This morning the mathavasi began their new phase following two days of retreat. This will be a six day phase, which will include an Ardra abhishekam for Lord Nataraja on Sun 5, as well as the annual Ladies Retreat beginning Sun 4, for which a group a female church members will be visiting the island for 11 days, attending classes at the aadheenam, visiting Kadavul and Iraivan and doing sadhana around the grounds. Sun 4 is also Tour Day.

This morning, Kadavul had some extra guest pilgrims in attendance for the havana, along with the monastics and local members. Yoginathaswami performed this ancient ritual, which acts as a vibrant connection between this and inner worlds, while Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami presided over the event, burning the submitted written prayers, giving offerings to the flames and giving a short upadesha at the end. He discussed today's lessons from The Master Course.

"The path of Saiva Siddhanta is worshiping God on the outside and realizing God on the inside, and when the two come together--transformation! That means that you're different than you were. You have different desires. You have different motivations, different goals in life, because you've been transformed. You look at your previous life and you say, "That's another person." Why? Because you have found something real on the inside of you. Thoughts on the inside of you--they're not real, they're always changing. Feelings on the inside of you--they're not real, they're always changing. Siva on the inside of you is right there--never changes. Those of you who hear the nada, it's the same inner sound, morning, noon and night, 365 days a year. The light that lights your thoughts, 365 days a year, twenty-four hours a day, is the same. It lights up your dreams also. And the energy of your body--all coming from Siva."