Gurudeva tells us what we can do to bring up all the goodness that happened during the past year and how we can express our gratitude and appreciation. This is a thanksgiving time and Gurudeva gives us "Orders from headquarters." Our only is within the inner self. Gurudeva tells us Sadhakas are getting ready to renew their vows and that two young men are sitting on the wall for a month begging for entrance to the Monastery. This New Years Eve, pilgrims are beginning to arrive for Satguru Jayanti, Gurudeva's 73rd.

Unedited Transcript:

Today at Kauai Aadheenam. December 31st, New Year's Eve. That is tonight on the western calendar. Here on the beautiful Garden Island of Kauai, fireworks and firecrackers will be booming off at twelve midnight.

Pilgrims are beginning to arrive here at Kauai Aadheenam for Jayanthi, my birthday, January 5th. Chudikadevi and Gowri Nadason arrived from Malaysia. Both of them run a database for 'Hinduism Today' and distribute it on news-stands all throughout the country. We want to welcome Chudikadevi and Gowri. Their help is invaluable in the lovely country of Malaysia.

Easvan Param arrived from California to put lighting in the Kadavul Hindu Temple. This is the Temple at Kauai Aadheenam for the mathavasis, the monks. He is putting in lighting, in and among the 108 beautiful bronze statues of Lord Siva in various dance poses. 108 dance poses. We want to thank him for that.

Well, on January 5th, new sadhakas are getting ready to renew their vows. We have one flying in from Australia, another one flying in from Malaysia and we have two dynamic young men sitting at our wall, begging entrance into the monastery. That means they sit at a wall, in the rain. They take their food there. Other monastics go out and encourage them, tell them what a wonderful monastery it is. They are trying to blend their mind into the big mind flow. 25 seasoned mathavasis are living within the monastery doing wonderful work and they want to be a part of that work. They are sitting at the wall for one month, morning, noon, and night. They are invited in by somebody each time to come in and serve. They can walk away, get on a plane and fly off the island at any time. They have a chance to reconsider their dedication, reconsider their commitment. This is a tradition that the Japanese Buddhists hold and Hindu monks have matured through, for century after century. Our particular wall is called the 'Wall of Rain' because it rains at least two hours a day, if not more.

Well, tonight and tomorrow, at this New Year - which is the New Year for most of the World, but not for Hindus, of course - is a wonderful time to reconcile differences within yourself and count your blessings and show appreciation and express gratitude for all the good that has happened to you in 1998. That year is gone forever. It will never be repeated again. You can't do anything about it, but you can bring up all the goodness that happened during that year. I know we've been making a lot of lists', but this is list number three. List number three says to us, "Write down and try to remember all the goodness that has happened to you and the goodness that you have done for others. But most importantly, express appreciation and show your gratitude for everyone who has come toward you, who has helped you". New Year's day, pick up that telephone and make twenty-five calls, if you can get through. Lines are going to be crowded! But do it in your heart or write letters or postcards and say "I appreciate you. I am grateful for you. Thank you".

This is a thanksgiving time. Can you do that? These are orders from Headquarters from our Cyberspace Ashram. You tuned in. It is in your Karma to hear these words. It is in your life pattern. Just do it. Show appreciation, show gratitude.

Tomorrow will be January 1, 1999. Only twelve months more for the big "We don't know what is going to happen!" Everybody has their own ideas. We think we are going to be secure, because security is within the inner self. That is the only security. We are taking a retreat on January 1st, and January 2nd and then we begin our celebrations for 73rd Jayanthi. Can't believe it! The physical body is 73 years old, in perfect health. Just as good as it was when it was forty or thirty, maybe a little bit better.

So, we will see you at our Cyberspace Ashram on January 3rd. We will be seeing you!