Recently, our traveling Swami's who are currently in Malaysia, woke up early and made their way to Batu Caves before sunrise. This famed pilgrimage site for Lord Murugan is a large natural cave structure in a small mountain, the entrance of which was thought to look like Muruga's Vel.

Our Swami's first stopped at the small Ganesha temple down below. It was still dark when they began their climb up the stairs. Tillainathaswami noted, "I headed up the stairs a few minutes early from the group. It's a good exercise to scale those tall steps and was very much worth the huffing and puffing. Arriving at the top before even the priest, I was able to spend a few serene minutes completely alone in the whole of Batu Caves. Just the cool water dripping off the cave walls and the bat-like chirps of the cave swallows. The monkeys were still asleep. No mumble of people, no music. A very, very special experience. I went up the high steps in the back of the cave and found an overlooking spot at one end of the top step, nestled in a vertical cone-like formation that exaggerated the subtle sounds of the wind as it blew through the heights of the cave. As you may know there is one small opening hundreds of feet up in the main chamber, and a huge opening to the mountain top in the upper chamber, replete with green jungle plants. Sitting in this unique little spot allowed me to hear the softest wind coming through the cave which, in the morning, comes in quiet pulses like a breath or heartbeat. It felt like all the temple-structures and shrines were simply decorations, and that it was actually the cave itself that was Muruga. I meditated there for a long while Paramacharya enjoyed some special meditation time in front of the main shrine—a Vel in the side of the cave. It's an area where the cave walls have been gilded in gold, and a temple built around it. After a long mediation I made my way down to sit there as well. Other Malaysia shishya had arrived, and a beautiful crystal-light-filled alankaram was revealed."

The Muruga that is placed there for the puja was holding two Vels. A silver one and a bronze one. At the end of the puja, the priest took the bronze one from the shrine and gave it to our monks to take back to Kauai. Before leaving, below at a Palani shrine, another bronze Vel was gifted.

After heading down from the cave, talking to the monkeys along the way, our swami's also had a short sit-down with members and then the priest of the small Siva Temple that's there, brought our swamis over for a blessing from the Sivalinga.

Paramacharya and Tillainathaswami held a long morning session with the Malaysian ladiesl It was a time of stories (some never told), sharing, questions and a great Thai veggie lunch at the end. The written questions were anonymous and so all felt free to ask some tough ones: about the karmic implications of imperfect japa (what if I left out one of the 108 names?), how to reincarnate in Hawaii, dealing with difficult people and situations.

As a fun beginning, Paramacharya read a little poem written by ChatGPT with a simple prompt (untouched by human hands):



In Hawaii, two swamis did dwell,
Who knew the ways of Siva quite well.
In Kuala Lumpur, they found women so grand,
With wisdom and power, they took a strong stand.
In worship they did so excel.

Their love for Siva and guru so true,
Brought them together, a spiritually rich crew.
In stories and questions, they all took part,
With devotion and love, they spoke from the heart.
"Blessed are we," they sang, "for this path we pursue."

The Malaysian members were eager to take Paramacharya and Tillainathaswami to a famed temple, one Gurudeva visited often.

The Bricksfield Temple is known for its intricate architecture and lively festivals, a spiritual retreat amidst some serious urban chaos. It offers locals and tourists an intimate glimpse into the soul of the city.

The manager took the swamis around the shrines, and then a puja was performed. One of the main purposes of the visit was then quietly performed (without photography) over near a remote pillar. It was the signing of the "Solemn Aspirations," the first and simplest vows of a monastic candidate. Kodiswara read aloud his pledge to follow the monastic path, and then signed the bookss in the presence of the swamis. The kulapatis then took the monks to a special restaurant, Annalakshmi, run by devotees of the Temple of Fine Arts, which has a section downstairs where food is served and you only pay what you can or want to pay.

A short flight from Singapore brought our swamis to Malaysia to be met by senior kulapatis at the airport. Paramacharya had not visited for several years, and Tillainathaswami had only been inside the airport, not in the country. After a happy reuniion, off we were swept to our hotel which looks out over the city which has about 8 million citizens. We will be here for five days, with opportunities to be with members as our primary goal. Gurudeva came here often and it is easy to feel his presence in the faces of the shishyas who want to talk about Gurudeva, listen to Gurudeva stories and be with other Gurudeva devotees. So we feel right at home.

Five electricians from California have begun the process of installing wiring, fans and power outlets throughout the new Siddhidata Kulam metal building, courtesy of our SSC sishya Easvan Param, a longtime electrican.

Three scissor lifts are rented for the project, which will last around a couple weeks.

Aum Namah Sivaya

Here are more photos from our monks' journey. Sadasivanathaswami and Tillainathaswami are currently traveling, visiting Singapore, Malaysia and Mauritius. After a day of travel they arrived in Singapore where they were able to spend time with members, have Satsang, visit the Sri Sivan Temple, and enjoy some informal time at Singapore's largest bird sanctuary. Tomorrow they fly to Malaysia. More to come!

Our two traveling Swamis had a delightful evening at the Sri Sivan Temple in Singapore, of which more details are coming. Meantime, a poem that summarizes the satsang part of the event. Sadasivanaathaswami was sharing with the members how ChatGPT4 is helping the publishing team to proofread and organize/summarize long articles. He asked Chat to write a poem about the swamis meeting the members in the temple, as an example of the AI's amazing talents. In less than one second, this unedited poem was composed based on a simple prompt of three sentences. It describes some of the traits for which the nation/state is known, multiculturalism, promptness, cleanliness, innovation and fines for everything. To manage public cleanliness, Singapore has banned gum and even on the plane it was announced it is illegal to bring gum into the country! Enjoy the poem.

In Singapore where punctuality's "key,"
A group meets Tonight with joy and esprit.
With swamis from far isles,
And Sivaya Subramuniya's styles,
They find "Light and Love," blissfully free!

In temples where "Cleanliness" reigns,
They cast off their worldly chains.
With moksha in sight,
On Siva's San Marga Path of Light,"
They transcend their earthly pains.

A "Multicultural" crew,
From backgrounds not just a few.
Chinese, Malay, and more,
All come through the door,
In search of a spiritual view.

In the land where "Innovation" survives,
They seek out enlightened lives.
From the MRT's speed,
To spiritual need,
Each soul like a lotus thrives.

So here in this small city-state,
Where everything's efficient and "great,"
They've found what they seek,
With spirits unique,
And joy that's first-rate!

In Singapore, a "fine" city, indeed,
Where laws are observed to a "T."
For litter or speed,
Or jaywalking, take heed!
You'll get fined so fast, you won't even see!

"Adaptability's" their forte,
Learning from Gurudeva each day.
Two Hawaiian swamis, too,
Bring a wisdom to the brew,
On their quest to find the right way.

One of Yogaswami's most frequent admonitions to devotees seeking Siva consciousness was also one of his simplest. He would say, "Summa iru," Be still. One of his most ardent devotees, Germanswami, was so determined to fulfill that edict that he tatood the two words on his right forearm. Today we give some words of wisdom from Gurudeva on the topic of quieting the mind in order to go within. Not easy, he would say, but well worth the effort.

"The still mind of the sage is a mirror reflecting the depth of the universe. It is in that state of mental tranquility that you become acutely aware of the eternal present."

"Simplicity, the art of accomplishing a lot with a little, is what helps quiet the mind. When we are too encumbered with the world, there is no space for spiritual thoughts."

"The quest for enlightenment begins with the quieting of the mind. It is in silence that we hear the whispered wisdom of the soul."

"The ultimate aim is to be at home in one's body, to be at one with the nature of oneself, and to experience exercise as a creative and delightful experience. It is through this quieting of the mind and body that we tap into our divine source."

"Only when the clamor of the outside world is silenced will you be able to hear the deeper vibration. Listen carefully. It is a soundless voice, a shy breath, a flicker of light. It is the sacred fount of your existence."

"The quiet mind allows the voice of intuition to be heard."

"When the mind becomes still, a new consciousness between man and God becomes apparent."

Aum Namah Sivaya

Today we present a series of artistic imagery taken by our very own Brahmachari Shankara. With camera in hand, he marched out upon our majestic garden lands and took a cornucopia of photos detailing our many plants and waterways. Here are a select few of his images, displaying the many small wonders that stood out to his eye.

Now that the new metal building is finished on the outside, including gutters and drain pipes to move rainwater away from the building, the Siddhidata Kulam is adjusting the surroundings. The ground is now sloped away on three sides, with a slightly lower pathway cut to channel water further away. Narrow concrete pipes already in our possession were laid next to each other to form a wide culvert for diverting a large amount of water out into the nearby orchard. The road over this culvert is the main route for coming to and from the new building. A round catchment tank is being installed as another source of rainwater storage for emergency use, and we also just purchased a used, large, stainless steel tanker as another source of backup water. A mound of dirt and mulch is established around the south side of the building to grow plants for a visual barrier.