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Monastery Twitter Updates for 2011-09-10

  • We just met with Renate Seldon who is going to make a 90-second introductory video about the monastery for our new website. #

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Iraivan's Nandi Mandapam Kodungai Carving

A few days back we Selvanathan Stapathi and Shekar Stapathi visited our worksite. Here, we have Shekar Stapathi marking the thamam ( Lotus Petal) design on the kodungai stone.

A detail view of the lotus petal design. The kodungai stone is also called the sun shade stone. It sits on top of the beam stone at approximately 11ft high.

Here Selvanathan Stapathi makes corrections to Shekar Stapathi's marking.

Sittayah works on the new design just drawn. He is one the silpis who returned from the last batch of workers who left Kauai after 2 years of jointing works.

This is the ornamental design which comes on the front face of the kodungai. This is the first time that this design are being incorporated into stone work. The last rememberd versions of the same were practically carved only during the last Chola and Nayakas era of ruling.

Bodhinatha Is With Ganesha in Utah

Om Sivaya, everyone,

Saturday morning at temple for Visarjana. Blessings of many food offerings than a puja done by all the children on trays in groups of about six lead by the priest. I gave thirty-minute talk. Next, after circumambulating the temple, we paraded to a nearby pond and placed all the clay Ganeshas in the water. 300-400 devotees were in attendance.

Om
Bodhinatha

Meanwhile for Satguru Speaks fans, a recent marvelous upadesha from Bodhinatha on Siva Meditation has been posted. See the link on the sidebar.

END OF PHASE
Today is the last day of our phase.
We are have a three-day retreat and
will return, Sun One, Wednesday, September 14th.

Mastering the Flow of Water

Years ago, Gurudeva gave each of the kulams at the monastery affirmations for their sivathondu. Water is life’s most precious natural resource and the Siddhidata Kulam (SK) is charged to take care of the stream the flows through the Aadheenam from the Wailua Reservoir just one mile north of San Marga. The Wailua reservoir is still under repair and the SK continues to use this opportunity while the stream is dry to make improvements.

Today the Siddhidata Kulam is working on an emergency water management system for what we call “Narmada Stream.”

Excess water from extremely heavy rains , added to the normal water flow of the stream, can threaten the integrity of the walls of the waterway and contribute to flooding at the Aadheenam itself. A sluice gate is being installed on the stream bank just below Muruga Hill out on San Marga, to handle this problem. This gate is place just a short distance from where the stream enters our property. Here you can see Sadhaka Rajanatha working on the base of the sluice-way. During heavy rains the we can open the gate and let water that would normally continue on to damage the fragile banks of the stream or flood the aadheenam, run down to the lower ponds by Iraivan and from there to the Wailua River.

Visiting Arkansas

After Chicago they went to Arkansas. Siddhanathaswami writes:

We had a wonderful visit with Jim and Terri Coleman at their facility in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas.

Our Iraivan crystal was found by Jim in the 70s. They were gracious hosts that spent about 2.5 hours with us! We arrived at their rock shop on the side of Highway 7.

Jim, a real miner with the back pain to prove it, greeted us then took us to his processing facility near his home.

He showed us what he had in stock then immediately started with fantastic stories. Crystals grow in an amazing way. They grow in veins of clay between sandstone walls. They only grow pointing north-south on both sides of the sandstone walls.

The large face of the single-pointed crystals points down going towards the center of the vein, then points up to the bottom of the vein. The largest crystals form at the center, but in many cases, break off and move through the clay to the bottom.

Our Iraivan Swayambhu crystal was found at the bottom of a huge 40-ft vein. Once a large vein is found, the mining is mostly done by hand do avoid chipping and breaking the crystals. When the crystal, or crystal cluster is large, it can take days to expose it for transport. Then they are cleaned through multiple washings, baths and drying in the sun.

Jim then took us to a vista of the mine and pointed to where he found our crystal. He said, “follow this end of the water that you can see and come this way about 40 feet, then up another 40 feet.

That where I found your crystal.” When they first started mining, it was a small hill, so the crystal was actually quite deep in the mine.

Hawaii's Ever Bubbling Volcano

The power of nature has a humbling effect, reminding us of our small place in Siva’s vast cosmic universe. Our own nearby volcano is an ever present reminder of the dynamic state of our planet. The volcano on the big island is considered to be in a state of eruption, but that state is more like a constant “bubbling” of the lava. Residents of what we know here as “The Big Island” (which has the same name as the state itself: “Hawaii”) keep a watch on the activity as they are all living on top of this boiling mass!

The US Geological Survey’s Hawaii Volcano Observatory division keeps constant and very detailed data on the current state of the activity. For the geologically minded among you, or just for a fascinating read you can find out about the nature of the lava tube, it’s location, depth and the exact state of things in the last 24 hours here: http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov. They also publish photos daily. Click the photo or this link to see a larger version of the photo at the left.

How do Hindus view other religions?

We continue today with the four new questions and answers that Bodhinatha and the Hinduism Today team just completed. Tweet them. Save them for future use. But mostly, just enjoy them!



Click here to view the full article Fourteen Questions

In India, where Hindus are the overwhelming majority, the rights of minority religions have always been honored. Hindus have welcomed, embraced and lived peacefully among other religions for centuries. During those same centuries, Hinduism itself evolved into hundreds of strains, and thus Hindus are fully at home with many different traditions and viewpoints within their own faith. Hence, they are naturally tolerant of other religions, respecting the fact that each has unique beliefs, practices, goals and paths of attainment, and not objecting when the doctrines of one conflict with those of another. Hindus readily accept the idea that it is not necessary, desirable or even possible for everyone to hold the same beliefs. And certainly such differences should never be cause for tension, criticism, intolerance or violence. An ancient Sanskrit verse summarizes the Hindu attitude: "As the different streams, having their sources in different places, all mingle their water in the sea, so, O Lord, the different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee." Hindus do not proselytize, meaning they do not try to convert members of other faiths to their own. Proselytizing is based upon the belief that one's religion is the only true religion and everyone else should join it. Hindus hold the view that all faiths are beneficial. A devout Hindu is supportive of all efforts that lead to a pure and virtuous life and would consider it unthinkable to dissuade a sincere devotee from his chosen faith. They know that good citizens and stable societies are created from groups of religious people in all nations. While encouraging others to follow their chosen path with dedication, Hindus hold Sanatana Dharma to be the fullest expression of religion, and do accept sincere souls who seek entrance into Hinduism. Elaboration: When discussing other religions, Hindu leaders often quote a verse from the Rig Veda (1.164.46): "Ekam Sat, viprah bahudha vadanti," meaning "Truth is One, sages describe it variously." It conveys a core Hindu idea: that there can be multiple valid viewpoints about the Supreme. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, philosopher and former president of India, stressed this point: "The Hindu recognizes one Supreme Spirit, though different names are given to it." In expressing religious tolerance, Hindus sometimes cite the above verse to assert that all religions are the same. In reality, all religions are not the same, nor is that indicated by this verse. It simply says that all religions revere the One Truth; all believe in the One Supreme Being. Their beliefs and practices are different; their paths are distinct. Instead of saying, "All religions are the same," it is better to state that "all religions are good." Hindus share values common to all faiths: piety, love of God, respect for tradition, a stress on duty, responsibility and basic human virtues, such as nonviolence, truthfulness, compassion and charity. They know that good citizens and stable societies are created from groups of religious people in all nations. They also acknowledge and honor the many ways that religions differ. For example, meditation and yoga are commonly practiced in Eastern religions but not usually in Western faiths. The heart of a religion is its understanding of the soul's relationship to God. Hinduism and most Eastern religions believe that, at the highest level, God and soul are one, inseparable, while Western faiths maintain that Creator and creation are eternally distinct. Hindus support and participate in ecumenical gatherings with other religions, while upholding their own traditions. They confidently defend their faith, proceed contentedly with their practices and avoid the enchantment of other ways, be they ancient or modern.

Bodhinatha in Chicago

Our team on the road is in Utah today, but Sannyasin Siddhanathaswami was able to find the time and bandwidth to send some photos. Here is Bodhinatha on Lake Michigan getting a view of the city.

In the evening they had satsang at the Malhotra home.

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

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