The holiday season is bringing lots of visitors and Pancha Ganapati celebrations are on everyone’s mind.

There are no words to describe how much I have benefited from the free online resources from Kauai’s Hindu Monastery. It is definitely a big part of my daily life, from reading TAKA, daily Master Course lessons, using quotes and relevant material for my Facebook status updates and the Master Course group discussions. For my regular posting on our Hindu blog for mywesttexaschatter.com, I use the Google Custom Search Engine to look into almost any subject related to religion and spirituality and use many articles for reference. I also use the Hinduism Today site for articles I write for our local newspaper.

For my own personal study I now have Saiva Dharma Shastra, Gurudeva’s Spiritual Visions and Gurudeva’s Spiritual Toolbox, which are available in PDF format, on my iPad. Its so nice to have them on the shelf of my iBooks app! My all-time favorite treat is inspired talks by Gurudeva and Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami–to be able to listen to them on demand is a great boon. Their words continue to guide and inspire me.

For my classes at temple, I have used the “Ten Questions and Answers” pamphlets and the Yoga’s Forgotten Foundation book to teach the children about the yamas and niyamas–and the “Visiting a Hindu Temple” pamphlet, too. I am looking forward to the new children’s storybook on the yamas and niyamas due out in 2011! I have also used the festival pager to teach the children about the various festivals.

The excitement in my class is so much greater now that I have these materials on my iPad. The kids are absolutely fascinated with it to the point that they have wanted to take it home. So, I made a deal with them that in the coming year I will gift an iPad to the one of them whose attendance is perfect and who also participates actively in the class!

I have to mention that a couple of years ago, my sister-in-law bought a new laptop and she wanted to have another guru’s picture as a screen saver, so I looked at the guru’s website to download a picture and found that there is not a single picture available to download! There is absolutely nothing free on that site.

So, with all my gratitude, I could say that if the Digital Dharma Drive was the only charity I needed to contribute to in a year, I would pledge for the entire amount without any hesitation. My life is enriched daily; it is a vital source of energy to sustain me in all my worldly endeavours.

Aum Namah Sivaya.

Dr. Padmaja Patel
Midland, Texas

You remember the Fictionary, that much-needed addition to human knowledge that nobody seems to have thought of. It was created to honor Gurudeva who was wonderful with words, inventing them when they did not exist, playing with them when they did. He even created Shum, his own language. Continuing in that tradition, the monks have begun a FICTIONARY, which is a dictionary for words that should exist, but don't. Today we share a few, and invite you to send in more to be added to our official Fictionary here at the monastery. wierdism: A thing that is strange or odd. penguine (the missing verb): To huddle in order to protect one another, to make the community safe) By penguining, the mountain climbers were able to survive the avalanche. narrowfied: (Another missing verb) Made thin or attenuated. Their minds were narrowfied by their refusal to learn about an outside culture. duffi: plural for duffus internet (v): Verb form of the famed word. i.e., "Can you internet that to me?" editoritis: the compulsive disorder suffered by certain editors characterized by intelligent, fastidious, exquisitiely lucid and totally useless editing of materials (such as billboards, menus and user manuals) no one but themselves will ever see. Known to be contagious. varietous: full of variety, varied press conference, (v): To give the PR response to something instead of the real facts. "Don't press conference me on your relationship with Tim." insultant: An expert who offers feedback, like a consultant, but more negative The Fictionary needs you. Send in your Fictional word or words today. E-mail: palani@hindu.org

Toshadevi writes this poem of five verses as she prepares the home for the coming celebrations:

Five special days are ours to make
Honour Lord Ganapati and celebrate
Family, friends,associates, culture and fun
The magic of Ganapati has just begun

“Naughty or nice” you are on his list
No checking it twice he has never missed
Dear Ganapati god of all our beginnings
Ever patient and kind overlooks our shortcomings

As Pancha Ganapati comes again
His love and blessings will remain
New opportunities for positive change
Every abundance he can arrange

So royally dress him in colours so fine
And serve him all thats fittingly divine
Brighten your dwellings and share all you can
Infinite measure the love he can span

Family, togetherness, love, joy and more
May you have all that your heart’s wishing for
Pancha Ganapati comes to your home
Aum shanti, aum shanti, aum shanti aum

And eCards are coming in from all over!