Satguru is currently on a trip to visit Chicago, Montreal, Toronto and a couple places in eastern USA. This first set of photos shows some satsangs, home visits and home office blessings at a few homes of devotees in Chicago.
Satguru’s Travels Read More »
Today is the first full day of our new season, the Jivana Ritau. Early this morning, monastics and members gathered in Kadavul Temple for a homa. Following the final arati they proceeded out the the Aadheenam’s flagpole to fly the dvaja for the new season.
Excerpts from Saiva Dharma Shastras about the this time of year:
“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.
During Jivana Ritau, the rainy season, from mid-August to mid-December,Living with Siva: Hinduism’s Contemporary Cultureis the primary text. The key word of this season is work. The colors are rust, copper-maroon and all shades of red rust for earthy preservation, copper-maroon for fulfillment and red for physical energy. The Aadheenam’s flag pole flies the rust-colored dhvaja, symbolizing environmental care. Copper-maroon and all shades of red adorn our smaller flags. This is the season of honoring and showing appreciation for those in the vanaprastha ashrama, life’s elder advisor stage. The focus is on preserving what has been created, manifesting goals and fulfilling plans made in the past. Inwardly the emphasis is on direct cognition and caring for the practical details of the external world. Practicality is a word much used this season.”
Welcoming the 2024 Jivana Ritau Read More »
The 1,400-foot-long circular Path of the Saiva Satgurus has eight black granite murtis, each with a sign that speaks of the life, sayings and biography of that Satguru. The existing signs were printed some nine years back and have deteriorated some in the tropical climate and UV intensity of the tropics.
But technology has evolved, and we now have a high-tech printer in Honolulu who can print directly on aluminum sheets. The inks used are cured using UV light, which has the effect of baking the inks. They can also shape the signs with a CNC router. These signs will last for decades. We added a QR Code to each one that takes you directly to the page in The Guru Chronicles telling the full story of his life.
We put the eight signs out in the Media Studio today so the team could enjoy them all together before they go out into the gardens to be installed. Aum Namasivaya!
New Signs for the Satgurus Read More »
A few days ago was our monthly Gurudeva padapuja during chitra nakshatra.
Gurudeva Chitra Padapuja Read More »
Some 40 years back we planted two Naga Pu trees from India and they grew in the shade of some tall Poincianna trees, so did not flower as expected. This year they did flower and here we see Sadhaka Shankaranatha harvesting the flowers. Commonly called the Cannon Ball Tree after its spherical brown fruit that can be the size of a human head, it is known in India as Naga Pu or Serpent Flower. As the slideshow reveals, the intricate structure of the flower holds a structure that looks like a cobra’s hood hovering above a yellow circle which has in the middle a tiny white Sivalingam. The tree is planted in temple compounds throughout India and the flowers are a special offering to Siva. Sadhaka took his bag of blossoms to Siva’s Feet.
Aum Namah Sivaya
Over the last few days we’ve captured a view quick timelapses of the sunrise over Iraivan Temple, so we’d thought they might make a nice little video. And we might as well have Suno AI generate a song for it, right? It might not have made something in a very traditional genre, but for a song generated in 10 seconds flat, it’s pretty good.
Music from Suno Ai, generated with the prompt “melodic song about the monks of Kauai’s Hindu Monastery at sunrise”
[Verse]
Upon the cliffs of Kauai’s crest
Where sun and sea in union rest
The monks with silent steps
They rise
Beneath the ever-changing skies
[Verse 2] With chants that blend with morning’s light
In robes of saffron
Pure insight
They greet the dawn with quiet grace
The sacred glow upon each face
[Chorus] Oh
Kauai’s whispers
Ancient tales
In the morning mist
Where silence prevails
Harmony in every breath and prayer
Monks of sunrise
Souls laid bare
Sunrise at Iraivan Read More »
