The Joys of Tour Day

Reflections on Tour Day from a local shishya:

"It never ceases to amaze, the brilliance of our Gurudeva! He could have established his monastery on Kauai and remained remote, kept the gates locked and trained his monks in cloistered seclusion without any intrusion or distraction from the outside world. But he seized the opportunity to reach out to those from every walk of life and welcome them in. "Come in and look around, see how the monks live, see how they worship and live, and what they believe—that the soul is a spark from God." It is a breath of fresh air for countless visitors. It is a sacrifice, having people walking through and around Kadavul, their monastery center, seven mornings a week, or for the guided tour—all over the property once a week. A big sacrifice for the quiet work that the monks do. But listening to our guests, their appreciation, their wonderment, in seeing such dedication to spiritual life and their appreciation for the positive message Hinduism has for the world—then you get it, you catch what Gurudeva could see as clear as the morning Sun."

To walk through a botanical garden is always uplifting, but a garden that is hand planted by those who can see that they are \"ONE\" with the plants, is another dimension altogether.

To feel, touch and breathe Iraivan is to witness the Divine in form.

Having the Silpis back is WONDERFUL for our guests! There is an atmosphere around them as they chip—it is a witnessing of something ancient, something sacred

Guests Ashwin Subramanian, Lakshmi Chandrashekar and Lakshmi\

s Mother visited on tour day as well. They are musical artists who have also done article work for Hinduism Today Magazine'

Following the tour, after having heard a little about the Hindu Deity, Lord Ganesha, Uma Ganesh (Who\

s love is like a Grandmother\'s: loves you no matter what you do or how much trouble you get yourself into), some of the guests decide to take Him Home!!!'

Now with all these guests the monks need help! And the little band of devotees from the neighborhood, who, by Lord Siva\

s grace, have this spiritual opportunity to render help with great joy! This is Brahmacharini Chamundi (above) who works tirelessly not only in the Mini Mela but also preparing many Rudraksha items for our guests. Next to her is our lovely Sivapriya who is here on an extended pilgrimage. She could just sit in the temple and enjoy her time here, but since she arrived she has rolled up her sleeves and helps wherever she is needed!'

If hearing about the love of God, walking through a sacred garden or watching a wonder of the modern world being chipped in stone (all for free) isn\

t enough—how about meeting a Satguru who will sign any book you choose, answer your questions and spend some personal time with you! Yes it\'s easy to take this for granted but step back a little and you see the magic everywhere. This beautiful couple somehow found the Guru Chronicles and were surprised to come here and \"find\" the connection!!! They are headed to Jaffna after reading the book and are asking Satguru for recommendations about which temples to visit.'
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