Bodhinatha and the monks were delighted to welcome Vijay and Sushma Pallod from Houston, Texas, a few days ago. We have been working closely with them for some 25 years, and this was their first–long overdue–visit, so we were all very happy to see them, and for some of us, to finally meet them. He has dedicated every spare moment of his life to Hindu causes. He has been an active supporter of Hinduism Today magazine since our first contact with him, sponsoring full-page advertisements in Hinduism Today in favor of various Hindu institutions and charities, and promoting and distributing the magazine in the USA and India. The enthusiastic and consistent support has made him a much appreciated friend of Hinduism Today and our staff. Sushma has dedicated her life to keeping the Hindu culture alive at home, especially in her 3 children. Now that they are grown up, she is more active than ever in Hindu community affairs, organizes an annual Hindu summer camp and is a go-to lady for other mothers who strive to keep up their Hindu family culture. Thank you Vijay and Sushma for your fine example and the untiring support!

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new International Day of Yoga web site was officially launched in Paris on August 10th. The monks were contacted to contribute and you will find Himalayan Academy Publication's contribution in the "About --> Roots of Yoga" section where the Yamas and Niyamas are in focus with a link to our book Yoga's Forgotten Foundation.

PARIS, FRANCE, April 10, 2015 (Business Standard): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today launched a portal for the International Day of Yoga here, describing the ancient Indian spiritual practice as capable of awakening a sense of oneness. Flanked by UNESCO Director General Irena Bukova, Modi officially launched the http://www.Idayofyoga.Org website after addressing a gathering at the UNESCO headquarters that included a large number of NRIs.

In his UNESCO address, Modi called for a change in lifestyle "because the emission reduction that we seek will be the natural outcome of how we live. It is with this vision that I had called the United Nations General Assembly last September to declare June 21 as the International Day of Yoga. Yoga awakens a sense of oneness and harmony with self, society and nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help us deal with climate change and create a more balanced world," Modi said. Check it out at www.IDayOfYoga.org/About/Roots of Yoga

A few days back we had 11 visitors arrive at the monastery gate, the friends and family of Woody Harrelson. Woody is an enormously talented actor, first on the last-millennium sitcom "Cheers" and more recently in the Hunger Games series (and lots more). He and his family live on Maui and this was their first visit to the monastery. Amazingly, Woody is deeply immersed in spiritual work and nearly every word he said was of the inner kind. Example question: "Swami, what difference is there, if any, in your tradition, between enlightenment and samadhi?"