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What Happened Today at the Monastery?

Aloha from the Hawaiian islands!

It is Sun Two here at the monastery, an overcast day very conducive to focusing on our work.

Here is Bodhinatha during the last India Odyssey, living life joyously.

Today is October first. We begin the countdown to the seventh anniversary of Gurudeva’s Great Departure, culminating on October 27th with a grand homa and an abhishekam.

This photo was taken in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, in 1981, as Gurudeva was being greeted by families there with as many flowers as they could offer.

Today is also an official Tour Day and we had Siva come in some of His manifold, ever-creative forms.

Deva and Amala Seyon were the hosts today, telling the story of Gurudeva’s life and mission and introducing our pilgrims to the noble Saiva Siddhanta philosophy, so full of heart and wisdom, love and knowing that lies beyond knowledge.

 

A Day at Kauai Aadheenam: the Movie

Another fresh release from the capital of Saivite video. This is a captivating short movie of the monastery’s activities that one of our swamis created recently to share with some members in Malaysia. It was taken on the day that our friend Swami Nirmalanandanatha, sucessor to Balagangadharanathaswami, was visiting the Aadheenam.

Kadavul Temple scenes

This is a traditional thombai at Kadavul Temple’s entry.

Just recently a Gujarati lady, a grandma pilgrim, told the monks,

“I love the holiness of temples and I’ve seen a thousand in India and around the world. Of them all, this little temple on a miniature island stands out. It is the most beautiful. It is the most pure. It is actually divine. I can hardly believe it exists.”

Outside resides a precious carving of our mighty Lord Ganesha, to greet and bless all who venture nigh.

In His left hand the noose, to hold us close and harness our karmas, protecting us, now and again, even from ourselves.

In His right hand the goad, to prod our slothful instinctive minds along the path.

At His feet is the humble Mushika, making an offering.

This marvelous sculpture in wood was designed by the monks and carved in North India.

Above two parrots eat berries and talk about all they see.

A mountaintop perspective of Kaua’i

A dear guest recently visited our Kaua’i island and took a helicopter ride. It is a great experience, when we can hold the perspective from up above in consciouness, observing the river of life.

Gurudeva wrote in The River of Life,

“Meditate on a river. Follow it as from its source to the end where it merges into the sea.

You can now clearly see where you have been clinging to the bank of life’s river. You will plainly see just how long you have been clinging to various attachments by holding on to fears, worries, doubts of the future and regrets about the past. Looking at attachment, we see how it holds the mind down, how it submerges personality. Attachment is a stationary thing.”

“As the river flows to meet the sea, it drops off many disturbances, just as our life absorbs many of its hindrances. The rapids smooth out, the waterfalls become smaller, the mouth of the river broadens, and as the river flows into the ocean we can see this esoteric symbol of life ending its manifest physical form.”

Such is the beauty waiting at the end of the journey.

Archives are now available through 2001. Light colored days have no posts. 1998-2001 coming later.

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