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Arumugaswami and Yoginathaswami Fine in India

All is well at the Aadheenam on this Sun Three. Sannyasins Arumugaswami and Yoginathaswami arrived safe and sound in India. They are taking care of some project coordination in Pondicherry, before proceeding to see Lord Nataraja in Chidambaram and then on to Bangalore to bring home some new silpis for Iraivan.

Renowned Buffy Saint-Marie Visits Kauai Aadheenam

Todays’ guests included Rodney Sonoda who is a local resident and a specialist in ‘Discus fish.’ These fish are unique in their disc-shape, extraordinary colors, refinement, intelligence and long-life. Rodney previously installed the large tanks housing the discus fish at the Aadheenam.

With Rodney is his friend Buffy Sainte-Marie who now also lives on Kauai.

They were both taken for a tour of the Iraivan Temple and pose in front of the sanctum sanctorum.

Buffy is a world renowned folk singer and song writer.

Originally born on a Cree Reservation in Saskatchewan, lived for many years in Maine and Massachusetts where she obtained degrees in Oriental Philosophy and Teaching at the University of Massachusetts. Multi-talented, Buffy is a well-known song writer. Her songs have been rendered by many other artists including Barbara Steisand, Elvis Presley, Neil Diamond, Janis Joplin, Chet Atkins, Robert Flack, the Boston Pops Orchestra and many other artists.

Buffy has been a strong advocate for the rights and welfare of the indigenous American tribes and has used her success as an international activist pop star to help raise worldwide awareness about issues facing Native Americans. Throughout her career she has served tirelessly to help with the education of Native Americans through her Nihewan Foundation. Blacklisted in the 1970’s for her outspoken critiques of the treatment of native Americans, she resurfaced years later to continue her work. As she matured over the years she has served as a leader and UNESCO spokeswoman in the field of aboriginal education in Canada.

You can find out more about her life, art and life-long service to her people at

http://www.creative-native.com/

and if you interested in education, click here to visit the Nihewan Foundation’s Cradleboard Teaching project website. (based on Kauai.)

See also this very good article in Wikipedia

Before their departure Paramacharya Ceyonswami invited Buffy and Rodney into the Monastery to see the very beautiful discus fish and to view some of the sacred art displayed there.

A Visitor's Photos

We have today a visual treat, some photos sent by a visitor to the monastery. She begins at the beginning, with Pranava AUM, the Sound of the Universe, in tooled copper.

It's at the Ganesha at the entry.

Every visitor sees the land differently.

And that translates to different photos.

It always amazed us…

that two photographers…

could take the same camera and lens…

point it at the same subject…

and get an entirely different result!

Seems the very consciousness of the photographer…

is captured in the photo.

Like Shanmuga Himself, it is a mystery.

Iraivan capstone

The lotuses are beginning their annual march across the marsh.

We leave you with a final thought from a philosopher: "When we long for life without difficulties, it is good to be reminded that great oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are forged under intense pressure."

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

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