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Monastery Twitter Updates for 2011-11-12

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Monks Hike Makaha Ridge


On the retreat, Senthilnathaswami took Sivanadiyar Mayuran and Woody Waits, who is here on task force for six months exploring monastic life, to Kokee State Park on the west side of the island for a hike. They hiked the Makaha Ridge Road, an old dirt road/trail that extends west from the main canyon road along one of the many ridges roughly toward Polihale Beach. The hike was seven miles in all, and covered an altitude change of 1,000 feet between the top of the trail and the far end. Suffice it to say, climbing 1,000 feet in 3.5 miles on the way back was great exercise!

Keralan Temple, Ganapati Sthapati and a Youth Essay in Hinduism Today Jan/Feb/Mar 2012 Issue

Our upcoming issue of Hinduism Today covers the story of the Keralan temple whose newly uncovered wealth has attracted a storm of news reports.

 
Our tribute to Ganapati Sthapati, architect of Iraivan Temple

 
The winning youth essay from the Hindu American Foundation's NextGen contest on being Hindu and being American

Skanda Shasti Abhishekam

The energetic shakti of Lord Muruga during our Skanda Shasti puja. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0nUaCPR4HA

Last Phase's Sun One Upadesha

Our guru speaks about the successive spiritual achievements willpower, God-realization, liberation from rebirth and merger with Siva. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPR19-3HL_8

Sri Parameswara Deekshitar Visits from Chidambaram

Over this past retreat, we were graced to have with us Sri Parameswara Deekshitar of Chidambaram temple. Deekshitar is the chief priest of Chidambaram temple and brother of Sri Anandanataraja Deekshitar, both of whom were instrumental in welcoming Gurudeva to said temple for the first time in the 70s. After a tour of San Marga Iraivan Temple, Deekshitar (second from left) met with Bodhinatha has did Deekshitar's wife (far left) and family friend Sundari Balaraman (far right).

The brief yet meaningful visit provided a sweet reminder of the Aadheenam's history and kinship with Ananda Nataraja Chidambaram Temple and the Deekshitars -- its priestly staff of staunch Sivathondars.

Vel and Valli Alahan hosted the priest.

Vel writes: On picking up G. Parameshwara Deekshithar I was confronted with an older gentleman with the energy of a six year old. His wife Vijayalakshmi and a contact from Honolulu Sundari Balaraman accompanied him. Sundari helped in translating whatever Deekshithar and I could not otherwise understand of each other.

We first went to the Sacred Rudraksha Forest. They collected some Rudraksha fruits. He knew if you dug beneath the ground naturally cleaned and polished seed pods were there and he collected a few. He actually knew a great deal about plants as we went on tour. A common ground cover that we consider a common weed difficult to control he said "if one has gout make a juice from the leaves and take three times, only three times".

At our house after a quick foot wash we were to have tea and coffee as it was still early to go Kadavul Temple. He made himself at home walking anywhere he wanted to go. He entered the shrine room and said " this is not a house, it is a Temple." He applied vibhuti from
Chidambaram on us after pouring it over Lord Nataraja's foot as done in Kadavul.


We sat for a while and he took a look through some of our books. Merging with Siva has many small pictures at the start of each chapter. He knew what was depicted on each one "this is saint .... one of the 63 Nayanars and this is his story and why...." And then the next picture. After a brief story of Saint Sambandar we sang the "money bag" song together, the only song I know and my Tamil was pretty good, uh close." We then had our beverages and fruits and while enjoying each other's company he decided to pose and dance as Siva Nataraja and having my wife dance with him.

We decided to walk to the Temple.

Paramacharya Sivanathaswami offered him a seat of honor up at the Crystal Lingam and later in the Nataraja Sanctum. He also met with Yoginathaswami who has the Tamil speaking Siddhi.

We then went on a tour of the Monastery and specifically to Iraivan Temple. He was extremely impressed and without coaching or hesitation reached into the Lion Pillar's mouth and rolled the ball about. He knew Ganapati Stapathi.

He was very impressed with the Puja, the pronunciations of the Vedic chants. He teaches Vedic studies. In Chidambaram one priest does all the six pujas in a day and they alternate as each day has a different priest. After the Tour we had Darshan with Bodhinatha in the Guru Peedam. He was so happy! I know that as he had very deep knowing and comfortable eyes and we connected and he was so, so happy by everyone's treatment of him, a very simple man.

He will never stop talking about Lord Nataraja especially in Hawaii at Kadavul or everywhere, in everyone, dancing.

We took lunch at the house. They brought lunch which we all shared. He asked for a banana leaf, I brought him a banana leaf and Valli added some chutney's and Papadums.

Aum Sivaya,

Newly Weds Come for Blessings

Dr. Uma Hari and Mike from Rhode Island, USA, just got married yesterday in Waimea on the south side of Kauai. They came with the wedding party today to enjoy visiting Iraivan Temple and getting blessings from Bodhinatha.

Gurudeva Puja in Alaveddy, Sri Lanka

Gurudeva's 10th Maha Samadhi puja was held at our Sri Subramuniya Ashram's Sri Pasupathiswarar Temple on October 25th.

Two priests from the Kumbilavalai Ganesha Temple conducted the Puja.

Along with the local devotees, Rishimatha Sivalosany Kanagaratnam attended the event.

Along with the Sri Subramuniya Kottam children

Another Hinduism Today Jan 2012 Preview

The next issue of Hinduism Today has Mantra Yoga as the subject of the insights sections. For everyone who loves doing japa and those who want to understand it, this is a "must have" article.

New Edition of Monk's Cookbook

We sold our the inventory of Monk's Cookbook and a new edition has just gone to press. No new recipes were added, but many adjustments to the quantities of spices used were made in existing recipes.

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

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