"Today's sutra speaks about wealth, which is one of the four
legitimate pursuits in the life of a Hindu: kama (pleasure), artha,
(wealth) dharma (living in accordance to the divine law and order)
and moksha (liberation). Dharma serves to contain
all our action, all our karma, as we pursue these goals. It is like a box.
By living in accordance with dharma all our actions, our karma, remains
with prescribed boundaries. It is contained inside the box of dharma so that
don't create too much bad karma or create too much good karma either.
Even good karma has to be contained lest it also draw us back to another birth.

And then we need to understand the other three goals,
wealth, pleasure and liberation in a broader context.
Money of itself it not wealth. You could be financially well off but
live in a world of concrete and cement. Disconnected and unhappy.
That's not wealth. But to live in a world with nature,
with a garden to grown your own food and the trees and plants around you.
That is also wealth. And kama, which is sometimes looked at as sexual pleasure,
is much more than that. It is also the enjoyment of the family, the extended family,
happy associations with peopleyou are in harmony with, not living with people who are opposed to you. And moksha is not just the moment of liberation, but an overriding principle that works throughout your life, defining your choices, keeping you on the path, the source of the will behind your daily sadhana. Aum"

Gurudeva

Special announcement:
The pages on this daily site are now being updated daily
at 5:30 PM Hawaii Standard Time.

Today was tour day and an unusual mix of visitors came. Very sincere and open. Here (and below) Gurudeva meets them in his small office.

One of senior church members, Easan Katir, finally made to Kauai Aadheenam for Task force. He brought his son Kartikkeya. They are helping with art projects in the morning and working in the garden in the afternoons.

Below, Acharya Palaniswami helps Kartikkeya Katir with a scanning project. Gurudeva saw that most Hindu publications use black and white line art, so the bright, energetic 8 year old is scanning in all of Rajam's painting designs (which he drew in black and white before doing the actual paintings) which Kartikkeya will put on a CD for sale. "OK, so how does this scanner work?"

Tour day guests get an orientation talk by Sadhaka Thondunatha in the Bangalore Gallery.

Guests today: on the left two "New Age" ladies from Santa Cruz and San Jose, third from the left, a lady who plans to have a big tour group come to Kauai for the "turn of the millennium." Then we have an unknown couple, the Patel family a Japanese couple and the Shaw family.

The lovely Shaw family shows a new trend of pilgrims. They discovered Kauai Aadheenam on the Internet and decided to come for a visit, fully prepared and beautifully dressed in their Hindu clothing.