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Bodhinatha continues to deliver practical and concise formulations on the Yamas and Niyamas, focusing on something that teachers really need: material to convey to children the essentials of good conduct.

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

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Paramacharya Ceyonswami at work in the Lambodara Kulam. He is reading through the latest pages of Hinduism Today magazine that have come from the Ganapati Kulam. All the Acharyas read every word in the magazine before it is published. Ganapu, the fluffy black cat likes to rest here on his desk.

Sannyasin Saravananathaswami, the Talaivar of the Ekadanta Kulam. He is responsible for coordinating all the communications with missions, sishya, members, students and managing the Himalayan Academy study programs.

Art work that will appear in the new edition of Dancing with Siva. And, speaking of Gurudeva's books and their impact, we have this testimony from a reader of the latest release, Living with Siva:

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"I have been studying the newer hard cover edition of Living with Siva each morning. I had many years ago read the previous paperback edition, and I was wonderfully fascinated by the wealth of profound information in the new edition. Usually when I have read Gurudeva's books I read about one chapter at a sitting, but this book (I think I am on chapter 17 now) is so profound that I cannot stand to read more than two days' lessons at a reading! The information is so acute and penetrating I just cannot absorb too much at one time! Reading the book makes me so joyful that I have been blessed in this birth to have been even a short time in the presence of such a great satguru. I reflected on how immensely fortunate the long term monastics have been to have been with Gurudeva so long, to have heard his sermons at the top of Mt. Tamalpias and to have practiced yoga and been guided by his steady hand so many years."

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More pictures from the Bangalore carving site. A corner stone of the main sanctum: now in place here on Kauai.

Carving the educational symbols on the pillars.

More of the stones of the main sanctum

The patrai, or blacksmith facility at the work site. Hundreds of chisels are sharpened every day, in the old-fashioned way.

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Date: March_18_1999
Title: Friends Vs. Acquaintances
Category: Relationships
Duration: 3 min., 55 seconds
Date Given: March 18, 1999
Given By: Gurudeva

Today at Kauai Aadheenam. It is March 18.

We are starting a five-day phase of service to Siva. We had a two-day retreat reflecting on what we are going to do in the next five days. They are going to be wonderful, dynamic days. We are looking forward to each and every one of them. We are all geared up here at Kauai Aadheenam to be with you in our Cyberspace Ashram, and do a lot of good work in reaching out to the world from our little, mystical Garden Island.

The question has come up about friends and acquaintances. "What is the difference between a friend and an acquaintance?"

This is kind-of mixed up in most peoples' minds. When we go to school, we go to study but we make friends and we also have acquaintances.

A friend is someone who stands by you in the good times and the bad times. A friend is someone who you can talk to and share your secrets with and they won't tell anyone. A friend is with you spiritually, socially, culturally and is interested in what you are interested in.

An acquaintance may just want you for your body. An acquaintance may just want to be around you because you happen to be there. An acquaintance may be interested in what you are interested in but not interested in your religion or your inner beliefs. Shall we say an acquaintance is a part-time friend? In the good times, they will be with you and in the bad times they disappear.

You want to surround yourself with beautiful things. People are shopping today for automobiles. People are shopping on the internet. People are surrounding themselves with beautiful things but often surround themselves with acquaintances which they mistake to be friends and then get disappointed and get their feelings hurt.

Well, we should take more time testing our acquaintances before we take them into our life as friends and in doing so, we surround ourselves with just the right people. People who are loyal, trustworthy, kindly, who understand us and we understand them spiritually, inwardly, have the same philosophy, speak the same inner language and the same outer language and have the same interests. That is a friend.

Well, think this over. Look at your list of friends and acquaintances. Check off the ones you can call "real friends" and maybe slowly distance yourself from some of the others and let them go their way.

Well, our Cyberspace Ashram has its doors open tomorrow, the next day, and the next day. We hope you will come back and back and back and please do send in your questions.

Aum Namah Sivaya. We'll be seeing you.

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