Acharya Kumarswami fills in on the events in Singapore from his June 2nd email travel log:

" Big book signing last night at the Ganesha temple here, a Ceylon temple whose elders were connected with Yogaswami. About 250 or more people were there. Gurudeva spoke about all the books in the big wedding hall and then did a book signing. Natyam Thondunatha put on the stickers and the members guided it all along. They are a great group, and I handed out vibhuti. Gurudeva also gave blessings to nearly everyone, placing hands on heads, for marriage, health, children and well-being."

Title: Loving Ganesha, A Chathurti Blessing Category: God and Lords of Dharma Duration: 2 min., 57 seconds

Cybertalk: To celebrate Gurudeva's being in Malaysia this very moment, we present a talk he gave recently for Malaysia's Siddhi Vinayaka temple. He gave the talk for Kanesh Ramanathan while he was here at Kauai Aadheenam on task force. Kanesh took the talk home on CD and will play it to devotees on Ganesha Chathurti to all the devotees who will flock the temple on that special day. It is a very special talk about Lord Ganesha, who He is and what he does for you. You'll enjoy hearing it anytime.

" 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?
Please continue to send your questions for Gurudeva to answer in his Cybertalks. E-mail questions@hindu.org.

A detailed index of past inspired talks is available here.

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Transcription of One of Gurudeva's CyberTalks
May 22, 2000 Title: Meaning of Initiation Category: The Guru A question from a cyberspace cadet from W. T. net. Well, Parashag wants to know if he's taken initiation from a guru and that guru has passed on into Mahasamadhi, no longer in this physical body, does he have to retake that initiation with another living guru? And do you always have to have an initiation from a living guru? Many people have imaginary initiations from gurus that are not living but the meaning of initiation is: the beginning of learning. A student may apply to many universities for entrance but once one says, "Yes, come in," that is similar to an initiation and it begins many years of close association and learning. So you can't dream your way through the university or dream an entrance into the university. It has to be real, live, human, physical and a lot of work follows an initiation. Any responsible guru will have successors. And the successor is bound to carry on the study and give the next initiation and then the next teaching after that. If the guru has not been farsighted enough to appoint a successor, then you are free to choose another guru who is alive.

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Girish Samugam and friend in Singapore. Girish is taking a home schooling course called "Seascape."

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Singapore students and members with their "Book Stall" at the Singapore Senpaga Vinayaka Temple. Third from the left is Kulamata Nagavathy Samugam who manages the distribution of Gurdueva's books and Hinduism Today in Singapore with the help of others. If you are looking in from Singapore and would like to subscribe to Hinduism Today, email her directly at Sanathana Dharma Publications

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Singapore Senpaga Vinayaka Temple book signing.

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Caption:

Gurudeva at the Hyatt Saujana with our young Malaysian monastic aspirants: on the left, Dineshkumar, young Nutanaya in the middle and Brahmachari Nantha Kumaran who has just returned to Malaysia after staying at Kauai Aadheenam.

Travel Log:

"We had a nice, short flight from Singapore to KL on Singapore Airlines. The new KL International Airport is amazing. It's really far away from KL, there are monorail trains between the terminals, beautiful tile floors, etc.

Meetings with Kulapatis and their arulsishyas in the hotel lobby. These are Gurudeva's elder initiated devotees and those students who have taken their first three vows of committment:

• to be vegetarian
• to be dedicated to this particular spiritual lineage
• to tithe 10% of their income.

Travel Log: "The members and students greeted Gurudeva with glee and all threw themselves on the floor at his feet. Three of the balayogis were there in their yellow veshtis, shawls and nagas. They looked great.

Students from the Sitiawan ashram. Travel Log:

It is a rare moment for many of them who may be meeting Gurudeva for the first time in their lives.

We could really see people's lives being changed. They were all so happy to have some relaxed, quality time with Gurudeva.

Join Gurudeva for Himalayan Academy's 17th travel-study program, the 2001 European Innersearch, themed the "Hinduism Today Adventure".

Go to www.innersearch.org and for more detailed information, please contact Sadhaka Dandapani. Space is limited and filling up fast!

Very Important: Please include your mailing address and telephone number in the body of your message. We will keep you posted as the program develops.

Sign our guestbook and we will send you a free issue of our global full-color bi-monthly magazine, Hinduism Today.

For those who have been touched spiritually by Gurudeva's work, his books, his guidance, his inspired life and example and even his website, the "Thank You, Gurudeva Fund" has been established within Hindu Heritage Endowment.

Proceeds from this fund last forever; they're not a one-time gift. So gifts to this fund have eternal gratitude built into them. They live on in perpetuity.

Each month Gurudeva receives the income from the fund to be used at his own discretion to promote his work and mission around the globe. He loves this, for he knows that it comes from all the good souls who have met him and studied with him, traveled with him or just talked with him over the years. A contribution to this fund is tax-deductible.