Kauai Aadheenam

One of our monks captures the oceanside sunrise

“To the Hindu the ground is sacred. The rivers are sacred. The sky is sacred. The sun is sacred. His wife is a Goddess. Her husband is a God. Their children are devas. Their home is a shrine.” – Gurudeva

“We should be uplifting to our fellow man, not critical or injurious. We should be loving and kind, not hateful or mean.” – Gurudeva

“The true Self is only realized when you gain a subconscious control over your mind by ceasing to react to your experiences so that you can concentrate your mind fully, experience first meditation and contemplation, then samadhi, or Self Realization.” -Gurudeva

“The stronger you are in your nature, the more you can bring through your real nature; the more you can enjoy the bliss of your true being. It is well worth working for. It is well worth craving for.” – Gurudeva

Today marks the end of our current lunar phase. The next two days will be retreat days for the monks. it also marks the end of our Sadhu Paksha observances. Several days from now we will enter our new season, the Moksha Ritau.

“It is the interplay between our experience and how we respond to it that makes karma devastating or helpfully invigorating.” – Gurudeva

Aum Namah Shivaya

We mill various board widths to suit different future uses and to maximize the wood’s quality. This stack is nearly complete. Once the last layers are added, it will be covered with a sheet of metal roofing weighted with four concrete blocks to shield the lumber from sun and rain. In about a year the wood will be ready to use.

Cutting a camphor beam originally milled in 2013. Once all horizontal kerfs are complete, the entire stack is rotated 90 degrees and recut at 1 1/4 inches to produce ten-foot-long sticks.

About a hundred finished camphor sticks are stacked in a jig designed for quickly cutting them to 30-inch lengths with the battery-powered chainsaw.

Aditya unloads the freshly cut stickers from the jig

Storing the stickers in our rustic sticker shed. Later we will organize the stacks neatly and paint the sticker ends red for weather protection. This aged wood is dry and ideal for preventing fungus transfer to new lumber.

Acharya completes a long rip down the side of one of the large rainbow eucalyptus logs, just under our mill’s 25-inch capacity. Each of the biggest logs required two such faces: one for the mill bed and one to stand upright against the mill’s left side.

Acharya marks his cuts with a wax pencil and straightedge. He sights carefully down the chainsaw bar to keep the rip straight.

Acharya using the Echo 7310CS chainsaw for the rip cuts.

Time to load a log onto the mill.

Years ago we laid eight inches of gravel and stone in front of the mill to create a durable work surface for the skid steer and milling operations.

Aditya takes a turn at running the mill. The saw head moves by hand as the horizontal bandsaw slices through the log at the set height. Sawdust ejects to the operator’s left, strategically downwind.

Acharya cutting a prime 2-inch plank. Finished boards are already accumulating on the utility vehicle nearby.

After sharpening saw blades, preparing foundations, sorting supplies, cutting stickers and trimming logs, this is the rewarding moment: seeing beautiful lumber emerge board by board.

Prime rainbow eucalyptus lumber for a future woodworking project.

Starting a fresh log. It has been trimmed to width and cleaned of loose bark and soil before milling.

Aditya places finished boards onto the designated lumber stands. Behind him is a previous completed pile. Stickers are placed 16 inches apart to ensure proper airflow through each layer.

This is the yeild from three shorter logs, 23” in diameter.

Two of three long new stacks with an old stack of camphor slabs in the background.

From September 25 to October 21, Aditya Vinadhara joined our task force and teamed up with Acharya Kumarnathaswami for a lumber adventure worthy of its own mini documentary. Seven massive rainbow eucalyptus logs—gifted by a kind neighbor across the highway—became the project of the month. The photos capture it all, from cutting hundreds of stickers for perfect airflow to trimming the giant logs, milling beautiful planks and finally stacking everything into tidy piles to sun-kissed perfection in Hawaii’s balmy climate.

Our morning light never ceases to be stunning

Iraivan glistens through the brush

Lord Muruga shines in His own way

One of the many scenes found in our Chola Gardens

A place not oft seen. Winding stream waters make their way below papayas, bananas and breadfruit trees

Palms as far as the eye can see

Look close and you might find interesting things. This is an egg-casing from a praying mantis.

Happy Kavi cat, reminds us to keep it simple

At night we roll past our galactic center

A baby bullfrog floats on his raft

“That is the goal of life, to know Siva, to love Siva and to find union in Him, to dance with Siva, live with Siva and merge with Siva.” – Gurudeva

Aum Namah Sivaya

This week brought a few quiet moments to step outside and enjoy the land. The gardens and surrounding jungles offered small scenes of beauty. Soft light on new leaves, the play of shadows along the paths, and the stillness that gathers between passing showers. We captured a handful of simple photos to share, reflections of the peaceful rhythm that moves through the Aadheenam each day.

“This inner light is so beautiful. All day long my head has been filled with light. It feels that if I were to reach up and put both hands around the top of my head, there wouldn’t be a head there.” – Sivaya Subramuniyaswami

A warm welcome at the temple’s Ganesha shrine

A Gopuja proeceeded Satguru’s arrival

A very friendly face to greet Satguru and Swami

First stop is the Ganesha shrine

A beautiful black-granite Ganesha!

Aum Gam Ganapataye Namah

Satguru gives an upadesha

Followed by vibhuti blessings for those present

Also on the trip, Satguru and Swami have a satsang with our California members and students

Aum Namah Sivaya

Jai Ganesha!

Last week, Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami and Sannyasin Yoginathaswami took a short trip to San Ramon, in the Bay Area of California. They were there to attend the Maha Kumbhabhishekam of the Sri Karpaga Ganapathi Temple. The event was conducted on November 10th, 2025, and was preceded by four days of preliminary pujas and prayers. Satguru was the chief guest of honor. The temple was founded by Sivasri Suresh Viswanathan Sivacharyar, whom we have known for many years. Sivacharyar has strong local community support and was very happy to have been able to start this temple. The Ganesha murti was gifted by Bodhinatha, following Gurudeva’s long-standing tradition to give a Ganesha whenever a community starts a temple.

The powerful puja was done successfully and was accompanied by a 3.8 earthquake. The chief priest was Sivasri Swaminatha Sivacharyar from Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu, and he was assisted by Sivasri Karthikeya Sivacharyar and Sivasri Balu Gurukkal. Aum.

This video includes a San Ramon local TV interview of Satguru (interview starts at 2m 15s)

A moonbow lights the sky above Iraivan Temple during our recent full moon

We’ve been getting lots of rain these last few days. Here, the setting sun shines through the millions of droplets

A good time for this swan neck agave to conclude its life with its one and only flower bloom

The rain also spurs forth the mushroom. These ones are blooming with a massive cluster

It gets to full size and only lasts a few days

Passion Fruit flowers are some of our favorite. Amazingly complex structures and an indescribable aroma

A scary sight for some! This mother centipede is about 7-8 inches and is coiled around her recently hatched keiki

This species of mushroom can be found all over. Easy to spot in the dark of night.

Our fresh mulch always has a few larger ones

Nimu doesn’t like the thunderous rain very much. He has to sing much louder whenever it pours

Some of our local ringneck parakeets enjoy the fruiting palms

“Everything should be an offering to God. The world is an altar.” – Yogaswami

Aum Namah Shivaya

Today marks the 4th day of our Monastics’ short lunar phase. Meaning the next two days will be our retreat days (like a weekend). As a gentle end to our week of seva, we offer you these photos from around the Aadheenam—appreciating the natural world we enjoy here. From the moon in the night sky above Iraivan Temple, to the plants and mushrooms erupting from the earth beneath us. It’s all a sacred sight to behold. Aum.

Mayilnathaswami performs the blessing to our new vehicles

Jai Ganesha!

As some may know, care for the Aadheenam’s vast acreage is greatly assisted by our small fleet of mostly electric utility vehicles. These little machines are used for everything from gardening and hauling tools to showing around special guests and providing simple, quick transport from A to B. These vehicles are in constant use, and at times we don’t have enough available for all the countless projects taking place. Thankfully, we recently acquired two new additions. The smaller blue one is in great condition and was offered to the monastery at a very low price, while the larger one was a gift. It had stopped working, and its owner said we could have it. Our monks quickly fixed a tiny problem and had it running again like new.

Before any vehicle or large piece of equipment enters service, our monks perform a traditional blessing for it. Last week, the monks of the Siddhidatta Kulam gathered at the large Ganesha outside their office and blessed the vehicles for a long, safe, and productive life of service.

Aum Namah Shivaya