It is with utmost compassion that we watch the wintery trials of good souls in cold climates. Hawaii has such a temperate winter that we sometimes want to send tropical warmth in small FedEx boxes to those stuck in the snows of February.

So, today we will do a digital version of that. We took a walk through Siva's Living Temple, as it is sometimes called, the gardens, and photographed flowers and plants which may offer some small solace to non-islanders. Enjoy Hawaii's Wintery Wonderland in this simple slideshow.

Aum Namasivaya! Sivaya Nama Aum!

Yesterday's sunrise over Kauai Aadheenam was spectacular, with a bright and blazing, orange sky. A perfect moment to give our love and thanks to this great sustainer of light and life on our little planet.

As the sun, the eye of the whole world, is not sullied by the external faults of the eyes, so the one inner soul of all things is not sullied by the sorrow in the world, being external to it.

Satish and Usha Krishnamurthi with daughter Akhila and Usha's parents visited today. They are from Syracuse, New York and organize a satsang with their friends when Satguru Bodhinatha visits the east coast. It is Satish and Usha's 25th wedding anniversary.

There are still seats available for our 2014 Innersearch travel-study program. This year we will be flying to the island nation of Mauritius.

This is your opportunity to travel with a satguru and his monks on their periodic journeys, engaging in a personalized instruction based on The Master Course. Twenty-two Innersearch travel-study programs have been held since 1967, taking hundreds of seekers to India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Tahiti, Hawaii, Malaysia, Japan, Thailand, Russia, Switzerland, the Caribbean, Scandinavia, Australia, New Zealand and dozens of other regions. You can be sure that Innersearch is not your typical excursion but a travel experience that combines the mystical path of Indian spirituality with a superlative retreat from your day-to-day routine.

Each voyage is a pilgrimage to the divine and spectacular inside of you. The all-pervading beauty, color and grandeur of the outer voyage is but a reflection of the bliss and richness of the inner voyage as we delve the within together. A typical day includes morning classes exploring the esoterics of meditation and discussing how to live a spiritually dynamic life in a modern world. There are hatha yoga and meditation classes, question-and-answer sessions, instruction in Shum, Gurudeva's language of meditation, and lots of time for informal sharing with Bodhinatha and the swamis. Some of the most enriching moments are when we meet with Hindu communities, often joining in grand celebrations as they welcome us to the temples they have erected around the world. This year's Innersearch Travel-Study Program will be extra special, as it will be the first program held on the lovely island/nation of Mauritius and promises to be one of our sweetest journeys. Less grueling travel than previous programs, more upanishadic time with Bodhinatha and the swamis at our very own Spiritual Park which sits majestically at the confluence of a river and the ocean.

During our days on the enchanting island of Mauritius, much of our time will be spent at the Spiritual Park, having outdoor classes, exploring the park's paths, trees and river, meditating and enjoying the divine presence of the Deities. Once a month a large homa for Lord Panchamukha Ganapati is held at the park, drawing thousands of bhaktars from all over the island to receive His blessings. We will have the opportunity to join in the monthly homa at the Spiritual Park on July 6. Be prepared to be amazed at how Gurudeva's little spiritual garden has become the venue for the largest monthly Hindu gathering in the country.

Click here to visit our Innersearch information page for more details

Today the monastery began another phase with its usual Siva homa. The sacred fire ritual allows for a very potent connection with the devas and Mahadevas in the inner lokas. As the monks chant Sri Rudram, Satguru Bodhinatha places written prayers into the fire to be read by the inner-world beings. The varied requests include everything from simple assistance with one's area of work, to help with complicated projects for which one may write pages of detailed instructions. This truly special connection has proven itself time and time again to monks and family people alike. Following the havana, Satguru Bodhinatha gave a wonderful talk. Reading from parts of today's Master Course lesson, he elaborated on the functioning of one's awareness through the different chakras and the importance of sadhana in closing off lower states of mind and keeping them closed.

As you know, the team in India is working hard on the perimeter wall, that 480-foot-long granite wall that is regarded as mystically important, protecting the subtle energies of Siva's abode.

But you may not know that they are also working on some 50 granite pots that will sit atop the wall. Today we got this report from Jiva Rajasankara. Read the captions to learn of the process.

Recently Acharya Kumarnathaswami has been working hard to mill wood so that it may be saved and used for future monastery projects. With the help of Jnanideva, the wood from a large monkeypod tree was cut. Monkeypod is a wonderful dark wood that is often used for carving. The monastery was gifted these giant logs, which came from a historic, island tree that was cut down last year.

Over the last few days, Sadhaka Jayanatha and task-forcer Jnanideva have been installing the kolam designs in 16 of the media studio's ceiling coffers. Today the final two designs went in. The process requires planing off little bits at a time to get the right fit. The kolam designs are printed on canvas with plastic backing and they've been installed with velcro, allowing the designs to be moved around or replaced whenever a change of space is desired.