Over the retreat occurred chitra nakshatra, at which point, every month, the monastery holds a padapuja for Gurudeva. As is the norm, Gurudeva's deep, loving presence filled the temple and blessed all those in attendance. We had the honor of hosting Kumar Gurukkal who came to the island to perform a wedding. He joined the evening puja, chanting Sri Rudram along side the monks and Bodhinatha.

Jai Gurudeva!

"Hold your center. Find the place within you that has never ever changed, that's been the same for many lives, that feeling that has been the same within you since you were a little child up to this very time. Find that! Catch that vibration, and you've caught the vibration of the soul and identified it to your intellectual mind and your instinctive area of the mind. Then build on that. Work with that. Say to yourself, 'There's something within me that never changes, no matter what happens.'" - Gurudeva

This morning the monastery observed it's usual homa to start off the new phase. The homa was attended by the monks as well as some local members. Natyam Nandinatha performed the havana, after which Satguru Bodhinatha gave a talk about the importance of ahimsa in our everyday encounters. He detailed the subtle "himsa" acts which sometimes occur throughout our daily life, such as making jokes of the kind which can be hurtful to others, and explained ways to live a more dharmic and "ahimsa" lifestyle. Aum Namah Sivaya