It is the last day of our phase today. The Ganapati Kulam reported on their activities. The main focus has been on Hinduism Today October issue and the new book “What is Hinduism?” which will be a 416-page color edition of Insight Sections from Hinduism Today compiled into a single book, printed in full-color. It’s going to be FANTASTIC! Official publication date is April 1st, 2007.

Lots of special projects also underway: Paramacharya Palaniswami is working on the book and editing the current edition of the magazine, plus helping Bodhinatha with his Keynote presentations. Acharya Kumarswami is focused one-pointedly on the book, refining the designs and editing the newest pieces, including “Hinduism, The Greatest Religion in the World” by Gurudeva which will be the Insight Sectin in this next issue of the magazine as well as a chapter in the book.

Yogi Japendranatha has complete a new 19-minute video of the Kailasa Parampara using Apples’ fantastic suite of tools in Final Cut Pro (used in Hollywood) and theamazing artwork of S.Rajam of India. This video will be played in the Guru Peedam for visitors, to help them get to know about our line of Gurus.

Sivanadiyar Satya has also been working on audio files for 365 podcasts of Gurudeva talks, comprising the “Best of TAKA” plus another 130 talks of Gurudeva reading Merging with Siva. It’s a big job and he is nearing completion, plus he is helping Palaniswami on a number of special projects.

Selvan Maruthu from Malaysia served many hours this phase in the Ganapati Kulam. He completed proof-reading and making corrections to both the Tamil and Malay for Saivite Hindu Religion Course.

~~~~~~~~~~~
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 Dvitya Tithi, Sun One, Wednesday, July 26th.

We take you now into the natural wonders that surround Kauai’s Hindu Monastery…

A walk in Siva’s Garden this morning had some sweet surprises. A white one, which you will see later, buried in that ginger patch at the top of this photo.

Nearby another ginger family having a happy convocation.

This is called Beehive Ginger and will last for weeks when cut.

Here is the White Torch that revealed itself at dawn. It has been in the monastery gardens for four years, and finally unfolded.

So pure. So white. So graceful.

Like Iraivan Temple. Pure. White. Graceful in stone.

Other flowers nearby, a yellow heliconia.

An oddball ginger, this one small, the size of a walnut.

As we wandered, we came across Manikandan, carrying a ripe Jak Fruit he found on his way to the temple site this morning.

He actually found three of them, and is saving the others for another day.

Water lilies greet the day from their safe pond.

And new Calla Lilies open for the first time.

A giant orchid grows in a tree, with hundreds of delicate flowers on long stalks.

These are the orchid’s open roots, gathering sustenance from the air.

It all reminded us of a poem of the garden we share today:

This is the garden’s magic,
That through the sunny hours
The gardener who tends it, Himself outgrows his flowers.

He grows by gift of patience,
Since he who sows must know
That only in the Lord’s good time
Does any seedling grow.

He learns from buds unfolding,
From each tight leaf unfurled,
That his own heart, expanding,
Is one with all the world.

He bares his head to sunshine,
His bending back a sign
Of grace, and ev’ry shower becomes
His sacramental wine.

And when at last his labors
Bring forth the very stuff
And substance of all beauty
This is reward enough.

Task Forcer Maruthu shows off one of 500 noni trees planted today on Himalayan Acres. The five-acre orchard has been months in preparation and is now complete with plastic mulch and drip irrigation.

A truckload of noni seedlings which have been growing in our nursery for several months. Noni is notoriously difficult to start from seed. It can take up to six months for the seeds to germinate. Each seed has a little air pocket in it, which allows the seed to float and is one means of its distribution. We planted tray after tray of seeds, with none coming up, until suddenly they all sprouted and we ended up with several thousand little seedlings, of which a thousand were grown up over the last few months in a special propogatin house and prepared. for today’s planting.

Another truckload, this one of larger plants, about 6 months old. They are grown in square cardboard sleeves, 2 inches by 2 inches by 8 inches long. The sleeves are removed and the plant slid into a prepared hole in the mulch.

Our team consisted of Arumugaswami, Natarajnathaswami, Maruthu, Durvasa Alahan, Tandu Sivanathan and a team of hired works headed up by Augusto, who works for the forestry department on Kauai, which included his brother Alex and son Jonathan.

Today’s effort was to plant half of the thousand-tree orchard. By noon we had 300 plants in the ground, and Augusto and team finished the balance in the afternoon. It was a tedious job, requiring drilling a hole with a power auger, then clearing out dirt, dropping in the tree and packing the dirt back in. The dirt under the mulch was very dry, and we had the drip system running all day in an effort to get the soil moist.

Durvasa Alahan at work setting a tree. He’s helped throughout the development of the field from initial harrowing to the installation of the irrigation system and laying of mulch.

This part of Himalayan Acres is being managed according to the organic guidelines so that the noni fruit have a “USDA Certified Organic” designation when marketed. It will take two to three years for these trees to start yielding substantially. Maruthu mentioned that noni juice is popular in Malaysia for its medicinal qualities, and Tandu said the same thing about Japan. Noni was one of the 24 “canoe plants,” of the Hawaiians, so named because they carried the seeds or tubers of these plants, which included coconut, sweet potato, taro and sugar cane, in their large canoes. They sailed from the South Pacific to the Hawaiian islands on regular trips by a complex system of star navigation.

It is a another quiet hot summer day at the Aadheenam. The sun is bright and colors alive all around us.

Today, Sun Four, the Siddhidata Kulam gave a very thorough report on activities. Yoginathaswami announced the arrival of several more containers from India, now sitting in Honolulu. He detailed the contents of the next shipment, most of which are stones for the roof of Iraivan. But this shipment has more “goodies” for the Aadheenam itself, which we best leave as a surprise for TAKA when we unload them install them.

Each member of the Kulam has an area which he works with. Sadhaka Adinatha is working with tree trimmers in preparation for the installation several new septic tanks for the Aadheenam. He also has been spearheading the planting of some 50 more papayas.

Sadhaka Nilakantha is now fully in charge of the garden. He detailed his new plantings: cabbage, Amarath greens, Okra and more.

Sadhaka Tejadevanatha worked much of this phase on moving sand at Iraivan and he also is the lead man on equipment repair and took care of a variety of motors, engine and gadgets in need of his help.

What a lovely summers day complete with a deep blue sky and picture clouds. The day began with a wonderful 9 a.m. Ardra Abishekam to Siva Nataraja. The spiritual atmosphere in the temple was so powerful, so beautiful and so very peaceful.

A family of nine arrived, all Hindus visiting Kauai for a family reunion. The grandparents, Kamalapur and Muktha Mohan had traveled all the way from Hyderbad, India. Anil and Veena Kumar came from Washington State with their 10 year old daughter, Ujawara, and Vikram Dulam, a cardiologist, and his wife Vidya, an anesthesiologist arrived with their two children Sai age 5 and Samhita age 3 from Mississippi. The parents are acutely aware of how important it is for the children to continue to learn about Hinduism and not to get lost in the Western ways.

The whole family posed for a group photo on the West side of the Iraivan Temple. . .

Next they hugged sacred Rudraksha trees and picked up the seeds. As they departed they were asked how they had enjoyed their visit to this beautiful temple, “Fantastic!” absolutely wonderful!” they all chorused.

High sun on red anthuriums

The Master Course (“MC”) Study program is really flourishing in Mauritius. Rajen Manick sent out an announcement to the student body there which we though you all might enjoy reading as it tells a lot about this successful mission activity in that beautiful country.

Here is the full announcement:

Bodhinatha’s MC Gathering July 29 at Flacq

Aum Sivaya everyone,

Prostration to the Lotus Feet of Lord Ganapati!

Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami is pleased to invite you to attend our July Bodhinatha’s MC Students Gathering” on Saturday June 29 , 2006 at 1.15 PM at the residence of MC student Miss Selvi Thielemay at Flacq.

Kindly leave your MC worksheets at the Mini Mela at our next Ganesha Homa at the Spiritual Park on Sunday August 6th .

Please, find attached Bodhinatha’s Sivachaitanya Meditation Pdf file for your personal daily use & also a few photos of the SP for you.

You will see photos of the Grand Bay Seminar and Guru Purnima celebration in Kauai Aadheenam and Ganesha Homa just click on URLs below or copy them to your browser:

Pada Puja Bodhinatha/ Hawaii

Grand Bay MC session

Ganesha Homa at Spiritual Park

Schedule for Flacq Gathering
– Artee to Lord Ganesha
– Testimonies on how Bodhinatha’s Talks and trilogy teachings have been applied in one’s life…
– Bodhinatha’s Talk on Enlightenment Part Two: Who am I?
– Progress on Master Course work sheets
– Meditation etc..
– Questions/answers based on Trilogy and the Master Course
– plan for our 2006 One Day Seminar & get together?

Kindly contact Miss Selvi Thielemay to confirm and to obtain more precise information of how to reach her residence at Flacq. Please, note that once you arrive in Flacq centre you drive on the main road leading to Belle Mare and some 500 metres from Winners Supermarket, you will see Restaurant Safari, turn into that adjacent street at Safari and Selvi’s house is the 3rd one. If you are lost …… contact Selvi on her mobile!

For any other information you can email or phone us.

Looking forward to see you at Flacq. Aum.

Rajen

Here is one meditation that is taught to non-initiate students. It is a practice Gurudeva called:

Sivachaitanya Panchatantra Meditation

The following meditation is called the Sivachaitanya Panchatantra, five simple experiences that bring Siva consciousness into the reach of each individual.

Vital Breath: prana. Experience the inbreath and outbreath as Siva’s will within your body. Become attuned
to the ever-present pulse of the universe, knowing that nothing moves but by His divine will.

All-Pervasive Energy: shakti. Become conscious of the flow of life within your body. Realize that it is the same universal energy within every living thing. Practice seeing the life energy within another’s eyes.

Manifest Sacred Form: darshana. Hold in your mind a sacred form, such as Nataraja, Sivalinga or your satguru–who is Sadasiva–and think of nothing else. See every form as a form of our God Siva.

Inner Light: jyoti. Observe the light that illumines your thoughts. Concentrate only on that light, as you might practice being more aware of the light on a TV screen than of its changing pictures.

Sacred Sound: nada. Listen to the constant high-pitched ee sounding in your head. It is like the tone of an electrical transformer, a hundred tamburas distantly playing or a humming swarm of bees.

It is a quiet day at the Aadheenam. Hot summer day, no wind, all is still, very few guests, monks busy as bees on their various projects.

Bodhinatha is currently putting in many, many hours on his teaching presentations for the coming journeys this fall.

Meanwhile we have a series from our small satsang group in Chennai where they observed Guru Purnima recently.

Adi Shankar writes today.

Primeela, Dhanialakshmi and Parvati, waiting for puja…

During the pooja

Adi Sankara performing the pooja

Devotees standing for the arati.

Little Parvati has been very attentive during the pooja

A special altar on this Great Occasion

Flowers for our beloved Satguru

Prostration. Here is Premila Gunalan who is a student in Bharata Nathyam in Chennai.

followed by her younger sister Dhanialakshmi

Singing of Natchintanai

Preparing the next generation

Anjeeni Devi and Lalitha Gunalan….full of energy!

Adi Sankara and Anne Gunalan from Mauritius and Malaysia meeting in Chennai

Good vibration here

Our Beloved Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami

Reading of sutras in Living With Siva

Lalitha Gunalan

Anjeeni Devi giving her testimony

Vote of thanks. AUM SIVAYA

This was a very quiet and peaceful day with very few visitors. Ursula and Jasmin (mother and daughter) arrived for a tour of the grounds. Ursula is from Cologne, Germany and her daughter Jasmin lives in Mexico City. Ursula is visiting her daughter for a three week vacation on Kauai. They thoroughly enjoyed visiting this profoundly spiritual temple and, after observing the silpis creating lotus flowers in stone, Jasmin noted that it was “unbelievable, just unbelievable!”

Hugging a rudraksha tree makes one feel peaceful. . .

The ever changing scene in front of the Aadheenam.

It’s Sun Two today and a tour day. Among the visitors were a yoga group who asked to see Bodhinatha and came with many questions. They had a good long session together.

At lunch Sannyasin Saravananathaswami detailed his work in the Ekadanta Kulam, sending out lessons to various ones around the world who are moving forward in their Master Course studies. And entering also all the Guru Purnima Rededications received from sishya who wish to renew their relationship with their Satguru for another year.

He also sent out about 6 sets of padukas blessed by Bodhinatha to initiates for their shrine rooms. He also worked out all the tour days for the coming year so that we can print a small tour day calendar to give away on the island.

Sivanadiyar Satya Subramaniam was the guide today for the tour.

Our silpis did their usual carving demonstration.

The first tour at 9 am had about 60 people. There were many intelligent questions about the symbols on the pillars of Iraivan.

One 13-year-old boy asked some grown up questions: “Can you explain the Hindu Myth of Creation?”

Here is the second tour group at 11 am. That made 100 people in all for one day.

Back in the publications office, Maruthu is working on proof reading and making corrections to the Tamil and Malaya translations of the next Saivite Hindu Religion children’s course book.

It was a magnificent day… the giant Albezia trees seen below the auspicious clear peak of Mt. Waialeale are all in bloom — tree tops full of white-amber blossoms and 10’s of thousands of bees.

The ponds next to the monastery buildings.

We began another bright new phase today with a homa and a talk from Bodhinatha.

Bodhinatha’s talk was on spiritualizing daily life, how to meet emotional difficulties without being overwhelmed by them.

Shama Kumaran has been very busy hosting guests and then she takes time at the end of her busy day to write these captions for TAKA. Thank you Shama!

A beautiful morning with a cloudless sky so that one could see Mt. Waialeale very clearly.

The day began with a 6:00 am Sun One Homa and a wonderful talk by Bodhinatha Veylanswami. A group of devotees visiting from Canada and two from the UK, all originally from Sri Lanka, were present at the ceremony. They had been present when Bodhinatha recently visited Canada.

Here is our group of Canadian devotees in front of the Iraivan Temple Sanctum . . .

and in front of the sacred granite Vel on Muruga Hill . . .

and down the path of the Nayanar Saints to the Narmada Lingam where everyone performed abhishekam.

The lotus flowers are in full bloom now!

A group photo of all of our visitors in front of Dakshinamurthy and the four Sages.

Returning back from the hill, Rukumani Satyananda stopped to have her photo taken beside St. Tirumular and St. Tiruvalluvar in front of the Aadheenam courtyard.

We all arrived back at the Kadavul Siva Temple just in time for the 9:00 am Arati. All agreed that this had been a most memorable day and that they wanted to return to this spiritual paradise again soon.

Devyani, Jay and Leena Ved from California in front of the Iraivan Temple . . .

Another visiting Hindu family in front of the Chitra Pillars.

A yoga group also posed for a photo in front of the Iraivan Temple. They came to Kauai from all parts of California and Washington State to visit the Temple and were on a spiritual yoga retreat on the Island.

A warm July day on Kauai, with 30 or more visitors. Two families had been here four years ago and were telling the monks how much this special place has meant to their lives. Here’s a peak at the Narmada Lingam through the bushes.

Pilgrims use the buckets to gather water from the nearby stream, and bathe the Sivalingam.

All under the every watchful gaze of Nandi, the Joyful One.

Here is Vikram (16) and Pratap (12) at the waterfalls lookout. They are visiting with their parents Rajni and Girish Rao from California.

A shot of a lily and lotus pond.

Small waterfalls to soothe.

And lovely new flowers recently brought in from Florida.

This is a flower called Zantadeshia and you will see it in multiple colors as the season continues.

A bench oversees the ponds and lotus flowers.

We visited Iraivan.

This side was long concealed by large wooden platforms until recently.

So this is the first time we have a full and unobstructed view of this corner. Stones of the future are stored nearby.

Crates protect the stone from breakage.

Another view of the Northwest corner, looking toward the monastery.

Each day Gurudeva’s grand vision unfolds.

Yogaswami wrote:

” We are the servitors of Lord Siva. We lack nothing. Our duty is to serve the Lord. It is the fundamental goal of our life in this world.

“The moon fulfils the will of Siva. The sun and other planets also carry out His bidding.

“The gods and demons, and all other beings are also engaged in the performance of the Lord’s work.

“In everything do we see the will of Siva at work. Not an atom moves but by His will–nothing gained and nothing lost. We continue to be ever the same.

“There is no one above us or superior to us; good and evil cannot affect us. There is no beginning and no end for us. We have no likes or dislikes; we have no desire for material goods. The spectre of the mind does not haunt us; neither are we bound by the limitations of place, time or causation. We simply bear witness to everything around us.

“Aum! Tat Sat Aum !”

This morning was Kartikeya Katir’s final one with us. He tackled one last project for Palaniswami, then was taken to the airport by Durvasa Alahan for his flight to San Francisco. We called his father on Skype, to say aloha and share a few highlights of Karti’s one-month visit.

A bright young man, entering his junior year in high school, with infinite possibilities ahead of him and a heart full of Hindu dharma to see him to his destiny. Aloha, Karti. Safe flight this afternoon. Thanks for all your help on the different kulams!

All of nature looked refreshed and renewed after some early morning showers. Raj and Nala Tharmarajah arrived from Phoenix, Arizona. They are here visiting with their two children Soba (15) and Sanjay (12) from Phoenix, Arizona.

After worshiping in the Kadavul Siva Temple, they were given a tour of the Iraivan Siva Temple and surrounding gardens. Both Raj and Nala found the temple and Aadheenam grounds very beautiful and peaceful and remarked that all of the lush tropical foliage and flowering trees and plants reminded them of their homeland, Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

Here is Nala and Soba admiriing one of the brilliant and beautiful turqouise Jade vines which cascade down from the trees. Soba is an accomplished bharathanatyam dancer.

The Tharmarajah family and another visitor, Sundaresan Hariyogam from New York, are seen here in the North-facing Gopuram with the Dakshinamurthy deity visible in the background.

Another group photo in front of the Iraivan Temple complex.

Morning at the monastery brought a brilliant floral creation by Lord Siva in pink and lavender. This is a bromeliad, and the flower will look just like this for almost three months.

The Ganapati Kulam is working on Hinduism Today, October edition.

Lots of editing, proofing, photo correcting, design happening.

Meanwhile, Yogi Japendranatha is bravely exploring a high-end video program, and creating a 15-minute film on our spiritual lineage for visitors to the monastery to enjoy.

He is director, screenwriter, sound editor, animation team all in one.

All guided by his deft hands.

Yesterday, as you saw, a new door was installed in the publications building.

A close up of one of the 14 panels.

It’s an Indian design.

Another team was installing new cabinets.

Quite a project requiring many tools.

Though the situation in Sri Lanka looks bleak at times. There are good things happening too.

Here are photos from Maha Sivaratri Celebrations in Kopay, Sri Lanka.

The Sri Subramuniya Kottam organized a grand Maha Sivaratri celebration this year. The celebrations began on the morning before the great night of Lord Siva. Devotees assembled at the Katpaga Pillaiyar temple in Kopay at 10.00 am for puja.

After the puja devotees carried paal kudam (milk pots) with the sacred bilva leaves, in a procession lead by a Naathaswaram and Thavil musical ensemble to the Sri Shanti Lingam temple.

The devotees paal kudams were used for the abhishegam of Sri Shanti Lingam, which Gurudeva had installed. The ceremonies ended at 2.30 pm and then resumed again in the evening all through the night until early next morning.

The devotees appreciated the grandness of the celebrations as nowhere in Jaffna was a paal kudam procession, which is tradition of the Kottam, done for Maha Sivaratri.

Bodhinatha meets with Vayudeva Varadan who lives in Maryland where he is very active at the Murugan Temple, and does a lot of Sivathondu there. He also helps serve at our event promotions, staffing the Himalayan Academy Publications literature tables. He has been a devotee of Gurudeva for decades and now Bodhinatha.

Today local resident Debra Blachoweal from Koloa arrived with a friend Tricia Spencer who is visiting from Lexington, Ky. Debra hasn’t been here for some time and was astounded at the architectural beauty and progress of the temple. Both have had exposure to Hinduism through other Hindu groups. They posed for a photo between Bhadra and Chitras pillar near the stone chain.

Two other couples arrived both from Pacifica, California. Fred and Judy Glosser (both teachers) and Larry and Jean Holloway. This was a new experience for them all and their first visit to a Hindu Temple. They were amazed at the superb craftsmanship of our great stone artisans as they chipped away at beautiful stone flowers and our visitors marveled at the hand-carved lion pillars with ball-in-mouth and the stone chain. Here they are in front of the sanctum of the Iraivan Temple.

Stone Artistry – just a few days ago this flower was a drawing on a stone. . . . . today it is an amazingly beautiful hand-carved stone flower! Wow! What artistry!

More artistry, this time in wood. Acharya Kumarswami is installing this beautiful door that was created by Kanda Alahan during his task force stay at the monastery about a year ago. The rich warm hue of the clear redwood of the main door frame contrasts beautifully with the fourteen honey colored Norfolk pine inlaid panels, centered with brass medalions from India.

It is Ashram Sadhana Day at the Aadheenam . Once each month the monks put aside other responsibilities and work all together to make small improvements and attend to the in-depth cleaning of our home that does not happen in a daily routine. Gurudeva gave great importance to keeping the home clean and actinic, full of light.

Bodhinatha is working hard on his Keynote presentations for up-and-coming educational programs he will be giving while he travels this fall.

Visiting today is Sundaresan Hariyogam, originally from Malaysia, who lives in New York. He and his five brothers are in the vegetarian frozen food industry. Sundaresan is visiting Kauai for one month. One of his brothers, Kumaravelan, who visited here just one year ago, advised him to come and he is very happy to be here.

Neesha Alahan, a lifetime devotee and a registered nurse in Seattle Washington, is visiting for one week with her mother, Isani Alahan. Neesha plans to go to medical school and eventually combine natural medicinal cures with allopathic medicine and practice Holistic healing. We wish her well.

Kulapati Jiva Rajasankara sends a news update with amazing photos from India:

“These are the Yalli pillars – 95 percent completed. You can see the detailed workmanship. We have cleared all the unwanted stones to bring out the image of the baby elephant and the Yalli separately. At the same time taking into consideration the safety measures for packing and loading onto the containers.

Namaskaram Mandapam flooring stone ( black stone) in progress

This is a special floor stone in the middle of the pillared mandapam where the Guru prostrates.

Namaskaram Mandapam ceiling stones in progress:

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Now for a little magic from the realm of light and technology. Yesterday’s camera shoot included a picture of the Swayambhu Lingam on San Marga. One perceptive TAKA viewer wrote in:

“Look, can you see Gurudeva there in the Lingam!” Here is a close up:

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And, here is that same image further computer enhanced:

Our members and students of Mauritius are a shining example of the religious educational work of the Kailasa Parampara. Our reporter shares this news and photo series.

The monthly Bodhinatha Master Course Student Gathering at Grand Bay was held at the residence of Vanisha Vythilingum and it was another opportunity for our enrolled MC students to deepen their knowledge of our Kailasa Parampara’s teachings.

Everyone is comfortably seated for the study session. The session always starts with the students sharing their testimonies on how they are applying the spiritual teachings in their life. Many of the practical guidelines of Bodhinatha are highlighted.

Bodhinatha explains ” When we finally possess what we have been desiring, somehow the happiness soon fades and, before we know it, we are back to our dissatisfied self again, desiring something new to give us that elusive happiness. The cycle of desire-fulfillment-pleasure-loss-pain-suffering that is the cycle of seeking happiness in outer things, be they possessions or people…..”

“Gurudeva suggests we focus on uplifting our consciousness and changing what we desire. That is how we solve the problem, by channeling or transmuting our energy, desiring things that are more refined. Instead of desiring just to make ourselves happy, we desire to make our family and friends happy, too. That is a higher desire. ”

“The goal is to claim the enduring or spiritual happiness that is inside us. Happiness is already part of our inner self, but we need to learn how to experience that part of us that is always happy. This spiritual happiness is called Ananda, bliss, and is the pure joy that exists in our soul. Once we have refined our desires through academic studies and cultural practices, we are religious enough to take the next step toward experiencing enduring happiness.”

“The monistic or meditative way is to turn within in meditation, go deep into the lotus of the heart and experience our inner self, our inner light, our spiritual energy. That makes us truly happy. That’s a wonderful way.”

Time for a break. (From left) Vandana, Pritiviraj and Roshan have come a long way to Grand Bay.

(From left) Ulasha, Kulapati Amba Valaytan’s daughter, Mrs. Anandi , and the two sisters Selna and Selvi.

Our MC students from Terre Rouge…

Everyone is glad to be together with the same spiritual mindedness…

Selvi and Ariadassy ….

Staying close to Ganesha…(left) Amba, Sanjeeva, Ananda and Nuckiren….

Vanisha and her husband who have hosted this event… Thank you so much!

Sun One beings a bright new phase…. Here is bodhinatha at the homa.

One of our top Star Temple builders, long time supporter of Iraivan, Suriyakumar (father of Seiyonne, who has been staying at the Aadheenam for a few days) has been on Kauai for a few days with his wife, Rushika daughter (in blue) Shiyulli and friend of the family Zayanya Chinmiy de Alwis (left). They are from California. Suriyakumar originally came from Alaveddy, Sri Lanka.

They had a good long meeting with Bodhinatha this morning, discussing the future of the Iraivan temple.

This is a promotional piece of the Digital Edition of Hinduism Today. Bodhinatha meets with our Task Forcers while showing a PDF from the Digital Edition on his computer.

Shiyulli and Zayanya check out the ball in the Lion’s Mouth.

It was a tour day today. Hmmm, camera was set to let in a lot of light!

Suriyakumar family at the temple…

The young ladies do their best to carve a bit of Iraivan.

Rudraksha seeds everywhere!

At the San Marga Swayambhu Siva Lingam

Our Sun Homa with Bodhinatha’s talk. The pictures tell the story.

Bodhinatha read his next Publisher’s Desk, which is a long story about Yogaswami.

On July 10th Palaniswami and Sivanadiyar Satya flew together to Hawaii, the Big Island, about 400 miles from Kauai. They were on a special mission.

A Hungarian man, Karel Havelechek, shown here, had invited Palaniswami to visit his world class collection of plants. Not only that, but to take home anything from the collection. It was a surprising offer and amazingly generous, since Karel has spent about 30 years amassing prize botanical gems that can be found nowhere else (well, almost). His collection is only of rare and remarkable plants, nothing else.

One full day was spent going through his gardens, fully four acres of them. One by one the team brought pots and cuttings out of the dense growth, and gathered it here, on Karel’s lawn, where it was inspected for shipment by the Department of Agricultural folks. It all passed!

Hitesvara Saravan, who lives just 11 miles away in his own Meditation Garden, worked to gather all of the necessary tools, boxes, tape, gloves and such for packing and shipping the gems. Here is the team celebrating a day of collecting.

Hitesvara rented a 14-foot flatbed truck to take the plants to the dock. After inspection, they were all loaded on pallets.

Then Palaniswami and Satya carefully secured the plants for their 4-day voyage to Kauai.

Pallet wrap, a kind of flexible cellophane, is used to tie the pots securely.

Brian Willard was a giant help with the project. He and Hitesvara made a wonderful curry dinner for Palaniswami and Satya that night at their remote jungle home. Brian is an avid collector, plus an artist of no mean skill.

Karel was happy to share his gifts (being very careful that he had at least one more of each item he gifted). He is a nature artist by profession, and his work has been widely published, including in National Geographic magazine. Visitors of the future will be amazed to see rare palms, wild trees, massive vines and plants with 6-feet-long leaves climbing the trees in Siva’s Garden on Kauai. Thank you, Karel! And Hitesvara. And Brian. And Gurudeva, for this abundance of nature.

And this morning, his successor Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami sat on the peetham to receive the same puja.

Yogaswami said: “”Transcending all mutations of form and attribute. Surpassing all finite measure is the GURU,
An embodiment of the highest wisdom.”

END OF PHASE
Today is the last day of our phase.
This edition of TAKA will remain posted
over our coming three-day retreat,
until Dvitya Tithi, Sun One, Thursday, July 13th.

Preparations began yesterday afternoon on San Marga.

Ladies stringing garlands.

Then this morning at 6:am devotees gather for the puja. We will let the pictures tell the story.

Later in the morning special initiations were conducted in the Guru Peetham. Hitesvara Saravan received his Vishesha Diksha initiation into the performance of daily Siva puja.

Dasan Mahadevan became an Arul Sishya

What a glorious day! Guru Purnima day. The day began at 6 a.m. with a magnificent Pada Puja honoring our beloved Guru Bodhinatha Veylanswami. It was an other-worldy atmosphere, pure and spiritually peaceful and serene at the sacred Swayambhu Lingam where the ceremony was performed on San Marga.

Following this wonderful experience, devotees arrived back at the Kadavul Siva Temple for breakfast. Visitors then began arriving spontaneously and a group was guided down through the gardens to the Iraivan Temple.

A group photo of visitors from Arizona, New Jersey, California and Boston, Mass. The couple from Arizona felt that this was one of the most “magical and beautiful places they had ever visited.” Others felt that it was “oh, so peaceful and what a blessing to be here.”

Here is Neel and Prachi Bikarania from Boston who were married one week ago and are on Kauai for their honeymoon. They had heard about the temple from Neel’s parents who had previously visited here and had strongly urged them to come to this very sacred place. They “are oh so glad they came and will come back.”

Paramacharya Ceyonswami then graciously invited Dasam, Chudika, Devi and Shama to visit the Monastery Aviary.

And also to view the famous “Discus” fish in the Monastery complex. What a blessing!

Thank you Swami!

We are also very happy to have with us Seiyonnne, son of long time Iraivan supporter Suriyakumar.

Ceiyon is 17 years old and here with us for 5 days on a break before he goes to college.

Up at Muruga hill for a shot and then he helped the rest of the afternoon yesterday with the festival preparation team.