“Karma is not fate, for man acts with free will, creating his own destiny. The Vedas tell us, if we sow goodness, we will reap goodness; if we sow evil, we will reap evil.“
“Flow with the river of life and merge in Siva’s ocean of oneness.“
“Of course if you love Siva, obviously you have to love everyone else. Love brings forgiveness. Love brings understanding. Love brings feeling.“
“Self Realization is finding That which is beyond even superconsciousness itself, beyond the mind—timeless, causeless, spaceless.“
“Yogaswami, said, ‘It was all finished long ago.‘” – Gurudeva
“Hope for a future life makes this life worthwhile, joyous, contented and happy, because the Hindu can live and deal with current problems, knowing that they are transitory problems, that they will not last forever; nor will they affect us forever.“
Jai Ganesha!
Today is a bright, sunny day at the aadheenam. The flowers are blooming and the lizards our out enjoying the warming light. We thought you’d all enjoy some photos of seevral of the amazing new flowers that we’re growing for the temple.
“Your journey on this Earth has only one goal, Self Realization. You are here to attain the highest possible states of consciousness. You are not here to react to the petty incidents that occur in the valley of the subconscious.” – Gurudeva
As many are well aware, Hurricane Lowell damaged many of the trees and plants around the Aadheenam’s acreage, including uprooting several large bamboo clumps along the bamboo corridor, near the Rudraksha Forest. Today, expert excavator operator Pradeep, successfully replanted the wilting bamboo with his machine. Bamboo is very resilient, so despite being fully uprooted these ones will most likely survive. Pradeep’s team of skilled arborists pruned the plants’ branches so the they wouldn’t loose much more water to their drying leaves, while trying to re-root themselves.
This area along San Marga—from the forest to the gate below Muruga Hill— is known as the entrance into the first world. It reminds us that the Bhuloka is the most impermanent plane of Lord Siva’s Universe, because it is the most subject to change. May the bamboo’s struggle remind us that despite our seeming hardships, we can always recover and carry on down the path towards merger. Fresh growth will return to this part of the Aadheenam soon enough!
There was a great emphasis on international works, and the Chinese were the honorary presenters.
Bust of Alexander Pushkin, one of Russia’s great poets, showing his work is still cool.
The venue is multi storied.
Book readings, presentations and small theater from the stage.
It is always a surprising delight to see the Moscow team sharing our publications with seekers in Moscow, where there is an unusually strong interest. In early September a massive Book Fair welcomed Gurudeva’s trilogy and other books (in Russian) and Hinduism Today’s Russian edition. Here is the team leader’s report:
From Dinanatha Bodhinatha
Aloha, dear Kauaians!
Namaste, dear monks!
The 39th Moscow International Book Fair (MIBF) opened in Moscow — one of the country’s main book events, which annually brings together publishers, authors and readers, bookstores and libraries, and cultural institutions.
This year, the MIBF was held from September 2 to 6 at the Gostiny Dvor Complex. At the same time as the MIBF, the 4th Moscow International Children’s Book Fair took place.
The fair was opened by Vladimir Medinsky — Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, First Secretary of the Union of Writers of Russia, and Actual State Councillor of the 1st Class of the Russian Federation, which speaks to the MIBF as an event of national significance.
The People’s Republic of China became the guest of honour at the 39th Moscow International Book Fair this year.
“Hinduism Today” (Russia) is presenting its own products and those of friendly publishers at the fair.
Here in Mauritius it is the Ganesha Chaturthi fever in the Hindu community of all denominations, usually done in the home and at public beaches for Visarjana immersion.
For many years now, days before the official Ganesha Chaturthi puja, the Saiva Siddhanta Church Mauritius Mission has organized a very special annual Ganesha ceremony for primary, secondary and university students preparing to sit for their end-of-year national and international examinations. This year, as in previous years, the ceremony drew a large flow of devotees, with hundreds of young people attending, accompanied by their supportive parents who travelled from different parts of the island to the Spiritual Park. The large mandapams were filled to capacity as everyone participated in an elaborate homa performed by Sivacharya Devakumar, Sivacharya Kannen Venkatakrishen Kaylassom and Sivacharya Mootoo. Powerful Vedic mantras, devoutly chanted during the ceremony and carried throughout the property by loudspeakers, created a deeply sacred and uplifting atmosphere.
Following the recitation of a blessing message from Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami several announcements were made for the benefit of the youth. They were encouraged to read Satguru’s book Path to Siva and were also given information on how to enrol in the forthcoming online Saivite courses to be conducted by the local Himalayan Academy catalysts.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, each young participant received a special pouch containing writing materials, vibhuthi and a printed flyer providing information about Lord Ganesha and the Spiritual Park founded by Gurudeva. In this way, everyone returned home not only with Lord Ganesha’s blessings for their forthcoming examinations, but also with a meaningful spiritual souvenir and a simple teaching to carry with them beyond this special day.
Recently we observed our monthly padapuja to Gurudeva’s tiruvadi in Kadavul Temple. At 6am the monks and devotees arrived to place flowers at Gurudeva’s shrine, chant Sri Rudram and offer milk, honey, sandalwood, incense and more. This day is always a good time to inwardly connect with Gurudeva for blessings and insights.
Aum Namah Śivaya
“Peace is the natural state of the mind. It is there, inside, to be discovered in meditation, maintained through self-control, and then radiated out to others.” – Gurudeva
A shot befor the storm, with two seed clusters left and right and a new one just flowering in the center.
A few days later, they are felled by the 90+ mile an hour winds.
We will replant and regrow them in the months ahead.
When they flower, it is a spectacle, loved by the bees.
The green pods open up to reveal the yellow flowers, eich with pollen.
A pile of spent flowers, probably 10 gallons in volume for each pod!
The flowers before opening. This cluster is 6 feet tall and 4 feet wide.
Finally ,the seeds develop looking like large grapes.
Today we say aloha to two amazing trees, mature Sugar Palms (Arenga pinnata) that towered near Rishi from the Himalayas for some 32 years. They were called (by us) “the world’s most overachieving palm tree.” And for good reason, several times a year they would produce massive clusters of seeds, tens of thousands of seeds the size of large grapes. The clusters, sometimes six at once hanging from the trunk, weighed 300 pounds each, or more. No other palm we have produces such abundant seeds, not even close.
They lived a good life, looking down at Rishi’s black granite murti and able to see Bodhinatha’s murti across the pond. A life well lived. Let us all live such that we can say the same, and live with pure detachment so anything can come to us, even calamity, and we will remain centered, unchanged, trusting in Siva’s Dance.