A short visit to the Sivalingam pavilion at the Spiritual Park to reflect with the kulapatis on the installation of a small Nandi. They have long wanted to place Nandi here and after some discussions the right place was determined and a plan made.

This morning we observed the 288th monthly paduka puja to honor our late Gurudeva's mahasamadhi that occurred on Chitra nakshatra.

Exerpt from the Kularnava Tantra scripture--

"The world you reach after the physical body is shed is determined by the level of consciousness reached while in the body. So, as long as the body lasts, exert yourself towards the goal of Liberation. Remember, the physical body does not last forever. Age prowls like a leopard; diseases attack like an enemy. Death waits not to see what is done or not done. Before the limbs lose their vitality, before adversities crowd in upon you, take to the auspicious path.
Therefore, choose, then worship a satguru. Worship his feet. Cherish the very sandals (paduka) which hold his feet. All knowledge is founded on those paduka. Remember and cherish those paduka, which yield infinitely more merit than any number of observances, gifts, sacrifices, pilgrimages, mantra-japa and rituals of worship.
It is these feet, when remembered, that protect in times of distress, danger or calamity. Study, remembrance, knowledge, donations, sacrifices and worship are truly done by him who ever remembers the satgurus feet. Look toward the direction in which the lotus feet of the satguru lie and bow down to them every day with devotion. There is no mantra higher than that of his feet, no merit higher than his worship."

The Mauritian sishyas hosted the swamis for a catamaran voyage on the ship owned by Sivakumaran Mardeemotoo. For two hours we sailed, watching the sunset and enjoying some informal time with the kulapatis and kulamatas. Tillainathaswami was at the helm, learning the sailor's arts from a master.

In Mauritius two boys and a girl took the Brahmachariya Vrata, a vow of purity and celibacy until marriage. They voiced aloud to all present their intentions and then Paramacharya tied the symbolic cord around their waist as a reminder. It is rare in modern days for teens to so commit, and everyone honored their high purpose with applause.

A long and leisurely walk through the Spiritual Park to acquaint ourselves with the many additions and improvements since we last visited in 2014. The Park has many visitors, up to 10,000 come here on Ganesha Chaturthi, and many do not know that it was Gurudeva who founded it. So they placed this founder's pavilion right at the front where everyone enters.

The tour was so informative. We were especially impressed with the three new pavilions, designed in Mauritian style with wood and thatch.

A quiet walk through the park:

After a grueling series of flights, from Malaysia to Singapore to Dubai to Mauritius in one lone 25-hour day of airports and long flights, Paramacharya and Tillainathaswami arrived on the island of Mauritius. Senior sishyas greeted us with affection and drove us to a remote cottage right on the beach. It had been nine years since our last visit (delays caused by COVID), so there was much to catch up on. A short rest, then off to an Indian restaurant to share a welcoming meal. Then sleep. Ah, sleep.

Mauritius is an island off the coast of Africa, about 50% larger than Kauai, but with 1.5 million people, 52% being Hindu. It is renowned for its lush forests, white sandy beaches, and volcanic mountain ranges. Notably, it has a significant Hindu population, constituting nearly half of the total residents. This Hindu community profoundly influences the island's culture, festivals and architecture.

Our wandering monks held a Malaysian youth day in Klang, fully orchestrated by Sivajnani Nagappan. It was a sweet event, conducted at the Iraivan Illam (home), a Saiva sanctuary and cultural center dedicated completely to Gurudeva's mission. It contains shrines, meeting halls, classrooms, kitchen, offices, and more. After an arti by Tillainathaswami, the youth gathered. Parents were sitting at the back, expecting to observe, but Paramacharya (in consultation with the young men and women) excused the parents, explaining that this way the questions for the swamis would be more open and uncensored. Big smiles illumined the faces of the fifteen participants as their parents, with great understanding, left the room.

The program was officially titled "The Power of You." Paramacharya told a few stories and offered some empowering tools for their teen life, based on Gurudeva's life and teachings. These, he said, were divine arrows in their quiver, to be used to face challenges, resolve issues, and meet the craziness of life with joy and wisdom. Many present were involved in sports and dance, so Paramacharya shared insights into how they could develop a core strength of spirituality, just as great athletes follow regimens to strengthen their core muscles. He also stressed ways to awaken and use intuition in life.

Questions followed, with some being shy and others eager to challenge the swamis with tough questions. The two swamis took turns answering. At noon, lunch was served followed by a break.
After the break, things changed. The once-reserved youth came alive with questions, courageously asking about stress in their life, verbal abuse, gaming habits, smut (their word for porn), the value of virginity, how to deal with criticism, and friendships gone wrong. They seemed to enjoy the answers, loudly applauding the swamis if some real insight was offered. Tillainathaswami took them through a simple Shum preparation for meditation session.

To conclude, four sweet Tirumurai songs were sung by one of the girls. The parents were invited back into the room and came forward for vibuthi prasadam, short personal discussions, and photos with the sannyasins.

In his opening statements, Paramachaya read the following poem, written in lesss than a tenth of a second by ChatGPT and untouched by human hands:



In Hawaii's sunny, palm-sway groove,
Two swamis live, always on the move.
They teach of yoga, karma, and love,
In their peaceful monastery, skies above.

"You know," said Swami One with a grin,
"It's time to pack; a journey's to begin!"
Swami Two nodded, "Let's take our show
To lands afar, where oil palms grow."

With orange robes and beads, they flew through sky,
Landing in Malaysia with a heartfelt sigh.
Kids gathered round, a youthful, eager crew,
"Teach us," they said, "what the power of 'you' can do!"

Swami One spoke first, "Harness your will!
Like surfers ride the waves, with skill to instill.
Your life force is sacred, let it not drift away,
Control it, and watch your troubles go way."

"Karma is but energy, your actions make it so,"
Swami Two added, "Learn this and you'll glow.
Use your intuition, be wise and be free,
And you'll float through life like a leaf on the sea."

Boys and girls listened, their eyes shining bright,
Playing soccer later, but now with more insight.
Acing exams, with focus so fine,
Singing hymns of love to God Siva, divine.

Relationships flourished, friendships grew pure,
Each little squabble, they'd easily cure.
"The power of you' is the power of me,"
They chanted in chorus, as grateful as could be.

Swami One and Swami Two, mission achieved, took to the sky,
Off to Mauritius shores, waving Malaysia goodbye.
Yet the tale's not over, for this much is true,
The power of "you" is a magical key that turns every lock you pursue.

Vishvanathaswami and taskforcer Tarun Nathoo planted a special variety of banana by the new Siddhidata Kulam shop. This will provide food, and privacy for the building. Not to mention it will look very beautiful. Thank you Tarun for your hard work!

Saturday morning was a full and fulfilling time with our Malaysian members. All gathered in the home of Rishipati Murugesu and Rishimata Valliamma. Traditional preparations would have made Gurudeva proud, complete with a Tamil-style welcome. Padapuja for Bodhinatha was conducted jointly by Tillainathaswami and the senior kulapatis of the country. There followed stories by Sadasivanathaswami about our beloved Gurudeva, a talk about the chakras, and singing of Natchintanai. Importantly and auspiciously, Poongkodi Vellasamy came forward to become a Vrata Shishya in Saiva Siddhanta Church. It is a deep spiritual commitment, and she had worked hard for years to qualify, bringing her ever closer to the Satguru and the paramparai. A feast followed, and all gathered at the home's entrance for this family photo.

Off the visiting swamis went to a marvelous temple famed for being in an area with lots of judges and lawyers who would go to Ganesha's shrine before their cases to get blessings and guidance.

One of the remarkable thing here is they do 108 or 1008 conch abhishekam everyday! Morning and afternoon! On this day it was 1008. They say there is a siddhar interred beneath a bilva tree trunk that sits right in the temple chamber (it was there before the temple was built and they did not want to remove it, though it is no longer living).

We had been told to expect a small surprise, but it turned out to not be small at all, as you will see in the slide show.