Recently, the monastery has received more large boulders for the ongoing temple landscaping project. The Boulders all come from Kauai's one-and-only quarry on the south-west side of the island. Each boulder is so large that only one at a time can be trucked up to the monastery. The flatbed truck had to be specially fitted with a steel plate for the boulder to sit on. Pradeep, our excavator operator who has been helping with the deliveries, uses his large machine to roll the stones off the truck and into place. The plan is to use the boulders to create a ridge on the north side of the temple to mimic Mount Waialeale's majesty. Some of the boulders will also be interspersed among the garden's plants, making for fun experience as pilgrims are dwarfed by their massive presence.

Our 2014 Mauritius Innersearch travel-study program has fewer and fewer available seats by the end of each day. If you have been planning to sign up, now is a good time to do so. Click here to visit the online application page. For those who aren't familiar with our Innersearch travel study program click here to visit our information page.

In the first two pictures we have SSC sishyas Sambandan and Thanaletchmi Umamaheswaran enjoying the last few days of their pilgrimage before returning home to Singapore.

Our SSC sishya Padmaja Patel's brother Kapilbhai and his family are making their first visit to Kauai from Toronto area.

On the beautiful and blessed night of Mahasivaratri, Satguru Bodhinatha comments on Gurudeva's introduction to Merging with Siva, where he elucidates nine different ways that we can merge with God Siva. Bodhinatha's insightful and practical commentary offers a most lucid and compelling visions of the path of the soul's evolution.

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Happy Ardra!
Today is the beginning of a new phase and also happens to be Ardra Nakshatra. On this day of the month, Siva's divine energies are more easily felt. The morning began with the usual homa, to be followed a few hours later by the 9:00am puja and Abhishekam to Lord Nataraja. This is a six day phase, so the monks will have some extra time to put into their kulam related projects.

Unequalled, free from pain, subtle, all-pervading, unending, unchanging, incapable of decay, sovereign--such is the essence of Siva, Lord of the summit of all paths.
Svayambhuva Agama 4.3. SA, 56

Now have I realized the path of Hara. In the past I sought Him in narrow paths and strayed. Lo! All the while He stood before me like a beacon light in firmament, guiding my voyage across the sea of my soul's longing. The path of Siva is the proven path. It led them to Hara. It is the royal path that renowned souls have walked, the path divine that took the devout to cosmic space. That path do seek, enter and persevere. Still your wandering thoughts, chant the sacred syllable Si and so persevere on the path of Hara. You shall envision primal light effulgent.
Tirumantiram 1562-1563

Today is Kanda Alahan's last day at the Aadheenam. He has been a wonderful help to the Ganapati Kulam's construction efforts during his visit. In the short time he's been here, kanda has completed the two wall shrines and helped to create the vent frames for the two ventilation ceiling coffers.

Work has also continued on the desks for the Kulam. In the woodshop, some of the monks have been working on creating the tops, all made from mango which was milled in 2008. For the desk bases, we've purchased raisable ones. These will allow for monks to stand while working at their computers, which is a much healthier approach to their long hours of media work.

Recently, a class of local school children visited the monastery. The school's curriculum is very unique, all being taught in the Hawaiian language until 5th grade, after which it continues with an hour of it each day. The children had a tour out to see Iraivan Temple. On the way they did a beautiful Hawaiian chant at the flag pole. It is rare these days to hear the Hawaiian language spoken. Following their tour they had a question and answer session with one of the monks. The group asked many good questions about the monastery and how it functions, and were particularly interested in why one might become a monk. Afterwards they had a chance to enjoy Kadavul Temple, many of them writing notes to the devas before ending their day's visit.