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Tsunami Relief Fund Established

As we mentioned before a new fund has been established for the Thirunavukkarasu Nayanar Gurukulam, the orphanage that was under Gurudeva's loving hand for so many years in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka. Go here for more information, then scroll up the page for more widespread relief options.

At home, we don't know, perhaps it was our focus on water... but nature brought one of those mini-tsunamis to the Aadheenam, drop by drop. It began early yesterday afternoon, the rain started.. again, but now... it didn't stop. We went to bed as usual at nine PM... walking in the dark, in the rain to our guhas. The gentle showers continued... getting louder and louder and louder. It didn't stop... all night long...

This morning after our meditation, the rain turned into one of those torrential down pours, so thick you cannot see clearly 3 yards ahead of you.

And then IT happened!

The land, fields and reservoir to the north east of the Aadheenam, acres and acres... took the water all night long... then about 7:45 am this morning IT happened:

SATURATION!

When the northeast sectors reach saturation, there is nowhere else for the water to go, all the land of our neighborhood, streets, home back yards: has become a giant lake... and there is one place to go: straight down to the Wailue River... and guess where it has to go to get there?

You guessed it: right through Kauai Aadheenam!

Fortunately we have been through this many times....

So, while our silpis are looking aghast as the water floods through the courtyard where we normally have our lunch. ...

The monks are watching with amazement and wonder at the power of nature and how close we are to it.

We can't resist but go to fetch Bodhinatha to show him what's happening outside... we have set up a barrier on the left of the walk to prevent more water from flooding the inside of our publications building, meanwhile we are diverting the water down the stairway to the river.

Bodhinatha peers over the edge of the stairs....

"Would you like to go down and see the river up close?"

"MMM! Maybe not... I think I will stay up here for now!"

But, our intrepid photographer is already on his way down to witness the power of the Wailua Ganga.

Paramacharya Palaniswami and Sannyasin Saravananathaswami went down also. To be next to the river in spate is an awesome experience.

There is no more "falls" as such... the river and the pool have become one flat surface and the level of water has risen ten feet or more.

Those ecologically minded among us are wondering how many tons of top soil we lost today from areas we cleared but didn't get planted in time?

Meanwhile, small trees on the edge of the river are ripped out and on their way to the ocean

We hear the giant logs rumble like thunder as they bounce over the rocks on their way to the sea.

Sivakatirswami mans the wet vac... we painstakingly vacuum up every square inch of the carpet and turn on the fans...

By 11:30 am, the rain stopped.

Another day in the foothills of the Waialeale mountain, the rainiest place on planet earth. Some people may think it a nuisance, but we like the attitude of one of the leaders of the agricultural community here on Kauai, the president of the East Kauai Co-op, Jerry Ornellas, who said with awe in his eyes the other day:

"Did you know, we may hit 800 inches on the top of the mountain for 2004. Isn't that amazing! Are we not blessed! What a resource!"

On this very wet day, some brave families drove on up to our monastery anyway, to be at a Hindu temple on New Year's day. This is the Nandiwada family and a friend, from New Jersey. They didn't mind the wetness at all.

In fact they really enjoyed the "warm" rain compared to the coldness they get at home. They were very impressed with Iraivan Temple and also Dakshinamurthi. The mother is on the committee for constructing a new 20,000 square foot South Indian temple in New Jersey to Lord Venkateswara.

December 26th Final day of the Retreat..Book signing
session

and darshan with Satguru..

It was Arumugam Kavari's birthday today...

Final session with Satguru on Maha Vasana Daha
Tantra

Group Photo...

Adjourning to Pangkor Island ...At the Jetty for a break... little did we know that mother earth had just flexed her shoulders to the west of us, on the other side of Sumatra....

the view was Irresistible .....

But far away.. the ocean was moving at 500 miles an hour

View of the Kaliamman temple from the ferry...

This temple was located by the seaside, small yet
deemed to be very powerful.

Next destination...The Pangkor Beach..Beautiful...

We all intended to go for a swim, but, for some reason we changed our minds and just waded in the water.

Unaware of any problem, someone noticed "Look the water is going up... I guess the tide is coming in..."

But it kept coming up and up... in fact it went right up to the necks of a few who quickly go out... thinking "That's very strange."

Back at Teluk Batik Resort for a short farewell session for Satguru and the monks who had decided not to go to the shores, but take a rest at home.

A Gift from all the participants for Satguru, swami and yogi as a token of appreciation for making this retreat successful and memorable for all of us...

Bidding farewell ....Aum Namasivaya!!!

Teluk Batik is buffered on the west by Sumatra... so, other than the unusual rising of the water level, we knew nothing about what had just happened.

Only when we got back to "civilization" did the news come, and then we realized how fortunate we were!