Hinduism Today’s April/May/June, 2022
Jai Ganesha!
Hinduism Today Magazine’s April/May/June, 2022 issue is now available online free of charge at www.hinduismtoday.com.
Explore the articles:
• The Wondrous Wood Temples of Tons Valley
• Seven Dimensions of the Mind
• Tolerance: A Hindu Viewpoint
• Quotes & Quips Apr-2022
• The Future of Hindu Matchmaking
• Performing Sandhya Vandanam
• Diwali Days East & West
• My Trip into Young Hindu-American Minds
• Surviving College as a Hindu
• From The Upanishads: Dwelling in the Heart of All
• Intermittent Fasting
• The World is One Family
• Diabetes: Part Two
• India’s Educational Heritage
• Digital Dharma
• Global Dharma
• Letters to the Editors
Tolerance: A Hindu Viewpoint
Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami presents his Publisher’s Desk Editorial from the latest issue of Hinduism Today Magazine.
“In a world mired in stubborn opinion, bigotry and callousness, it is important to reflect on ideals that can be an antidote. World populations are experiencing ever-increasing diversity in their interpersonal and international interactions. This is due to freer immigration and refugee movements, global travel and, perhaps most significantly, increased Internet exposure to other religions, cultures, belief structures and ethnicities…”
Aadheenam Devotees in Bangalore Sponsor New Nandi Earring
Every weekend our SSC sishyas conduct online satsang, which Satguru joins partway through to give a presentation. Recently one of the attendees shared a nice testimony, which sishya Jiva Rajasankara in Bangalore heard. He got inspired to connect with the man to find out more about him. His name is Madan Ganesh, with wife Sumathi and two children. It turns out they also live in Bangalore, just a half hour drive away.
Jiva learned that Madan's family found Gurudeva's teachings online a couple of years ago and are now formal students of the Master Course and supporters of Kauai Aadheenam activities. Jiva invited the family to visit the carving worksite to meet in person and see the last two container's worth of temple items being shipped to Kauai. They were inspired to the point of deciding to sponsor the gold earring for Iraivan Temple's new Nandi, and also expressed their wish to become formal sishyas of our parampara some day. Here are a few photos of the family.
Ashram + Iraivan Sadhana Day
Today was Ashram Sadhana Day for the Mathavasis. That's our day every month when we spend extra time cleaning in around the monastery. The monks started their day as a group cleaning up around Iraivan Temple mainly moving unused stone in preparation for future landscaping around the base of Iraivan. Following that they continued with their various assigned cleaning areas. It must be a good time for cleaning! The monks are doing so, after all. Maybe something in your life needs some cleaning too? As Gurudeva would say, cleaning allows the energies in a space for flow freely again. If it feels like an area of life isn't moving forward, one of the first fixes to try is to do a major cleaning of your work and living spaces. Give it a try! Aum Namah Sivaya.
Tirukural – Chapter 81
Chapter 81: Old Familiarity
Verse 807
A limb, fallen from a large tree, has broken the chariot and injured the passengers. In the foreground the maker of the chariot apologizes to the charioteer, who assures the man that it was not his fault.
You can access the entire text, in Tamil and English here:
Weaver's Wisdom
Verse 801
What is old familiarity? It is when neither friend
objects to liberties taken by the other.
Verse 802
Liberties taken by a friend are friendship's rightful possession;
to allow them is the willing duty of wise men.
Verse 803
What is the purpose of long-standing fellowship
if friends' familiar actions are not accepted as one's own?
Verse 804
Familiar with familiarity, the wise are never annoyed
when friends do things without asking.
Verse 805
When friends do things that hurt you, attribute it
to unawareness or to the privileges of friendship.
Verse 806
Bound by brotherhood, true friends never break their bond
with an old comrade, even if he brings them loss.
Verse 807
Old friends do not forsake loving fellowships,
even when those they cherish happen to do them harm.
Verse 808
An intimate of any strength will never listen to faults said of friends;
and on the day a friend offends, he is content to keep silent.
Verse 809
The world cherishes faithful men who never forsake
old friendships, worn by time but unbroken.
Verse 810
Even ill-wishers will wish those well
who never abandon affection for old friends.
A Return to Kadavul Temple
"Deep inside we are perfect this very moment, and we have only to discover and live up to this perfection to be whole. Our energy and God's energy are the same, ever coming out of the void. We are all beautiful children of God."- Gurudeva
Aum Namah Śivaya
Yesterday the state of Hawaii lowered its indoor mask mandate and relaxed occupancy restrictions. This allowed our local members to join the monks for their weekly 6:00am Siva Puja and Upadesha in Kadavul Temple. This was the first time in several years that they could all be together in the temple for this special, spiritual event.
The Physical and Pranic Bodies – Part 3
Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami gives his weekly upadesha in Kadavul Temple at Kauai's Hindu Monastery in Hawaii. It is part of a series of talks elaborating on the inspired teachings of Sivaya Subramuniyaswami as found in his book Merging With Siva. Here, Satguru discusses "The Physical and Pranic Bodies," a talk given in 1960
Saving the Gold Leafing!
Today is the final day of the phase and after a three moon circumgyration shortage of sky-water, it has begun to spill again. Luckily the rain stopped for a few hours during the day and we were able to finish our gold leafing protection project. The Kodimarams at Kadavul and Iraivan Temple are covered in a gold leafing and therefore very susceptible to Kauai's climate. Thus, to prevent having to re-gild them again, they are sprayed with a special solution that prevents the growth of mold and other microorganisms. Also there is a new photographer today so if you have any tips on how to take better pictures please comment below. Have a great week! Om Sivaya Om Sivaya Om Sivaya.
Final Two Containers from India
The team in Bengaluru has been working hard to bring all the pieces together for the last shipment to Kauai. A few days back you saw them making the solid crates that will protect the sculptured stones during their 8,000-mile voyage. This slideshow is historic, since there will be no further containers coming from India for Iraivan. We thank the Rajasankara family for documenting this, not easy when you are in the middle of complex packing and moving. Enjoy the slideshow, and this short movie.
Tirukural – Chapter 80
Chapter 80: Testing Fitness for Friendship
Verse 800
A man is conversing with his wife when he notices a suspicious looking man outside surveilling them. Going outside, he offers the stranger a few coins to go away.
You can access the entire text, in Tamil and English here:
Weaver's Wisdom
Verse 791
Nothing is more grievous than friendship formed without first
testing, for once adopted, it cannot be abandoned by the faithful.
Verse 792
Unless it begins with testing and proving,
friendship may end in mortal sorrow.
Verse 793
Before you befriend him, consider a man's character,
family background, faults and faithful allies.
Verse 794
Pay any price to possess the friendship
of well-born men who cannot bear rebuke and shame.
Verse 795
Seek out and befriend those who, speaking out, move you to repent,
reprove your wrongdoing and teach you the right ways.
Verse 796
There is a benefit even in misfortune, for it is the rod
with which a man may measure the loyalty of friends.
Verse 797
To give up friendship with fools and quit their company--
such loss is said to be a man's greatest gain.
Verse 798
Don't dwell on thoughts that dim your spirit.
Don't befriend those who flee you in affliction.
Verse 799
Even in the hour of death, the thoughts of friends
who left you in your hour of need will hurt the heart.
Verse 800
Hold tight to friendship with pure men;
let go of unfit fellows, even by paying them off.
From Our Gurus' Teachings
Archives are now available through 2001. Light colored days have no posts. 1998-2001 coming later.
