Click here to view Part Two collection of photos celebrating the organized chaos of Ganesha Chaturthi at our Spiritual Park in Mauritius

For the past three days our Buddhist landscape architect has been exploring the sacred Siva Gardens with Sadasivanathaswami. The goal is to bring forth from within the most gracious, enchanting and meaningful landscape ideas for around Iraivan Temple.

Martin Mosco was sent here by Jim and Natalie Levin, at their expense, to spend 11 days creating a master plan. Martin is an amazing fellow and an intuitive maker of sacred space.

He stepped on the inner path when, at age 11, he was drowned in an infinite ocean of light. Nothing was ever the same. He studied for 20 years with a Tibetian master, and 12 more with a Japanese Zen master. At one point he took three years to do 108,000 full prostrations (he did that twice, as his master thought he had done the first set imperfectly!)

He is taking today off to visit the Limahuli garden on Kauai. And six of the monks are off to Kokee Park for three days. It will be Jaya's first such outing and all are excited for him.

Today Brahmachari Jaya took his supplicant pledge. This stage indicates that he is no longer "aspiring" to be a monk but has made a firm and clear decision to follow the monastic path, having settled his affairs in the world. As a supplicant he pledges to continue his spiritual work and is now in a state of "begging" or supplicating the order to be accepted as a full postulant Sadhaka.

He shared some of his insights into the seductiveness of the garden as feminine energy, contrasting with the radiant energy of a temple with its more masculine presence. He and Sadasivanatha spent four hours exploring the sacred gardens. They are working on future design plans for the landscaping. In the photo below he poses with Ganesha in the Rudraksha Forest. 

This month brought some beautiful souls to the Aadheenam. One of our Hawaiian looking locals remarked to Amala. " I have lived on this island all my life and and can't believe I have been unknowingly living so close to this astounding place!"

Title: A beautiful insight into the garden

Today over breakfast Martin gave us some wisdom regarding a garden's function. He says that a garden occupies all your senses. You'll see elegant flower you had not seen the previous day, while also experiencing the fragrance of the sorrounding plants and earth along with the gentle breeze and the sounds of birds. All this destracts the talkative mind from thinking and telling its endless story, allowing one to be themselves, peaceful and whole.

Title: A special guest visited the Ganapati Kulam this morning

Martin Mosko is visiting to lend his creativity to the Aadheenam's gardens, he is founder of Marpa & Associates, and is a landscape architect trained in both Eastern and Western traditions. He was initially educated at Yale College and University and was then trained as a Zen Buddhist monk, with Tenzan Keibun Roshi, whose lineage he continues.

Our Singapore and Malaysia members teamed up for presentations of Himalayan Academy Publications at a Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple temple in Singapore. Click here for a full report and images.
Click here for a full report and images.
And our Mauritius Missions helps a powerful Ganesha Chaturthi celebration (click for full report and photos)
(click for full report and photos)