Sadasivanathaswami’s sister Devi, her son Brian and his wife Kimberly are on the island for a week or more and took a tour of the garden together. There were some stunning botanical things happening as they drove around and discovered. Devi reports: “Everyone is completely overwhelmed with the beauty of the garden. Brian and Kimberly say this is the most beautiful garden in the world—they both love plants.” The following day Devi and Swami went hunting for seeds in the garden, and today she filled two pots and sowed seeds of a rare tropical palm and a Gold Vine from Australia. Good job everyone!
The mondo at Iraivan Temple does well in some areas, but suffers in others
ChatGPT portrays the volunteers at work in April
Kadavul’s thriving patch, planted in 1975
Up close.
A good shot of the issues around Iraivan
A ficus bonsai that charms visitors
This one is Ficus microcarpa with its thick, oval leaves and glossy surface
As the third photo in today’s gallery shows, the mondo grass around Kadavul Temple is lush and happy, a sea of green that waves in the wind and gives a nurturing feeling which, importantly, is virtually maintenance-free. When we planted mondo (which is actually a Japanese lily) around Iraivan Temple, this was our vision. But it has proven difficult to attain the kind of healthy maturity out there, and the team has been struggling for some three years now, and losing the battle.
Cue the cavalry! Yesterday a four-man team of agronomists visited the monastery to help. They are experts, from the staff of the global company Corteva Agriscience on the island’s west side. They spent a couple of hours assessing the conditions, then took soil samples which will go to their lab for analysis. They expect to find that our problem is a lack of specific nutrients, and they even said they would provide needed amendments when the time comes. Plus, they want to bring a team of 12 skilled volunteers to work for a day getting the mondo on its feet.
The mondo team is much encouraged by this unexpected and generous assistance. We asked ChatGPT to imagine the day of help, and slide two is the result.
We end the show today with the two new bonsai trees Tandu Sivanathan placed in the Kadavul pool. Amazing!
Above ChatGPT imagines Gurudeva under a Bodhi Tree as we all chant his 108 names, as we did for decades during his life and continue to do every Chitra puja, which happens to be today! With Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami’s oversight, a new, corrected, improved edition of his formal Ashtottra Namavali has been created. This will be our official name list going forward. Thank you, Gurudeva!
108 Names of Gurudeva, 2026
1. Aum Śri Śivāya Subramuniyāya Namaḥ– Hail to Sivaya Subramuniya
2. Guru Paramparā Dhariṇe – Praise to him who upholds the Guru Paramparā.
3. Sādhujana Vardhanāya – Hail to him who strengthens the monastic order.
4. Sarvajana Priyāya – Hail to him who loves all people.
5. Yogaswāmī Śiṣyāya –Praise to the disciple of Yogaswami.
6. Sarva Parityāgine – Hail to the one who renounced everything.
7. Paścimā Gurave – Prostrations to the guru from the West.
8. Nātha Sampradāyine – Prostrations to the embodiment of the Nātha Sampradāya.
9. Mahātmane – Hail to the great soul.
10. Hawai Nivāsine – Hail to him who resides in Hawai‘i.
11. Śiva Gotrāya – Praise to him of the Śiva Gotra.
12. Himācala Vaṁśodbhavāya – Prostrations to him of Himalayan lineage.
13. Advaita Prakaṭanāya – Hail to him who proclaims the oneness of all.
14. Yoga Darśanāya – Praise to the revealer of yoga.
15. Kailāsa Paramparāya – Praise to him of the Kailāsa Paramparā.
16. Jagadācāryāya – Hail to the world teacher.
17. Maharṣi Gotrāya – Praise to him who perpetuates the Maharishi Gotra.
18. Mahimā Dāyakāya – Prostrations to the bestower of greatness.
19. Avyakta Rūpiṇe – Hail to him whose form is unmanifest.
20. Gāyatrī Pārāyaṇāya – Praise to him devoted to the Gāyatrī Mantra.
21. Acyuta Śaktaye – Hail to him of imperishable power.
22. Gaṇadeva Priyāya – Hail to him who loves Lord Gaṇeśa.
23. Śubhra Nāmne – Prostrations to him whose name is radiant.
24. Śiva Kaṭākṣāya – To the one blessed by Śiva’s glance.
25. Sarva Loka Vāgmine – Prostrations to the eloquent one of all worlds.
26. Ekatva Mata Pravartakāya – Praise to the champion of the doctrine of oneness.
27. Bhaktavatsala Priyāya – Hail to him who tenderly loves his devotees.
28. Puṇyasthala Yātrikāya – Praise to him who pilgrimages to holy places.
29. Kauai Nadītīra Vāsine – Prostrations to him who dwells on Kauai’s riverbank.
30. Śaiva Sabhā Nāyakāya – Prostrations to the leader of the Śaivite fellowship.
31. Yogadīkṣā Dāyakāya – Hail to him who gives yoga initiation.
32. Nāmadīkṣā Dāyakāya – Prostrations to him who gives nāma dīkṣā.
33. Taho Vāpītīra Vāsine – Hail to him who grew up on the shore of Lake Tahoe.
34. Sanmārga Darśine – Hail to him who envisioned San Mārga.
35. Sanmārga Sthāpakāya – Hail to him who founded San Mārga.
36. Paścime Loka Sthitāya – Prostrations to him who is established in the West.
37. Nātha Sampradāya Dīpāya – Hail to the light of the Nātha Sampradāya.
38. Satguru ParamparāRakṣakāya – Hail to him who safeguards the Satguru lineage.
39. Siṁha Garjanā Pātrāya – Prostrations to the vessel of the lion’s roar.
40. Sanmārga Vaṁśāya – Praise to him of the San Mārga lineage.
41. Śānti Liṅga Pratiṣṭhā-pakāya – To the establisher of the Liṅga of peace (in Kopay).
42. Āśrama Pīṭhādhipataye – Prostrations to the abbot of the Kailāsa Pīṭha.
43. Divya Pāda Dhāriṇe – Hail to him who wears the divine pādukā.
44. Karadaṇḍa Dhāriṇe – Praise to him who holds the daṇḍa.
45. Śum Bhāṣā Udbhāvitāya – Prostrations to the creator of the Shum language.
46. Antarjyoti Prabhāya – Hail to him of radiant inner light.
47. Dhavala Jyoti Dhāriṇe – Praise to him who holds the clear white light.
48. Śaṅkara-rūpāya – Obeisance to him who is the very form of Śaṅkara.
49. Parivrājine – Prostrations to the world-wandering sage.
50. Alaveṭṭi Āśrama Sthāpakāya – Praise to the founder of Alaveddy Ashram.
51. Kopai Koṭṭam Pataye –Prostrations to the protector of Kopay Koṭṭam.
52. Nānā Dāyaka Gurave – Praise to the guru of manifold giving.
53. Parārtha Jīvitāya – Praise to him who lives for others.
54. Sarvaloka Priyāya – Prostrations to the lover of all worlds.
55. Pāda Paṅkajāya – Hail to the one with lotus feet.
56. Saumya Rūpāya – Praise to him of pleasing form.
57. Sajjana Vanditāya – Prostrations to him who is honored by the wise.
58. Bhāvana Munaye – Hail to the meditative sage.
59. Śānta Mūrtaye – Prostrations to him whose form is peace.
60. Sphaṭika Liṅga Prakāśakāya – To him who revealed the crystal Liṅga.
61. Bhakti Pradāya – Praise to him who bestows devotion.
62. Bhakti Mārga Darśakāya – Praise to the guide on the path of devotion.
63. Jñāna Svarūpāya – Prostrations to the embodiment of divine wisdom.
64. Mūlar Muni Dhāriṇe– Hail to him who upholds the teachings of Ṛishi Tirumular.
65. Parāṁjyoti Upāsine – Hail to the worshiper of the Supreme Light.
66. Valluvar Muni Bodhakāya – Praise to the revealer of Tiruvalluvar’s teachings.
67. Drāviḍa Śiśu Priyāya – Hail to him who is dear to the Dravidian child Sambandar.
68. Vāgīśa Jñāna Bodhakāya – Praise to the teacher of the wisdom of the Lord of Speech (Saint Appar).
69. Sundarar Mata Anurūpāya – To him whose teachings reflect those of Saint Sundaramurti.
70. Maṇikkavācakar Priyāya –To him who is pleasing to Maṇikkavacakar.
71. Pādarakṣā Pradāyine – Praise to him who grants the protection of his lotus feet.
72. Wailua Gaṅgā Lolāya – Praise to him who sways with the sacred Wailua Gaṅgā.
73. Himācala Kalāpīṭha Dāyakāya – Hail to the founder of Himalayan Academy.
74. Kauai-pati Gurukulāya – Praise to the Lord of Kauai’s gurukula.
75. Dīkṣā Netrāya – Hail to the eye of initiation.
76. Kāṣāya Dhāriṇe – Hail to him who wears the ochre robes.
77. Kamaṇḍalu Dharāya – Praise to him who carries the water pot.
78. Pārivrāja Paramparod-bhavāya – Praise to him who was born from the lineage of renunciates.
79. Guhā Mandire Yogaswāmī Darśakāya – Hail to him who beheld Yogaswamī in the Nallur Temple sanctum.
80. Gaṇapati Cakra Darśine – Praise to him who had the vision of Gaṇeśa’s chakra.
81. Tapas Siñcita Nayanāya – Prostrations to him whose eyes are filled with tapas.
82. Sakala Tattvajñāya – Hail to the knower of the tattvas.
83. Caryā Rūpāya – Praise to him who embodies caryā.
84. Kriyā Lolāya – Praise to him who moves in kriyā.
85. Yoga Pradīpakāya – Hail to him who illumines the yoga path.
86. Jñāna Svarūpiṇe – Praise to him who embodies jñāna.
87. Saṁprati Jīvine – Hail to him who lives in the eternal present.
88. Antaryāmine – Hail to him who guides from within.
89. Śubhra Siddha Saṅkalpāya – Praise to him whose resolve is a radiant spiritual power.
90. Dhavala Raśmi Pradāya – To him who bestows the ray of white light.
91. Gūḍha Mantra Vikāśine – Hail to the revealer of the secret mantra.
92. Saccidānanda Darśakāya – Praise to him who reveals Truth-Consciousness-Bliss.
93. Tattvamasi Darśakāya – Prostrations to him who reveals “Tat Tvam Asi.”
94. Antarātma Darśakāya – Hail to him who reveals the inner Self.
95. Śāntānanda Darśakāya – To him who reveals peace and bliss.
96. Śāśvatānanda Darśakāya – To him who reveals perpetual bliss.
97. Nityānanda Darśakāya – To him who reveals eternal bliss.
98. Hṛdayālaya Darśakāya – Praise to him who reveals the temple of the heart.
99. Hṛdaya Jyoti Darśakāya – Praise to him who reveals the light within the heart.
100. Kamśumaliṅga Darśakāya – Prostrations to him who reveals the chakras.
101. Naṭye Ukanaśum Darśakāya – To the revealer of seekers’ sādhanas.
102. Rehna Śakti Darśakāya – To him who unveils the temple’s power.
103. Karmakārya Darśakāya – Hail to him who teaches karma yoga.
104. Satyarūpa Darśakāya – Praise to him who reveals the form of Truth.
105. Gurudeva Brahmaṇe – Prostrations to Gurudeva, who is Brahman.
106. Tasya Śiṣya Parivārāya – Praise to his family of disciples.
107. Sarva Śaiva Janāya Priyāya – Hail to him who is beloved by all Śaivites.
108. Sarva Maṅgala Dāyakāya – Praise to the bestower of all auspiciousness.
Experts dig through our large piles of wood chips looking for larvae
They found dozens of larvae in all stages
Up close
Damage to coconut palms
They can devastate and entire area
The horn give rise to their rhinoceros name
For about two years we have been fighting an invasive and destructive beetle called the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB), or Oryctes rhinoceros. As the name implies, they are fond of coconut trees, but they also attack and can kill other palms. We have hundreds of mature palms in our gardens, and many of them are suffering from beetle attacks. A dozen have died and more are threatened.
Yesterday two experts surveyed our large palm collection, which includes hundreds of species, with the goal of developing a plan to reduce the beetle’s rapidly increasing population in the monastery. Their company uses steam to heat mulch piles that serve as breeding grounds for the larvae. The heat kills them before adults emerge and fly off to feed on palm trees. We have also been hiring a drone operator from Maui who has come twice to apply protective treatments to the rarest and most important trees. The Kauaʻi Invasive Species Committee (KISC) has helped us set up traps around the palms to capture the voracious insects. That is helping, but not enough.
Great damage has been done over the last two decades in Guam, where about 70% of palms were killed, as well as in Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and now Hawaiʻi. Biologists are working intensively to deploy a virus widely considered the only long-term solution, but it has so far eluded them.
Two days back Rajkumar Manickam, after working with the monks, sent us an amazing Adobe Express creation giving the entire life of Saint Tayumanavar in illustrated form. It is a fun way to learn who this articulate and highly mystical Sivabhaktar was, how he endured great loss, rose to become finance minister to the king, left the palace to wander from temple to temple and write his 1,452 songs. Click on the second image below (with the giant Sivalingam), and the story will load in a few moments. Then use the mouse to scroll down, revealing image after captioned image. Aum Namasivaya!
This one is a Small Leafed Jade tree, beautifully developed. She is about four feet tall in that shallow pot.
The two bonsais sit near the temple pond on rose granite stands carved in India
Just like in a barber shop!
The bonsai master’s toolkit
Tandu trims the Ironwood with its thin, pine-like needles
Notice the soft copper wires used to shape and hold a branch in place
This simple pruning happens every 2-3 months. Structural pruning ever couple of years.
Looks ancient.
The two masterful bonsai trees gracing the Kadavul Temple pool are a delight to all pilgrims. But their beauty comes with great discipline and care. The roots are so shallow, even 3 days of no rain/water can stress them and so Tandu Sivanathan has to be constantly aware of their needs.
Two days back he and his friend and bonsai sensei, Abe, gave the two a haircut. Why? Without continual pruning, the carefully developed miniature proportions and artistic structure gradually disappear. We share the happening in our slideshow today.
Bonsai, the sacred art of shaping living trees in miniature form, carries a history of more than a thousand years, passing through generations as both a refined craft and a contemplative discipline. It quietly reflects profound spiritual truths long cherished in Hindu thought. The gardener does not force the tree but guides it with patience, restraint and loving attention, working in harmony with nature rather than against it. In this gentle partnership we see the path of sadhana itself—steady effort joined with divine grace.
A bonsai reminds us that spiritual maturity is not measured by outward size or display but by balance, rootedness and inner beauty. As branches are trimmed and growth directed, the practitioner is inwardly taught the same lesson: refine the mind, steady the heart and allow life to unfold according to dharma. Thus the tending of a bonsai becomes a quiet meditation, a daily reminder that with patience, humility and devotion the soul too can be shaped into a work of living harmony.
