Seaside Retreat
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Over the retreat, several of the monks spent some time by the ocean in Kapaa. They witnessed a beautiful sunrise and took a walk along the new East Side bike path, making their way from Kapaa town toward Kealia beach. Along the way they encountered the bluff where Gurudeva watched whales and wrote Dancing with Siva from his Winnebago Rialta field office.
Hanuman Jayanti
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The monks recently observed Hanuman Jayanti. Although celebrated at different times of year in different parts of India, the monastery honored this Great Hero according to Tamil custom. That is to say, on Moola nakshatra during Amavasya (new moon) in the month of Margashirsha, falling in December-January. This year it took place on December 31st in Hawaii.
Gurudeva explained that Lord Hanuman is highly instrumental in bringing Iraivan Temple into the First World from the inner worlds, in bringing the stones from India to Kauai. Gurudeva also had several profound clairvoyant and clairaudient experiences with this great Being. Because of this, we love and honor this Great God who reminds us that true greatness and strength is achieved through mastering humility and selfless service.
January 2nd Homa
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Today the monks begin a new phase. This morning's Siva homa welcomed several new guests including a young couple here on their second visit from Seattle, WA, Pirakash and Natasha. Pirakash is from Jaffna originally, Natasha is from Brazil. The couple offered grains and purnahuti to the sacred flames. Bodhinatha read from the Mastercourse following the homa, discussing Kundalini and the intensification of the various affected chakras as it gradually rises, such as those of Direct Cognition and Divine Love.
From Today's Lesson 265
from Merging with Siva
Kundalini, the Spiritual Force
Hatha yoga (ha-pingala and tha-ida) balances the two forces, the ida and the pingala. The straight, erect spine releases the actinodic flow of the sushumna current. The mind centered in the contemplative atmosphere, cognizing timelessness, causelessness, spacelessness while sitting in the lotus position, awakens the pineal and pituitary centers, and the door of Brahman at the top of the head.
The force of the actinodic causal body, the sheath of cognition, vijnanamaya kosha, a pure actinic force running through the sushumna current, is called the kundalini. As this kundalini force becomes activated, the sushumna power begins to grow, or the actinodic causal body begins to grow, and the higher chakras of cognition and universal love begin to spin faster. Once kundalini power has been activated, its force expands or contracts consciousness. As man's consciousness expands into actinic spheres, more kundalini power is used. This power is lessened as his consciousness emerges into the limited fields of the odic world.
Often known as the serpent power, the kundalini is coiled at the base of the spine in the instinctive man who resides mostly in the force fields of memory and fear. When this power becomes uncoiled, the serpent, or kundalini, luminously raises its head, and finally, after nirvikalpa samadhi, it lifts its power to the top of the head.
When nirvikalpa samadhi has been practiced daily for many, many years--according to the classical yoga teachings, for twelve years--and the golden body has been built, the kundalini force coils itself in the sahasrara chakra of the yogi, at the top of the head. This is known as the manas chakra, located about where the hairline begins at the forehead. This chakra eventually becomes the muladhara chakra, or the memory-pattern chakra, of the golden body. The manas chakra is fully activated when the golden body is fully unfolded. This is known in Hindu and Egyptian mystic schools as the golden body of light, for it registers in the minds of those who look upon it, to their soul body, as a golden ball of light or a golden body.
When the kundalini rises into the realms of pure actinicity, the pineal gland and pituitary center are activated. When these two centers are activated simultaneously, the forces of both of them merge, bringing man into nirvikalpa samadhi. Therefore, the aggressive odic force merges with the passive odic force, in perfect balance, and the actinodic power of the sushumna current comes into perfect balance, poised with the kundalini force. The yoga adept finds himself on the brink of the Absolute, cognizing That which he cannot explain, knowing there is something beyond which the mind does not know, conceiving That which cannot be conceived, because form, which is mind, cannot conceive formlessness. Then the yogi touches into the Self and becomes a knower of the Self, merges with Siva.
When the ida, pingala and sushumna forces merge and reside in perfect balance, the third eye awakens. When the pituitary, pineal glands and the sushumna source are in perfect balance, man is able to perceive consciously into other worlds of the mind. The golden body, as it begins to grow after the renunciate, or sannyasin, attains nirvikalpa samadhi, is built by man's service to his fellow man.
Lights, Coffers and Some Helping Hands
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The lighting for the Media Studio is nearly complete. The coffer lights have been installed and as you can see they are quite extraordinary. The sample kolum, below, is a wonderful addition and gives you a taste of how the many uniquely-designs art pieces will look throughout the ceiling. The Studio's new, cutting-edge Lutron lighting system allows for remote access to the lighting via a computer or mobile device. And to top things off, Jnanideva has just arrived from Canada to help with construction. A good time to be on Kauai. Back home he was facing negative temperatures. He's currently helping in the creation of the trim which will go between the ceiling and walls.
Fixing the Cow barn Generator
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Currently, the area where the cows are milked uses a small diesel generator for its occasional power needs, being far removed from the main buildings. Recently the generator was in need of repair, so Shanmuganathaswami and Sadhaka Mayuranatha worked hard to fix it. The two simultaneously set up a small workshop area next to the cow barn for any future repair needs.
Twitter Update: Meet Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami when he travel…
Recent Pilgrims
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Sutha and Nagula Suthaker with daughters Nila and Roja, are on their fourth pilgrimage from Edmonton, Canada. This time they brought Sutha's sister Chandrika from California, and nephew Roshan from Toronto.
A Big and Beautiful Rainbow over the Aadheenam
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A well-formed rainbow was spotted this morning, not long after sunrise. The rainclouds, which had bumped up against the mountain, created perfect conditions for this colorful display.
Wood Carvings from India
For almost a year now a craftsman in Northern India has been working on a pair of wood carvings for our Media Studio. They will be mounted on a stone wall on either side of our cave entry, welcoming visitors to our special space where Hinduism Today, the website, our books and art/video/audio are all created.
We thank Bhani Karthigesu of Singapore for engineering and sponsoring these new artifacts. He write that they are now in his showroom and will be shipped soon. Jai Ganesha! Jai Gurudeva!
Mauritius Classes Celebrate Pancha Ganapati
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Click here for many more photos and description of our Saivite Hindu Religion class groups celebrating Pancha Ganapati at our Spiritual Park
From Our Gurus' Teachings
Archives are now available through 2001. Light colored days have no posts. 1998-2001 coming later.
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