Today Natyam Jayanatha and Yogi Rajanatha set up for and filmed Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami's Publisher's Desk editorial from the April 2017 issue of Hinduism Today Magazine. It takes about 40 minutes for the team to set up the lighting, sound and the camera in order to produce a quality video. In the coming weeks the video will be edited and posted online along with the April Digital edition of Hinduism Today. For now, here is a short preview of the article:

For those on the spiritual path, it is not terribly difficult to avoid backbiting, gossip and hurtful humor. But controlling and refining our speech on more subtle levels is a lifetime sadhana.
Three virtues we can focus on are courtesy, tact and sensitivity. Courtesy is being polite, respectful and considerate of the needs and feelings of others. Tactfulness is being diplomatic and skillful in dealing with people and situations, responding to disagreements judiciously, and maintaining harmony by seeking solutions that offend no one. Sensitivity is holding a delicate appreciation of others ideas, attitudes and natures, listening carefully in conversations and not interrupting, striving to uplift rather than dominate. The Tirukural warns, "Not knowing the companionable art of cheerful conversation, men estrange even friends by divisive discourse" (verse 187).

Recently the monks in the Ganapati Kulam finished updating the give-away booklet "All About kauai's Hindu Monastery." As with all books physical there must be a digital version out there that needs updating. This digital merry-go-round can be found here and easily be stored on your browser as the go-to source for answering questions about us, Hinduism, our temples, pilgrimage FAQ, Hindu history and all of our apps-in one place.

Let's explore a little bit of what we have to get you started.

Bodhinatha's Latest Upadeshas:
"What is the Meaning of Siva's Dance" (February 5,2017)

Initially we're looking at the world. By Siva's revealing grace, anugraha, ultimately we turn toward God. The soul matures, fulfilling dharmas. We reach a point where we see that Siva is the doer, guiding us, adjusting our angle toward Himself. "Sarvam Sivan seyal." Siva is doing it all. We're flowing with the dance of Siva.

Path to Siva, Lesson 15

Dancing with Siva, Lesson 97,

The Master Course Trilogy, Introduction

---

Click here to go to an index of all of Bodhinatha's and Gurudeva's online audio.

Nama Sivaya everyone. We hope all is well in your world.

This morning the monks and local devotees along with some wonderful off-island pilgrims woke up before the sun and worshiped Siva.

Here is some text superconsciously pulled from Lemurian Scrolls:
"As the planet becomes older forces equalize themselves and new innovations in cultural procedures are absent. Systems remain status quo. Our shastras predict that a million years after the beginning of the next Sat Yuga there will be great research into science and planetary travel as the fire deepens beneath the Earth's crust. Nothing new is created everything is preserved and nothing is destroyed. There is no fire. It is just a big space station here. Nothing is growing. One of the biggest space stations in the universe. It will be like a nation that gets to the point where it fulfills its purpose and goes away and others move in.
"But now in the Dvarpara Yuga in which we live and have been living for thousands and thousands of years the vibrations of the next are imminent and slight adjustments of the cosmic rays are even now being felt. The onrush of the fulfillment of purpose has culminated and change is imminent. It is only with a great upheaval of the status quo of this yuga will the next begin. Hence in retrospect some of the important manifestations of the preservation of the culture recorded and preserved in the akashic ether of the inner mind will lay a foundation for the continuity of the culture during the wane of the Kali Yuga many thousands of years from now when cosmic rays once again pierce the veiling darkness and the Sat Yuga dawns."

0yf843iuki

An illustrated clairvoyant revelation of man's untold journey to Earth from the Pleiades millions of years ago and the struggles faced through the eras as souls matured into their ultimate destiny and Divinity.

Excerpted from Chapter One: Pilgrimage to Planet Earth

Mankind migrated to this planet in his divine soul body during
the Sat Yuga the age of enlightenment. He had reached a final stage
of evolution on his native planet. The risk in migrating to a fire planet
was great but so was the reward. They were however at a place in
evolution requiring a planet with fire in it to catalyze them through
new experiences into completing their unfoldment to the final realization
of the Self. Souls came from the other planets to Earth for
one of two reasons: either they came to realize the Self because they
had not previously done so and were just drifting in bliss or were
great beings who already had the Self realized and came to help the
others. They came from everything in a state of status quo. They had
come to this planet to get jostled around in the fire to continue their
unfoldment.

When a planet becomes old it cools. Everything
be comes static in it and on it. The beings inhabiting it
exist together like a flock of birds or school of fish so
peaceful they are. Souls who need fire to realize the Self could not
do so on such an old planet so the leaders pilgrimaged with their followers
to perform the austerity of evolution on a fire planet such as
Earth a hot planet a young planet. There will be other planets ready
to be colonized at the end of the Kali Yuga. Inhabitants of Earth will
be able to rapidly access them by traveling as a ray of their own inner
light.

Path To Siva: A Catechism for Youth

Lesson 67 - How Can We Be Strong Saivite Hindus?

Gurudeva taught, “Once we have chosen and accepted our faith, it is then our spiritual duty to learn it well and live by it as a wholehearted, contributing member of a faith community so that we pass it on in a vibrant way to those who come after us, the next generation.” To be strong Hindus, first we must learn our religion well. This means gaining a good understanding of the philosophy, the culture and the subtle mysticism. Second, we must live by it fully. This means having a solid commitment, a good character, and putting its principles into practice. For us, this includes adopting the gestures, attitudes, customs, ways of worship, dress and refinements of Tamil Saiva culture. The third step is passing our faith along to others. We all live in mixed societies, interrelating with people of varied backgrounds. You may find yourself being asked about your Hindu faith. Some questioners may have no religion. Others may reject religion and believe science has all the answers. You may be confronted by their questions: “Do you worship cows?” “Why are there so many Hindu Gods?” “Why do you wear the dot on your forehead?” Prepare yourself by studying the answers to such questions. Respond with confidence and kindness. Assume that the person really wants to learn. Yes, some may want to harass you, or turn you to their view. If you sense this is the case, smile and dismiss yourself without engaging further. You can also share your faith by conducting classes or sharing at public gatherings. In summery, we each stand strong for Hinduism by being good Hindus. Gurudeva has given us the tools in his Master Course Trilogy, Dancing, Living and Merging With Siva. Using these tools of philosophy, culture and yoga, we can defend, explain, protect, preserve and promote our Saiva faith.

Read the Book

Thanks to our Digital Dharma Drive supporters and Andre Garzia's magic, The Guru Chronicles Audio Book is now on line. Click here to view a preview. Also works on smart phones For the web dev savvy among us, delivery uses the robust javascript Media Elements framework along with a playlist extension. If you want the files for your computer, a thumbdrive with all files is available for sale here, at Minimela.com which includes also the ebooks, artwork and additional priceless vintage Gurudeva audio and video from our archives.

Here's a photo of some of our IT team, Natyam Jayanatha, Andre Garzia, Sannyasin Brahmanathaswami and Sannyasin Siddhanathaswami.

Andre Alves Garzia left Kauai for a two-day journey back to his home and wife Lily in Niteroi (across the bay from Rio) in Brasil. He spent a month here working on many projects and his visit was a great success. Among the thing he accomplished:

1. Setting up a small Linux Server called "Buddhi" to back up our web sites daily and provide "disaster recovery" assurance for all our web content.
2. Progress on our new SivaSiva app including a Hindu Panchangam module that will actually be released as a separate app.
3. assisting the Pilliyar Kulam with their internal monk's only web site that helps with coordination of all our monastic activities.
4. Upgrading the software originally created by the monks to process photos and create these TAKA posts. This will allow other monks to contribute very easily and efficiently, even from the road
5. Adding support to the media manager software we use in house to create web content. New innovations include Audio books and the Hindu Lexicon and FAQ content support systems. (Stay tuned for announcements on these, as we release some new content in the days and weeks ahead)
6. Kick off discussions and advance planning for two major new web content initiatives relating to virtual tours of the Aadheenam and opening up access to our art archives in more user friendly ways.

The monks and Andre want to thank all our Digital Dharma supporters for their contributions which allow up to keep these initiative moving forward, always free and always ad free!

Andre Alves Garzia is here on Kauai since December 16 and staying for a month working closely with Brahmanathaswami on various IT projects, including our in house Caption Writer now called TAKAL which is the tool we use to create these TAKA posts automatically and efficiently.

Andre has been working off and on for Himalayan Academy Publications since 2004, and this is his fourth trip to Kauai. Years ago Andre completed 7 years in University majoring in film and media production. But his talents always leaned toward toward software development and he preferred coding to the idea of becoming a movie director. It was a perfect match for the Ganapati Kulam needs where media and digital technology converge every day. Over the years Andre has been advancing in his career and last year he was chosen by the Mozilla Foundation to be the lead in a project funded by the Ford Foundation to spread web literacy in and around the Rio de Janeiro area. The grant expired and the program shifted to other locations on the globe. Andre continues to volunteer for Mozilla in Brasil to help web literacy in the community but is now almost full time working for Himalayan Academy Publication while launching his own company. He plans to focus on offering training and consulting programs for the next young generation of web programmers who will build the internet of the future.

His wife, Elisangela Mendonça de Andrade Garzia aka "Lily" is a journalist. She is currently a producer, writer and assistant to the internationally renowned Canadian journalist, Stephani Nolen, who is heading up the South American bureau of The Globe and Mail, published from Toronto and now stationed in Rio. The Globe and Mail is one of the few publications that still prints 5-6 days a week and gets delivered to your home. With Lily's help, Stephanie brings a lot of interesting stories from South American into Canadian homes.