This morning, the monastery observed its usual homa to begin the new phase. This is the first one since the the beginning of the recent Sadhu Paksha retreat. For the monks, this will be a short four-day phase followed by a 3-day full-moon retreat, when instead of focusing on kulam work the monks can work on other side projects, delve into their sadhana or do any assortment of things that they wouldn't have time for during the phase. This morning brought us very strong rains, but that didn't stop a large group of devotees from attending the early morning event. As the havana was lit, Sri Rudram was chanted by several monks while Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami burned the written prayers that had been submitted, in the sacred flames. These notes are then read by the devas connected to Kadavul Temple who work tirelessly to dispatch our requests in keeping with our karma and dharma. The Siva Homa is a powerful connection between worlds and makes obvious the shakti and unconditional love that flows forth from the subtle tattvas of the devas and Mahadevas. Following the homa, Satguru gave a short talk about the importance of worship, meditation and of choosing a path in life that challenges us. Aum Namah Sivaya.

Last night the monastery had more than four inches of rain again! Wai in Hawaiian means water, and waiwai means wealth. It's true, all life and abundance comes from water.

Doing a damage-control tour just now (none), the monks captured this vista in Rishi Valley, from which you can see four of the 20 waterfalls! And the cocoa colored run-off waters from the deluge.

"No life on Earth can exist without water, and water's ceaseless flow cannot exist without rain." Kural 20