Celebrating Mahasivaratri

This year, the monastery enjoyed another beautiful celebration of Mahasivaratri. The night began at 7 o'clock, as devotees walked the torch-lit path up to Kadavul temple. There they sang bhajans together until 7:30 when the special Siva homa began. From that very first arati to Ganesha, it was obvious that this would be a powerful night. With everyone gathered around the crackling flames, the monks chanted Sri Rudram with an intense and indomitable cadence. Siva's unlimited and all-pervasive energy and love, swelled through the minds of all present, drawing them inward toward the Self of themselves.

There the eye goes not, nor words, nor mind. We know not. We cannot understand how He can be explained. He is above the known, and He is above the unknown. Thus have we heard from the ancient sages who explained this truth to us. Sama Veda, Kena Upanishad 1.3

As the Homa reached its crescendo, and the final arati had passed, the Siva kumbha was placed upon Satguru Bodhinatha's head, and was paraded around Nandi and the Kodimaram, then brought to Siva's inner sanctum for the night's abhishekam.

Like the household fire, devotees seek the glory of the Lord even from afar and enshrine it in their inner chamber for enlightenment. The glory of our Lord is full of splendor, all-illuminative and worthy to be honored in every heart. Rig Veda 7.1.2

Soon after, everyone sat and listened to a talk given by Gurudeva on that same night 24 years earlier. Following the talk, a short and serene, silent meditation on the Absolute. After a quick break, Bodhinatha gave an absolutely incredible talk, which we hope to have online soon. He discussed the nine stages of merging with Siva with his usual simplicity and grace.

Namah Sivaya has such power, the mere intonation of these syllables reaps its own reward in salvaging the soul from bondages of the treacherous instinctive mind and the steel bands of a perfected externalized intellect. Gurudeva

The small and sometimes unnoticed crystal lingam, which sits Nataraja's feet in Kadavul, parallels the often unnoticed and silent power reverberating through it. The abhishekam soon began, and the monks took turns bathing the lingam. In pairs, they poured milk, yogurt, citrus, vibuthi and others, over the perfectly clear crystal Lingam. Offering their prana to Siva's formless unevolutionary perfection.

With love and tireless devotion to our great God, the source of all things and the core of our being, Aum Namah Sivaya!

Be unknown. God is unknown. Siva Yogaswami

The large crystal Lingam glows in silence, emanating the deepest, unknowable source for which we have come to worship and meditate.

Devotees begin the night with bhajans to Siva

Bodhinatha is greeted with love and devotion as he joins them for the homa.

The monks chanted Sri Rudram with great power

The mind alone is man\

s cause of bondage or release: it leads to bondage when attached to the sense objects, and to release when freed from them. Krishna Yajur Veda, Maitri Upanishad'

The coconut is broken in front of the temple

Just as the hard shell of our ego is cracked to find the sweet fruit inside

The kumbha is paraded pack into the temple

Bodhinatha then gave his wonderful talk to everyone

The rest of the night was an unforgettable experience of God Siva\

s Grace. Aum Namah Sivaya'
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