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Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami was invited to Minneapolis for a first visit to the Hindu Temple of Minnesota. For the occasion, the temple created a special event on June 14th and 15th called Laksha Shiva Panchakshara Japa Yagna. The goal was to have at least 108 devotees chanting the mantra Aum Namah Shivaya 1008 times, which meant the mantra was chanted over 100,000 times (laksha). This was performed on both Friday and Saturday, along with Mahaganapati and Navagraha Homa, chants including Ganapati Atharvashirsha, Sri Rudram, Ghosha Shanti, Purushasuktam, and Sri Rudra Homa. It was a powerful experience. Satguru Bodhinatha also spoke to the devotees after each event, included in these video clips.
Prior to the temple visit, Satguru Bodhinatha visited the home of our hosts, Drs. Shashikant and Kumud Sane for satsang with the core temple devotees. This video is of the satsang.

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Our June 2013 news video covers events in May 2013 including: Vaikasi Vishakham held and Kaduval temple, Iriavan temple carving progress, our newest monk’s initiation, the upcoming 2014 Mauritius Innersearch, the making of The History of Hindu India educational video filmed in South India and the Monastery’s solar project progress.

“Swami, I have a crazy idea.” That’s what one editor said to his traveling companion the day before departure. We never thought it possible: a mission through Europe the length of time it takes the moon to make a full circle around the Earth, without a computer. Actually, it had never even been considered before. Does not a diligent monk need to bring the MacBook Pro, of which he is steward, on such a long and activity-filled voyage in order to properly and dutifully keep current with his multitudinous responsibilities, not to mention manage the trip’s many complex logistics, communications and outcomes? Apparently not. After careful analysis and with a nod of support from his trustworthy travel partner, this editor decided to drop 2.56 kg from his luggage and go with just an iPhone and an iPad mini (not even a full-size iPad). It would be a brave move, for sure—pushing the limits of what is possible in today’s high-tech world of ubiquitous Internet and small-device, cloud-based digital living. So, onto the shelf went the behemoth MacBook Pro and into the satchel went the two little iDevices. And here he is being followed by a moonshadow on a bus on the way to the inaugural dinner of the World Yoga Day festivities in Lisbon, Portugal, writing the very blog post you have just finished reading. Aum Namah Sivaya, e obrigado pela leitura!

Progress is being made on the Media Studio entryway. This long beam is the main ridge of the entryway and is almost ready for installation.

The classic tool in the following photo with Kumarnathaswami using it, is an Ajax No. 8 Barn Beam Drill, made of cast iron and oak. Such drills were common in the latter part of the 19th century, used for drilling large holes for mortising in timberframe construction, such as the building of those marvelous old barns that used to adorn the countryside from sea to sea. The drill removes most of the waste in the mortise which is then squared up and cleaned out with chisels. The mortise's purpose is to accept a tenon cut on the end of a joining post. 
Kumarnathaswami purchased this drill on ebay specifically for our timber-frame work on the Media Studio entry system. Despite being 150 years old, it is in perfect shape and functions flawlessly and easily, a remarkable wonder from the days before power tools came on the scene. It is also easy to use and a lot of fun. It just makes you feel good just to look at it, drill a hole or watch someone use it!

These are photos of Yogaswami and of his hermitage in Jaffna where he stayed towards the end of his life as he was recovering from a broken hip.

From The Guru Chronicles:

"We Learned Silence in His Presence"
In June of 1961, after three months in Jaffna General Hospital, Swami returned to Columbuthurai and moved into his new hermitage. People took turns caring for him. There was always someone on duty to look after Swami's needs, and Dr. Rajakaruna visited the ashram every morning to do physical therapy for Swami. In spite of this, he never regained the ability to walk.
As his strength returned, Swami would take excursions in his wheelchair. He was often sighted kilometers from his hermitage in his chair, pushed by Sivayogeswaran, nephew of Mr. Tirunavukarasu. He also moved about freely by car in the mornings. At noon, he would have lunch and then take a nap until 4pm. In the evenings he received devotees in the ashram.
A special activity each weekend was driving to the beach. He especially loved to visit the seaside in those days; it seemed to give him physical solace. A. Thillyampalam and his teenage son T. Sivayogapathy would arrive in their Rover with their driver at 4:30pm. The son's duty was to sponge Swami's body, dress him for the outing and ever-so-slowly move him into the wheelchair for the short ride to the road.
Swami sat in the front seat with the driver as they drove to the beach. Once there, they parked the car, with doors wide open and the skylight pulled back, so he could enjoy the sea breeze. From the seaside, Swami and his hosts proceeded to Sivathondan Nilayam, where, from the car, he would call Chellathurai over for a short talk.
Typically they proceeded to Nallur Temple. Parked at a distance in front of the teradi, Swami sang Sivapuranam and worshiped. Money, coconuts and camphor were sent inside the temple in a basket so that a special puja could be performed invoking the blessings of the Deity.
As sadhus and others invariably approached, Swami personally handed a plantain to each one, while, on the other side of the car, Thillyampalam reached into his coin purse, carefully prepared for just this moment, and gave each one a coin, ten or fifty rupees--a generous sum, as in those days an ample meal could be purchased with a single rupee. This remained the pattern until January of 1964.
People were no longer afraid of the once-fearsome sage, and many who had not dared approach him earlier now came. Often he sent them to the Sivathondan Nilayam.
Increasingly, efforts were made to ensure Swami's comfort. His legs were swollen with excess fluid, and it helped if someone rubbed them. He allowed only a few men to massage his legs, and they considered it such a blessing that they would have massaged forever if he had not sensed their fatigue and asked them to stop.

Laksha Shiva Panchakshara Homam at Hindu Temple of Minnesota

We visited the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit with our hosts Hiren and Tina Desai and the Pundit from the temple and his family. The museum has a large collection of cars from present day back to the Model T and Model N, with other transportation items as well such as locomotives and some of the earliest airplanes and electric power generators. With all of these original items, the museum is quite spectacular and engaging. We only had a couple hours to rush through; it would actually take days to carefully examine and absorb each exhibit. We share some photos.

In the evening we visited the home of our hosts-- Hiren, Tina, Neil and Karishma Desai-- for satsang with their close friends. Bodhinatha spoke about karma yoga, and then many wonderful questions were asked.

The next morning we visited the new land purchased by the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of Windsor. They now have to raise the funds to build the new temple.