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For broad band users, don't miss the latest video by Bodhinatha in which he addresses the key issues of the day and the long term resolutions.

Bodhinatha's Sun One Video. Most Recent update: March 20, 2003, "Creating a Generation Free from Prejudice and Hatred." (posted today). Opens in separate Window. Quicktime 6.0 required to view this 30 minute MP4).

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Rajiv and Purnima visited the temple for the first time. They discovered about the monastery on the internet even though they visit Kauai almost every year.

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Part Two of documentary:

"March 2003, Iraivan Progress
Raising of Pillar and Potagai"

Here we are back on the first day of the recent full moon retreat. Our team of silpis, monks and Mr. Larry Conklin of Island Crane had completed putting up six pillars and continued on to place four potagai on top of the four pillars ... along the east side of the sanctum.

It had rained the day before but the devas kept a clear sky for today's event.

The potagai with four wings set down nicely on each of the three pillars along the side.

As usual, a thin set mortar was placed underneath and the potagai gently dropped in place.

Next came the corner one which only had two wings, which made it a bit off-balance. Larry jumps in to help with the rigging.

Meanwhile Sthapati is up on our western style construction scaffolding which the silpis really like: a light, moveable, safe platform for high work.

Walking around the temple one sees some very beautiful carvings.

OK... down, into place. The potagai has a small square projection in the center which fits into a square hole at the top of the pillar.

What is peculiar here is that, with only two "wings" one wonders how it can stay up.

Yoginathaswami calls: "OK, Down!"

Alright, he's in place, ready to unstrap.

Larry is a bit puzzled: "Wait a minute! before you take those straps off don't you want to brace it... how is it going to stay up there without falling over?"

Sthapati smiles at him and says: "Don't worry Larry... 2000 years of tradition will hold it in place!"

Sadhaka Dandapani in the background taking a video of the whole operation.

One more to go.

This was quite something to watch from below...

down, down, down...

Good... he's in place.

OK... just a little more!

Using a large crow bar, a final adjustment is made to the position.

Alright! Unstrap. One more to go..

Sadhaka Tejadeva and Sadhaka Adinatha watch the next lift,

Up, up and away...

Now down... easy...

The last one in place.

Our camera man shooting through our new observation binoculars that are positioned back at the monastery near the Ganapati Kulam office.

The silpis make final adjustments

Wow is that beautiful or what!

Here we are today... the temple is quiet again as all the excitement of cranes, shouting orders and anxious concerns for safety give way to the quiet peace of San Marga and the gentle tap, tap of the silpis working on the stones in a timeless space.

Sthapati... ever thinking ahead, planning the moves for his next day, next week, next month.

Thirty yards from the temple the world's fastest growing palms have already outpaced the temple in height.

And the former yagnasala where Gurudeva brought fire from Kadavul temple,to Iraivan temple week after week for about two years, which then became the first blacksmith forge for the silpis, has been cleared off. Also the limbs of the banyan tree that projected outward toward the temple have been trimmed back.... All is ready for the arrival of the giant statue of Dakshinamurthi who is still waiting patiently for final importation formalities to clear in Honolulu.

transcription begins

Date: March_12_2003
Title: Focuses for a Malaysia/Singapore Trip
Category: Travels, Pilgrimage and Missions Abroad
Duration: 2 min., 55 seconds
Date Given: January 20, 2003
Given by: Bodhinatha

Tomorrow Arumugaswami and I are leaving for Singapore and Malaysia for a trip of nine days, which includes three satsangs. We have a satsang with Singapore Mission and one with Malaysia members in Klang and then a small one in Sungai Petani for those of you in the North.

In all of those, we will be stressing the Vasana Daha Tantra, finishing up the Maha Vasana Daha Tantra for those who haven't. We have some members who have stalled, shall we say, midway. As well as, we have some new members who have not even started. So we will be encouraging all of them to work on that this year. As well as, everyone can do the Vasana Daha Tantra, the annual one in all six parts for last year. Particularly with Gurudeva's passing, it is a year that is very important to write down in detail and clear that all out of the subconscious mind.

We are also speaking at the evening cultural event for Iraivan Day, which is a big display of all the facets of Iraivan Temple, in downtown Kuala Lumpur. We are speaking at a Ganesha Temple in Penang. The talk there is a simple one called, 'My Friend, Lord Ganesha', portraying Lord Ganesha as a real Being who we can become quite close to.

Also, we have a seminar for the young adults who are all enthusiastic about teaching the Master Course. They have a Master Course seminar program there. So all the teachers, some fifteen or twenty of them will be gathering for morning seminar and they have got a long list of questions about how to present different subjects from 'Merging with Siva'. So that will be very interesting.

Then, you could call it the Main Event, the Hindu Renaissance II, the second rally on Hindu Renaissance organized by the Malaysia Hindu Sangam. The first one was in last November and was a Tamil language event. This one is the English language event and we are honored to be one of the key speakers. The event is from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and our talk is 8:40 a.m. to 9:10 a.m. A good time slot there for Hindu Renaissance.

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