Blog Archives
May 19, 2003 
Those of you who are wrestling with the mind in your many endeavors to try to concentrate the mind, to try to meditate, to try to become quiet, to try to relax, keep trying. Every positive effort that you make is not in vain. Every single brick added to a temple made of brick brings that temple closer to completion. So keep trying and one day, all of a sudden, you will pierce the lower realms of your mind and enter into contemplation. Then you will be able to say: "Yes, I know, I have seen. Now I know fully the path that I am on." Keep trying. You have to start somewhere."
And speaking of temples check out Iraivan below!
Our Beloved and Revered Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
Attained Maha Samadhi on November 12th, 2001
Click to read for Details.
Mystic Mouse Coloring Book Now available
Today's sample page. ----- Click here to get your copy today!
Bodhinatha's next travel plans are set. He will be going to California to spend time with all the sishya of the Parampara in the Bay Area, near the end of this month.
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Live Web Cam Pix! |
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Out big news today is the unveiling of Iraivan. Last Iraivan day the Siddhidata Kulam and Natarajnathaswami were the fortunate ones to start the job by removing the retaining wall around the sanctum.
 The Remarkable Vision |
Iraivan Temple Progress Update |
Join this historic undertaking. Please contribute generously. Sponsor a stone today! |
| Order Rudraksha Malas from Siva's sacred Hawaiian groves; and also single rudraksha beads ready to put on a chain around your neck. Great for Gifts! All proceeds go to the building fund. | ||
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Current Overview  |
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The temple sanctum looks magnificent. Yoginathaswami manned the forklift to carry away the giant 4 by 12 beams.
The pressure of all this sand was incredible. No sooner had we taken away but a few of the vertical supports, than the sand pushed out the whole wall which had to be braced again to prevent damage to the adjacent pillars. Thanks to our consultant in California who asked us to install extra re-inforcing when the retaining wall reached as high as the ninth course. In India they would have put a retaining wall up all the way to the top but Shanmugam Sthapati finally decided it wasn't necessary, there by avoiding a very great expense, The silpis made do with carefully crafted scaffolding made by our Siddhidata Kulam.
Under such pressure the sand becomes very dense and must be almost "chipped" out.
The front and the back of the temple boards were removed first allowing sand to come down and relieve the pressure.
After the boards were removed our team moved in. Sadhaka Haranandinatha drops by from the Lambodara Kulam to get a little punya uncovering the master piece.
We invited all the monks to come for a chance at the "Iraivan archeological dig site" where we were uncovering a 1200-year-old Chola temple.
Sadhaka Adinatha uncovers the "gomukai." This is a special piece which receives and drains the waters from the abhishekam, bringing it out to the devotees. The installation of this piece always involves a small blessing puja, and this was significant as the last such ceremony Gurudeva graced with his presence during the temple construction.
Shovels are used on the outer sand and to protect the temple from damage, as we get closer it's all done by hand.
Then, yesterday the Siddhidata Kulam continued the work, and were joined by a team of volunteers from other kulams at the end of the day to complete the job.
These little bhutas are so happy to finally be out in the open!
Joyful supporters of the great channel for Siva's Shakti.
The west wall of the sanctum.
The gomukai completely unveiled.
A front image of the gomukai.
One of Siva's forms on a pillar.
The south west corner.
We will come by later with the pressure washer to complete the job.
Dakshinamurthi
The sand inside the mukha mandapam of the sanctum is also to be removed. The sand inside the very interior chamber garbha griham, will remain until the whole structure above it is in place.
We take a look now at the fruits of our lumber harvest on the retreat. Acharya Kumarswami is the master mind behind all our woodworking projects and this is great boon for the future for this kind of work. Here he stands by stack of boards taken from a young Rainbow Eucalyptus tree we culled from the stand down by the river. It was a young tree and the wood of the species is a bit soft but very useable.
The giant Blue Gum Eucalyptus that fell over yielded some enormous pieces.
The wood is extremely dense, impenetrable by insects of any kind.
This pieces had beautiful coloration. Kumarswami sponged the wood with water before we took the shot, showing what it would look like if it were oiled and varnished.
Nature bounty. Thank you Lord Siva for this gift!
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MORE UPLIFTING THINGS |
2004 Indian Odyssey
Join Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami on an 18 day Innersearch to South India, from Jan 19 to Feb 5, as we pilgrimage to ancient monasteries, magnificent 1,000 plus year old sacred temples and meet with India's holy men in a life-transforming adventure. Click on the above link for more details. |
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Check our children and youth section for new items for the young and young at heart! | |
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1. SIGN OUR GUESTBOOK and receive a FREE GIFT |
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| 2. Newest Book: LIVING WITH SIVA | ||
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3. Visiting KAUAI'S HINDU MONASTERY |
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4. Contribute to THANK YOU, GURUDEVA FUND |
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