Bodhinatha meets with several families today.

This is Manickam Senthivel’s son from Vancouver who recently married a young lady in Sri Lanka just six months ago. Bodhinatha blesses the young couple.

Manickavel, (top left) his son, daughter-in-law and wife from Vancouver, Canada.

Mrunal, Padmaja and Pooja Patel family are here again from Texas. They are students of the Master Course.

Picking up the thread of activities… Yesterday afternoon everyone went to Poipu for a late afternoon outing. The location is called “Ship Wreck Beach” at the far end of the island. Recent storms have brought us heavy seas, and the site is spectacular after a walk to the top of the bluff.

Our goal was to watch the sunset from this side of the island… it is always a beautiful experience.

After intense pujas and classes, the devotees relax and enjoy satsang in the midst of Siva’s natural ocean wonder world.

A raffle was held, and everyone who had a ticket got a small prize which was given out by Bodhinatha.

The sweetness of being together with those in the shelter of Siva’s love… it is all Gurudeva’s gift to use and the gift of the Guru Parampara.

This morning’s homa was conducted by two Sivachariyas from Canada.

On the right is Chandrasekara Gurukkal, originally from Vellore, and the left is Kandasamy Gurukkal, both living in Toronto now.

It was also the most auspicious occasion of the Namakarana of Rajan Sankara, our newest premonastic monk.

Click here is a small slide show and more captions on this morning’s events.

Rajan Shankara, who had been with us on Task Force earlier this year, returned home and legally changed his name. He is having his Namakarana Samskara today.

He reads from his Namakarana Certificate his declaration before God, Gods and Guru:

Namakarana Samskara
Hindu Name-Giving Sacrament

“I, Rajan Shankara formerly known as , having declared of my own volition acceptance of the principles of the Sanatana Dharma, including a firm belief in all-pervasive Divinity and the Vedic revelations of karma, dharma and purvajanma, and having severed all previous non-Hindu religious affiliations, attachments and commitments, hereby humbly petition entrance into the Saivite sect of the Hindu religion through the traditional Namakarana Samskara.”

“I plead for recognition and acceptance of this irrevocable conversion to Saivite Hinduism by the community of devotees witnessing this sacred rite.”

Signature of devotee: Rajan Shankara

It is Hereby Certified that this devotee was at a namakarana samskara held at Kadavul Hindu Temple on the auspicious day of November 6, 2007, duly given a Hindu name in accordance with the traditions of Hinduism before God, Gods and devas.

This person is thus bound eternally and immutably to the Hindu religion as a member of this most ancient faith with full rights of access to all public Hindu temples, shrines and institutions throughout the world from this day onward.

Witnesses:

Officiating priest:
Kandasamy Gurukkal

Again, we have to thank Gurudeva for bringing us this wonderful traditional method of formally entering the Hindu religion. Read all about it in his book “How to Become (a Better) Hindu”