Blog Archives
July 19, 2003 
Hinduism Today is the living manifestation of Gurudeva's mission to foster Hindu Solidarity around the world. The voice of another of Hinduism great sages of this era, the late Sri Aurobindo echoes much of what Hinduism Today stands for:
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 has been working on editing a new course for young people called "Saivite Youth Course." This is a simple rendition of the basic teachings of Dancing with Siva prepared by Sannyasin Natarajnathaswami under Gurudeva's direction to present the basics teachings in a simple format for the youth. We plan to distribute this on the internet. It is part of Bodhinatha's on-going program to provide teachers aids and also bring out Gurudeva teachings in a variety of new formats that will take them to a huge audience. Meanwhile, in a similar vein the new tiny little pocket book version of Dancing with Siva pre -press work has been done and we have received the blueline proofs from the printer in Malaysia... This book will fit in your purse or shirt pocket.
End of Phase Notice
This is Sun Five, the last day off this phase.
This edition of TAKA will remain here until
the evening of navami tithi,
Sun One, Tuesday, July 22nd.
Study and listen to learned people and our primary scriptures, the Vedas and Upanishads and other holy texts. This guides us to become more spiritual people. But it is listening, more than reading, that is meant by 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 are 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.
9 minutes and 52 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 Astikya, Faith Category: Yamas and Niyamas Duration: 11 minutes, 8 seconds Date Given: June 23, 2003 Date Posted:July_19_2003 Given by: Bodhinatha |
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For more information about listening to Gurudeva's talks online and to hear them in other formats, click here. And click here for an Index to All Past CyberTalks. Study Gurudeva's teachings
every day. Visit the Master Course site!
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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Live Web Cam Pix! |
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Himalayan Academy student, Greg Holland at Muruga Hill.
Greg and his wife Courtney meet with Bodhinatha today.
It is always a blessing for a young couple to have the darshan and guidance of our Satguru.
Later in the morning, Greg and Courtney are joined by Courtney's mother and father who were taking care of their little girl during the morning.
Mr. and Mrs. Clubwalla at the Muruga shrine.
Academy students Gregg and Nancy Lien with their daughter, Kirsten, and son Josh, have also come on a pilgrimage from California.
Our tour day brought many interesting guests today. This family from California runs a dairy farm with 800 cows! They told us that some of their children went to a summer camp and that they were taught to write down anything that had bothered them during the day and burn it up! Vasana Daha Tantra is spreading...
Tour day guests at Iraivan.
This is one of our oldest monastics, Sadhaka Adinatha, always bright and ready to go! We step back in time to last retreat and the final days of Guru Purnima when Sadhaka engineered a tree planting by all the pilgrims who were still on the island.
Everyone met at the monastery early in the morning and then drove together to our new Himalayan Acres land across the river.
First we lay out the lines for the trees.
We were blessed to have His Holiness Swami Buaji Maharaj, who, despite his age of 114 insisted on joining the group to plant a tree just hours before he had to fly back to New York.
Swami blessed us with his wisdom and turned the event into a sacred moment.
The tree planting today is of Ironwoods, which are being planted in two rows five feet apart with the trees planted, staggered, four feet apart in each row... giving the appearance from the side of being two feet apart.
The tree will act as a wind break to prevent soil erosion and protect fruit fruit trees in the fields.
Planted in this staggered fashion the trees also form a natural fence, growing to 80 feet tall in ten years, and impenetrable by any vehicle. Later, if we ever need to provide a more secure fence, we wll simply nail the wire to the trees.
The team poses for a group shot before Swami leaves for the airport. He sets a high standard for spirit and unflagging initiative, saying on departure that he would help us with more information on tree planting.
 The Remarkable Vision |
Iraivan Temple Progress Update |
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| 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 enters a new phase as the work on the rising vimanam begins. Sthapati here lays out on the temple foundation a very precise drawing of the stone work to be done at the top of the sanctum. He will use this grid as a guide for the work on high...
Meanwhile Mr. Jeff M. Griffen of Tradewind Builders began work today on the scaffolding.
The outer posts are 20 feet tall and are thus just 1 foot higher than the tip of the future vimanam... which gives us a sense for the height of the final structure.
Jeff at work.
One of Jeff's team, who is a super muscle man.
The stones of the 17th course waiting for placement and final jointing.
Jeff atop Iraivan, establishes a simple frame work which he will build up to a become a super stable platform for the silpis to work from.
| FULL INDEX OF 650+ CYBERTALKS
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Study Gurudeva's teachings.
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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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2004 Indian Odyssey
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