The Power of Affirmation – Part 4
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 Power of Affirmation,” a talk given in 1958.
Happy Pancha Ganapati!
Learn all about Lord Ganesha’s Holiday celebration here: panchaganapati.com/
Please also enjoy this introductory video from fellow Ganesha Bhaktars at the Shree Ghanapathy Temple in London:
Tirukural – Chapter 67
Chapter 67: Resoluteness of Action
Verse 665
Two master sculptors have just finished an amazing stone murti, which stands behind them. They are being honored by the leaders of their community. Crowds have gathered to praise their accomplishment.
You can access the entire text, in Tamil and English here:
Weaver’s Wisdom
Verse 661
What is called resoluteness of action is, in truth,
resoluteness of mind. It is a quality unlike any other.
Verse 662
Avoiding all failure-prone action and remaining undiscouraged by
failures are said to be the dual directives of wise men.
Verse 663
Revealing an action after its completion is resoluteness.
Disclosing an action midway causes endless misery.
Verse 664
It is easy for anyone to speak of a plan,
but difficult indeed to execute what has been spoken.
Verse 665
Strong-willed exploits of virtuous men
win the crown’s respect and the crowd’s acclaim.
Verse 666
Those who think will have their thoughts fulfilled,
just as they thought, provided they possess strength of will.
Verse 667
Do not disparage men who appear small, for there are those,
seemingly insignificant, who are like the linchpin of a mighty chariot.
Verse 668
Visualize actions with unclouded clarity,
then forcefully undertake them without delay or indecision.
Verse 669
Despite dire hardships, hold to strength of mind
and do those deeds which yield joy of heart.
Verse 670
The world has no use for those who have no use for resolute
action, whatever other strengths they may possess.
2021 Ardra Darshana Homa Live Stream
Join us at 6:00am (Kauai time), December 19th, for Kauai Aadheenam’s 2021 celebration of Ardra Darshanam. The day begins at 6am with a Vedic fire ceremony in Kadavul Temple, and continues until noon with a puja and abhishekam to Kadavul Nataraja. While we do not take photos or video of Nataraja, we can still stream the first portion of the event, the 6:00am Siva homa.
The First Morning of the Moksha Ritau
Aum Namah Sivaya
We've just entered into a new season, the Moksha Ritau. We began the day with a Homa and then paraded out to the flagpole to fly the new colors for the season.
Here are reminders from Gurudeva, from his Saiva Dharma Shastras, detailing the significance and sadhanas of this inner season.
112 Introduction
Beginning with Hindu New Year in mid-April, three seasons of the year divide our activities into three great needs of humankind--the learning of scripture in the first season, Nartana Ritau; the living of culture in the second season, Jivana Ritau; and the meditating on Siva in the third season, Moksha Ritau. Thus we are constantly reminded that our life is Siva's life and our path to Him is through study, sadhana and realization. In ritau one, we teach the philosophy; in ritau two, we teach the culture; and in ritau three, we teach meditation.
120 The Third Season: Moksha Ritau
The third period of the year, Moksha Ritau, the cool season, is from mid-December to mid-April. It is the season of dissolution. The key word is resolution. Merging with Siva: Hinduism's Contemporary Metaphysics is the focus of study and intense investigation. The colors of this season are coral-pink, silver and all shades of blue and purple--coral for the Self within, silver and blue for illumination, and purple for enlightened wisdom. High above flies the coral flag, signaling Parasiva, Absolute Reality, beyond time, form and space. Moksha Ritau is a time of appreciation, of gratitude for all that life has given, and a time of honoring elders, those in the sannyasa stage of life. Moksha Ritau is excellent for philosophical discussions, voicing one's understanding of the path through an enlightened intellect. In finance, it is the time for yearly accounting and reconciliation. On a mundane level it is a time of clearing attics, basements, garages, sheds, warehouses, workshops and desks, getting rid of unneeded things, of pruning trees, of streamlining life on the physical plane--of reengineering.
The Power of Affirmation – Part 3
Today Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami gave his first weekly upadesha in Kadavul Temple following our two week observance of Sadhu Paksha. 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 Power of Affirmation," a talk given in 1958.
News from Moscow
It's snowing heavily in Moscow, and the temperature is 26F, a wild contrast to today's island winter of sun and a brisk 74 But one thing defines both regions, a commitment to Gurudeva's mission and teachings. A few days ago we shared the publishing of Living with Siva in Moscow, and today we receive news of the first public announcement of the book. Dinanatha Bodhiswami brought a small group of collaborators, translators and supporters to a famed estate in Moscow. He sends this report
Vanakkam Dear Bodhinatha and Sadasivanathaswami,
The work, which took 7 years, overcame 2 crises - the economic one in Russia in 2014 and the global one in 2020 associated with the pandemic, finally has been completed. We are celebrating today the release of the long-awaited and concluding book of the Gurudeva Trilogy, "Living with Siva".
It was published on the 20th Mahasamadhi anniversary of Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, signed to print on the birthday of Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami and presented to the Russian reader on 12.12.21. The magic of these coincidences and numbers is the mysticism that lives in the Teachings of Gurudeva and the Shaivism of our tradition of Saiva Siddhanta, the most beautiful religion in the world.
The presentation of the book was given in the historical hall of the Tretyakov estate of the 19th century, which today houses the A.P. Bogolyubov Art Library.
Om Siva Siva
From Our Gurus' Teachings
Archives are now available through 2001. Light colored days have no posts. 1998-2001 coming later.
