2019 Mahasamadhi Celebrations Day Two

On the second day of our Mahasamadhi Celebrations, Satguru, monk and pilgrims joined together at Kadavul Temple in the early morning for a padapuja to Gurudeva. It began with a round of Sri Rudram and concluded with a short puja performed by Yogi Jayanatha and Yogi Dayanatha. That was followed by a short meditation and some singing. After breakfast, the next activity was a late-morning class with Paramacharya Sadasivanathaswami. One item Swami presented was the profundity behind the form of Siva known as "Sadasiva." As it happed to work out, the lovely bronze Sadasiva, created by artist Natalie Levin in Tucson, arrived at the Aadheenam on the first day of our festivities. Swami brought the group out to see the statue in its current, temporary location. Aum.

\"Tonight we want to speak on the joys and happiness found in Hinduism, our ancient religion, which brings forth the wonderful feelings of a belief in the cosmic processes of reincarnation\"

\"coupled with knowledge of the laws of karma and the wisdom of dharma in which everyone has his rightful place and purpose in life.\"

\"It brings the broadmindedness of total acceptance of all other religions as expressions of the One Gods creation\"

\"the blessing of a complete devotional path revolving around powerful temples, the fulfillment of a profound mystical teaching founded on yoga and brought forth by the seers and saints and gurus, and so much more.\"

\"Our religion is so strong, so rich and varied that very few can claim to understand it in its completeness.\"

\"It is immense, an immense religion, so immense that we have difficulty sometimes explaining it to those who hold to a simpler doctrine\"

\"especially if they have been subjected to erroneous concepts about our religion promulgated by invaders and missionaries of a score of alien religions.\"

\"It is time that the world knew of the greatness of Hinduism, knew it as it is.\"

\"Of course, we cannot explain it in an evening. My satguru, the great Siva Yogaswami of Columbuthurai, would say, \

The time is short and the subject is vast.\'\"'

\"But we can have a look at some of the aspects of Hinduism that bring such joys and happiness to over a billion devotees around the world.\"

\"Each Hindu\

s belief in reincarnation is so strong that it totally eliminates the fear and dread of death.\"'

\"No true Hindu really fears death; nor does he look forward to it. The word death in the vocabulary of the Hindu holds a different meaning.\"

\"He does not take death to be the end of existence; nor does he look upon life as a singular opportunity to be followed by eternal heavenly existence for those souls who do well, and by unending hell for those who do not.\"

\"Death for the Hindu is merely transition, simultaneously an end and a new beginning.\"

\"Over two thousand years ago, Saint Tiruvalluvar wrote, \

Death is like falling asleep, and birth is like awakening from that sleep.\'\"'

\"In one of the ancient languages of our religion, the physical body had a name which literally meant \

that which is always dropping off.\'\"'

\"The Hindu\

s knowledge of reincarnation gives him the hope of attaining a future birth and in that birth making further progress toward the perfection that he intuitively knows is his atman, his soul.\"'

\"He is working in this life to gain enough good merit\"

\"enough puya, to deserve welcome into a fine religious family as a good soul that will not upset the family but add to its love and harmony and productivity.\"

\"That is one aim ever on the mind of the devout Hindu, to live well that he may live even more perfectly in a future life on this planet.\"

\"That is our aim; and our other beliefs, our accumulated knowledge and the many facets of our religion, give us the strength and the wisdom to believe in such a far-reaching way\"

\"to look beyond the immediate day-to-day concerns into our ultimate objective, which is realization and liberation, moksha.\"

\"Nor is this belief in the cycles of earthly existence, in reincarnation, merely a belief.\"

\"It is a certain knowledge\"

\"for those who have had even a tiny glimpse into their origins\"

\"to the point of remembering another life\"

\"or just intuiting that the soul did not come into existence just before one\

s birth.\"'

\"The Hindu believes that the soul undertakes many sojourns on the planet.\"

\"We see the wisdom in this cycle of birth, death and rebirth.\"

\"The Hindu knows that we will have as many opportunities as needed to refine and evolve our nature\"

\"a thousand lives or more if needed\"

\"We don\

t have to think that we only have a single chance, a one life in which everything must be accomplished and all desires must be fulfilled. Therefore, we are not in a hurry. We are patient.\"'
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