Paramacharya Bodhinathaswami took the opportunity to tell us that there is a tendency when working with various disciplines to become too serious. Personal discipline is important but it shouldn't eclipse natural joy and laughter. Strict and serious are not synonymous. Look at Gurudeva, he is more strict than anyone and He is ever enjoying life and what it has to offer. Avoid getting too serious and keeping a serious face. Our youth are full of the joy and laughter of life and look to us to reinforce this most important quality of life.

Parmacharya Bodhinathaswami also shared some insights on the three forms of worship. Home shrine, Weekly temple attendance and annual pilgrimage. It is not easy to track or mark our progress spiritually, it is so subtle. Nevertheless when we are consistent each day with our personal sadhana we build a certain power and momentum in our willpower. We don't have to necessarily have the greatest mediation every day but it is this constant striving and effort which brings about a transformation. When we attend the temple during the weekly phase and stay in touch with that power, which is much greater than we can create in our own home shrine no matter how consistent we are, we add tremendous energy to the personal efforts we have made in our home shrine. Finally when we put our responsibilities on hold once each year and pilgrimage to a temple outside our home area we attain a focus and energy in our worship which is not possible in the midst of our daily routines. It is a worship that is not broken away from once started for any tasks and worldly duties and is extremely beneficial and uplifting.

The benefits of this kind of discipline is that we are prevented from falling when we face the stress and sorrow that life can bring. If we have not been consistent and abandon our disciplines during these times we would be in double trouble, but the momentum of consistent daily sadhana exercises a powerful control over our karmas and keeps us buoyant and always hopeful.

Festival days are another time that great blessings can be received. It is likened to a day without clouds. The Sun is always there and supremely powerful but on cloudy days there are things in the way. Similarly when festival days arrive we can plan and prepare to throw our energies into our worship with great vigor we can benefit a great deal from the full power and darshan of the Deity.

Paramacharya Bodhinathaswami shared many of the joys of his recent pilgrimage to the East and we enjoyed an update on the spiritual park in Mauritius. He also shared some of the experiences he had at the great temples in India which transported us there in the blink of an eye. Aum shanti