Recently, Sannyasin Senthilnathaswami and Sadhaka Jayanatha set up for their quarterly shoot of Bodhinatha's Publisher's Desk video. This quarter's Publisher's Desk Article is entitled "Noninjury: the Foremost Virtue," and can be found in the July/August/September issue of Hinduism Today.

Until the Media Studio construction is complete, the videos are being filmed in the guru peedam. The team sets up the lights, microphone and camera before Bodhinatha arrives. Following the shoot, the video is edited and finalized. It will be posted to youtube and our Hinduism Today website in mid June.

A few weeks back the organizers of a Hindu History Conference reached out to bring two of our swamis to a conference in San Jose, California, near San Francisco. Since we have been involved in the US history textbooks for sixth grade, and since we had just finished a movie on those lessons, Bodhinatha felt it was useful to respond.

Off flew Sadasivanathaswami and Arumuganathaswami, who has been the pointman for these projects and was eager to show the 22-minute film to an audience who could understand its merits.

The two-day event focused on a dual agenda: Hindu historiography, with scholars from India, Canada, Europe and the US present. It had the potential to be less than scintillating, but in fact turned out to be amazingly informative for the swamis.

Sadasivanathaswami gave a 10-minute Keynote introducing the main event, an annual lecture in honor of the life and writings of Indian scholar Sita Ram Goel, whom Gurudeva knew well and visited often in India. Sita Ram came to the monastery in 1986. He also blessed two book releases with Rudraksha malas from Kauai.

Acharya Arumuganathaswami gave the most fascinating and graphically-rich of all presentations, the movie preceded by a history of the California textbook controversy. Both got high praise and abundant applause.

Then the swamis were taken to Freemont to the home of Sivaram and Devika Eswaran for a delightful satsang with members and a gourmet (15-course) dinner.

A traditional welcoming arathi at the doorway, was followed by pradakshina of the home and the Gods within. An arati was followed by Natchintanai singing lead by Amma Bhavani Param and Yatrika. The home's pure and perfectly clear Siva Linga was passed to Paramacharya to carry and place it on the special shrine set in the living room for the Siva puja. Sivaram and his son, Arunesh, then conducted a splendid, Deity-invoking Siva puja. After more singing to the Gods and a short "Ganesha sloka" by Arunesh, a Carnatic song "Devathi Deva SadaSiva – composition of Sage Thyagaraja" by Devika & Yatrika, all joined to sing the famed "Money Bags Song."
 
Paramacharya's was asked to speak and he talked of the conference, of the science of rituals and the new science of consciousness, then expounded on Gurudeva's teaching that everything is energy, and that even negative energies, if responded to with wisdom and trust, can turn out to be a blessing in life. "We are not in full control of all that comes our way in life, but we are in control of how we react and respond to what comes." He gave some great stories about how Gurudeva taught this lesson to the monks when real challenges came to the monastery over the years.

Acharya then spoke of the conference and the movie and the work he has been doing with the textbook controversy. He shared that the conference was in part about the Hindu-Christion nexus, and how that went.

Paramacharya offered vibuthi prasadam to all present. A grand confluence of perfect souls, reminding us of the days when devotees gathered in the evening at Yogaswami's humble hut, to sing, to hear Swami's words of wisdom, to sit in silence and enjoy Siva's presence in all things. Aum Namasivaya!
 

Today, Paramacharya Sadasivanathaswami and Acharya Arumuganathaswami boarded a flight for San Francisco. The two are taking a short quick 3-day trip to San Jose, to participate as guest speakers at the Global Hindu Conference 2014.

They have done it again. The Malaysian members have pushed through a strategic project that would warm Gurudeva's heart and is dear to Bodhinatha's educational outreach initiatives.

They designed and printed the famous Four Facts of Hinduism in Tamil and Malay. Today a small package with several dozen of each reached Kauai's shore and were offered to Bodhinatha for his blessings. They printed 15,000 of each of the pamphlets, under the guidance of Maruthu Dharmilingam.

The plan is to distribute them around the nation, to educate the public about the shared beliefs of all Hindu lineages and traditions: karma, reincarnation, all-pervasive divinity and dharma. The sweet paintings of S. Rajam sit like little gems on the pages, and a Vedic quote is offered to show the original scriptural source.

Great job, everyone!

Recently, a class of local school children visited the monastery. The school's curriculum is very unique, all being taught in the Hawaiian language until 5th grade, after which it continues with an hour of it each day. The children had a tour out to see Iraivan Temple. On the way they did a beautiful Hawaiian chant at the flag pole. It is rare these days to hear the Hawaiian language spoken. Following their tour they had a question and answer session with one of the monks. The group asked many good questions about the monastery and how it functions, and were particularly interested in why one might become a monk. Afterwards they had a chance to enjoy Kadavul Temple, many of them writing notes to the devas before ending their day's visit.

This is Bodhinatha's forty-minute presentation to answer the question posed by many Hindus "What should I practice." httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g7KYyjzGNI

This lexicon is available 24/7 on this web site at this address: View the Lexicon and book mark for future reference.

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Click here for report of Himalayan Academy study gatherings in March.

Click here for report and photos of Himalayan Academy Saivite Orientation session that integrated Satguru Yogaswami's Natchintanai songs.