A small ladies retreat began today, with participants from Malaysia, Singapore and Kauai. One of the participants from Malaysia, Parimala Selvaraj, received mantra diksha from Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami. This diksha means receiving spiritual initiation from the Satguru to chant Aum Namah Sivaya 108 times daily on a rudraksha japa mala. Prior to this, she was chanting Aum Saravanabhava Aum. It is the first of two dikshas that all sishyas in Saiva Siddhanta Church prepare to receive. She is now known as a dikshasishya.