• Bodhinatha is giving a talk at the Karya Siddhi Hanuman Temple in Frisco, TX, this evening at 6:30 pm. If you're in Plano, join us! #
• Bodhinatha is speaking at the Hindu Temple of Greater Fort Worth #

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Title: Auspicious Grace of the Guru

Each month the moon moves into the Chitra Nakshatra and we observe the sacred Guru puja. It is always a profound and touching ceremony as the other worldly grace of Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, our beloved Gurudeva, pours forth as we worship his holy paduka/sandals. The magical mystery of "The Holy Feet" -- the place where the Divine touches earth -- is an ever alive and powerful experience.

Since arriving earlier this week from Austin, Bodhinatha and Senthilnathaswami have criss-crossed the huge Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex several times, going from event to event, meeting to meeting.

First upon arriving on Tuesday evening was a meeting with the board of directors of the up and coming Hindu Temple of Greater Fort Worth. There are no temples west of Arlington, and this strong group is working hard to create one here on the outskirts of the west side of the metroplex because it can typically take an hour or more to get from here to any of the other temples. This dedicated group is our host, bringing Bodhinatha back to Fort Worth for the third time in three years. With each visit, as their temple project progresses, they ask Bodhinatha for more and more advice on topics ranging from how to situate the murtis in the temple, to what other kinds of facilities to build on their 17 acre parcel, to how to manage various aspects of the project and issues that arise in the process. They have officially asked Bodhinatha to be the temple's guiding guru, which he accepted. In his presence, the board officially signed over part of the land to the temple that they have been holding in a trust until now.

On Wednesday we drove to Plano for a live interview with Karishma Himatsinghani on her popular internet radio station, RadioKarishma. The interview covered a variety of interesting topics and will be replayed frequently in the coming weeks. Tune in to find out when. You can even download her station's free iOS app, called "Karishma," and listen on the go! Conversation with her and her husband afterward included an informative discussion about Internet radio and mobile apps, something the monastery may venture into with our vast library of audio content in the years ahead.

On Thursday evening we drove all the way out to Richardson to the beautiful, recently constructed University of Texas Dallas campus to meet with the branch of the Hindu Students Association there. In a discussion and advice-giving format, they asked Bodhinatha lots of questions about the four stages of life (ashramas), especially the brahmacharya ashram and how their duties and focus of life will change over time, as well as other topics, including details of reincarnation and karma. The group was especially engaged and truly enjoyed their time speaking with Bodhinatha directly about their concerns and questions.

Greetings,

I just came back from visiting the Batticaloa Yogaswami Girls Home and two other boys homes there. It was heart warming to see the growth of the children from my last visit and also the development of these institutions. The Yogaswami Girl's Home is in fact attracting volunteers. In our girls home there were two teachers from England staying there for a month and teaching english. I also attended few public events. My sincere thanks to those who support these institutions. Enclosing are some photos for you to enjoy.

Aum Shanthi,

Rishi Thondunathan

You can contribute via the Hindu Heritage Endowment

http://www.hheonline.org/funds/fund_62.html

• http://t.co/m99AsQdo A small bromeliad in bloom in Siva's Magical Garden today. From another planet? #
• Dr. Boyareddi brought Swami Sarveshananda of Chinmaya Mission Dallas to see us today. We had a wonderful discussion! http://t.co/BfxyKsiM #

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On Wednesday night, the full moon in the month of Phalguna, Bodhinatha was invited to attend the Holika bonfire and give a talk at the Dallas Fortworth Hindu Temple, the original temple in the area, right in the middle of the metroplex. This now large temple has extensive facilities, including classrooms, halls, yajnashalas, apartments for six priests and their families, living facilities for the elderly, and more. Hundreds come for darshan in the multi-Deity temple every day, and 800 children attend classes each weekend, using their custom curriculum in Hinduism and many Indian languages. This temple, dubbed the "Ekta Mandir," is also referred to as the "Mother Temple" because it sends a delegation to every new temple group that starts up anywhere in the metroplex, offering guidance, assistance and a healthy donation to get them started.

Last weekend Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami was the honored guest at the Hindu Temple of Central Texas in the town of Temple. (After experiencing some awkwardness every time we told people that Bodhinatha was speaking "at the temple in Temple," we learned that all the Hindus in central and northern Texas refer to this sanctuary simply and affectionately as "Temple Texas.")

About 35 people came to the talk, which is close to the 50 devotees the temple usually draws for its Sunday ceremonies. This young temple has beautiful Agamic style construction and ornamentation, and the vibration is palpable. The main Deity is Omkara Mahaganapati. If you live in Austin, Dallas or are driving between the two, we highly recommend visiting this temple to receive Ganesha's blessings.

There is a strong contingent here from the South of India and the North of Sri Lanka, including Gankeyan Kanthasamy from Jaffna. We learned that he attended Yogaswami's Sivathondan Nilayam in Jaffna every week as a child. As soon as we started talking about our parampara, he brightened up and listened close. He and others cherished a gift that Bodhinatha made of one copy of The Guru Chronicles for the temple library.

The talk also spontaneously turned into a book signing, as many of the devotees rushed to the back of the hall to purchase copies of The Guru Chronicles and then lined up to have Bodhinatha sign them before they departed.

• http://t.co/67CWy1HO It's an epiphyte from the rain forests of Ecuador, a rare plant with powerful fragrance. In bloom today. #
• http://t.co/GAs6czeA One of Bodhinatha's favorites blooming in Siva's Garden this morning. #

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• Bodhinatha graces the lighting of the Holika at DFW Hindu Temple http://t.co/jl64yKyX #
• Bodhinatha is on his way to the DFW Hindu Temple to give a talk to hundreds who are gathering for Holika. #
• Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami is speaking live on http://t.co/lj3Cs91Y right now. Tune in! http://t.co/9gUnaOEv #
• Listen to a live internet radio interview with Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami on Radio Karishma at 10am CST today. http://t.co/XL7lZIui #