 Satguru Siva Yogaswami Jaffna, Sri Lanka |
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 Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami Kauai's Hindu Monastery, USA |
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November 7, 2000
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Uttaraprostapada Hindu Year 5102: Vikrama, the "Year of Fulfillment" |
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 A quiet day at the aadheenam, no guests, but dynamic communications work going on in all departments. Gurudeva here with his secretary, Sannyasin Shanmuganathaswami, going through some email. Gurudeva today had us print up a copy of an English rendition of the famous "arati" song that is sung throughout North India when the lamp is waved before the Deity. The words were worked out by Gurudeva himself with a team of monks years ago. We are all learning to sing this song and will pass out the words to guests. Gurudeva said a lot of the young Hindus today have no idea what it means. The song is sung to God under the name "Jagad Ishwara" "Lord of the Worlds" one of Lord Shiva's names in Sanskrit.
Om Jai Jagadish Hare
Cybertalk: Following yesterday's two questions and answers on backbiting and good money/bad money, Gurudeva continues with a spontaneous discourse which fits both of these topics into the broader context of the practice of ahimsa and Sanatana Dharma itself. Gurudeva concludes with statements of what religious people do and do not do. Gurudeva is clearly speaking from the clear inner sky. Do listen in.
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 November_06_2000 Title: The Big Bad-Money Lottery; Beware the Backbiters Category: Good Conduct Duration: 3 min., 34 seconds Date Given: September 19, 2000 Cyberspace cadet, Sivakumaren in Singapore wonders about bad money, good money and buying a lottery ticket and if he wins what should he do with that money. Is it good money or bad money? The object of money exists as commodity in exchange for services. Before money trade of bananas and coconuts for services well done was used instead of money. Good money and bad money is in many forms. Performing un-dharmic acts, such as performing abortions the doctors may do, getting paid for it, that would be bad money. It would never do any good. Gambling, taking money from other people or lottery tickets that's bad money and can never do good for you. So if you are the lucky winner, please don't send that bad money to the building fund of Iraivan Temple. We don't want it. There's a wrong concept that bad money, like in drug sales and abortions or gambling can be used for good purposes such as religious purposes. That's a wrong concept. You cannot purify bad money. Religious organizations are not a big laundering machine. So Sivakumaren keep our karmas clean for the future, don't be tempted by all the tricks of the lower worlds. A cyberspace cadet from Malaysia a young man who's 14 or 15 notices that in Malaysia people do a lot of back biting. How do we stop them from back biting? Well for one thing, you can buy a lot of Band-Aids, bandages, disinfectant, because back biting is not going to stop. It is an occupation of people of the lower nature. Those that back bite get angry, those that back bite get jealous, those that back bite are fearful. Keep your distance from the back bitters because they might start biting your back. Then the question comes up, How do you know if you're a back bitter yourself or not. Well if you're saying something to somebody else about somebody else that you wouldn't say to their face the next time you met them. Then you are a qualified back bitter. Back bitters are totally dedicated to tearing apart the community, breaking up friendships and dividing people from each other. Just look at the conditions around you in the Hindu community in Malaysia, it's terrible the way people are living, beating their children, verbally beating each other, beating their wives all the results of the lower nature.  Our latest recruit to Lord Muruga's army of brahmacharis and future sannyasins: Thambynathan Sivaram. He is working in the Lambodara Kulam office and serving as assistant to Sadhaka Thondunathan in the Iraivan fund raising department. Here he is helping on the year end mailing--quite a job over 10,000 pieces prepared by hand! THE ARATI SONG (cont.)
You're our Mother and Father  When the bromeliads bloom they put on a show of the most exotic flowers you can ever imagine. We have had that near perfect weather of late, 72 degrees outside, showers at night alternating with sun during the day, and a cool breeze coming from the Easterly trade winds. THE ARATI SONG (cont.)
You are the one and only
[more below]
 Fabulous ferns, some species 10 feet tall. . . THE ARATI SONG (cont.)
Om Jai Jagdisha Hare THE END
 Gurudeva's other monastery in the island country of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean near South Africa  Coin de Mire island, just off the coast of Mauritius. There are three or four small islands near Mauritius, each one less than a mile across, and each one a treasure trove of plant and animal species that are found only on that island. Many species have been destroyed in recent centuries, but many remain, including a variety of the Ebony tree, and are now being carefully protected and propogated for future generations.
Boat excursions to these islands have been one of the many exciting activities that have been interspersed with traditional Hindu religious, philosophical and yoga teachings at Saiva Siddhanta Church youth retreats in Mauritius, attended by many hundreds of Mauritius youth.
 This extended family from nearby Goodlands came on pilgrimage to the Spiritual Park today.  A retired school teacher, Mr. Suddhoo, on the right, has been reading Hinduism Today and has read "Dancing with Siva" several times. Today he was torn between purchasing "Loving Ganesha" and "Merging with Siva". Ganesha won this time and he promised to return soon to purchase "Merging". With him were two close friends, also retired school teachers, Mr and Mrs. Krestnan Esram. "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 If you are planning to visit Kauai, please go first to our our visitor's page. Thank you. 12 Glorious Days, 8 Enchanting Countries and One Chance in a Lifetime! 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. |
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