Here is a report from our celebration of Bodhinatha’s birthday on the retreat.

Each year the monks take great joy in holding a special Jayanthi birthday party for our Satguru. We gather in the Sun Palace for a special dinner. Then the gift-giving begins. Here Sadhaka Nandinatha reads a beautiful poem written by a devotee in Singapore. the full text is below.

Then one after another a few monks stand, say a few words and hand Bodhinatha a gift. Here he unwraps one of them.

At the very end a final gift is offered. Bodhinatha opens up the box.

The box itself was turned by one of the monks, using mango wood. All hand-made and finished with bees wax and an oil.

Inside two silk pouches.

And inside each a Golden Gift.

These are the traditional earrings of the kartar of an Aadheenam, slightly redesigned and made by a Kauai goldsmith under the monks direction. They are 1.5 inches in diameter, and of solid 22-karat gold, with white gold rings on either side of the textured sphere.

Bodhinatha appreciates the gift. The Kauai Innersearchers all pitched in this summer to make a collection to have these crafted as their gift of love and appreciation for the amazing Innersearch Bodhinatha took them on for 12 days in June. Bodhinatha’s smile says it all!