Kauai Aadheenam

“When heart and mind are freed of baseness, when desires have been tempered and excesses avoided, dharma is known and followed, and good conduct naturally arises.” – Gurudeva

“To accept one’s karma and the responsibility for one’s actions is strength. To blame another is weakness and foolishness.”

“It is wise to have a free mind, a clear, serene and relaxed attitude toward life before partaking of food. That is why people on the inner path traditionally meditate for a moment, chant a mantra or say a prayer before a meal.”

“Sacred is secret in all religions because if you talk about your inner experiences, you make them outer experiences and you stop the process.”

“We’re here to realize the Self, to have that one dramatic experience where everything that we thought was things is turned upside down, and our whole perspective afterwards changes. That is the purpose for living on this Earth.”

“The whole mind is finished, all complete, in all stages of manifestation. Man’s individual awareness flows through the mind as the traveler trods the globe.”

“The most important rule of honesty is to be honest to oneself, to be able to face up to our problems and admit that we have been the creator of them. To be honest with oneself brings peace of mind.”

“Have a view of the direction in which your mind is going, and you will have a good control over the direction of your life’s circumstance.”

“Siva is the God of love and nothing else but love. He fills this universe with love. He fills you with love. Siva is fire. Siva is earth. Siva is air. Siva is water. Siva is ether.”

“That goal is to realize God Siva in His absolute, or transcendent, state, which when realized is your own ultimate state—timeless, formless, spaceless Truth.”

Examine the word “I” and honestly see what it means to you.

There is a great wisdom in cultivated affectionate detachment. Let go of the past. Let go of the future. Be a being right now.

The energy within our body is the same energy that pervades the universe, and it’s all emanating right out of Lord Siva.

You don’t discipline yourself to attain the feeling of love. You attain the feeling of love and then you want to discipline yourself because you love the discipline, because it brings more love.

Jai Gurudeva!

During today’s chitra nakshatra, we observed our monthly padapuja to Gurudeva Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. Monks and local members gathered in Kadavul Temple at 6:00am for the puja which was performed by Mayilnathaswami and Sadhaka Shankaranatha. Aum.

It’s easy to live in the now if you work with yourself a little every day and concentrate on what you are doing each moment.

– Sivaya Subramuniyaswami

Aum Namah Sivaya

Happy Ardra Nakshatra!

Today our monks performed the special monthly abhishekam to Lord Nataraja in Kadavul Temple. We can’t photograph the event, but here’s a few photos taken around the monastery recently.

First is a collection of images from our newly producing dragonfruit cactus near our kitchen. It gives incredible flowers, followed by equally as wonderful fruits. Next we take you to the afternoon Muruga puja in Kadavul Temple. And finally, off to our small culinary mushroom growing initiative, to see them go from sawdust block, to kitchen to lunch-plate.

The amazing dragonfruit flower. It blooms for one day only

A few weeks later you get some lovely fruits

Yum!

A few days ago Vel arrived at the airport

This afternoon he and Kodiswara are attending the Muruga puja

A great way to start your afternoon

Next, inside our humble gourmet mushroom operation. Where temperature, airflow and humidity must be closely controlled. These are otherwise sterile blocks of growing mushroom mycelium. Once the bag is opened and exposed to air, light and a drop in temperature, they grow mushrooms.

The summer had been too warm to grow much, but these chestnut mushroom give a small flush

A few days layer they turn a bright orange.

Our lion’s mane mushrooms are also content to fruit this time of year

Chestnut mushrooms are similar to Shiitake mushrooms

The day’s fresh, homegrown ingredients: Eggplant. Roma Tomato blend, green beans, chestnut mushrooms, bell peppers, okra, dill, rosemary, parsley and thyme.

A mediterranean chickpea dish to go with the salad and green beans

And of course, a mushroom risotto using our chestnut mushrooms

Something for Satguru and the monks to enjoy!

Jai to the Nandinatha Sampradaya!

Jai to the Kailasa Parampara!

Jai Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami!

Today we celebrate Satguru’s 82nd Jayanti. Throughout the day, many blessings and good wishes have been coming in from throughout the world, and this evening the monks will enjoy a special evening meal with Satguru. The monks of the Siddhidatta kulam have been preparing the bountiful feast, while others have been gathering special gifts and decorating.

Leave your birthday wishes in the comments and we’ll make sure Satguru gets them!

From the Kularnava Tantra:

“And Lord Siva said: How can My subtle perfection, which is one, omnipresent, attributeless, indifferent, undecaying, unattached like space, unbeginning and unending, be an object of worship for the dualistic mind? Hence it is that I as the Supreme Guru have entered into the bodies of human Satgurus.

“Even My gross aspect, being full of light and energy, is imperceptible to human eyes. For this reason I have assumed the form of the Satguru in the world, and thus protect the race of sishyas.

“As Mahesvara, in human body I secretly wander on the Earth in order to favor sishyas. As Sadasiva, I assume the modest and merciful form for the protection of sadhakas. Though remaining above samsara, yet I appear and act in this world as though I were a man of samsara.

“When the fruits of sin predominate, Satguru is seen as a person. And when the fruits of virtuous acts prevail, Satguru is seen as Siva. Like blind men deprived forever of seeing the sun, unfortunate jivas are unable to see the real Satguru, the embodiment of Mahesvara, though He is present before their eyes. It is undoubtedly true that Satguru is Deva Sadasiva Himself, for who is it that grants Liberation to seekers if Satguru be not Siva Himself?

“O Beloved, there is not the least difference between Deva Sadasiva and Sriguru. Whoever makes a distinction between them commits a sin. For by assuming the form of a preceptor, the Gurudeva severs the multitude of bonds which bind jivas to the state of pasu and enables them to attain the Self, Parasivam.“

Aum Namah Sivaya