Bi-Weekly Singing Satsang at the Aadheenam
Every two weeks Sannyasin Brahmanathaswami meets with our local members who are interested in sacred music and together they practice singing and learning songs. The scope of the session covers Natchintanai, simple bhajans, stotrams, chants, invocations and long songs. We also do some breathing work and a few sangeetam exercises to help improve our voices. Fourteen-year-old Deepanjali Mardemootoo joined us. She said she was to shy to sing for us, but with a little encouragement we had her even leading our group. She has excellent pitch and a very clear voice.
One of our goals is to help empower everyone to feel confident to sing and lead. We really are not concerned how perfect it is, or if you have the exact tune right. The goal is to cultivate singing to the Gods as a personal sadhana, to include everyone in our gatherings. It’s not about entertainment, it is about bhakti-devotion. We work hard on visualizing what we are singing. Today swami introduced the group to this lovely prayer to Lord Siva.
Sivam, Sivakaram Shaantam
Sivaatmanam Sivo’ottaam
Sivamarga Praneytaram
Pranadoshmi, Sadaasivam
And we started work on another Natchintanai “Shaantam Upa Shaantam”
Chitra Puja, August 21
Jai Gurudeva!
Pilgrims and Guests from Around the World
August is one of the busiest months of the year for Kauai Aadheenam as universities are on break and we are filled and thrilled with visitors.
Ragade Family: Though they only very recently came to know of our monastery and its work, Mr. and Mrs. Ragade are already Master Course students, frequent pilgrims, dedicated devotees and generous supporters of Hinduism Today through donations to the Production Fund http://www.hheonline.org/funds/fund_20.html. As donors to that fund, they will be featured on page 13 of our upcoming January-February-March 2013 issue. Dr. Namrata works only part-time to be able to spend more time with her daughters.
Seasons Changing
Today marks the beginning of a new season. Gurudeva advised this time be spent in action utilizing our willpower to carry out our plans.
August Homa
Sadhu Paksha is over and the Monks return to their routine.
Twitter Updates for 2012-08-16
- Come to a book signing with the swamis from Kauai's Hindu Monastery in San Jose, CA, tomorrow at 6:30 pm. http://t.co/zKXRxHki #
- Off to the SF Ferry Building to do a little shopping! #
- Our hotel is right at the bottom of the California Street cable car line. http://t.co/VhSJlOWk #
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Twitter Updates for 2012-08-15
- Our traveling swamis just completed a day of excellent meetings with our IT consultants, @RocketScience in SF. #
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Dakshinamurthi (wide view, pan left and right)
A wondering sadhu with his cell phone captures this vision of God Siva as the Teacher of All Teachers, Dakshinamurthy. (wide view below)
Twitter Updates for 2012-08-14
- Sadasivanathaswami and Senthilnathaswami are heading to California to attend the Hindu Mandir Executives' Conference. #
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Nallur Festival Part 2
Visit the website of the Murugan Temple of North America at www.murugantemple.org. The Nallur festival has an endowment with HHE at http://www.hheonline.org/funds/fund_45.html. The three endowments for the Murugan temple generated $1,200 for the Murugan temple for 2011.
From Our Gurus' Teachings
Archives are now available through 2001. Light colored days have no posts. 1998-2001 coming later.
