Blog Archives
February 25, 2003 
Gurudeva with visitors, signing books. We are sure he is smiling today as positive energy and events are flowing on all sides....
Our Beloved and Revered Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
Attained Maha Samadhi on November 12th, 2001
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Bodhinatha giving his Sun One talk today... focusing on the Realization of the Self. Behind him the magnificent, giant, single pointed all\-quartz naturally formed crystal, which will in a few years be installed as the Siva Lingam of the Iraivan Temple.
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Title: Making the Temple Worthwhile for Children |
Cybertalk: A hundred years ago the temple was the fascinating activity around, with festivals, dances, music, stories. Nowadays, there is a lot more going on and the temple faces a lot of competition, like movies and the Internet. Bodhinatha emphasizes that adults need to make the temple fun and useful in the minds of the children and be prepared to answer all the "whys" the children ask about our Hindu practices.
Cybertalk Ends"
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Yogi Mahadeva performs the homa today. It was an especially auspicious one, blessing Saroja Devi Manickam with her Namakarana Samskara.
Rajkumar and Ananda Manickam and their daughter Saroja are from Colorado, having come with Ananda's parents, Vel and Valli Alahan, all on a pilgrimage together to observe Maha Sivaratri here with us.
Rajkumar reads aloud the parents pledge after having whispered the baby's name in her right ear:
The father says the following three times in the child's right ear:
Oh child, thou art born of the family Manickam
So thy name is also Manickam
And thy given name is Saroja Devi
Now the father says three times so all can hear:
Oh Divine Ones, we beseech your blessings,
In the sacramental name-giving of this Saivite Hindu soul.
We vow to raise this child according
To the principles of the Sanatana Dharma.
Please bless this child,
Whose family name is Manickam
And whose given name is Saroja Devi
Saroja's name is written in rice which is then waved over the fire to receive the blessings of the inner worlds.
Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami signs the official certificate of name-giving.
Bodhinatha gave a very high-talk about Self-Realization today... our recording team is on the job: Sadhaka Jivanandanatha behind the video camera, Thambynathan Shailesh on audio. Lord Muruga watches over them.
Another pilgrim, long-time devotee of Gurudeva, Kanda Alahan, has come from California for Maha Sivaratri also. He is spending a week here and doing some karma yoga in our carpentry shop during the day.
The Manickam's after the ceremonies. Saroja was anxious to get home for a nap, but this camera man, with his funny beard and orange robes, caught her attention.
Saiva Siddhanta Church
Malaysia Mission First
2003 Havan
Meanwhile another homa has taken place in Malaysia, a particularly significant one after a few years... This report from Kulapati Selladurai:
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After more than three years a �havana satsanga' was held on February 15, 2003 at Kulapati Selladurai's residence in Klang. This satsanga was attended by members and their children.
Activities began with Ganesha arati by padipalar of the day, Kulapati Guhan Sivalingam who then lead the group in chanting the Gurudeva Namaskara Veda Mantra.
The havanakaras took to the four sides of the Havana kunda in order of seniority with the talaivar facing South.
The talaivar, Kulapati Kuppusamy Apparsamy presented a welcome greeting to everyone and gave a reading from Gurudeva's teachings.
Kulapati Murugesu Kandasamy, the pechalar then lead in Natchintanai singing with a song to Lord Ganesha, Lord Muruga and God Siva. During the Natchintanai with God Siva, the tutuvar, Kulapati Selladurai Perakasam handed a flame to the talaivar who then lighted the homa fire.
Aum Namasivaya was recited by all during which the havanakaras placed sacred woods, grains, ghee, honey and other sacrifices into the fire. When the pranic vibration was high the pechalar led the group in chanting the mantra �Aum Ham Haum Sivayanama Svaha' 108 times. During the chanting the talaivar slowly placed the written prayers into the homa fire while the tutuvar rang a small bell.
After the prayers have been burned and the �Aum Ham Haum Sivayanama Svaha' chanted 108 times all sat in meditation internalizing their worship and listening to the nadanadi sakti, absorbed in Siva consciousness. About ten minutes later the pechalar chanted �Aum' three times signaling the end of meditation.
Then some devotees shared their testimony to all present and later the youth with some singing of devotional songs.
Also at this occasion Balu Devadoo and Hiranyawaha Devadoo, the son of Balu and Parimala Devadoo had their karnavedha � ear piercing ceremony done.
Ear piercing for Balu Devadoo
Ear piercing for Hiranyavaha Devadoo
And more good news from Johor Bahru in the "deep south" of Malaysia, just across the straits from Singapore, which was a major center of activity for Gurudeva's mission years ago... this report from our dynamic Ravichandran... who writes:
Under the precedent of our weekly meeting which was kicked off last week, now progressed to week two. Its was really a beautiful and somewhat new experience for all of us who attended our very own `Monday Home Evening' in the southern region....
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From left to right are, Ms Rani, Mr Ravichandran Ceyon, Madhu Narayanan and Ms Omana
Back At Kauai Aadheenam
A Stream of Pilgrims
Here is a wonderful shot of the side of Kadavul temple and the entrance to the Guru Peedam where guest go in to have darshan with Bodhinatha.
Meanwhile our Kauai Mission has been busy. Kulamata Isani Alahan displays two giant, 108-bead Rudraksha malas recently ordered by someone over the internet. All proceeds go to the Iraivan building fund. You can order your 36-bead malas by clicking here.
Shailesh Trivedi, our newest monastic is here with his extended family from East San Francisco Bay and Southern California. They are also here for Maha Sivaratri.
Shailesh with his family in front of Kadavul.
He takes them on a tour....
Everyone enjoys meeting the silpis and are awestruck by the temple.
Ajay Vora with wife Vaishali and son Vatsal from New York City.
Ron and Lynn from San Diego visit us for the first time, though Lynn says her father told her that he brought her here when she was very young about 20 or so years ago. They enjoyed very much walking through the gardens and seeing Iraivan. And making new friends with the Trivedi family who come from the same area as they do.
These Hindus met some of our pilgrims on the plane to Hawaii and were inspired to have inadvertently discovered Siva's home on Kauai. They came from Denver and its their first visit too. And they said they certainly will be coming back again.
Our guests at Iraivan Temple.
Visiting Hinduism Today....
The Vora family again...
Philip Rodgers and Companions from Detroit Michigan. He is retired from Radio and Television, and she is in movies. They are avid readers of Gurudeva's works and well-grounded in his teachings. The young man aspires to a religious life.
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All in all we are having a really busy time here at the Aadheenam... Iraivan is calling!
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transcription begins
Date: February 3, 1999
Title: What is the New Age?
Category: Hinduism and Tradition
Duration: 4 min., 27 seconds
Date Given: February 3, 1999
Given By: Gurudeva
Today at Kauai Aadheenam, February 3rd.
We are all sitting here in our Guru Temple. 27 of us, living here, all but two who have late-night vigils all by themselves, in the temple performing daily sadhana, performing evening sadhana. 24 hours a day there is someone in our temple for three hours, taking shifts, doing their japa, doing their meditation, looking inside themselves. Here we are at Kauai Aadheenam, we open our doors into the wonderful world of cyberspace. Over fifty-seven countries are tuning in today. Welcome, each and everyone of you!
We had a large group who flew in from Japan just to talk with me about 'What is the New Age?'. We had a translator. He did a very good job. Well, what is the New Age?
The New Age is when we all recognize there is one world, when we all recognize there is one God. "Visualize a tall mountain," I told them, "with a path all the way around the mountain and many paths to the top of the mountain".
They asked me to explain more and I did. Many new age people are totally uncommitted to any path going up that mountain. They are just walking round and round that mountain taking a little bit from each of the paths and trying to put it together and live in conflict within themselves and hurtfully so with others. They asked me to explain more. "Choose one path and go to the top of the mountain because the top of the mountain and the bottom of the mountain reside right within you this very moment. You are the top of the mountain; you are the bottom of the mountain. Take your choice, where do you want to live? But how to get from below the belt to above the head? You need a path. What is a path? A path is a system of thought, a philosophy that is consistent with your lifestyle, that is consistent in facing every experience and giving you the answers."
Many people asked today. "How do I know if I have made up my mind?" Interesting question! How do I know if I have made up my mind?
Making up your mind is knowing that you have made up your mind. Many people live in indecision. That is a way of life. Most new age people live in indecision as a way of life. This large group of devotional people from Japan understood that you need to choose one path; stay by that path. Go up that mountain neither looking right nor left and never retreating and you will reach the goal that we were all born to reach in this life and that is the realization of the Self.
We are very happy to tune in with you in cyberspace. This is a wonderful experience for us here at Kauai Aadheenam. We are going to ask everyone who has just finished an hour long meditation to greet you saying Aum Namah Sivaya.
Monks: "Aum Namah Sivaya".
Greetings everyone and we will be back with you again tomorrow.
transcription ends
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2004 Indian Odyssey
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