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"Many people are not committed to anything. They take a vow, they take a pledge, but it doesn't mean anything. Even a marriage vow or pledge doesn't mean anything anymore. But that is not religion. That may be secular humanism. That may be existentialism. That may be just a big nothingism; but it is not religion. Religion is the acceptance of spiritual laws that guide our life. We have to make decisions and make commitments, and live up to those commitments so that we can look in the mirror every morning and say, "You did a good job with yesterday. Now what about today?" This is the ethic we need to instill in teenagers. Then the strength of the soul comes forward. When the strength of the soul comes forward, it permeates the intellectual mind. Creativity comes forth. New, inspiring, insightful thoughts that you didn't even know you were able to think come into your mind from your superconscious, and many wonderful things begin to manifest in your life."

The past two days Bodhinatha has been involved in meetings to help guide the progress of the Kauai Aloha Endowment. It is slowly taking shape and more and more key members of the Kauai community are learning about this vision that Gurudeva had. We are privileged to live here on this beautiful island and helping to secure a bright and strong future for Kauai is also a key to the long term welfare and future of Kauai Aadheenam and Iraivan Temple.

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It is an intense week at the Aadheenam as we are closing in on the final days of completion of Hinduism Today which is coinciding with preparations for Gurudeva's mahasamadhi anniversary. Here is Paramacharya Palaniswami working on getting video clips from our vast video archives. From hundreds of tapes we have gleened over five hours of the finest footage of Gurudeva. We are now editing it back to three hours to fit on the longest duration but best quality tape which will be made available to all of Gurudeva's devotees worldwide.

Another project in the wings for the mahasamadhi week is a souvenir of photos of Gurudeva which will be printed and shared with visitors and shishya worldwide.

We have chosen the excellent collage design used by Indivar Sivanathan in her Innersearch Europe 2001 souvenir.

Here is a retrospective from our last silpi outing. All seven of our stalwart stones carvers and builders are here at the Hyatt in Poipu.

The stone carving profession is on the verge of disappearing. While there is a great deal of attention being given to vastu architecture, most temples are not concerned about the media and for financial reasons opt for concrete or wooden structures. Raman says that 50 years ago there were 150 families in his village who knew about stone carving. Today there are only eight stone carving families in that same village.

Sthapati is concerned for the future of his craft and may one day open a school in India with the help of his daughter who has studied architecture. He says that today's young men are all learning how to do cement work, as that is the demand in new temples around the world. For this a master sthapati can fly in from India and simply mark patterns on plywood and go home. But for stone carving a master architect such as himself must be on site to mark the lines for the stone joining work. He's afraid that in a few generations there will be no one who actually knows how it was done.

The Iraivan Temple Project came to these men like a boon from God giving some hope for the future of the craft.

All the contributors to Iraivan are doing a great thing in building this temple, which is also seeing to the continuity of one of India's most ancient sacred art forms.

Meanwhile three new additions to the Aadheenam staff have arrived from Honolulu. Hard working, very focused, medically guaranteed in the performance of brahmacharya, our three new kittens are absolutely adorable. From left to right: little orange Simha, an Exotic (short-haired Persian). In the middle is Ganapu. He's also an Exotic, and the big fluff ball on the right is a three-year old Persian, Rasi, who was donated to the monastery.

Ganapu is 4 months and has a flat face. REALLY flat! He's still a bit of a nervous fellow just getting used to everything.

Simha, the smallest, is 11 weeks and right at home, raring to go and chase after anything that catches his attention. He's still totally in that crazy kitten mode and will all of a sudden turn into a wild orange locomotive chasing around the Lambodhara Kulam. When he gets tired he enjoys lying upside down for a nice tummy rub.

Rasi was awarded the "Grand Premiership" of 2000 in Hawaii. Retired now from her busy show days, she is a true exemplar and teacher of the "yoga break," how to relax... mostly 24 hours a day, and unlike some restless short-haired cats we have, will melt in your lap.

The Remarkable Vision	Iraivan Temple Progress Update	Join this historic undertaking. Please contribute generously. Sponsor a stone today! Monthly Report Sponsor a stone Iraivan Wonders
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More images from India. Here we see the crating method for a rough stone. Only the bottom palette is needed and the stone is wired to the palette. Blocks of wood protect the ornamented portions from being chipped by the wire.

Here are all the pillars and stones for the sixteenth course.

All ready for the containers.

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Date: September_25_2002
Title: Gurudeva Mahasamadhi Observance Sneak Peek
Category: Festivals and Sacraments
Duration: 4 min., 13 seconds
Date Given: September 1, 2002
Given by: Bodhinatha

Otherwise in our Universe, we are starting to give thought to the Mahasamadhi observances. Hesitant to call it celebration or a festival, we are calling it an observance. It is a neutral word, seems to be. Don't know how someone will look at it. So, if you are in a really sorrowful mood, you can't call it a festival. So it is an observance. It works, no matter how you are looking at it.

We are starting to plan out a phase of activities. Quite a few people are coming and they are starting to let us know. Many members, students, devotees from all over the world have told us they are planning to come and we are collecting up an RSVP list. So, we have a good sense of how many will actually be here so we can plan our activities accordingly, because this is the first time we have done this.

We are starting to get messages in from other groups who are also planning to honor Gurudeva on the first Mahasamadhi. One of them is the Saiva Siddhanta Manram in Canada. Mr. Vishva Lingam wrote that they are planning to publish a special story in their magazine, 'Anbuneri' about Gurudeva and they are going to release it in November. Mr. Vishva Lingam plans to be here, present it to us here and release it here as well at the Mahasamadhi ceremony. So they requested a message and I was thinking about it.

You know 'Anbuneri'. The concept, Anbuneri, is worth about a couple hours of talks. Just that one concept captures the whole essence of Saiva Siddhanta. I was thinking, "Oh, there is so much you can say. Well, I have got to turn to the Daily Lesson." I turn to the Daily Lesson and this is what it said. I am trying to explain the Path of Love, right?

Gurudeva starts out, "God is love, and to love God is the pure path prescribed in the Agamas." Can you believe it? The Path of Love is describing Anbuneri. Couldn't believe it.

"Veritably these texts are God's own voice," meaning the Agamas, "admonishing the samsari, reincarnations wanderer, to give up love of the transient and adore instead the Immortal. How to love the Divine, when and where, with what mantras and visualizations and at what auspicious times - all this is preserved in the Agamas. The specific doctrines and practices of day-to-day Hinduism are nowhere more fully expounded than in these revelation hymns, delineating everything from daily work routines to astrology and cosmology. So overwhelming is Agamic influence in the lives of most Hindus particularly in temple liturgy and culture that it is impossible to ponder modern Sanatana Dharma without these discourses. While many Agamas have been published, most remain inaccessible, protected by families and guilds who are stewards of an intimate hereditary knowledge. The Tirumantiram says, "Nine are the Agamas of yore, in time expanded into twenty eight, they then took divisions three, into one truth of Vedanta-Siddhanta to accord. This is Suddha Saiva rare, and precious. Aum Namah Sivaya."

Isn't that amazing! I mean, the Path of Love, there it was in the Daily Lessons. So that is going to be the message from me for their magazine.

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MORE UPLIFTING THINGS		Innersearch 2003-4 in India! We just completed the July 17-23 Kauai Innersearch, 2002. Bodhinatha will lead the next Innersearch to India, between Dec 2003 and Jan 2004. We will visit Bangalore and the Iraivan Carving Village, and settle in the South in Tamil Nadu, Click on the above for details on what will be an inspiring journey to our holy land of Bharat!
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