Blog Archives
January 23, 2004
Gurudeva stands in front of the entrance sign to the monastery on Kaholalele Road. Visitors arriving at this entrance are unaware of the large expanse of temple lands that await them past the entrance walk and banyan trees.
In Living with Siva, Gurudeva wrote, "Thus it is that Hinduism offers a great joy to its followers -- a blessing of fearlessness in the face of death, an assurance of the continuation of consciousness after physical death, another assurance that each soul creates its own karma and that such karma is just and right, even when it seems that some people are less fortunate than others and that fate has unfairly given all the advantages to a few. All these things are bestowed on Hindus simply because they understand the doctrine of reincarnation."
Meet Bodhinatha in Malaysia and India, Jan-Feb 2004
Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami will be traveling through Malaysia and South India this January/February on his 2004 Indian Odyssey travel-study program. You are welcome to meet him at the below places:
- Mon, Jan 19, 2004 - Sri Kandaswamy Temple, Kuala Lumpur
- Fri, Jan 23, 2004 � Sri Meenakshi Temple, Madurai
- Sun, Jan 25th, 2004 � Sri Karpaka Vinayagar Temple, Pillaiyarpatti
- Mon, Feb 2nd, 2004 - Siva Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram
- Wed, Feb 4th, 2004- Binny Hall, Taj Connemara Hotel, Chennai
- Thur, Feb 5th, 2004 - Thaipusam celebrations at Arupadai Veedu Temple, Chennai
Click here to go to his Travel Page for details.
Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami with the Crystal Sivalingam destined for Iraivan Temple.
Bodhinatha is today in Madurai and reports that prior to leaving Bangalore, they had visited the international school of Sri Balaganadharanathaswami. The Innersearchers took an overnight train ride to Madurai, quite an experience for the uninitiated. Some had never been on a train before! Tonight in India they will enjoy a concert by Murugadas as the Sri Meenakshi Temple.
Bodhinatha's Sun One Video. Most Recent update: September 12, 2003. Bodhinatha speaks on Ahimsa, noninjury, yama #1, which is noninjury in thought, word and deed. The law of karma decrees that it is wise not to harm or hurt others, for we will then receive harm and hurt in exchange in the future. 12 minutes, 29 seconds.
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
||||
This is Sai and Deepa from Sydney, Australia, who visited today. They heard about the Aadheenam from Sai's father, who is a subscriber to Hinduism Today. The family originally comes from Sri Lanka.
The coming issue of Hinduism Today will contain an important article with world-class answers to those frequent--and often embarrassing--questions about Hinduism: caste, cows, karma, idols, many gods, etc. Good answers distilled from decades of research and meditation. These three monks have good reason to rejoice, for the article should prove most useful to a great many. Arumugaswami, left, is the managing editor of Hinduism Today and assisted with the piece, which was originally written by Gurudeva for a group of students in Chicago. Shanmuganathaswami, center, and Sadhaka Jothinatha, right, are making plans to print the article as a separate booklet to be given away. They are also searching for kind-hearted souls to help sponsor the printing so that we can print as many as possible. If you would like to help, please contact us, 1-888-464-1008 or jothi@hindu.org. Every dollar given prints 10 more copies of the booklet.
The articles gives 10 sterling answers to questions heard again and again. For example, one question is, "Are Hindus Idol worshipers?" Answer: "Hindus are not idol worshipers... We invoke the presence of God or the Gods, from the higher, unseen worlds, into stone images so that we can experience His divine presence, commune with Him and receive His blessings." A longer, fuller explanation also is contained with each answer.
The questions were provided to Gurudeva by the students as the ones they most often had to deal with.
 |
Himalayan Academy Travel Study Programs |
2004 Indian OdysseyJanuary 19, 2004 - February 5, 2004 |
Day 4 of Innersearch was a rich experience...after the luncheon hosted by Arjunan Subramaniam and a bit of rest, the group headed for the Kandaswamy Temple. It showered briefly before our group arrived and lightening flashed right over the temple! It was as if Lord Murugan had sent a sign of greeting from the heavens.
The puja at the temple was a profound one and filled the atmosphere with Lord Murugan's brilliant, other-worldly, actinic energy. No photos are allowed inside the temple, a commendable policy on the part of the temple management which preserves the sanctity of this beautiful and immaculately clean temple.
After the puja, Bodhinatha is paraded to the Kala Mandapam for the grand Iraivan fund-raising and book launching function organized by our members.
The stage was decorated with ornate shrines to Siva, Gurudeva and Yogaswami
Bodhinatha and the four swamis are seated on the stage after they each lit one flame of a giant kuthuvillakku.
The heavy downpour slowed down the arrivals but slowly the hall filled to capacity.
Next Deva Rajan gives testimony about how Gurudeva came to his office once when his business was having difficulty. Gurudeva held the account books in his lap in an office chair, spun around and said everything would work out.... shortly thereafter his business soared.
Bodhinatha gives his talk for the evening on the spirit of work is worship.
Arjunan Subramaniam gave a powerful and cogent speech on "the three things important in my life:" 1) Hinduism Today magazine 2) Iraivan Temple 3) The monastic order that Gurudeva has given us... encouraging everyone to support them and give generously.
Swami Guhabhaktananda and another swami from the Divine Life Society came to join us. Swami is a great soul and the first born Malaysian initiated sannyasin spiritual leader in Malaysia.
Siva Yogaswami
An ornate shrine on the stage.
Palaniswami thanks all our members and offers appreciations to the whole Malaysian community for the great support and hospitality.
Bodhinatha and the swamis are asked to come down and join the audience as the hall is darkened and the Iraivan movie is shown on a giant screen with a projector brought from Kauai by our traveling team.
Next he is asked to stand on the stage for the official book launching.
The lights are lowered and specially prepared aerial "space craft" with flashing lights appear near the ceiling. Young people stand out front holding lamps
Bodhinatha looked very regal covered in giant garlands as he is in every temple we go to...
These gradually come down from the heavens with vibrant music playing in the background.
They descend down to Bodhinatha and he reaches up to receive them.
He finds two books inside....
It's the "Dancing with Siva" pocket book and "Yoga's Forgotten Foundations" that have arrived from the inner worlds!
It was a powerful evening for our innersearchers.
Then we went off to dine at the local restaurant owned by the wife of Data Samy Velu, one of the ministers of the Malaysian government who is also a supporter of Iraivan.
As we returned to our hotel, Satya Subramaniam from Brazil said, "If I had to go home now... it would have been worth it all... such an incredible day, so full and inspiring it was!"
Here follows the day-by-day summary of current events prepared before the trip:
Jan 22 (Sun 1): Today Bodhinatha and the Innersearchers are in Madurai, a city so rich in culture and history it is called the Athens of the East. There are classes with Bodhinatha at the Taj Garden Retreat where they are staying. They will visit the amazing Meenakshi Sundaram Temple for a special puja. We quote again from the 1982-83 Odyssey diary: "This is our second day at Madurai and we are spending long periods of time within the precincts of the temple. ...Over the years we have heard a great many good things about the temple from other pilgrims who preceded us, and we can now testify that it is all indeed true. This is a magnificent temple. Firstly, on the physical plane it is impressive by its sheer immensity, much bigger than Rameshwaram which we thought was gigantic. The gopurams (entry towers on each side) are the highest in the world, intricately carved and painted, at once elegant and awe-inspiring, especially when seen from the inside, near the large tank, where all four gopurams are visible at once. There is so much to see, one could spend a long, long time here and not experience it all. The other aspect of Meenakshi Temple's greatness is its spiritual potency. Palaniswami explained to us that this being a temple to the goddess Meenakshi, who is the feminine aspect of Siva, we would find that the shakti is a lot softer, more gentle and soothing than what we have experienced in Rameshwaram. He encouraged us to go often, and to bask in the vibrations that emanate from its sanctum."
Jan 23 (Sun 2): Today Bodhinatha is holding several classes for the Innersearchers in Madurai. His plan for this travel-study program was to go deep into the South of India, where Saiva Siddhanta is strongest, and stay there for a good amount of time. So they are in Madurai, atop a small hill in a garden setting. This whole day is dedicated to the Innersearch classes and to a truly special cultural program at the Meenakshi Temple tonight�a rare, live concert by Pitukuli Murugadas, on of India's greatest bhajan singers, who performed many times for Gurudeva in India and is flying in from Chennai with his entourage tonight to sing sacred songs for bodhinatha and the Innersearchers, right in the precincts of the temple."
Jan 24 (Sun 3): Today Bodhinatha and the Innersearchers are on the road the entire day. They are being hosted by the priests and swamis of some of India's most enduring holy places. At the Pillaiyar Patti temple there will be long, traditional pujas, complete with full homa and Vedic chanting by many priests. Then at the Kovilar Mutt Nachiappaswami will greet them and show them through his monastery, and ancient one, and how he is preserving the ancient Hindu arts there. We quote again from the 1982-83 Odyssey diary: "In the morning all of the pilgrims meet over breakfast with Gurudeva. He speaks with us about the importance of fulfilling our dharma. Your dharma IS your life, he says. What you have all attained through your sadhana is what you are going to take with you into your next life. If you are married and one of you performs dharma perfectly, that forces the other to do it also. In the afternoon we visit an ayurvedic clinic and factory, where they process many different kinds of fresh herbs for medicinal purposes. There are giant cauldrons, heated with wood fires, into which herbs are added, brewed and distilled. We are shown concoctions for skin ailments, arthritis, even preventing cataracts. We learn of this ancient science of well-being, of how it balances the forces of the body giving rise to health, high energy and long life."
No Audio Today
|
Be surprised! Take this opportunity for an adventure. Close your eyes and click to get a message picked at random from the vast audio archives of our Satgurus' discourses |
And click here for an Index to All Past CyberTalks.
|
|
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. |
|
|
Check our children and youth section for new items for the young and young at heart! | |
|
1. SIGN OUR GUESTBOOK and receive a FREE GIFT |
||
| 2. Newest Book: LIVING WITH SIVA | ||
|
3. Visiting KAUAI'S HINDU MONASTERY |
||
|
4. Contribute to THANK YOU, GURUDEVA FUND |
||