Greetings fellow Siva Bhaktars! Over the retreat we had an impromptu visit from a kolam artist named Divya. For those of you who don't know. Kolam is a traditional art form of South India in which multi-colored rice flower is used to draw elaborate, ephemeral arrangements in fronts of homes and temples. Divya created multiple kolams in and around Kadavul each increasing in complexity as she approached Nataraja. The design lasts for a day or so and can easily be cleaned as it is only made from rice flower. Aum!

Aum

We came across this devotee recently. He says he chants Hanuman Chalisa every day without fail. Always nice to see such a devoted bhaktar.
Aum Anjaneyaya Namah.

Today two women from a spiritual podcast titled "Two Average Girls" came today and recorded an interview with Sadasivanathaswami. They brought all of their equipment and set up microphones and cameras in the media studio where the podcast took place. The woman to Sadasivanathaswami's right is Anne, the wife of Warren Owen, and the women to his left is Denise, who is a friend of the Owen's and frequent visitor to the monastery. They are good friends and their spiritual podcast is a regular activity of theirs. Denise lives in California and is on island with her husband. Dennis Wong, who does a lot of excavator work for the monastery, also does a lot of work for Warren, whose house the monks go to get coconuts for festivals. Kieth who builds fences for us, is Warren's property manager. It's amazing how connected people are here, it really is a small island. When the podcast is uploaded we might share it on TAKA so look out for that! Aum!

How does the One appear as two? We don't know, but what we do know is that some stunning stone murtis and lingams are on their way to Kauai along with the final stone shipments needed to complete Iraivan temple. All of them are carved by adept artisans from the same site where Iraivan's stones are crafted. These stone carved items will be put up for sale in the mini mela for anyone to buy.

Everyone likes to have something new, how about having a happy new Year!

Today, the Sun moved into the sign of Mesha (Aries) which marks the beginning of a new year on many Indian calendars including those of South India.

For us it is the time for beginning our new spring season, the Nartana Ritau!

Nartana Ritau, the season of Dancing with Siva, begins on Tamil New Year. This is the period of creation, the warm season, from mid-April through mid-August. The key word of this season is planning. The colors are orange, yellow-gold and all shades of green-orange for renunciation, yellow-gold for action and green for regeneration.

High above, the main flag flies the color orange, heralding the Nartana Ritau throughout this season, symbolizing sadhana and self-control. The other colors adorn smaller flags. This is the season of giving special attention to those in the grihastha ashrama. It is a time of awakening, renewal, review. The emphasis is on seeing ahead, planning for future years. It is a time of planning retreats and other activities for youths and adults for the entire year.
The Saiva Dharma Shastras are studied; and any needed additions in supplementary manuals, representing new growth, are made. The practical focus is completion of unfinished projects. Secular holidays to observe among the families include Mother's Day in May, Father's Day in June and Grandparent's Day in August.

This season of harvest and new growth is also the time to review and reestablish picking and planting routines for the gardens. It is a time for ordering seeds and plants for the year, of planting trees, fragrant vines and the annual crop. Review is made for scheduling the care of all realms of the Aadheenam's acreage. Kadavul temple and the Guru Temple are cleaned and renewed during this season and the adjacent grounds receive special, abundant attention. Karma yogis are invited to help in this and other areas with planting and weeding, digging, fertilizing, fence repair and more. The daily sadhana is the Sivachaitanya Panchatantra: experiencing nada, jyoti, prana, bhakti and darshana. In Sanskrit, it is a time of learning new slokas and mantras. In the family community, prasnottara satsanga is held for one and all to attend. Families plan for their annual pilgrimage. Shrine rooms are renewed and redecorated for the year, and the clothing of all is renewed in the Hindu style of the current fashion. It is a time of doing things for others, religious outreach. It is a time of hatha yoga and philosophical teaching.

May your new year be filled with blessings, enjoy the photos of our monks raising the season's bright orange flag. Aum!

Aum Ganesha,

Today is the last day of our year of Plava Samvatsara. Tomorrow we move into Shubhakrita, which translates as the year of "auspicious actions," a time for doing good deeds.

Our wandering sadhus send us some photos from their early morning sadhanas. A peaceful end to a quiet day at Kauai Aadheenam.

"Even a great soul faces difficulties, but he does not take them personally. Generally people take problems too personally by identifying closely with them." - Gurudeva

This phase of our moon brings with it Sadhu Paksha, a time for the mathavasis to switch up their morning routine and solitarily mediate around the monastery. Being in nature is a great boon for meditation so perhaps visit a state or local park nearby that you have yet to visit, and surround your body with plants of various sizes. Sadhu Paksha comes in preparation for the transition from the Moksha Ritau to Nartana Ritau, our change of seasons. Om Namah Sivaya

Today was Ashram Sadhana Day for the Mathavasis. That's our day every month when we spend extra time cleaning in around the monastery. The monks started their day as a group cleaning up around Iraivan Temple mainly moving unused stone in preparation for future landscaping around the base of Iraivan. Following that they continued with their various assigned cleaning areas. It must be a good time for cleaning! The monks are doing so, after all. Maybe something in your life needs some cleaning too? As Gurudeva would say, cleaning allows the energies in a space for flow freely again. If it feels like an area of life isn't moving forward, one of the first fixes to try is to do a major cleaning of your work and living spaces. Give it a try! Aum Namah Sivaya.

"Deep inside we are perfect this very moment, and we have only to discover and live up to this perfection to be whole. Our energy and God's energy are the same, ever coming out of the void. We are all beautiful children of God."- Gurudeva

Aum Namah Śivaya

Yesterday the state of Hawaii lowered its indoor mask mandate and relaxed occupancy restrictions. This allowed our local members to join the monks for their weekly 6:00am Siva Puja and Upadesha in Kadavul Temple. This was the first time in several years that they could all be together in the temple for this special, spiritual event.

Aum Namah Sivaya
Jai Gurudeva!

Today our monks began their lunar phase with this month's pada puja for Gurudeva which takes place during the Chitra nakshatra. Today is also the day that Aspirant Akash Katir arrives at the monastery from California. He will next be perusing his supplicant vows, which mark the next step towards his goal of taking formal monastic vows.

This morning's pada puja was performed by Sannyasin Tillainathaswami and Yogi Haranandinatha.

"There is no death and there is no birth for the immortal body of the soul that you are, that pure intelligence that goes on and on and on and on and on and on." - Gurudeva