the Pavilion all over and cover the floor with tiles.
Some visitors walking around the murthi before worshipping at Lord Muruga’s Feet.
A serene atmosphere pervades this spiritual place at sunset.
We now leave the Spiritual Park and drive off to Flacq where Kulapati Mougam Pareatumbee has invited the Kulapaties and Kulamatas & their children to dinner at his restaurant. This is now a regular event among the elders of the Park. A nice welcome with tasty lemon grass juice on arrival…
Our Kulamatas Sornumbal Mardemootoo, Poospawadee Koothan and Oomavadee Pallanee.
Kulamatas Premila Manick and Saranamutha Pareatumbee…
The Kulapatis had a nice time together with little talks in a relaxed festive atmosphere.
The dishes were delicious, a recommended address for vegetarian food…
The little ones in the Church are growing up fast too! Here are Jambalini Manick (left) and Bijamati Pareatumbee.
Kulapati Mougam Pareatumbee had a busy time on that day taking care of his guests. Kulapati Mougam is a very famous Chef in Mauritius. Thank you Kulapati, the service was excellent!
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! |
|
MORE UPLIFTING THINGS |
Color Trilogy Complete! We are happy to announce that the new edition of the enormously popular Dancing with Siva is now available in hard back with all new color artwork. It’s truly an amazing and beautiful work, with more art than any of the collection. This completes the fulfillment of the vision that Gurudeva had of his Master Course Trilogy being produced in full color. In addition, Bodhinatha is taking pro-active steps to bring Gurudeva’s teachings out in a new forms that can be broadly disseminated in the mass mind. With this in mind we, are also pleased to announce that the Dancing with Siva pocketbook is also available. Keep the three-pound book in your shrine room, and take the little one with you on the airplane or subway! How little? It’s just 3″ by 4.5″ — truly pocket-sized, and just over half an inch thick. Yet it is a full 375 pages, containing ALL of the 155 sutras. Available now at our online store. The complete Trilogy is being offered at a discount. |
|
|
View the fabulous full-color PDF’s of the latest edition of Island Temple Magazine, and order copies if you don’t have one. | |
|
1. SIGN OUR GUESTBOOK and receive a FREE GIFT |
||
| 2. Newest Book: DANCING WITH SIVA — Pocketbook | ||
|
3. Visiting KAUAI’S HINDU MONASTERY |
||
|
4. Contribute to THANK YOU, GURUDEVA FUND |
||
Blog Archives
“Giving, dana, is the third great religious practice, or niyama. It is important to remember that giving freely of one’s goods in fulfilling needs, making someone happy or putting a smile on his face, mitigates selfishness, greed, avarice and hoarding. But the most important factor is “without thought of reward.” The reward of joy and the fullness you feel is immediate as the gift passes from your two hands into the outstretched hands of the receiver. Dana is often translated as “charity.” But charity in modern context is a special kind of giving by those who have to those who have not. This is not the true spirit of dana. The word fulfillment might describe dana better. The fulfillment of giving that wells up within the giver as the gift is being prepared and as the gift is being presented and released, the fulfillment of the expectancy of the receiver or the surprise of the receiver, and the fullness that exists afterwards are all a part of dana.”
Don’t Miss the Show! Join Us for the
Gala Cultural Iraivan Temple Benefit
Click for more Info…
Bodhinatha with the Aadheenam Kartar of Madurai Aadheenam, India.
Bodhinatha leaves for a few days in Houston, Texas, tomorrow…
~~~~~
Sun Four today… quiet inner dynamism as usual, spectacularly sunny clear Kauai day. The Siddhidata Kulam gave their phasely activities update. They have caught up the general Aadheenam grounds and equipment maintenance routines that were left by the wayside during the Guru Purnima festival. Yoginathaswami is working closely with Shanmugam Sthapati to prepare a list of stones for the carving site in India: which should be carved next and then a precise order for packing and shipping to Kauai. This is critical to keep the assembly going here on Kauai. If one stone is missing or out of order, it can hold up the team here. They are also doing advance work in preparation for the raising up the capstone, crane rental, insurance, etc. And preparing for the removal of all the sand that fills up the inner sanctum. It is packed in as hard as a rock and ramps will be made to catch it as they use a fire hose to “melt out” the sand from the inside. Aadheenam plumping renovation and re-routing continues and each afternoon the whole team spends sometime in the ever evolving Anna Purna vegetable garden.
TRAVEL NEWS! Bodhinatha’s next visit is July 23-27 to Houston, Texas. See travel page for more information.
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Click for most recent TAKA page with an Iraivan Temple progress update. |
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Yesterday’s observation of the flow of young couples was manifest again today…
Rajiv and Anjali Giri, newlyweds, from San Francisco were our guests today. Rajiv’s father, Rajendra who lives in Colorado, is a lifetime subscriber to Hinduism Today and a strong supporter of Gurudeva’s work.
It was the newlyweds first visit to Kauai but they said it was certainly not their last. They enjoyed the tour of the grounds and Iraivan Temple. They later met with Paramacharya Palaniswami in the Hinduism Today office. Rajiv runs an online matrimonial website. http://www.indianmatrimonials.com
Just before they left they met with Bodhinatha who presented them with a shawl.
Anjali asked him for some words of wisdom for a happy life and Bodhinatha said one of the main keys to a successful marriage is to resolve problems that may have arose during the day by lovingly talking them over before going to bed at night.
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! |
|
MORE UPLIFTING THINGS |
Color Trilogy Complete! We are happy to announce that the new edition of the enormously popular Dancing with Siva is now available in hard back with all new color artwork. It’s truly an amazing and beautiful work, with more art than any of the collection. This completes the fulfillment of the vision that Gurudeva had of his Master Course Trilogy being produced in full color. In addition, Bodhinatha is taking pro-active steps to bring Gurudeva’s teachings out in a new forms that can be broadly disseminated in the mass mind. With this in mind we, are also pleased to announce that the Dancing with Siva pocketbook is also available. Keep the three-pound book in your shrine room, and take the little one with you on the airplane or subway! How little? It’s just 3″ by 4.5″ — truly pocket-sized, and just over half an inch thick. Yet it is a full 375 pages, containing ALL of the 155 sutras. Available now at our online store. The complete Trilogy is being offered at a discount. |
|
|
View the fabulous full-color PDF’s of the latest edition of Island Temple Magazine, and order copies if you don’t have one. | |
|
1. SIGN OUR GUESTBOOK and receive a FREE GIFT |
||
| 2. Newest Book: DANCING WITH SIVA — Pocketbook | ||
|
3. Visiting KAUAI’S HINDU MONASTERY |
||
|
4. Contribute to THANK YOU, GURUDEVA FUND |
||
Blog Archives
“Never use the word can’t, as it becomes very restrictive to the subconscious. If often used, it becomes almost an incantation. This is not good. As soon as we say, “I can’t,” all positive doors subconsciously close for us. The flow of pure life force is diminished, the subconscious is confused and we know we are going to fail, so we don’t even try. The solution to subconscious confusion is to set a goal for ourselves in the external world and to have a positive plan incorporating meditation daily as a lifestyle within that goal. Through this positive initiative and daily effort in meditation, awareness is centered within. We learn how to disentangle and unexternalize awareness.” –Gurudeva
Don’t Miss the Show! Join Us for the
Gala Cultural Iraivan Temple Benefit
Click for more Info…
Sun Three…In the mornings, Bodhinatha continues his daily training of Sadhaka Jivanandanatha in the areas of financial administration that he himself has been handling through the years. He has a three-year plan to complete this training and they are about half way through.
Today, the third day of the phase, we hear from the Pilliyar Kulam about all their activities. Shanmuganathaswami reports that he has found a cost effect way to get books to India or Mauritius by air for the same price if we were to ship them by sea ourselves. Muruganathaswami shared news of promotion of Bodhinatha’s latest book “Yoga’s Forgotten Foundations,” which is being reviewed in several major publications and will soon be on the market in a big way. Sadhaka Jothinatha share pictures from the Washington conference where we had a booth displaying Himalayan Academy literature. Sadhaka Jivanandanatha shared his progress in training under Bodhinatha as well as his work on our new internet shop site which will be running from our own new server at the OLM data center in Connecticut.
TRAVEL NEWS! Bodhinatha’s next visit is July 23-27 to Houston, Texas. See travel page for more information.
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Click for most recent TAKA page with an Iraivan Temple progress update. |
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This morning the gold leaf team finished Gurudeva’s murthi…
He looks so happy as they take him back into the temple.
Gurudeva shining so brightly.
Looking at Gurudeva we sense what Saint Tirumular has written about:
Transcending the Ego and the thirty six categories,
The liberated soul comes to know the Self.
In the purified state of vigilant awareness,
Guruparan’s grace pervades in radiant peace.
Steeped in the realized experience of peace,
In union with Siva in bliss divine,
Immersed in ethereal felicity of silence,
The manifest self is in tune with eternal beatitude.
–Tirumantram. 2509-2510
Next, the statue of Yogaswami was taken out of the Guru Peedam to gold leaf the base and touch up areas on the murthi that were gold leafed years ago.
Kauai is a premier honeymoon destination and with the write-up about Kauai’s Hindu Monastery and Iraivan Temple in the Ultimate Kauai Guidebook, which almost every tourist will pick up at the airport… it’s seems like a grand plan by Lord Ganesha to get in touch with the moms and dads of the next generation who will most certainly return again and again with their children…
This is Michael and Kapila Viges on their honeymoon from Michigan. They had already chosen to come just to Kauai, and then heard about our monastery/temple from devotees at the Lansing, Michigan temple, who encouraged them to stop by.
They were very happy to see Iraivan Temple under construction, and took many granite pieces home with them to share with family members and the Lansing temple. They also obtained the books Dancing with Siva and How to Become a Hindu from our Minimela giftshop.
Later in the day another couple just married on July 10th arrived (not pictured).
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! |
|
MORE UPLIFTING THINGS |
Color Trilogy Complete! We are happy to announce that the new edition of the enormously popular Dancing with Siva is now available in hard back with all new color artwork. It’s truly an amazing and beautiful work, with more art than any of the collection. This completes the fulfillment of the vision that Gurudeva had of his Master Course Trilogy being produced in full color. In addition, Bodhinatha is taking pro-active steps to bring Gurudeva’s teachings out in a new forms that can be broadly disseminated in the mass mind. With this in mind we, are also pleased to announce that the Dancing with Siva pocketbook is also available. Keep the three-pound book in your shrine room, and take the little one with you on the airplane or subway! How little? It’s just 3″ by 4.5″ — truly pocket-sized, and just over half an inch thick. Yet it is a full 375 pages, containing ALL of the 155 sutras. Available now at our online store. The complete Trilogy is being offered at a discount. |
|
|
View the fabulous full-color PDF’s of the latest edition of Island Temple Magazine, and order copies if you don’t have one. | |
|
1. SIGN OUR GUESTBOOK and receive a FREE GIFT |
||
| 2. Newest Book: DANCING WITH SIVA — Pocketbook | ||
|
3. Visiting KAUAI’S HINDU MONASTERY |
||
|
4. Contribute to THANK YOU, GURUDEVA FUND |
||
Blog Archives
“The fourth step comes as we plunge awareness into the essence, the center of this energy in the head and spine. This requires great discipline and exacting control to bring awareness to the point of being aware of itself. This state of being totally aware that we are aware is called kaif. It is pure awareness, not aware of any object, feeling or thought. Go into the physical forces that flood, day and night, through the spine and body. Then go into the energy of that, deeper into the vast inner space of that, into the essence of that, into the that of that, and into the that of that. As you sit in this state, new energies will flood the body, flowing out through the nerve system, out into the exterior world. The nature becomes very refined in meditating in this way. Once you are thus centered within yourself, you are ready to pursue a meditation, a mantra or a deep philosophical question.” –Gurudeva
Don’t Miss the Show! Join Us for the
Gala Cultural Iraivan Temple Benefit
Click for more Info…
Dr. Ramesh and Sujata Sachdeva, their son Shiva and daughter Simran returned today and had darshan with Bodhinatha before departing home to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
TRAVEL NEWS! Bodhinatha’s next visit is August 11-17 to Toronto and Montreal, eastern Canada. See travel page for more information.
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Click for most recent TAKA page with an Iraivan Temple progress update. |
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The gold leaf gilding work continues, now with Gurudeva’s bronze murthi. Kulapati Deva Rajan and Kulamata Gayatri washed the murthi yesterday and applied the sizing at the end of the day. This morning it was tacky and ready for the gold leaf. Kulapati Deva Katir came by to help along with Tandu Sivanathan.
It wasn’t long before the bottom portion was complete and then more sizing was painted over Gurudeva’s body and allowed to dry over the mid-day period.
Two Hindu families were on an interisland cruise. One of them hosted Kiran Bedi at their home in New York and she told them to be sure to visit the temple when they got to Kauai.
The sizing, which you can think of as a kind of thick glue like material, dries quickly in the middle of a sunny day and the team was back at work this afternoon working from the base up to Gurudeva’s neck.
Brahmacharini Lila Shaktidevi and Kulamata Isani Alahan join the team for a few hours.
We were delighted to see Gurudeva out in the open. He has such a happy smile… it seemed to get wider and wider as the gold was applied.
Gayatri is also painting the granite stone “log” to look like an actual wooden log…
Gurudeva’s face and head will be gold leafed tomorrow… stay tuned.
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! |
|
MORE UPLIFTING THINGS |
Color Trilogy Complete! We are happy to announce that the new edition of the enormously popular Dancing with Siva is now available in hard back with all new color artwork. It’s truly an amazing and beautiful work, with more art than any of the collection. This completes the fulfillment of the vision that Gurudeva had of his Master Course Trilogy being produced in full color. In addition, Bodhinatha is taking pro-active steps to bring Gurudeva’s teachings out in a new forms that can be broadly disseminated in the mass mind. With this in mind we, are also pleased to announce that the Dancing with Siva pocketbook is also available. Keep the three-pound book in your shrine room, and take the little one with you on the airplane or subway! How little? It’s just 3″ by 4.5″ — truly pocket-sized, and just over half an inch thick. Yet it is a full 375 pages, containing ALL of the 155 sutras. Available now at our online store. The complete Trilogy is being offered at a discount. |
|
|
View the fabulous full-color PDF’s of the latest edition of Island Temple Magazine, and order copies if you don’t have one. | |
|
1. SIGN OUR GUESTBOOK and receive a FREE GIFT |
||
| 2. Newest Book: DANCING WITH SIVA — Pocketbook | ||
|
3. Visiting KAUAI’S HINDU MONASTERY |
||
|
4. Contribute to THANK YOU, GURUDEVA FUND |
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Blog Archives
“Vegetarianism is very important. In my fifty years of ministry, it has become quite evident that vegetarian families have far fewer problems than those who are not vegetarian. The abhorrence of killing of any kind leads quite naturally to a vegetarian diet. If you think about it, the meat-eater is participating indirectly in a violent act against the animal kingdom. His desire for meat drives another man to kill and provide that meat. The act of the butcher begins with the desire of the consumer. When his consciousness lifts and expands, he will abhor violence and not be able to even digest the meat, fish and eggs he was formerly consuming. India’s greatest saints have confirmed that one cannot eat meat and live a peaceful, harmonious life. Man’s appetite for meat inflicts devastating harm on the Earth itself, stripping its precious forests to make way for pastures. The opposite of causing injury to others is compassion and love for all beings. The Tirukural (251) puts it nicely: “How can he practice true compassion who eats the flesh of an animal to fatten his own flesh?”
“If children are raised as vegetarians, every day they are exposed to noninjury as a principle of peace and compassion. Every day they are growing up, they are remembering and being reminded to not kill. They won’t even kill another creature to feed themselves. And if you won’t kill another creature to feed yourself, then when you grow up you will be much less likely to injure people.”
–Gurudeva
Don’t Miss the Show! Join Us for the
Gala Cultural Iraivan Temple Benefit
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From the Tirumantiram:
127. In Siva was he rooted: Sivam did he see everywhere.
In the will of Siva did he discern all things,
Transcending consciousness of past present and future,
And duality ceasing did he realise sweet serenity.
1576. He who’s beyond the visible universe, came down on earth
As a Guru to abide in the hearts of the virtuous,
And illumined them by His grace and made them His own.
The peerless Siva is the priceless NatGuru.
TRAVEL NEWS! Bodhinatha’s next visit is August 11-17 to Toronto and Montreal, eastern Canada. See travel page for more information.
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Click for most recent TAKA page with an Iraivan Temple progress update. |
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Sun One Homa…. Yoginathaswami performs the rites…. more from Tirumantiram:
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1581. The Guru indeed is Siva,
He is the kingly splendor too;
He is beyond the wisdom of the Vedas.
He is beyond all finite consciousness.
1584. If not for the grace of Siva who came as the Guru,
The import of the scripture,
The way leading to liberation,
The reality of Truth cannot be understood by man.
1527. Endowing me with equanimity, the power of Grace
Descended as the Guru and purged my dross,
And enlightened me from the sway of my ego.
Thus freed did I commingle with Siva.
2959. When you meditate on the form of thy Guru
Then all the bonds that bind you
To this prison house of the body
Shall give way and make you free in Siva.
1590. Sternly did my Guru chastise my ignorance;
He placed his holy hands on my head,
And his beauteous Feet lit up
The secret chambers of my heart.”
2971. SivaPeruman did I invoke and adore whence,
He came down as my Guru in the form of a sage.
The majestic Lord did overpower me as my Guru,
And I pay my homage to this Lord of the universe.
Sadhaka Tejadeva is back home after his time in the world where he studied welding in Honolulu and also spent time in California with his family… Here he is writing prayers…
Gale Mariah Martin is a student of Himalayan Academy student who lives on Kauai. Today she took her Shakahara Vrata: Vegetarian vow.
With Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami, all the monks, and devotees and the fire as witness, she recited three times aloud:
Reading aloud three times:
“I believe in You, the one Supreme God, Lord Siva, and the Gods of our Saivite faith, and in the Saiva Dharma. In love and trust I recognize Your goodness in providing for my every material and spiritual need. I accept the principle of shakahara as the method by which I may acknowledge my compassion, my karuna, for all living beings. As an act of dedication, I am resolved this day to begin (continue) the regular practice of eating a strict vegetarian diet and not eating meat, fish, shellfish, fowl or eggs.”
Gurudeva and the spirits of all three worlds are overjoyed today, especially the animal kingdom, that one more human being has decided to let them live!
The poses of Lord Shiva performing the Tandavan dance come alive in the early morning light in the temple.
Bodhinatha give his Sun One talk… drawing on stories of Yogaswami and Gurudeva’s writings.
He then gives the points he has raised from Yogaswami and Gurudeva a practical focus from his own insights.
Lord Murugan in Kadavul temple.
Today we were visited by the Dr. Ramesh and Sujata Sachdeva family from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
They were here 18 years ago on their honeymoon and have now returned after all that time. They really enjoyed the atmosphere of the temple and surrounding grounds.
They also attended the early 6 am homa at the beginning of the day. Here they offer abhishekam at our Narmada Lingam.
Their kids are Shiva and Simran. Sujata had promised to bring Shiva here before his sixth birthday and her plan was accomplished, as his birthday is next week!
They are devotees of Sri Karunamayi and are helping her get ready to build a large hospital at her headquarters in Andhra Pradesh.
This is always a special moment for our pilgrims.
Stepping back to our retreat… we had an interesting planting session yesterday with the help of some volunteers.
David Kawika Viets made a wonderful gift to Kauai’s Hindu Monastery. He brought about 30 species of native Hawaiian plants, the plants that were here long before the Polynesian peoples arrived some 1500-1800 years ago. many of these plants are rare, even on the verge of extinction, and Kawika is dedicating himself to their preservation.
Mariah Martin (far left) also brought some Hawaiian species from the garden where she works, Waipa Gardens in Hanalei. Here is the planting team for our new garden. Left to right: Mariah, Tandu Sivanahan, Palaniswami, Kawika, deva Rajan, Gayatri Rajan and Asha Alahan. Vasuki, Darshani and 21-month-old Shaila Pushpa were on a break and so not in the photo.
The new garden is deeply mulched and lined with logs. It is located right near the path to Iraivan, so future visitors will be able to see these plants. A couple of them are truly rare, having only 1 or 2 specimens in the wild! No wonder Kawika is eager to find them a home for the future. They don’t do well, he tells us, where there are cows or pigs, goats and other critters. The monastery provides a perfect refuge for them. Kawika was especially inspired by Gurudeva’s “1,000 year vision.” Few places, he noted, think in such long time scales, and he is hopeful that the plants we placed in the ground today will have caretakers hundreds of years into the future.
Kawika was shown the golden capstone at the end of the planting, and the whole team shared lunch on the picnic tables under a shady Rudraksha tree to celebrate their accomplishment.
No Audio Today
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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! |
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MORE UPLIFTING THINGS |
Color Trilogy Complete! We are happy to announce that the new edition of the enormously popular Dancing with Siva is now available in hard back with all new color artwork. It’s truly an amazing and beautiful work, with more art than any of the collection. This completes the fulfillment of the vision that Gurudeva had of his Master Course Trilogy being produced in full color. In addition, Bodhinatha is taking pro-active steps to bring Gurudeva’s teachings out in a new forms that can be broadly disseminated in the mass mind. With this in mind we, are also pleased to announce that the Dancing with Siva pocketbook is also available. Keep the three-pound book in your shrine room, and take the little one with you on the airplane or subway! How little? It’s just 3″ by 4.5″ — truly pocket-sized, and just over half an inch thick. Yet it is a full 375 pages, containing ALL of the 155 sutras. Available now at our online store. The complete Trilogy is being offered at a discount. |
|
|
View the fabulous full-color PDF’s of the latest edition of Island Temple Magazine, and order copies if you don’t have one. | |
|
1. SIGN OUR GUESTBOOK and receive a FREE GIFT |
||
| 2. Newest Book: DANCING WITH SIVA — Pocketbook | ||
|
3. Visiting KAUAI’S HINDU MONASTERY |
||
|
4. Contribute to THANK YOU, GURUDEVA FUND |
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Blog Archives
“Vrata, taking of sacred vows, is the eighth niyama and something every Hindu must do at one time or another during his lifetime. The brahmacharya vrata is the first, pledging to maintain virginity until marriage. The vivaha vrata, marriage vows, would generally be the next. Taking a vow is a sacred trust between yourself, your outer self, your inner self, your loved ones and closest friends. Even though they may not know of the vow you may have taken, it would be difficult to look them straight in the eye if you yourself know you have let yourself down. A vow is a sacred trust between you and your guardian devas, the devas that surround the temple you most frequent and the Mahadevas, who live within the Third World–which you live in, too, in your deep, innermost mind, in the radiant, self-luminous body of your soul.” –Gurudeva
Don’t Miss the Show! Join Us for the
Gala Cultural Iraivan Temple Benefit
Click for more Info…
The Sharma family visited us today from New Hampshire for the first time.
~~~~~~~~
END OF PHASE
Today is the last day of our phase
This edition of TAKA will remain posted
Over our coming two-day retreat,
Until Dvitiya Tithi, Sun One, Sunday, July 18th
TRAVEL NEWS! Bodhinatha’s next visit is August 11-17 to Toronto and Montreal, eastern Canada. See travel page for more information.
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Click for most recent TAKA page with an Iraivan Temple progress update. |
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The Sharmas: Subramanian, his wife Sudha and daughter Vinitra enjoyed visiting the Iraivan Temple grounds–moving the ball in the lion’s mouth.
They sampled the rudraksha fresh fruits which are falling from the trees these days, and walking around Dakshinamurthi.
They met briefly with Bodhinatha to receive his blessings.
It was a huge crowd today for the phasely tour… more and more local people are coming and bringing their friends who have come from off island…
The Kauaiians are proud of “our Hindu Temple on Kauai.”
Saiva Siddhanta Church
Malaysia Mission
The Saiva Siddhanta Church members of Malaysia celebrate the “rebirth” of Gunalan and Lalitha Ponniah into our Saiva Siddhanta Church family.
Arati for Lord Ganesha before the satsang begins…
“Aum Nakarmana Natprajaya……….”
Padapuja for Satguru Bodhinatha
Devotees taking Arati and Prasad ….
“Aum Jay Jagethesha Hare”…Singing Arati Song while waiting for their turn”
Puja is over, its time to sing Natchinthanai.. Our future musicians, ready with their instruments
Devotees takes turn to prostrate at Satguru’s Tiruvadi
Our Eldest Kulapathi, Appasamy Kuppusamy, welcomes Gunalan and Lalitha Ponniah into the family.
“Now you are a part of us. Can’t escape anymore!,” Kulamata Rajaletchumy Kuppusamy jokes as she blesses them.
Kulapathi Murugesu & Kulamata Valli bless them as well.
Followed by Kulapathi Guhan & Kulamata Roobavathy.
All the blessings showered from the Kulapathi’s & Kulamata’s
Now for the testimonies…”Its a magical Island…We loved the entire stay,”started Gunalan, who had just come from Hawaii after being here for Guru Purnima…
“A place where Heaven meets Earth, We just loved being with Satguru,swamis and all the members”..continued Lalitha///
“I’m so gifted to be given an opportunity to see Iraivan Temple Manifesting and to be a part of it” says Pakiavathy Sinnathamby in her testimony. She also came for Guru Purnima.
Dinner Time! “Now Children, wait for your turn,” Ratna monitoring the food section.
After Dinner – Taking turns to look at the photo album of shots taken by Gunalan & Lalitha at Aadheenam.
Gurudeva’s spiritual center in the island country of Mauritius
in the Indian Ocean near South Africa
Last month the Ganesha Homa was as inspiring as the previous ones. The ceremony was sponsored by the Mardemootoo kutumba
Lord Ganesha was majestically decked with beautiful garlands and flowers on that occasion.
Four kulapaties seated around the homa helped to build up a nice spiritual vibration…
…while the ladies uplifted everyone with devotional songs
Even our young boys are happy to be so close to Lord Ganapati.
The Mootoosamy family brought a home woven garland for Lord Ganapati. It is now a tradition in their family to always bring a large garland for Lord Ganapati whenever they attend the homa.
Himalayan Academy student Kiran Kheerodhur (right) with his family.
After having prostrated at the lotus feet of lord Pancha Mukha Ganapati, everyone comes forward for a pinch of vibhuti.
In the meantime other devotees are under the cool shade in the mango grove. Here is Church member Jeetunshiv and his family.
Our ladies are serving everyone sweets….
The ladies did a wonderful seva….
Mr. Kownden from Terre Rouge enjoyed a nice day too.
Some Ganesha devotees from St. Pierre …
Kulapati Koothan, his son Egilen and Kul. Pallanee enjoying a nice conversation.
On the right, Padmasri, her friend and Ariadasi….
Kulapati Manon and Kulamata Sornumbal had good time and were also very busy helping with the event.
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! |
|
MORE UPLIFTING THINGS |
Color Trilogy Complete! We are happy to announce that the new edition of the enormously popular Dancing with Siva is now available in hard back with all new color artwork. It’s truly an amazing and beautiful work, with more art than any of the collection. This completes the fulfillment of the vision that Gurudeva had of his Master Course Trilogy being produced in full color. In addition, Bodhinatha is taking pro-active steps to bring Gurudeva’s teachings out in a new forms that can be broadly disseminated in the mass mind. With this in mind we, are also pleased to announce that the Dancing with Siva pocketbook is also available. Keep the three-pound book in your shrine room, and take the little one with you on the airplane or subway! How little? It’s just 3″ by 4.5″ — truly pocket-sized, and just over half an inch thick. Yet it is a full 375 pages, containing ALL of the 155 sutras. Available now at our online store. The complete Trilogy is being offered at a discount. |
|
|
View the fabulous full-color PDF’s of the latest edition of Island Temple Magazine, and order copies if you don’t have one. | |
|
1. SIGN OUR GUESTBOOK and receive a FREE GIFT |
||
| 2. Newest Book: DANCING WITH SIVA — Pocketbook | ||
|
3. Visiting KAUAI’S HINDU MONASTERY |
||
|
4. Contribute to THANK YOU, GURUDEVA FUND |
||
Blog Archives
It is a quite inner but dynamic day at the Aadheenam. The Ganapati Kulam reported today on their activities… In the book department the team is preparing new files for Trilogy for an India edition(s) to be printed by Motilal Benarsidas in New Delhi, the Hinduism Today team is focused on the big Kumbha Mela article. Work continues on migration of our web site content to our own managed server at the OLM.net data center in Connecticut, code name “Siddhi”
If you go to Hinduismtoday.com or Himalayanacademy.com… those sites are now served from Siddhi…
Don’t Miss the Show! Join Us for the
Gala Cultural Iraivan Temple Benefit
Click for more Info…
Bodhinatha and Sannyasin Arumugaswami discuss their up-and-coming trip to Houston, Texas.
TRAVEL NEWS! Bodhinatha’s next visit is August 11-17 to Toronto and Montreal, eastern Canada. See travel page for more information.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||||
Click for most recent TAKA page with an Iraivan Temple progress update. |
||||
They will be present for the inauguration ceremonies of the new Swaminarayan temple there…
Its a hand carved, marble and limestone temple. That big orange structure is a giant crane.
This coming retreat on Friday morning is Iraivan Day and Sannyasin Shanmuganathaswami and Sadhaka Dandapani are hard at work printing out the monthly progress report-newsletters.
Swami has master-minded the automatic generation of PDF’s from out data base so that each newsletter is automatically addressed, and these files are then printed from our super copy machine.
Here they come, printed with your address, folded and stapled all in one operation, almost ready to mail. and here is an interesting bit about Kauai…for those of you who do not subscribe to HPI… HPI’s Home, Kauai, Ranked Second Best Island To Visit, Bali Ranked First KAUAI, HAWAII, July 13, 2004: We admit to taking this opportunity to boast about what a great place our island of Kauai is, even though we’re just 35 miles across and have 60,000 residents. 425,000 readers of Travel + Leisure magazine say Kauai is the second best island in the world to visit, bested only by the Indonesian island of Bali. Kauai frequently rates near the top of such polls, and one even credited us with “the most polite traffic in the world.”
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! |
|
MORE UPLIFTING THINGS |
Color Trilogy Complete! We are happy to announce that the new edition of the enormously popular Dancing with Siva is now available in hard back with all new color artwork. It’s truly an amazing and beautiful work, with more art than any of the collection. This completes the fulfillment of the vision that Gurudeva had of his Master Course Trilogy being produced in full color. In addition, Bodhinatha is taking pro-active steps to bring Gurudeva’s teachings out in a new forms that can be broadly disseminated in the mass mind. With this in mind we, are also pleased to announce that the Dancing with Siva pocketbook is also available. Keep the three-pound book in your shrine room, and take the little one with you on the airplane or subway! How little? It’s just 3″ by 4.5″ — truly pocket-sized, and just over half an inch thick. Yet it is a full 375 pages, containing ALL of the 155 sutras. Available now at our online store. The complete Trilogy is being offered at a discount. |
|
|
View the fabulous full-color PDF’s of the latest edition of Island Temple Magazine, and order copies if you don’t have one. | |
|
1. SIGN OUR GUESTBOOK and receive a FREE GIFT |
||
| 2. Newest Book: DANCING WITH SIVA — Pocketbook | ||
|
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.
