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"Our Gurunathan is he
Who made known to me my greater Self,
His peerless feet reposed on my head.
Father, mother and guru, he became,
And endowed me with sovereign power.
The effect of my deeds of yore he effaced,
He who cannot be fathomed by the triune,
Beyond the duality of good and evil,
His flame lightens my being.
He is our Gurunathan."

- Siva Yogaswami

Bodhinatha's Sun One Video. Most Recent update: June 16, 2003, Bodhinatha speaks on Dana, Giving, Niyama #2.

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Sun One homa today, attended by Kulapati Jiva Rajasankara from India.

Tejadeva blows the conch during the final arati.

Aum Agnaye Svaha!

Our Kauai Kulapatis, Deva Katir, Deva Seyon and Kulamata Tara Katir with Kulapati Jiva Rajasankara.

Jiva has done a wonderful job all these years managing the temple carving site in Bangalore, India, with his wonderful wife Kanmani and their two strong sons, Senthilathiban and Thuraisingam. We would not be building Iraivan without them!

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Current Overview

The action at the Aadheenam was at Iraivan today with another lifting of stones.

The tent with the top opening allows for stones to drop down from the center.

Two beams and a variety of small stones for the vimanam were put up today.

The temple is alive again with activity after two quiet months waiting for the new team of silpis.

This was the first day of major work for the new team of silpis

Some timbers coming up. Shorter 4 x 12s for the scaffolding.

Down... down...

OK, Good!

Looking up from the threshold of the inner sanctum one gets a good look at the beautiful doorway.

Next, small stones for the vimanam. Sadhaka Adinatha and Sadhaka Tejadevanatha are the ground rigging team.

Sankaran watches intently.

Waiting for the crane

Jiva Rajasankara enjoys a break from the intense work of supervising the carvers in India. It is a big fulfillment for him to see these stones go into place as he has seen them arriving from the quarry, watched them being carved, managed all the loading into containers in India and now sees them fulfilling their destiny on Kauai.

Next

Up...

...and down through the center.

Larry Conklin has years of experience and handles these stones with smooth precision.

Meanwhile another miracle is unfolding as our first lotus blossom opened over the past few days.

Such beauty

The bees are happy to have a new feast of pollen

The seed pod of the lotus, a famous symbol of the microcosmic repository of the latent possibility of spiritual unfoldment that lies within every soul.

Fully open

On Siddhidata day during the retreat our carpentry team worked on preparing roof perlins for renovation of one of the Aadheenam's small buildings. This beautiful redwood was rescued from the demolition of a giant water tank in California and shipped to Kauai by a member of Saiva Siddhanta Church. Such wood can no longer be harvested in Northern California's old-growth forests. This sort of recycling gives dignity and good use to these ancient trees which were unfortunately felled years ago. Here we are milling it down to size for our job.

Yogi Japendranatha

Acharya Kumarswami is the master mind of our carpentry shop. He sends a special note of appreciation out to the generous donors of the fabulous equipment that allows us now to do this work ourselves, saving the Aadheenam thousands of dollars were we to have to contract out for such renovations.

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Date: March_15_1999
Title: How to Make Up Your Mind
Category: Self Improvement
Duration: 4 min., 37 seconds
Date Given: March 15, 1999
Given By: Gurudeva

Today at Kauai Aadheenam. It is March 15th. Greetings everyone!

It is darshan time. Our ashram doors are open. Today is 'Visitor's Day' here at Kauai Aadheenam and tomorrow and the next day we are on retreat. So, I will not be giving a message tomorrow or the next day.

You might enjoy our first video, our little video clips. We are trying. Let us know how you like it. We all were very happy that you enjoyed, some of you out there in cyberspace, the little talk about gossip. It is very, very important.

Also, we have here from Toronto, asking about how to perform puja at home. The beautiful little book which we created, 'Loving Ganesha', has in its Resource Section the meaning of puja, how to perform a Ganesha puja. So, go for it. It is really wonderful. Actually, the book is not little. It weighs about two or three pounds and also teaches you how to get in touch with the God Ganesha, who drank up all the milk in three cities, who performed the 'Milk Miracle' that even science could not figure out.

The question has come up, "I have problems making up my mind. How do I make up my mind?"

Well, if you are in that state where you can not make up your mind, then go to somebody who you can trust. If you are not sure about what to do or what not to do, when in doubt, do nothing. Go to someone you can trust. Now who would that be? One of your relatives, of course. Your mother, your father, your aunt, your uncle, your grandfather, your grandmother on both sides. Don't go to friends, fair weather friends that are there with you when things are going good and you never see them if you are having problems.

Why will relatives who are close to you, and who have known you all your life give you good advice? Because they want you to be successful, innately. They feel like if you go wrong or you do something you shouldn't do, that reflects on them. They can't get it out of their mind. They feel ashamed. Whereas, friends and acquaintances that you meet in school or here and there and everywhere, may lead you in the wrong direction.

So, if you are a person that cannot make up your mind, have somebody help you make up your mind for you. The best people to go to are those who are related to you. Now, maybe you don't get along well with them. Maybe they are going to tell you something you don't want to hear; Well, maybe they are going to give you good advice also. There is no great technique or great yoga practice to teach somebody how to make up their mind. When in doubt, do nothing.

Well, that is good for today everyone, and we hope that you also have a very nice retreat tomorrow and the next day, reflecting on the past few days and reflecting on what you are going to do in the days to come. In a sense, making up your mind for the future. Draw close to those who love you, who have been with you most of your life. They will never let you down.

In a few days we'll be back again. Our ashram doors will be open and our cyberspace doors will be open. We'll see you then.

Aum Namah Sivaya.

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