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July 18, 2003 
Though this song by Yogaswami is dedicated to Sri Lanka and his guru, Chellappaswami, it feels as if he was singing about Kauai and Gurudeva as well:
This, our Land where Lord Siva is pleased to take his abode,
This, our land stands revealed in its fullest stature
By our Guru, who melts us all in the web of his Love."
--Natchintanai. 22
Our Beloved and Revered Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
Attained Maha Samadhi on November 12th, 2001
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Bodhinatha has been busy. Yesterday he attended a meeting for the Kauai Aloha Endowment, which is a growing success with many wonderful plans.
Bodhinatha's Sun One Video. Most Recent update: July 8, 2003, Bodhinatha speaks on siddhanta sravana, scriptural listening, niyama #6.
Study and listen to learned people and our primary scriptures, the Vedas, and other holy texts. This guides us to become more spiritual people. But it is by listening, more than reading, which is the thrust of this practice, for listening is more powerful. As Yogaswami said, "It is not in books, you fool!" Rather, it is through hearing that the more subtle forms of knowledge as passed from the knower to the listener, from the teacher to the student. This happens most potently when the speaker has had spiritual experiences.Bodhinatha continues with a second subject on the importance of the guru in our religious lives, which begins the talks he gave as part of the Satguru Purnima festival last phase.
<p / 25 minutes, 32 seconds. Opens in separate Window. Quicktime 6.0 required to view this MP4 video.
Today's Inspired Talk |
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Title: The Niyama of Dana, Giving Category: Yamas and Niyamas Duration: 13 minutes, 4 seconds Date Given: June 16, 2003 Date Posted:July_18_2003 Given by: Bodhinatha |
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Bodhinatha will be happy to hold "Prasnottara Satsang" -- "Questions and Answers" over the telephone with any Hindu religious societies, Hindu youth groups, Radio talk show hosts etc. All you need is a phone with a speaker and an enthusiastic audience. Arrangements may be made in advance by sending email to Sannyasin Saravananathaswami If you are experiencing any problems listening to the audio, please to go our Audio FAQ page and follow the directions there.
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Saravananathaswami went with Bodhinatha and is the monastic support for the Kauai Aloha Endowment, which was one of Gurudeva's visions that is manifesting on the island. For our monastery and temple to flourish, so must our island community.
Then, this morning, Professor Ron Smith interviewed Bodhinatha. It was quite an awakening for Professor Smith, whose ideas about Hinduism are all from books, many of which perpetuate all kinds of misconceptions.
Here is Niraj Bhatt, who is on Task Force with us for two weeks this summer, having graduated from Princeton with a degree in computer engineering. Niraj's parents are quite religious, and he fits in really well here.
Niraj has been reading Hinduism Today since he was about 12 or 13 years old, and it has been a big inspiration for him. So before starting work in the big wide world he wanted to have a chance to participate. Here he is with Arumugaswami, working on an article for the coming issue.
A few days ago our monks took the beautiful little Ganesha out of the temple where it had been blessed.
Now He is on his way to Houston, Texas, to the Hindu Worship Society there.
If Pundit Rajendra Sharma and his wife Asha are looking in, we send you Lord Ganesha's greetings from Hawaii. He will be there soon!
Ready for the journey across the ocean by air
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Meanwhile, our new team of silpis has been working hard, and the temple site is back in full swing. Today saw the lift of stones for the 17th course.
But, first a load of lumber goes up for scaffolding. Task Forcer, Kulapati Iraja Sivadas, who is here on Kauai for several weeks, handles the rigging for the lumber.
Up, up
And down
In a few days Jeff, our local contractor, will come with his team to build a new scaffold to take the silpis to new heights.
Next stone for course 17
Our ground team is getting very efficient.
This beam serves to take up a few other needed blocks.
Our quick tent has a quick-remove center to receive the incoming stones.
Our new silpis are strong and adept.
Okay, down
More, more
Okay, good
Small stones are rigged two at a time.
Down, right to the top and center of the temple sanctum
It was a perfect, clear, cool day, and a smooth lift for the next course on Iraivan.
Himalayan Academy student Greg Holland is here with his wife Courtney and there little daughter, Dhara.
Gurudeva's spiritual center in the island country of Mauritius
in the Indian Ocean near South Africa
Guru Purnima was celebrated in Mauritius on Sunday July 13, in the morning at the Spiritual Park. Sishyas from all over Mauritius came early to the Ganesha Mandapam, where a special shrine was made for Gurudeva. Our young brahmacharis helped Brahmachari Vel Mahalingum perform a silent abhishekam on the holy tiruvadi.
The tiruvadi receive a traditional bath with pure natural substances during the pada puja.
The men seated on the right of the shrine had been helping build up the spiritual vibration through chanting Natchintanai before the ceremony. They were led by Kulapati Kulagan and Adishankara.
The women, too, with their beautiful voices, sang with much bhakti the songs of Satguru Siva Yogaswami.
Here is Kulamata Premila Manick and other ladies with their attention focused on the pada puja.
The devotees from the south went early to Grand Bassin to pluck some beautiful white ginger flowers from which the ladies made a beautiful garland. The ginger plants grow wild in the cool regions and the flowers have a very sweet and cooling fragrance.
Everyone stood up and chanted the Guru Mantra when the arati was being performed for the tiruvadi.
The holy tiruvadi, covered with flowers, are radiating out an infinite energy for all present to absorb.
Everyone sang devotionally while sishyas came forward to prostrate at the holy tiruvadi.
The message of Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami on the major tasks of a guru was read and translated�by one Kulapati on that occasion. Beloved Bodhinatha said:
"Second, the guru helps us develop a spiritual self concept. Whatever self concept we bring to him - be it one of self doubt or one of great pride - the guru helps us move beyond it and identify with our spiritual nature so that we truly feel ourselves to be a divine being.
"Third, the guru speaks the teachings and by listening to his spoken word we have insights into the teachings far greater than we can acquire on our own by simply reading his books."
"Fourth, the guru helps us improve our behavior through focusing on our weakest areas as well as giving us guidelines as to how we as a spiritual person should behave."
"And fifth, the guru provides initiation to quicken our unfoldment."
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transcription begins
Date: April_11_1999
Title: Choose One Lineage and Follow it
Category: The Guru
Duration: 4 min., 45 seconds
Given by: Gurudeva
Today at Kauai Aadheenam. April 11. Greetings everyone!
We have a question that came in today about, "Why do yogis sit on animal skin for meditation?"
There is a very simple answer. The animal skin protects the yogi from poisonous bugs and snakes because we are told, I have never experienced this personally, that a snake won't crawl across an animal skin or bugs won't be inclined to walk across it either. Now, technically speaking, the skin should be from an animal who has naturally died. If you have an animal skin in your shrine room for meditation, that is just wonderful. Keep it there, meditate on it. Also, the animal skin holds the vital forces, the electrical forces within the body. The same thing can be accomplished by sitting on something like a wool blanket or a wool carpet. We use wool carpets here at Kauai Aadheenam.
Another question about having a Guru's picture on the altar. That is wonderful if that is your Guru. But the question is, "Should we have other Gurus' pictures around the walls?"
Well, that is also fine, if you are admiring other Gurus and listening to other Gurus. But, if you are really attached to a Parampara, you would want only your Guru, your Guru's Guru, your Guru's Guru's Guru and the whole chain of Gurus to be in your shrine room, on the walls or wherever, so that you are sticking to one tradition.
In the great Sanatana Dharma, the Hindu religion, there are many village traditions, many guru traditions, many denominations and their traditions, within them more traditions. To follow the Hindu path, you must choose one. You can't choose them all. A generalization of the one Hindu religion is watered down so much that you barely know what it is because to really be religious and to have a spiritual leader or guide or more leaders than one, it has to be of the same tradition. Though all swamis and those leaders are respected, they are respected in the name of your Guru. For instance, if a Swami comes to your town, you can go and garland the Swami in the name of your Guru. He will appreciate that very much.
Well, we hope this sheds some light on the subject. We have Sadhaka Jothinatha here, who is going to speak in French and he will introduce Brahmachari Nanthakumar who will finish telling the story in Malay.
transcription ends
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