Chapter One: The Great Story of Awareness

For those who saw this post several weeks ago, and were surprised to see them disappear suddently, we have improved the speed and audio quality and added proper MP3 tags and are now release these as good to go.

Gurudeva’s 1970 Audio Master Course transformed the hearts, minds and lives of 1000’s of spiritual aspirants. Several generations of seekers have passed through these last 4 decades and many have never heard of this treasure. Gurudeva lays out the core metaphysics of spiritual evolution in very simple terms.

We want to give a special thanks Iain Morland in the UK who has professionally restored the digitized versions of these very old audio tapes and brought them forward to good quality MP3 files. Now Gurudeva’s powerful presence feels like he is right with you today!

In 1970’s the sadhana/practice/course was to listen to each one of these 12 tapes 3 times in one week. Then move to the next chapter. The course also had transcripts to read as you listened and took three months to complete. Some young Hindus recently heard some of these talks and were “blown away… awesome!” so the message is ever fresh and ever powerful, 40 years later.
Click here to listen or download to your computer or mobile device
NOTE: Small request for help: In our archives, we are missing a copy of the printed booklet of Chapter One of the course. In the front of each chapter transcript is a message that we have included in the web version, but we need to get that message from the Chapter One transcript book. If you have a complete set of this old course, please open to the first page that describes the meditation, visualization and practice that should accompany Chapter One, type this up and send it in an email to studyhall@hindu.org Thank you!

A slightly belated post about a recent visit to the Aadheenam by Kanda Alahan who, along with his brother Adi, helped out our in the woodshop for a time.

The monks spent the morning cleaning here and there in the monastery. This is a morning for the entire group to get down and do some deep cleaning. We also focused the first part of the morning on Iraivan Temple.

A week into Sadhu Paksha and the heavy rains we've been getting up on our hill have been slowing. This means an easier time for our monks who are wondering the sacred gardens in the early mornings. Here are a few photos captured this morning by one of our monastics. A nice view from Iraivan Temple as the sun rises, with Siva's crescent moon just above it, and Venus up and to the right. Om Namah Sivaya.

As body, life, and world,
As sea, cloud and cloud-laden sky,
Permeating all, indestructible and continuous
The Lord stands in Majesty
The True way that never closes.
Tirumantiram 413

Each month the Wailua mission gathers together to create malas, pendants, earrings and bracelets, utilizing rudraksha beads. To date, this small but dedicated group of savaks has helped to bring in large amounts of money for the construction of Iraivan Temple. Here are a few photos of their work this morning. Aum Namah Sivaya

"Purity of heart is most important. The rest is all work. The whole universe is engaged in the work of God-Sivathondu." Siva Yogaswami

Yesterday, the monastics of Kauai Aadheenam began their seasonal two-week retreat known as Sadhu Paksha. During this time the monks break their usual morning routine to walk about the sacred gardens and meditate to the rising sun. Apart from the aadheenam being more restrictive toward guests, daytime activities remain much the same. At the end of these two weeks we will observe the ritau change and welcome the new season with a flag raising. Aum Namah Sivaya.

"Space is an ashram. It is best for one to live as nature prompts." Siva Yogaswami

Gurudeva spoke often of the difficulties life brings us. He would reassure us that nothing can come into our experience but that we have the strength to face and overcome it. That message never grows old, and it was brought to mind today when a CyberCadet sent us a series of photos from France, showing the power of nature to overcome adversity. We share those alone with an apt quote from "Merging with Siva."

Even a great soul faces difficulties, but he does not take them personally....Be equal to whatever you meet! That is a better way to react to life. It is accomplished simply by meeting everything in
understanding, by demanding understanding from within yourself. And
if you feel that everything happening to you is a play of universal love and
you are able to maintain that consciousness of universal love in yourself,
then you are beyond the happenings of the world. Lifted in consciousness,
you can see through and enjoy all the states of consciousness. The circumstances
of your life will reflect this change.

Watch for those small incidents that imperceptibly get under your skin and create an eruption a few days
later. Little things that do not contribute creatively to your life are an indication
that there is some kind of subconscious disturbance that you have
not resolved. Look your nature right in the face in meditation, without
squirming, and you will discover what the little disturbances are, some
issue over which you are rationalizing, a small resentment or worry that is
keeping a part of your mind confused, and thus, necessarily, most of your
circumstances confused.

Today during the Ardra Nakshatra, the monks of Kauai Aadheenam perform our monthly abhishekam to Lord Nataraja in Kadavul Temple. This is the time each month when Lord Siva's Sakti can most easily be felt flowing from within. Aum Namah Sivaya.

"But who is Siva?" one might well ask. Our Hindu Catechism, Dancing with Siva, explains, "God Siva is all and in all, one without a second, the Supreme Being and only Absolute Reality. He is Pati, our Lord, immanent and transcendent. To create, preserve, destroy, conceal and reveal are His five powers. Aum. God Siva is a one being, yet we understand Him in three perfections: Absolute Reality, Pure Consciousness and Primal Soul. As Absolute Reality, Siva is unmanifest, unchanging and transcendent, the Self God, timeless, formless and spaceless. As Pure Consciousness, Siva is the manifest primal substance, pure love and light flowing through all form, existing everywhere in time and space as infinite intelligence and power. As Primal Soul, Siva is the five-fold manifestation: Brahma, the Creator; Vishnu, the Preserver; Rudra, the Destroyer; Mahesvara, the Veiling Lord, and Sadasiva, the Revealer. He is our personal Lord, source of all three worlds. Our divine Father-Mother protects, nurtures and guides us, veiling Truth as we evolve, revealing it when we are mature enough to receive God's bountiful grace. God Siva is all and in all, great beyond our conception, a sacred mystery that can be known in direct communion. Yea, when Siva is known, all is known. The Vedas state: ‘That part of Him which is characterized by tamas is called Rudra. That part of Him which belongs torajas is Brahma. That part of Him which belongs to sattva is Vishnu' " (Krishna Yajur Veda, Maitra Upanishad5.2 BO UPH).

Vasuki Sivagnanavel brought her parents for a first visit from London. They are from Jaffna, Sri Lanka originally. Another couple joined our walk through the grounds.