Today is the Chitra nakshatra, so a padapuja was performed for Gurudeva's granite Tiruvadi in Kadavul Temple. Sannyasin Tillainathaswami and Yogi Haranandinatha performed the abhishekam. Jai Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami! Om Namah Sivaya.

That's right, Mondo Grass is actually a lily, native to Japan, Korea and China. It's real name is Ophiopogon japonicus and it is a high-end ground cover in the right climates. For years, many years, we have been planning to install Mondo Grass around Iraivan Temple, to create a kind of green-sea effect, since it gets long enough to wave in the tropical breeze and when that happens looks like dark green ocean water.

Planting has begun, but last week we came to an area where the ground was rock hard, and we knew mondo would not be happy there. So today we took Rajendra (the name of our mini-excavator) and deep tilled the hardpan, adding some rich compost to the mix. When done, the swath of mondo will be on the outside of the narrow stone path that surrounds the temple, serving as a simple setting for Iraivan's classic architecture. It will take some months to complete the project.

The recent World Hindu Congress 2023, organized by the World Hindu Foundation, was first held in 2014 in Delhi, then again in Chicago in 2018. It is “a global platform for Hindus to connect, share ideas, inspire one another and impact the common good.” At the opening plenary session, plaques of recognition were presented to Swami Purnatmananda Maharaj, acting president of Bharat Sevashram Sangh, Bharat, Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami, publisher, Hinduism Today, USA and Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, founder Mata Amritanandamayi Math, Bharat. The award for Hinduism Today was introduced by Shri Milind Shrikant Parande, Secretary General of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bharat. He began, “The second award is to the worldwide magazine Hinduism Today. In the 1970s Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami established Kauai’s Hindu monastery, Kauai Aadheenam. It is regarded as the single most advocate of Hindu Dharma outside of Bharat. The worldwide magazine Hinduism Today was founded by him in 1979.” Shri Parande then read the text of the felicitation: “The Organizing Committee of the World Hindu Congress, 2023 Bangkok wishes to express profound appreciation for the remarkable contributions made by Hinduism Today since its establishment under the guidance of Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, a devoted disciple of Jnanaguru Yoga Swami from Jaffna, Sri Lanka. “Hinduism Today’s commitment to nurturing Hindu solidarity, fostering unity and dispelling misconceptions about Hindu Dharma is truly praiseworthy. It has served as a guiding light of knowledge, inspiration and awakening for Hindus across the globe. The unwavering dedication to nurturing the ongoing spiritual Hindu renaissance and providing a valuable resource for Indian leaders and educators is immeasurable. “Hinduism Today’s pivotal role in preserving and promoting the rich heritage of Hindu Dharma is deeply appreciated. We extend our heartfelt gratitude for your tireless efforts in upholding the essence of Hindu Dharma and sharing its wisdom with the world.” The award was then jointly presented by Shri Parande and Dr. Mohanrao Bhagwat, Sarsanghchalak [head] of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Another report on the event is here. For the full report including Satguru's talk:

We're asking people far and wide to send us their historical photos of Gurudeva, just in case we're able to find something that isn't in our archival collection. If you have such a photo, please click this link and drag the file(s) into the folder that it opens. Please read this appeal for more information:

After many months of construction and recently passing occupancy inspection by county departments, the Siddhidata Kulam can now officially move into the maintenance and storage sections of the new building. They hired our Iraivan Temple priest, Pravin Kumar Gurukal, to perform a "house blessing" puja on his day off.

Enjoy this slideshow of images from the event. Satguru made a point to attend despite having only returned from the Bangkok World Hindu Congress a couple hours earlier.

Recently, the monastery held its evening celebration of Sivalaya Deepam, worshiping God Siva as a pillar of fire. This year, deepa lamps were placed throughout Iriavan Temple. Earlier in the day we observed the monthly krittika homa at Iriavan, and into the evening the deepas were lit, setting aglow Iriavan Temple's intricate architecture. After a puja to Mahalingeshvara, special flames were brought out to a pillar of wood, ghee and palm fronds, which was set ablaze. Aum Namah Sivaya. Sivaya Namah Aum.

For decades while living on the island, Gurudeva reached out to the Hawaiian community, invited them to events, involved them in our various temple consecration ceremonies. His love of the confluence of the two cultures continues this week.

On November 26th, Kumu Leihi'ilani Kirkpatrick and ten hula dancers came to the monastery with their friends and family, to dance the Pihanakalani hula, and chant the Pihanakalani Oli (chant). Kumu is among Kauai's most knowledgeable and beloved hula teachers, and it showed in the performances of her wahinis.

In her introduction she gave much praise to the monastery for caring for the aina (land) which her ancestors inhabited some 8-900 years ago. Such a joy to have them here, and to see their joy in a rare performance on sacred grounds. The rains held back, barely, as they danced from 3:30 to 5:30, and almost as soon as they finished the heavens opened to bless the event.

You can see a one-minute video here:

https://youtu.be/l2dxvCWodLI

Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami gives his weekly upadesha in Kadavul Temple at Kauai’s Hindu Monastery in Hawaii. It is part of a series of talks elaborating on the inspired teachings of Satguru Śivaya Subramuniyaswami as found in his book Merging With Śiva.

"Responsibly resolving karma is among the most important reasons that a satguru is necessary in a sincere seeker’s life. The guru helps the devotee to hold his mind in focus, to become pointedly conscious of thought, word and deed, and to cognize the lessons of each experience. Without the guidance and grace of the guru, the devotee’s mind will be divided between instinctive and intellectual forces, making it very difficult to resolve karma. And only when karma is wisely harnessed can the mind become still enough to experience its own superconscious depths."

The World Hindu Congress, held every four years, invited Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami to Bangkok to receive a special honorary award. He and Arumuganathaswami flew there and attended three days of events and panels. On the first night, the award was given from the stage before a crowd of some 2,000 Hindu leaders from across the globe.

Arumuganathaswami presented a Keynote on the magazine during one of six Hindu Media conferences. He also played the one minute Iraivan trailer to introduce all to Kauai Aadheenam, and we are told there were near gasps from the audience in seeing the beauty and sanctity of Mahalingesvara's Hawaiian home.

You can see a short and articulate introduction by clicking on the video below, followed by Bodhinatha's ten-minute presentation:

Longtime Saiva Siddhanta Church formal sishya, Rajen Manick from Mauritius, has arrived on Kauai for his first in-person visit to his Guru's home. He'll be staying with us for a few months to finally experience Kauai Aadheenam in depth and continue his service of translating the Master Course trilogy books into French. He also has extensive experience with conveying our teachings to seekers in Mauritius, so he will gather more resources and skills for that.