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Yogaswami's Natchintanai -- 221-222

Today, Bodhinatha gave a very insightful talk on various subjects including the sannyasin's path of not becoming friends with any particular person but "like the sun and the sky, shining your love equally upon all... this was one of Gurudeva's great qualities, why he was so beloved by everyone. Whether it was the waitress at the restaurant or the head of the United Nations, he shined out his love to each one without discrimination."

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Sannyasin Saravananathaswami performed today's Sun One homa to start off our six day phase. He has an excellent chanting voice. Here he is following along from his Sanskrit guide books.

The monks in meditation during the homa. Behind them the tandava statues of Lord Siva in 108 dance poses are lit up and shining in the mirrors behind them.

We had some very fine guests today. There is a conference happening at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Poipu on the south shore of Kauai, for the American Association of Hand Surgeons. Three Hindu surgeons visited us this morning, pictured in this group photo with a father and son visiting from mainland US who follow Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Transcendental Meditation program.

They are Dr. Mukund Patel from New York, a reader of Hinduism Today (center), Dr. Amit Gupta from Kentucky (on the right) and Dr. Suresh Tambwekar ( in dark suit ) who flew in from Mumbai to attend the conference.

They were very sweet, gentle souls and the radiance of their years of work bringing back the precious gift of manual ability to people was easily felt in their presence.

Madhu Graham on the left is counselor and therapist, from Pomeroy, Ohio, who has come to Kauai to visit her daughter Arti Michelle Clark who lives on Kauai and works as a soil conservationist for the Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service on our island. Though Arti has lived on Kauai for many years this was her first visit to the temple. Her mother was very touched to discover a Hindu temple at her daughter's far from home location. Both ladies have married American men and are part of the cross cultural pattern that Gurudeva so often encouraged.

Our temple tank is undergoing renovation. We will be giving it a new coat of paint and having the pedestal for the statue of Sambandar, which sits in the middle, decorated with lava rock.

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The surgeons were thrilled to discover this pilgrimage destination of Iraivan Temple, marveling at the stonework going on, especially all the teachings depicted on the panels of the Chitra pillars that are now uncrated on the temple foundation. They were quite curious about the Shum language of meditation inscribed on the pillars because they had no idea what it was. The script reminded Mr. Suresh of the ancient Pali script. This is Dr. Tambwekar from Mumbai admiring the carving. Over and over he invited us to come visit him when we came to India.

Our silpis are working on the temple pillar footings. Leveling is a critical task.

Arumugaswami shows Madhu and her daughter Arti around the site.

We know the exact height of the top of course fifteen way above us. The footing of the pillar, the pillar itself and the Potagai on top must be precise in order for the beams to be perfectly level. This is a tedious process of measurement, check and re-check.

If necessary, the surfaces of the footing may need to be taken down.

The drainage channels in the temple are complete and PVC pipes installed to drain off water. These channels will lie under the bed of sand floor stones and can be replaced as needed through the years.

More guests...! It was as busy as any tour day today...Sue and Terri from Coventry, Connecticut. It's their first time up here and they really love the place, especially the plant life. Sue is a lighting designer and Teri works with people with brain and spinal injuries. Also in the photo a fellow Kauaian and her friend from Japan.

Malaysia Mission Gurudeva

Jayanthi Celebrations

Pada Puja for our Beloved Gurudeva at Kulapati Appasamy Kuppasamy's home.

Gurudeva's Tiruvadi is washed with the panchaamirtham, the sweet which contains 5 types of fruits.

Attention of the members fully focused on the Puja. Presence of Gurudeva is strongly felt by everyone.

Showing Pancha arati and chanting of Guru Mantra. Voices of members chanting the guru mantra out loud creates a strong vibration in the prevailing surrounding.

Singing in the praise of our Gurudeva," He made me know myself...Engal Gurunathan"

Back in USA: here is our Bengal Tiger, Puli by name, stalking through the wild plains of Kauai Aadheenam mondo grass.

The lilies of our streams

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Date: January_14_1999
Title: Karmas Made by Surfing the Internet
Category: Karma
Duration: 6 min., 13 seconds
Date Given: January 14, 1999

Today at Kauai Aadheenam, January 14th.

We talked to our two Swamis on the beautiful garden Island of Mauritius from the Garden Island of Kauai; Sivadevanathaswami and Sannyasin Murugaswami. In Bangalore, our six young men are settling down for a life of study, learning Sanskrit language in order to speak it, perfecting their english, learning Hatha Yoga, and chanting certain slokas. They will have their upanayana, which is the beginning-of-religious-study ceremony on the twentieth of this month.

Lavina Melwani in New York, it was wonderful speaking to you yesterday and you wondered about more on meditation on 'Today at Kauai Aadheenam' through cyberspace. Yes, we can talk more on meditation. Ask some good pragmatic questions to lead into the subject.

Well, here in cyberspace, we want to talk to where you are in consciousness, where each one is. I see some new faces out there. Maybe this is your first time tuning into Cyberspace Ashram, to see the darshan of me and I can see the darshan of you through your computer screen. Everything that we do and discuss, we ensure the spiritual goal of realizing God within you and within every other thing because right knowledge, right speech, right action, right thought, brings us to the place where there is nothing else to do but to see the all-pervasive power of Siva existing in all things, simultaneously.

We have a question here from Robert, regarding action and inaction according to defending one's country or defending one's home as implemented in the Bhagavad Gita. He quotes a verse from Bhagavad Gita, thank you Robert. "Violence by non-action is a curse upon the soul. To allow evil to persist when action is the challenge of the soul, progression is quite a sin".

Well, I am not too familiar with the Bhagavad Gita but I must say that we have to be careful about violence because people can't take the law into their own hands. You can protect your home. That is your domain. But if you are a citizen of a country, you can join the army or the navy or the marines and protect the country. That is good dharma. But many people mistake the Bhagavad Gita and what Krishna has to say, as to taking the law into their own hands and that is a big mistake. That is adharma. That really holds the soul back. I hope this answers your question just a little bit Robert, but if it is not clear, ask another one.

We are here in cyberspace together, it is a world of the mind. The internet is a world of the mind. The world of the mind is carried on by its own novelty. So don't surf the internet too much. Know what you are looking for when you turn on your computer and then go directly to it. That is what I do. I don't have time to surf around. A lot of surfing goes on, on the waves here on this beautiful Garden Island surrounded by water. A surfer has to know what he is doing, lest he wind up on a rock, a reef or is drowned. The internet can drown you especially if you get into pornography, and all the naughty, naughty things. It will just drain your energies and create a desire, create a habit and create a passion that you will not be able to control. You can get addicted to pornography. That is what I am told. What if you were to die with pornography in your mind? Think! Where would you be born and who would you be born into and through? What would you be like after you were born? Pretty low person. Hindu scripture also tells us that the last thoughts in our mind as we are going into the Great Experience, in English called death, is what we will manifest in our next life. In other words, if you love India and are always thinking about India and think about India just before you die, you will be born in India, and vice versa. Indians thinking about America, wanting to be like Americans, wanting to be Americans will be born in America. Easy, inexpensive way to travel!

Wonderful being with you in Innersearch, through cyberspace, in our ashram at 'Today at Kauai Aadheenam'. Be back again tomorrow.

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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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