A Daily Chronicle of Kauai's Hindu Monastery

Satguru Siva Yogaswami
Jaffna, Sri Lanka

A Daily Chronicle of Kauai's Hindu Monastery

Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
Kauai's Hindu Monastery, USA

December 26, 2000
December 26: Purvashadha Until 4:07PM HST
December 27: Uttarashadha Until 7:07PM HST
Hindu Year 5102: Vikrama, the "Year of Fulfillment"

Here is Gurudeva out under the trees by the ocean in a photo we took today. As some of you already know from announcements posted to the email lists, Gurudeva recently suffered a painful lower back problem. Everyone will be overjoyed to know that over these past three days he has been up and walking around little by little and is full of life and vitality. Meanwhile here is the report from Acharya Palaniswami who is taking care of Gurudeva along with two of the other monks.

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On Tuesday, December 5, 2000, Gurudeva went hiking with four of his swamis. About 11am they climbed the 200-foot-tall hillock near the monastery, the one with a large green water tank on top.

The final slopes were steep and a bit muddy from recent rains. On the way down, Gurudeva slipped a bit, lurching forward to gain his balance. Fortunately, he did not fall. A few hours later his lower back and right thigh began to hurt. We called our chiropractor, Dr. Greg Smith, who took Xrays and determined that Gurudeva's abrupt step coming down the hill had moved the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae forward, over the sacram at the bottom of the spine. This in turn caused a major nerve to be pinched.

Dr. Smith warned that this is one of the most painful injuries known to man, and indeed Gurudeva has endured a lot of pain, "More in these two weeks than in all my previous life. I have certainly gained a lot of compassion for those who suffer like this."

But Dr. Smith is very careful to explain that this also an injury that will heal quickly and completely, leaving no lingering impairment whatsoever. Dr. Smith advised Gurudeva to take a complete rest, not even walking at first, to allow the fastest recovery of the strained ligaments and tissues. Dr. Smith began a daily regimen that will adjust the spine and sacram, and also straighten the pelvis which has rotated slightly.

Dr. Thomas Yarema is also involved daily in Gurudeva's recovery. He is a medical doctor who served for 11 years in an emergency room in San Diego, and then learned Chinese acupuncture and other healing arts. He has been giving daily acupuncture treatments, lasting for an hour and more (the first time Gurudeva ever experienced this. )

Dr. Yarema has also been providing Chinese herbal rejuevenative teas, vitamin B injections and great advice to the caretaker team. Both doctors have most generously made daily house calls, so Gurudeva would not have to leave his quarters. They have collaborated closely and sometimes visit Gurudeva together, teaming up in the spirit of aloha to bring back Gurudeva's famed vitality. Gurudeva is mending swiftly under the loving care of his mathavasis. In a couple of weeks he will be back to his healthy and robust self.

Title: Aum Saravanabhava mantra, Monastery for ladies, Merging with Siva
Category: Hinduism and Tradition
Duration: 3 min., 42 seconds
Date Given: November 9th, 2000
Date Posted: December_26_2000

Cybertalk: A cyberspace devotee wonders if he needs to be initiated into the mantra "Aum Saravanabhava". Gurudeva says the first step is to become a member of the Hindu religion and in Saivite Hinduism this is the first mantra given before mantra diksha initiation. A cyberspace devotee from Mauritius is wondering about joining a monastery for ladies. Gurudeva says there are many monasteries for ladies headed by wonderful lady Gurus and it is possible for her to join this. Another cyber devotee from Maryland wants to merge with Siva and wonders if this is possible for him. Gurudeva says that the energy in his body is coming from Siva and that this is a form of merging with Siva. Gurudeva also says that detachment from the world is an essential criteria and that the best advice is to close off the lower nature.

" For more information about listening to Gurudeva's talks online and to hear them in other formats, click here.

Do you have questions for Gurudeva? Send to questions@hindu.org.

Please note: Gurudeva only responds to questions from the general public on matters that are suitable for our public cyber audience. Personal or intimate questions sent to this address are not answered.

A detailed index of past inspired talks is available here.

Transcription of One of Gurudeva's CyberTalks
Date: December_20_2000
Title: Purifying a home, Anger is inexcusable, Self-realization for Humans
Category: Hinduism and Tradition
Duration: 2 min., 21 seconds
Date Given: December 20, 2000

A cyberspace devotee is moving to a new home with the family. He wants to know how to purify the house and get it ready for their vibration, eliminating the former tenant's vibration within the home.

If the entire family is of a particular religion, it would be customary to have the priest or the rabbi of that religion come into the home, bless the home and purify the atmosphere with the chants and ceremonies of that religion. The entire family should participate in the celebration.

A cyberspace devotee all the way from Tamil Nadu, South India, Chennai owns a factory. The gardener cut down many trees while he was away. He became angry and upset. "How to overcome such a situation?"

According to Saiva Siddhanta, you take everything in the flow of its happening. Whatever happened with those trees was put into motion by you sometime. Maybe in a past life and you don't remember. Plant more trees.

Anger, that is another thing. Anger is losing control of the mind temporarily. The prayaschitta, the penance, for this is to fast the next meal. Anger is inexcusable and unacceptable behavior, no matter what happens. Spiritual people don't become angry.

A cyberspace devotee all the way into the state of Illinois, wonders, "Will my cat become self-realized and will all souls finally attain that divine destination?"

Self-realization is for human beings. Animals are in the group-soul category. This means a whole, entire group of animals would be a one-soul in the inner world.

Yes, eventually every soul on the planet will become Self-realized. For some, it takes a little longer. Study our beautiful book 'Merging with Siva', 365 daily lessons and it will explain all of this in detail.

Today was Sun One Homa. The priest offers the oblations of water to the Deities.

The sacred wood offered here is from our own Rudraksha forest. Some of the devotees have taken fallen branches and cut them for the fire worship.

It was an auspicious day as we inaugurated the first ever Young Ladies Spiritual Retreat here on the Garden Island.

A small local Villa resort was rented and 13 young women ranging in ages 12 to 30 came to stay on Kauai. Today they came to the monastery to attend the morning homa and tour the Aadheenam grounds.

While Gurudeva is recuperating from his back problem we keep his sandals in his place by the Homa. We are happy to say that over the past few days he has been sitting up, moving around and sitting in lotus in his bed, quote energetic, showing all signs of getting well.

The Ganesha Arati at the Iraivan temple site.

This is an interesting shot of the Yagasala. As a short yagna (fire ceremony) is performed everyone sings the Arati song as the ladies pass the flame together. In the background is the Banyon Tree under which one day a huge statue of Dakshinamurthy will be placed and the four Vedic Rishis will be installed on the yagasala platform.

The young ladies retreat has participants from Malaysia, Singapore and mainland America.

The Ravindran family dropped by the Aadheenam today. It was a happy coincidence as one of the daughters attended the same dance class as Meenakshi Palani, one of the girls on the Ladies Retreat. Here they are in the publications office.

Here is the whole Ravindran family, from right to left: K.S. Ravindran, his wife Padmini, daughter Priya Dharshini, then their friend Meenakshi Palani, and Subashini. Ravindran works for Intel in Santa Clara, Padmini is a CPA, Priya goes to school at UCLA and Subashini USC. It is interesting to know that Ravindran knows S. Rajam very well. That is the artist in Chennai whose work we have used for many of our book covers. S. Rajam is noted for his musical background and taught music to his daughters. In fact the Ravindrans were in Chennai visiting S. Rajam when Rajam was in the process of painting the cover for "Dancing with Siva". Small world!

An eleven acre site in Bangalore, India, where 75 Indian families live and daily carve the sacred white granite edifice of Iraivan Temple which will soon begin to be assembled on the island of Kauai

This is blacksmith P.R.Subramani with his family. The two children are studying in the Kannada medium school in the village.

Gurudeva's other monastery in the island country of Mauritius
in the Indian Ocean near South Africa

On Sunday December 24th Gurudeva and his three Sadhaka held an open house for neighbors and friends of the Spiritual Park. About 250 people from all over the island came to participate. Many families and children came from La Pointe des Lascars, the village where the Park is located. The nature of the event was multicultural. A time to show appreciation to the folks who actually helped to create and nurture the gardens of the Park. Great vegetarian food was served in abundance.

Gurudeva gave a wonderful greeting message which was translated and read to everyone in French:

"Welcome, everyone, to our Open House here at my spiritual park. Each and every one of you is to be congratulated, for it is the religious people like yourselves who are open and tolerant of all the religions here in Mauritius who are the foundation and guiding force of its present and future history.

A dynamic and a vibrant new vision is just what is needed now in Mauritius, and in the world, as we step into a new era, a new era requiring a new vision. Mauritians are in a privileged position. Mauritius is now the representative for all of Africa in the UN Security Council--representing an entire continent. This signals a new day for Mauritius. So we need a whole new, different and fresh attitude, a positive and all-embracing attitude, an attitude of cooperation instead of competition.

There are few countries today where the citizens work together in harmony and onemindedness. In this Mauritius is an example to all other nations. We hope this Spiritual Park where the river of life meets the sea of the divine will become more and more a place where you and others will bring your questions and troubles to, where you will gain some peace and have insights into every dimension of your life. We honor your presence here today, your vitality and appreciate your support of the Spiritual Park so that it may grow and flourish in the years ahead."

Vennila Mardemootoo did an energetic and soulful Bharata Natyam dance invocation of Ganesha facing the Pancha Mukha Ganapati. Everyone crowded up on to the steps of the mandapam to watch. Here she strikes a beautiful pose at the end.

MC Rajen Manick gets Vennila to comment on her dance training in India at Kalakshetra school in Chennai.

Mr Clement Anthony (front left) is the president of the village. "Love in the heart is needed" he said. That will bridge all cultural and religious differences. Here he is with Raj Dayal, former head of the Special Mobile Forces (the Mauritius Police Force) which was instrumental in moving the three large statues from the dock at Port Louis and placing them at the Spiritual Park.

Here we give Mr Anthony a shawl and some flowering plants to beautify the local community center.

Etoile d'Or is a group of musicians from La Pointe des Lascars headed up by Jonathan Legris. They offered a song on the hardship of women and a song on national unity called "La Main dans la Main" (Hand in hand.) Everybody in Mauritius knows this song from their school days so everybody sang along. Prescilla, the singer, heads up the local community center.

To be continued tomorrow.............

"How to Become A Hindu"! Gurudeva's latest book release is now available Hot Off the Press! Visit the Himalayan Academy Book Store Web Site get the book and read the incredible testimonies of the early pioneers from the west who chose to make a full and complete conversion to Hinduism, legally change both their first and last names to Hindu names, change their lifestyles, sever their formal connections to previous faiths and joyously face the challenges in joining the tribe of the Sanatana Dharma

Visiting Kauai's Hindu Monastery
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INNERSEARCH EUROPE 2001

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