Long Time Kauai Neighbours Finally Visit Aadheenam

Hideo Tanaka established Hideo Plumbing and Sheetmetal Inc on Kauai in the earlier 1900's. He worked from his home in Kapaa, literally a stone's throw from Kauai Aadheenam, just down the hill. Through the years he and his son Bryan (pictured here) established a reputation for excellent work and customer service. The monks have been doing business with him since 1976 when we had Mr. Hideo Tanaka make a lot of custom plumbing parts for our honey extraction and bottling operations in the days when we kept honey bees. Hideo has gone to the spirit world but his son Bryan carried the business forward. Recently we have been having his team prepare a lot of copper flashing work for the renovation of the Manga Mandapam and Ganapati Kulam Media Studio renovation. We invited him and his wife Tanya to come for a visit and a tour. It was their first time visiting the monastery and Iraivan temple.

This morning the monastery held a sacred fire ritual to begin the new phase. Satguru Bodhinatha is traveling in Singapore and Malaysia, so Sadasivanathaswami burned the written prayers and gave a short talk in his stead. He discussed the Iraivan carvings that are on their way from Bangalore, which include Hanuman and the statues of the satgurus. He then gave insight into the world of microbiology and the many amazing new discoveries and understandings coming about in new science, in which the microcosm echoes the macrocosm in infinite complexity and inestimable intelligence.

Over the retreat several of the monks spent some time in the wood shop working on individual projects. Here Sadhhaka Jayanatha has hand carved a natural base for a crystal lingam. In the background Nirvani Nilakanthanatha is on the lathe turning a wooden bowl from our own harvested tree.

Today was tour day at the monastery. With an increasing number of guests, this was the second tour day to take place this phase. Over a hundred people arrived today and had an opportunity to see the monastery gardens and have a guided tour of the Iriavan temple site. One recent guest expressing their amazement, commenting at how peaceful and powerful the monastery felt to them.

Today the monks begin their new phase. With Satguru Bodhinatha traveling, Paramacharya Sadasivanathaswami fills in to burn prayers to the devas and give a short talk, telling a story while alluding to the mysterious ways in which a guru will teach and uplift a seeker.

From the Tirumantiram on the Guru:
He taught me the meekness of Spirit, Infused in me the light of devotion, Granted me the Grace of His Feet; And after holy interrogation, testing me entirely, He revealed to me the Real, the Unreal and Real-Unreal; Certainly the Guru is the Siva Himself.
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