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The April/May/June issue of Hinduism today is in it's final three days of production, and we are in the midst of upgrading some of our equipment and software which takes a lot of time.

Here is a remarkable replication of the photo above in this one from Malaysia where Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami also gets the red carpet treatment! The Kailasa Parampara lives on!

Bodhinatha's Sun One Video. Opens in separate Window. Quicktime 6.0 required to view this 30 minute MP4).

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Now we step back in time again to January 26th to see what happened. Here are the three swamis who graced the Malaysia Hindu Sangam Hindu Renaissance Rally. That event ran from 8 am until 2 PM in the afternoon.

These photos were taken by one of our members so Sannyasin Arumugaswami who is traveling with Bodhinatha finally gets out from behind the camera and into the picture.

Bodhinatha giving the opening talk at the Rally.

Then another grand event which was "Iraivan Day." It turned out be a super event, much more than we ever expected. Arumugaswami was thrilled by how well it went and we want to send our congratulations to all the members and students for having put on such a grand show! Gurudeva would be proud of you all...

Silvarajoo Muniandy says:

"The next day, January 26,2003, Satguru being given a ceremonial welcome at the Scott Road Kandaswany Temple by the President Thiru Perampalam, priest and committee. The atmosphere was just like when Gurudeva was here 3 years ago."

Satguru Bodhinatha at the Iraivan Temple exhibition at Kalamandapam

Satguru Bodhinatha looking at the carving tools used at the Iraivan Temple carving site in Bangalore.

Satguru with the Hindu public watching the cultural performance at the temple hall

The cultural performance started with Indian traditional dance by one of our Church members. This is Venilla Mardemootoo, from Mauritius and newly wed to Sivaneswaran Sockanathan and now a member of our big Malaysia family of devotees... Venilla was trained in India at Kalakshetra.

A group of SSC members managing booths for the Iraivan Temple donation and Gurudeva's publications at the exhibition.

More photos from Arumugaswami... He and Bodhinatha spent a lot of time driving around. Kuala Lumpur is a beautiful city. he would write his captions and send photos late in the evening after arriving back at the hotel. He writes:

"The Iraivan night was absolutely first rate, totally professional exhibition and set up, music and dance. The country has come so far since I first came here in 1981. Now they have superhighways crisscrossing KL, major industry, renovated temples and a new generation of Hindus grown up under Gurudeva's teachings. His teachings permeate this place."

More photos from the Iraivan day. The Scott Road Kandaswany Temple is really beautiful and musicians played as Bodhinatha entered.

Arriving for Iraivan Day.

Our members really prepared a grand welcome. This is giant umbrella, held up on four corners. A white cloth was laid out in front of Bodhinatha as he walked.

Arvind Raj, one of the spark plugs who had spent time here at Kauai Aadheenam and took Gurudeva's shakti home to Malaysia... He and rest of the youth group put up a really professional exhibition.

For several months the youth had been contacting the Aadheenam, receiving pictures and preparing the beautiful displays. Here we have the pouring of the concrete foundation being explained.

A styrofoam model of the Iraivan temple is part of the exhibit.

Bodhinatha sits back and relaxes as the crowd gathers for the evening event.

Jai Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami! and Pranams to all the members, students and supporters in Malaysia for their amazing sivathondu!

Venilla's opening dance.

Arumugaswami says, " 800 chairs totally full, with people coming and going, estimated 1,000 total, as much or more than the morning event of Malaysia Hindu Sangam."

Lord Ganesha presiding.

Musical group... This was really a top notch performance.

Bodhinatha unveils a first copy of Merging with Siva, color edition which has been released from the printer only days before his arrival.

Bodhinatha's talk on Lord Ganesh my friend -- very, very well received.

Malaysia Hindu Sangam President, Vaithilingam, temple president, Perampalam, and Jiva Rajasankara, the Iraivan Temple site carving manager, receive special recognition at the end of the event. Very touching ceremony.

Assembled honored guests listen to the Master of Ceremonies.

Prostrations to Bodhinatha

Bodhinatha presents shawls.

A dance of Siva.

A fabulous performance.

Dinner being served after Iraivan night. Swami Ghananand, from Africa, was our special guest for the event.

We returned home to the hotel very late... having completed all the events of the Kuala Lumpur portion of the trip. It was truly a great success!

Back at Kauai Aadheenam, the giant Nandi sits quietly and tomorrow he will see the arrival of our mission team back at the Aadheenam.

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Date: January_23_1999
Title: Hindus and Vegetarianism
Category: Hinduism and Tradition
Duration: 4 min., 50 seconds
Date Given: January 23, 1999
Given By: Gurudeva

Today at Kauai Aadheenam, January 23rd. Greetings to each and everyone in cyberspace.

We have a question from Langers Christian. Very interesting that non-Hindus are visiting a Hindu ashram, seeing what we are doing. Hindus look at religion as a daily event, not a Sunday event. Langers is interested in vegetarianism and has this question. "Have we to kill living beings to survive? With 'living beings', I mean animals and plants. Isn't a plant a living being?"

A very good point because that is a great concern to conservative, orthodox Hindu people who really practice their religion, especially if they are more elderly and more thoughtful, perhaps retired. Definitely should not eat animals, definitely should not eat animals. But, as far as plants are concerned, Langers, we have different kinds of classifications.

Satvic eating so that you do not kill the plant or tree or bush. For instance, berries. You can pick berries but you do not kill the berry bush. You can pick fruit and you do not kill the fruit tree. You can pick everything that grows above the ground, but you do not kill. For instance, picking lettuce leaves, you do not have to kill the lettuce plant. You can pick the leaves that are ready to be picked as well as many, many other green vegetables. This is the ideal way to live. That eliminates then the root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes and so forth. Those that really like to eat root vegetables will pick a potato and then plant the eye of the potato and grow another potato. Takes a lot of keeping track of, to know how many potatoes to grow. But, it is a matter of conscience and a matter of who you are on the evolutionary path.

Some people are content to eat anything and everything. Meat of all kinds, all bad combinations of food. They buy expensive food, junk food and buy their way right into the hospital and pay megabucks to come out the other side and eventually just die a miserable death.

To be healthy and happy is the greatest wealth. Money doesn't bring happiness, but it does aid to happiness, since money is a commodity in today's world. But true happiness comes from making another person happy, being healthy and living a well-balanced life. Thank you, Langers, for the very nice question. We wish you a wonderful day today. Go forth with confidence and make others happy.

Our Cyberspace Ashram here on the Garden Island of Kauai, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, welcomes each and everyone to tune in. We know that we have been having a little bit of trouble with our master server and the ashram doors have been open but you haven't been able to tune in because of that problem. We hope that problem is being corrected and has been corrected. Lots of blessings to each and everyone of you flowing from all of us here. We enjoy talking with you and we enjoy answering your questions.

Aum Namah Sivaya.

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MORE UPLIFTING THINGS		Innersearch 2004 in India! Bodhinatha will lead the next Innersearch to India, January, 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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