 Satguru Siva Yogaswami Jaffna, Sri Lanka |
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 Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami Kauai's Hindu Monastery, USA |
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September 22, 2000
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Pushya Hindu Year 5102: Vikrama, the "Year of Fulfillment" |
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 Today's homa was vibrant. Gurudeva invoked the devas for continued acceleration of the Iraivan temple building. Rig Veda, Book 1, Hymn 13, vs 1:
"AGNI, well-kindled,
Cybertalk: When Chennai artist A. Manivelu was visiting Kauai Aadheenam, he was impressed with the disciplines of worship and sadhana at the monastery's Kadavul Temple. He asked Gurudeva to tell the world (via TAKA) about the functioning of the temple. Here, Gurudeva tells of the disciplines of 24-hour adoration, pujas performed every three hours, writing prayers to the devas and more. Listen in, and tune in to the temple.
Do you have questions for Gurudeva? A detailed index of past inspired talks is available here. Transcription of One of Gurudeva's CyberTalks September_19_2000 Title: Agnihotra: Anger in Worship Category: Hinduism and Tradition Duration: 3 min., 53 seconds A question from the United States, earthlink.net, from a cyberspace devotee "Why do we perform the Agnihotra?" Well any worship ceremony should be performed by someone who has control of their emotions. There are many forms of fire worship and creating the Agni and the homa. Agnihotra is most simple but even so it can work two ways depending on who is performing the ceremony. What are the two ways? It can either be positive or it can be negative. It can either invoke the Devas from the Antaraloka or the Asuras and demons from the Narakaloka depending who is performing the function. Those who ring a bell, conduct a fire worship ceremony or even wave a lamp in front of a picture of a Deity blends himself within the inner world. There's an inner law that's often overlooked in today's world in the modern temples that are coming up throughout the world and that is 31 days must elapse in three cases: one the birth of a child, one does not go into the shrine room during the 31 days or the death of someone in the family, one does not go into the shrine room or attend the temple or if one becomes angry 31 days must pass before he passes the flame before the Deity, lights the fire or rings a bell. During the 31 days for an angry person, a cooling off period, he may perform just the dupa, waving the incense in front of the picture and that is all. Why is this? Because anger opens the chakra, two chakras below the Muladhara, opens the door to the world of the demons. It takes 31 days to close that chakra and have the higher chakra, the world of the devas available for use. When the demons are invoked, arguments come up within the home or within the temple, misunderstandings come up, unsolvable problems come up, small chaos happen here or there and everywhere and this is experienced in many temples whose trustees of the temple upset and anger the Priest, the Priests without knowing it are invoking the demonic forces and the family homes are in chaos. So it's not a question of why we perform the Agnihotra, it's who performs the Agnihotra, if they're qualified to contact the devonic worlds and qualified to invoke the divine spirits of the higher devonic people into the home or into the temple. So remember, a 31 day cooling off period for those who experience anger, before religious ceremony may be conducted, other than just waving some sweet smelling smoke before the image of the Deity.  At one point during the fire ceremony the priest and all the devotees chant in unison, 108 times:
"Om Ham Haum Sivaya, Svaha
"Ham Haum" are bija (seed) mantras for Lord Siva.
 After all the offerings are made, the fire is raised high with ghee and the priest then lights the arati lamp and worships the fire as he would any Deity in the temple. The Divine is now present in the flames and the channel between the three worlds is wide open.  Gurudeva answered many fine questions from his "Cyber Cadets" There was 14-year-old Hindu Indian girl living some distant place on the mainland US, feeling like she was a spiritual soul all alone in a western environment. Gurudeva told her to be happy by giving to others and he asked if one of the young ladies here would write to her so she could find a kindred spirit and to become her "cyber friend." We also had someone write in from Dubai in United Arab Emirates send email asking: "How can I join your Mission." Another from Singapore wanted to know why Buddhism didn't believe in God and if Buddhist Nirvana was the same as the realization of the Parasiva. . . It was a marvelously interesting series of questions from people all over the world.  Our priest Sadhaka Tyaganatha decorates the homa kunda, the fire altar, very beautifully. These are tridents "painted" with holy ash,  A colorful group against the green beautiful background of the San Marga land. Satsang with like-minded devotees is one of the precious gifts of Hindu dharma.  Worshipping the fire at the Iraivan Temple site. . .preparations are underway now in India to pack up and ship stones. Wood is being prepared for crates and we are looking forward to a shipment this fall of six containers.  After the ceremonies and the lovely parade devotees gather. We are happy to welcome to Kauai Adi Alahan (second from the left) and his wife Asha from California.  Gurudeva's other monastery in the island country of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean near South Africa  Mauritius has an excellent school system with compulsory education for the first nine years. During primary school religion classes are required, and parents choose the religion in which they want their child to study. Later, during secondary school, further religion classes are available and the student is allowed to choose the religion that he or she wishes to study. Today, teachers at Friendship College for girls, located in nearby Goodlands, brought their Hinduism class to visit the Spiritual Park. Over 100 girls participated, and received a brief talk about the Spiritual Park and the nature of Lord Ganesha. It is inspiring to see the next generation coming up in such a fine way. They promise a good future for this small island nation.  The visit was not all seriousness, the young students had the opportunity to visit the different murthis and walk through the park. The natural beauty of the park provided the perfect setting for friendly photos. "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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