Join us on July 19th, 2024, for Kauai Aadheenam’s observance of Guru Purnima. We start our celebrations at 6:00am (Kauai time) with a short parade to Iraivan Temple followed by a padapuja to Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami.

Guru Purnima is a sacred festival celebrated to honor and express gratitude to our spiritual teachers. Observed on the full moon day (Purnima) in the Vedic Sanskrit month of Ashadha (June-July), this auspicious occasion highlights the invaluable role of the Guru, who dispels darkness and ignorance, leading their disciples toward enlightenment and self-realization.

From the Kularnava Tantra:
“And Lord Siva said: There is One Real. Call it Siva. This Parabrahman is formless, stainless, one without a second, changeless, beyond the highest. This Mahesvara is all-knowing, all-doing, sovereign of all, self-luminous, without beginning or end. All embodied souls, jivas, all the born creatures, are portions of Me, like sparks of the fire. But human birth is the most important, for it is then that one becomes awake, aware of his state of bondage and the necessity of release. It is then that one is in a position to take steps for his liberation from bondage’s hold.
Humans have a self-will and are not totally subject to the impulses and drives of nature as are other creatures. It is only on this earth–and that too in a human body endowed with a soul–that one can choose one’s path for spiritual progress. But not all are aware of the precious opportunity afforded by human birth, which is truly the ladder to Liberation. The Self is to be realized only here in this life. If here you do not find it and work out the means for your Liberation, where else is it possible? It is possible nowhere else. It has to be worked out by yourself from within yourself.
The world you reach after the physical body is shed is determined by the level of consciousness reached while in the body. So, as long as the body lasts, exert yourself towards the goal of Liberation.
Remember, the physical body does not last forever. Age prowls like a leopard; diseases attack like an enemy. Death waits not to see what is done or not done. Before the limbs lose their vitality, before adversities crowd in upon you, take to the auspicious path.
Therefore, choose, then worship a Satguru. Worship his feet. Cherish the very sandals (paduka) which hold his feet. All knowledge is founded on those paduka. Remember and cherish those paduka, which yield infinitely more merit than any number of observances, gifts, sacrifices, pilgrimages, mantra-japa and rituals of worship.”

On July 19 the monastery and all devotees on Kauai will celebrate Guru Purnima with a parade to Iraivan, a homa and blessings from Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami (who is on his way home from a week in Edmonton, Canada at their Ganesha Temple kumbhabhishekam).

We will soon celebrate the day, as millions will and as billions have over the millennia. But equally, we celebrate the miracle of having a Satguru in this life--something that is rare indeed in the 21st century.

A devotee in California sent this work of art that he had prepared by a team in Indonesia, a delightful and creative image of Bodhinatha holding the silver Nandi danda of the Nandinatha Sampradaya that represents his authority as head of Kauai Aadheenam.

We quote from Gurudeva's Master Course trilogy:

Before books were invented, the traditional way of conveying information was through the spoken word. This is called sampradaya. Sampradaya, verbal teaching, was the method that all satgurus used. A satguru can only give his shishya as much as the shishya can hold in his mind at any one time. If the shishya comes with an empty cup, the cup is filled by the guru. But if the shishya comes with a cup that is already full, nothing more can be added by the guru. Many satgurus work with their devotees in unseen ways. They have the ability to tune into the vibration of a devotee anywhere his physical body might be on the planet, feel how he is feeling and send blessings of protection and guidance.

The guru-shishya system of training is personal and direct. Much is unspoken between them, so close is the mental attunement. The traditional observance of brahmacharya helps to stabilize this relationship. An advanced shishya is one whose intuition is in absolute harmony with that of his satguru. This harmony does not occur in the beginning stages, however, when the devotee is probing the subject matter of the guru's teachings for answers.

Only after he has conquered the fluctuating patterns of the thinking mind does an inner flow of harmony begin to become apparent to both guru and shishya. The shishya is expected to cultivate his inner life as well as his outer life. The more sincere and consistent he is with his inner work and his inner friends--God, Gods and guru--the more safe and secure and blessed he will be. Your relationship with your guru is growing stronger even now as you come to better know yourself and proceed in your study of these daily lessons. Hindu temples sustain Hinduism around the world.

Here is the other half of miscellanous scenes that SSC sishya Rajen Manick captured during his taskforce period before returning home to Mauritius. He had a darshan meeting with Satguru just before departing to discuss personal life and mission matters in Mauritius. The rest of the photos are mostly from Iraivan Temple's first yearly anniversary pujas.

Join us at 3:00pm today, Kauai time, for Kauai Aadheenam’s 2024 observance of Vaikasi Visakam, honoring Lord Murugan, God of Kundalini Yoga. This year's puja is conducted by Sri Arul Nandi Sivam, Chief Priest of Sri Rajarajeshwari Temple at Kailas Ashram. Sri Arul Nandi Sivam is visiting the Aadheenam with Sri La Sri Jayendrapuri Mahaswamiji. Aum.

SSC sishya Rajen Manick recently completed his taskforce period and returned home to Mauritius. Upon arriving, he sorted through the many photos he had taken of the grounds and events, and shared the cream of the crop with us. Below is the first half of his collection.

While here, Rajen participated in many pujas, classes and darshan meetings, and served in multiple seva projects including book translation into French, brainstorming large information posters for the Spiritual Park of Mauritius, helping with the monthly Kauai's Hindu Monastery Newsletter mailing, preparations for Ardra Abhishekam, painting new structures and more. He warmly encourages more sishyas to make the pilgrimage to Kauai and participate in the taskforce program.

A devotee took a number of portrait-mode clips during the two days of first anniversary festival events, and we have compiled them here. The monthly morning Krittika Homa happened to fall on the first day of the anniversary pujas, so clips of that are shown first. The first evening of the Samvatsara Puja is when Kauai faced torrential rains and floods, so that is captured in some of the clips.

The first annual anniversary of Iraivan Temple's consecration has arrived. Events take place on April 11th afternoon and April 12th morning. Besides footage that will be posted after the fact, we've set up a temporary album where footage will be posted live, as it happens. Feel free to regularly check the link below over these two days if you'd like a semi-live experience. (Footage from this month's Krittika Homa on April 11th morning is also posted in this album.) Iraivan Temple Samvatsara Puja 2024

Preparations have been in full swing for Iraivan Temple's first anniversary pujas on April 11-12. From husking coconuts for kumbhas, to securing tents, to installing sitting platforms, a temporary homa kunda and hanging tombai decorations, these photos show a small portion of the details involved to get ready.

Yesterday marked the 60th year since Yogaswami's grand departure. Here at the Aadheenam, the Satguru and the monks observed a small private arati at Yogaswami's shrine before beginning their morning meditation. In Sri Lanka, events were held at Columbuthurai, the Sivathondan Society and Alaveddy.

"Live a disciplined life. Everything else will take care of itself." - Yogaswami

Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami gives an Upadesha in Iraivan Temple on the evening of Mahasivaratri, 2024.