Blog Archives
April 13, 2003
Happy New Year! Welcome to the Nartana Ritau. "The first season, of Dancing with Siva, beginning on the Hindu New Year. This is the period of creation, the warm season, from mid-April through mid-August. The primary teaching text is Dancing with Siva: Hinduism's Contemporary Catechism, Sivena Saha Nartanam.
We had a wonderful day at the Aadheenam, honoring our silpis in the morning with a Ganesha puja, special gifts and a helicopter ride. Today we share with you excerpts from Saiva Dharma Shastras on this season of the year, giving us Gurudeva's mandate for how to put this wonderful time of year to work for our religious and spiritual growth.
Our Beloved and Revered Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
Attained Maha Samadhi on November 12th, 2001
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Bodhinatha is in his final day in Toronto, in fact as we write he is resting and will leave soon to go to Chicago to see our dear sishya Dr. Tandavan. The team did not get a chance to download photos from the day's events so we will see those tomorrow or next phase.
Saiva Dharma Shastras:
" Beginning with Hindu New Year in mid-April, three seasons of the year divide our activities into three great needs of humankind�the learning of scripture in the first season, Nartana Ritau; the living of culture in the second season, Jivana Ritau; and the meditating on Siva in the third season, Moksha Ritau. Thus we are constantly reminded that our life is Siva's life and our path to Him is through study, sadhana and realization. In ritau one, we teach the philosophy; in ritau two, we teach the culture; and in ritau three, we teach meditation."
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Title: The Importance of Knowing Thy Self |
Cybertalk: Finding our spiritual identity, "Knowing Thy Self," is not a concept at the forefront of the world's mind. With knowledge so readily available, people fill themselves up with knowledge about so many things, things largely external to themselves. The pursuit of knowledge is wonderful and important, but is often done to the exclusion of knowing ourselves. This is why we have religion as a balancing force; Hinduism reminds us to "Know Thy Self."
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The simple but joyful changing of the flag of Hindutva is done at the beginning of each Ritau.
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"Nartana Ritau, the season of Dancing with Siva, begins on Hindu New Year. This is the period of creation, the warm season, from mid-April through mid-August. The teaching is Dancing with Siva: Hinduism's Contemporary Catechism, Sivena Saha Nartanam. This foundational text is featured in all mission satsangas. "
At noon today we lowered the coral pink flag of the Jivana Ritau.
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"The key word of this season is planning. The colors are orange, yellow-gold and all shades of green�orange for renunciation, yellow-gold for action, and green for regeneration. High above, the main Hindu flag flies the color orange, heralding the Nartana Ritau throughout this season, symbolizing sadhana and self-control. The other colors adorn smaller flags."
Paramacharya Palaniswami stands by with the new orange flag.
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"This is the season of giving special attention to those in the grihastha ashrama. It is a time of awakening, renewal, review. The emphasis is on seeing ahead, planning for future years. It is a time of planning retreats and other activities for youths and adults for the entire year. During this time of looking forward, the Church's six-year plan is updated by the Guru Mahasannidhanam and stewards and another year added. The Saiva Dharma Shastras are studied; and any needed additions in supplementary manuals, representing new growth, are made. The practical focus is completion of unfinished projects. Secular holidays to observe among the families include Mother's Day in May, Father's Day in June and Grandparent's Day in August."
Up with the new season!
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" In the monastery the monks begin their annual 31-day ayurvedic herbal cleansing. Intensive cleaning of monastery buildings and grounds takes place. The special dietary adjustments for the season come into effect and new menus are established. New clothing is issued and old garments mended. This season of harvest and new growth is also the time to review and reestablish picking and planting routines for the gardens. It is a time for ordering seeds and plants for the year, of planting trees, fragrant vines and the annual crop. Review is made for scheduling the care of all nine realms of the Aadheenam's 51 acres. Kadavul temple and the Guru Temple are cleaned and renewed during this season, and the adjacent grounds receive special, abundant attention. Karma yogis are invited to help in this and other areas with planting and weeding, digging, fertilizing, fence repair and more."
The Sadhanas of the First Season
The daily sadhana is the Sivachaitanya Panchatantra: experiencing nada, jyoti, prana, shakti and darshana. In Sanskrit, it is a time of learning new shlokas and mantras. In the family community, prashnottara satsanga is held for one and all to attend. Families plan for their annual pilgrimage. Shrine rooms are renewed and redecorated for the year, and the clothing of all is renewed in the Hindu style of the current fashion. It is a time of doing things for others, religious outreach. In the missions, Nartana Ritau is the time of bringing in new students and Church members. It is a time of hatha yoga and philosophical teaching."
Paramacharya Palaniswami reminds us of how Gurudeva loved to change the flag and rotate the activities of the year to bring new life to our inner and outer lives.
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National Kulapati Meetings
"All the kulapatis in a given country meet together three times a year at the beginning of each season�in mid-April, mid-August and mid-December. Each such group is called a national council of patriarchs, or desha chakravala. Their focus for meetings is to fulfill the spirit of the "three seasons"�Nartana Ritau, the season of Dancing with Siva; Jivana Ritau, the season of Living with Siva; Moksha Ritau, the season of Merging with Siva. These matters are outlined clearly on the agenda prepared at the Aadheenam by the Ekadanta Kulam and provided each kulapati at least one month in advance of the meetings. In planning activities, all kulapati groups refer to and seek to fulfill the guidelines within these Saiva Dharma Shastras for each season. "
Deva Magdalena came from Honololu and gives New Year gifts of sweets to the silpis.
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Seasonal Changes for Satsangas
The format of the satsanga changes slightly three times per year in accordance with the three climatic seasons experienced on the Garden Island of Kauai. The three seasons are: Nartana Ritau from mid-April to mid-August, Jivana Ritau from mid-August to mid-December and Moksha Ritau from mid-December to mid-April. Each season emphasizes one of the three great books of the Kailasa Parampara. Also, during each ritau, a different group is honored: those in the grihastha ashrama during Nartana Ritau, those in vanaprastha ashrama during Jivana Ritau, and those in the sannyasa ashrama during Moksha Ritau. All satsangas begin and end on time and last for approximately three hours.
Earlier that day the silpis went on a helicopter ride. They were most impressed to see remnants of the seventh Hawaiian temple at the top of the mountain and to fly right into the crator wall to see the water falls... Fantastic! In India only VIP's, Prime Ministers and rich people fly in helicopters... today our Silpis were the prime ministers of Iraivan!
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Who May Attend Satsanga
During Nartana Ritau
The weekly satsanga is open not only to members of the local mission, but to all Church members, near and far. It is up to each mission to welcome with great respect shishyas from other areas and treat them as Gods and Goddesses, considering that Lord Siva has come in their form. Members' visiting other missions creates friendly relations and ongoing correspondence among families. It is a form of outreach which keeps everyone uplifted, inspired and well informed. Arulshishyas, vidyashishyas and balashishyas are also welcome to attend all satsangas of the local mission and of other missions when traveling. During Nartana Ritau, from mid-April through mid-August, other Academy students, relatives, friends and neighbors may be invited to attend and encouraged to become members of the Church. This is the Dancing with Siva time of the year, when all doors are open to well-wishers and seekers on the path."
Rudraksha fruits on the tree. Alternating rain and sun this spring promises a very healthy crop this year.
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Nartana Ritau Bhajana Satsanga
Nartana Satsanga is held from mid-April through mid-August. Whenever a satsanga gathers, a chakravala is created. Nartana Ritau is the time of year when those in the grihastha ashrama are honored, and we can optionally bring garlands to express our love and support of kulapatis and kulamatas in this ashrama of life. All pay close attention to their testimony on raising children, dealing with family problems, keeping harmony in the home and fulfilling the duties of grihastha dharma. Informal meetings and discussion groups are encouraged to find ways to strengthen the many families in the community and to plan the schooling of children in the 64 kalas and the first seven books of The Master Course for the coming year. "
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A look from Iraivan toward the river... in years to come you will walk in this direction down steps to the Wailua River.
A view from the Southwest.
We asked why they don't hit their hands very often. We were told the hammer "becomes just like part of their arm." Lifting it high for more power.
Shorter strokes for fine work.
We are so grateful to have these wonderful souls with us, creating the magical temple of Iraivan.
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transcription begins
Date: April_02_2003
Title: Our True Soul Identity
Category: Soul
Duration: 6 min., 31 seconds
Date Given: February 19, 2003
Given by: Bodhinatha
I have been reading my Daily lesson of 'The Master Course' as it comes in on email. A few days ago, I was happy to see that the 'Dancing with Siva' started over again. We are back in the first mandala, which is certainly a very powerful one on Self-realization, Paramatma Darsana Mandala. I was thinking about that and how appropriate it is to start a book on Hindu philosophy with Self-realization and how much it is a part of our Parampara.
We are thinking of our Toronto trip, starting to plan for it. We are going to Toronto in April to be there for Yogaswami's Mahasamadhi. Gurudeva had hoped to go to Toronto on Innersearch. So, we wanted to follow through on his impetus to visit Toronto. All of you here this morning have seen the beautiful commemorative issue 'Anbuneri', the big yellow one. It has Gurudeva's picture on the cover, was produced in Toronto, certainly showing a lot of respect and love for Gurudeva. It was produced there by the Saiva Siddhanta Mandram. So we are going there to visit the Mandram and the other society, the Siva Thondan Society of Canada.
I am starting to get my talk ready, imagining myself sitting up there freezing to death! I will have to take lots of socks and hats and shawls!!
I was thinking this morning, "Well, what am I going to say. Probably have to talk about 'knowing thyself' because that is certainly a strong theme in Yogaswami's teachings and Gurudeva's teachings and in 'Dancing with Siva'. It is one of the four mahavakyam of Yogaswami. It is stated as "Thannai ari", Know Thy Self. It is also the first line of the first Natchintanai, "Yennai yenak arivittan engal gurunathan ... My gurunathan made me know myself." It is the equivalent of Yogaswami's, 'Dancing with Siva' there. The first line of the first Natchintanai is about knowing the self. It stresses how much this is a core teaching of our Guru Parampara.
Beyond our own Guru Parampara, it is common to many Hindu traditions. For example, we were in Sengai Patani probably four or five years ago for a few extra days. The Thanabalan family had the challenge of keeping us busy, taking us here and there, seeing extra things. We went to an ashram where a Swami was there who had been trained by Dayananda Saraswati in the traditional Sanskritic, Upanishad way. He made the point, quoting his Guru, "Hinduism is the only religion that starts out by talking about you. Know thyself." Other religions start out talking about God. They point up in the sky, point here or there, talking about God, not talking about you. But Hinduism starts by talking about you and then by going into you, by going into you, finally end up talking about God. Because God, of course, is inside of you. It is common to many Hindu philosophies that are monistic in one form or another, starting out talking about our self, know thyself.
"First sloka: Who am I? Where did I come from?
Rishis proclaim that we are not our body, mind or emotions. We are divine souls on a wondrous journey. We came from God, live in God and are evolving into oneness with God. We are in truth, the Truth we seek."
We can spend the rest of our lives studying that one sloka. We would not need another sloka. There is really a lot in there.
So starting out just taking the first sentence, "Rishis proclaim that we are not our body, mind or emotions. We are divine souls on a wondrous journey."
Of course, that is not what the modern world teaches. I don't turn on the television and hear that we are divine beings. No, we turn on the television, we watch movies and they teach us we are our body and our emotions, that is us. How we look, how we feel, that is the sum total of us. That is natural. We go to school, we learn we are our intellect. We are valued by how well we think, by how well we can debate, how well we can outsmart others. We are the intellect.
There are lots of teachings about being the body, the emotions and the intellect. No shortage of them in the modern world. There is not enough really, definitely a shortage, of hearing about how we are not these things. These are external things. We are something internal to that, our divine soul.
transcription ends
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