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Evolution of a Work of Art

Today we take you behind the scenes to glimpse the process of creating art for our books. We show Art #3 (there are 10 in this series) which is a canvas showing biographical milestones in the saint's life.

The middle part of Tayumanavar's life is summarized here in four scenes. Seated at the style of desk from those days, he works as the finance minister for King Nayak, performing well the duties of an accountant and advisor. Having been sent back to the world by Maunaguru, he marries. Shortly after the birth of his son, Tayumanavar's mother passes away, and not much later his wife makes her great departure into a world of light. After conducting their funeral rites, the sage ponders the fleeting nature of life. Drawn to the renunciate's life, he determines he is not fit to raise his young son. With difficulty, he gives his possessions and the boy's care to his brother and his brother's wife, leaving the world behind. He adopts the life of a wandering sadhu. In the center the artist shows him seated in his simple hut, practicing yogic sadhanas. After Guru diksha, he experiences Self Realization, shown here as Siva's divine body merging with the sage. It is a foundational principle in Saiva Siddhanta that the efforts of the seeker, no matter how profound or disciplined, are not sufficient for realizing the Absolute. That final step on the spiritual path to perfect unity must be a gift of grace from God Siva.

The following Before and After slider shows the artist's sketch sent for approval, and his final work, fully colorized. Move the slider back and forth to see the effect. You may notice we had the artist add the sage to the lower right scene where he is giving his son into the care of his brother's family.

Hinduism Today…..in Russian

Today the Rudraksha edition of our magazine arrived from Moscow. Each issue the team there translates the articles, ports the text to our InDesign layout, adds local ads and sometimes a fresh article, the prints and distributes in Russia. An amazing beacon of light in the nation's difficult times. This is the same team that has translated and printed Gurudeva's full trilogy, plus Loving Ganesha, Path to Siva and more. What dedication can do!

Mauritius– MiniMela Staff Meeting

The dedicated team that manages the MiniMela was honored in simple ways, thanked for doing all that they do to get Gurudeva's books and techings into the hands of pilgrims to the Spiritual Park. They wanted to share so many ideas for improvements on into the future.

Songs of Tayumanavar

Last phase we looked at some of the art from Kerala being prepared for a 2024 book on Tayumanavar. Today we share a couple of the poems the swamis have been working on.

Countless the habitats lived, countless the names borne, countless the kith and kin possessed, countless the bodies by karma caused, countless the karmas daily performed, countless the thoughts entertained, countless the name and fame acquired, countless the heaven and hell experienced, countless the Gods worshiped, countless the faiths followed. And so, realizing these through the grace of jnana, to that cloud divine that pours the rains of limitless rapture and fills the eyes of devotees and heaven, as with the heavy rains from dark clouds--to our God, to the turiya1 form, to the Existence which is a vast silent treasure that scriptures praise with names numerous, to that inexplicably wise Bliss, to that Immensity, let us in meekness worship.

My mind which frisked like a lamb, I sacrificed. No more the unholy gods of karma for me. To You who is the God of peace filled with the purity of turiya, I have become a serf. With love as the consecrating waters for Your worship, with life as the outstretched oblation, with prana as the flaming incense and light--thus have I dedicated my worship, not for once, but as a constant performance. O rich ambrosia that has been distilled to clarity by the Vedas! O sweet syrup that has been distilled from pure honey, sugar and diverse delicious juices! O rapture that does not satiate! O You, lofty love that comes to commingle, slowly piercing the darkness of the intellect. You, the God of unlimited compassion, dancing rapturously in the Golden Hall defying description!

Who was it that converted my heart into a chamber of darkness and then reduced my reason to a tiny spark? Who was it that decreed all that, like the writing of fate on my head? Who was it that made me believe in the permanence of the body bag and so to indulge in eating and sleeping, without caring for attainment of jnana-bliss-trance? Was it my desire that gave me my father, mother and all the rest of worldly ties? Shall I blame myself, or others? Shall I blame the present bad actions or the past karma for all this worldly bondage? Forsooth, I know nothing of truth, O You who fills all visible space in unbroken continuity! You, the bliss that is perfectly full!

The maya into which the elements subside is the origin of all, so some say.1 The substance into which the sense organs merge is the reality, so some say.2 Where the cognitive organs, the karanas, end, is the ultimate reality, so some say.3 Where the gunas find their home is the ultimate reality, so some say.4 Nadam it is, some say.5 Bindu it is, others say.6 The self it is, yet others say.7 Formed it is, some say.8 Formless it is, if you search deeper, so some say.9 The state where jiva merges, losing identity in full, is the reality, so some say.10 Divine grace is the ultimate reality, so some say.11 The void that has neither beginning nor end is the final reality, so some say.12 And thus and thus, yet other things they say. Sorely troubled by all of these, my mind is in turmoil. Will I ever attain the bliss of transcendental samadhi? O You who fills all visible space in unbroken continuity! You, the bliss that is perfectly full!

Notes: Our poet references major schools of thought and their beliefs, namely...
1) Niriswara Sankhya Vadins, 2) Pasana Vadins, 3) Sangranda Vadins, 4) Niganta Vadins, 5) Sabda Brahma Vadins, 6) Jnananma Vadins, 7) Ekanma Vadins, 8) Sivasama Vadins, 9) Maya Vadins, 10) Bhaskara Charya Vadins, 11) Aikya Vada Saivas, 12) Sunya Vadins.

Tayumanavar Art from Kerala

Saint Tayumanavar (1705-1742) was a mystic poet in the lineage of Tirumular, our lineage. Yogaswami loved and quoted his works, as did Ramana Maharishi, whose website showcases the songs in Tamil. His songs are regarded as among the most beautiful and profound. He wrote some 1,453 songs in all, and the monks are currently editing the English version in preparation for publishing a book next year.

We have been working for about three years on the art that will accompany the songs. Today we look at the canvas about "samarasam," one of the central keystones of the mystic's work. In the slideshow, we reveal the evolution of the art, which may make you smile.

Central to Tayumanavar's teachings is the concept of 'Samarasam,' which literally means "sameness" but also means harmony or equanimity. For Tayumanavar, Samarasam is not merely an intellectual understanding but a lived experience. It signifies the harmonious balance of the mind amidst the dualities of life pleasure and pain, gain and loss, and honor and dishonor. To achieve Samarasam, one must transcend the ego, desires, and worldly attachments. It is this equanimity that allows the individual to remain centered and undisturbed, experiencing inner peace and unity with the Divine.

He applied this idea of non-difference to other paths and faiths, and much of his short life was dedicated to bringing faiths together, eliminating all contention and intolerance. This is depicted by our artist.

While his songs are revered for their personal communion with, devotion to, and ultimate oneness with Siva, perhaps the most consoling message in all the songs of Tayumanavar is his call for unity, his insight that there is no real difference between Vedanta and Siddhanta. During his time, there were contentious debates between Hinduisms two primary philosophical schools. Tayumanavar sought to reconcile these two seemingly contradictory philosophical perspectives through his concept of samarasam. He believed that the experience of oneness with God could unify these two seemingly opposing philosophical perspectives.

Tayumanavar saw samarasam as a state of consciousness that transcended both duality and non-duality, seeing them as complementary rather than contradictory, emphasizing the common goal of spiritual union with the divine. Here the artist shows a Vedantin on the left, with Vedic scriptures, which are a major sadhana for that school. On the right is a Siddhantin, with a lingam before him to indicate his devotional sadhanas. From Sivas divine chalice, light and love are flowing equally into the heads of the two, bestowing on them life, illumination, and grace. Above the Vedantin is a tree of ripe mangos, and behind the Siddhantin is a tree heavy with limes. Thus, the artist has shown us that the philosophical fruits, both abundant, are indeed different. Importantly, the roots of both trees reach into the ground below, intertwining, indicating they share the same source, drawing their life from the same earth.

Aum Namasivaya!




Cartoon Challenge

For fun, we are soliciting ideas for captions for this cartoon of a hermit atop a remote hilltop cave approached by a determined seeker after Truth. CyberCadets can send your caption ideas (as many as you like) to sada@hindu.org. One will be chosen to be published in a future edition of Hinduism Today magazine. No names will be used, so it's anonymous.Get ready to flex those funny muscles and show off your wittiness!

Loving Ganesha in Russian Language

The amazing team in Moscow just yesterday released their full-color edition of the 800-page book Loving Ganesha.

This is the same team that has published Gurudeva's entire trilogy and also translates, prints and distributes the Russian edition of Hinduism Today. How they accomplish such amazing things in the midst of historic challenges it a small miracle. Clearly their work is uplifting the Russian-speaking world.

We offer here Gurudeva's original Dedication at the front of the book:


IT WAS NOT SO LONG AGO that seekers requested that we publish more about this mystical God, most beloved of them all. So we did. Now, into your hands we present a lovable Loving Gaea. Why did we choose that name of all names? Because everyone, young and old, thin and hefty (especially the latter) loves Gaea. Of course, He loves us all very, very much. He is the God of unfailing laws, such as gravity, retribution and karmic responses. In matters of less gravity, He is the lover of all things sweet. He is also the Prince of Culture and Patron of the Arts. Everyone loves music, art, drama and the dance.

He, in His joyous ponderousness, is the Remover of Obstacles, and that is just what He did for us--removed the obstacles we faced in publishing Loving Gaea, and in producing this third edition, and those you faced in finding it. Many months of research and effort went into this gem. Help was given by mahadpatis, chryas, swms, pandits, "Gaeologists," Sanskrit scholars, brahmachrs, brahmachris, housewives, husbands and children, experts in all fields of knowledge about Hinduism's elephant-faced Lord, to be worshiped first before starting any quest.

This book is lovingly dedicated to my satguru, the venerable sage of Sri Lanka, Satguru Yogaswami, whose ashram in Colombuthurai rested across the road from the Varasitthi Vinayagar Temple in the northern Tamil domain. May Loving Gaea bring to you a deeper, subtler appreciation of Hinduism--the venerable Santana Dharma.

A New Web App for Tyeif Script!

tyeif https://tyeif.com/

Aum Namah Shivaya
After reading an inspiring Master Course lesson, Mahesh Sundaram coded and produced this wonderful little app for transcribing English into the tyeif script for prayer writing to the Devas. Give it a try!

Lesson 321 – Living with Śiva The Bamboo Tyēīf Font Several years ago we created a Tyēīf font for the computer, to make it easy to write legible prayers in Tyēīf. It is good for your powers of concentration to learn to read the Tyēīf script, but if you are using a computer, this is not really necessary, unless you want to write Tyēīf by hand, which many do. The easiest way to compose your prayer on a computer is to type in an English font, such as Geneva, and then select the text and change it to the Tyēīf font. Prayers written in Tyēīf have built-in confidentiality. You might leave a prayer to the devas on your desk. As few people read the Tyēīf script readily, confidentiality is ensured. ¶Should you be traveling and not have your computer with you, you can always write your prayers in Tyēīf the old-fashioned way, by hand. It is artistic to use a soft flow pen, and even more artistic to use a Japanese ink brush. If you want to be really modern, use a black, sharp-pointed pen. The Tyēīf script looks good coming from whatever plume you choose. Many devotees enjoy writing Tyēīf by hand in vertical columns from top to bottom. When writing by hand, this is quite acceptable. Always use black ink, never colors. Black translates to white or gray in the inner world, where the prayer appears reversed. The paper that is white becomes black, and the letters that are black become white. It is only by two or three devas holding it and putting their prāṇas into it that the prayer again becomes black on white as it appeared when it was sent. They do this only when they want to keep the document to study it. Many prayers are so simple that they can be easily memorized as they appear on the black background in white ink, and it is not worthwhile energizing them into a durable form. ¶If you use colored paper and colored ink in writing your prayers, your words could be unreadable, even using the Tyēīf script. Colored paper appears dark purplish-blue in the inner world, somewhat like the ashes of burned paper, still intact, but barely legible, ready to disintegrate at the first touch. Therefore, just sit down and write your prayer in Tyēīf with a black pen on white paper. ¶Typed documents—on one side of the page only—are acceptable and easily read in the inner world, as long as the size of the type is not too small. Typewritten prayers (again, on one side of the page) in English or any language are also acceptable to the devas, as are hand-printed prayers that are written with well-rounded, clearly formed letters. Be sure to sign the prayer and also include the date. ¶The writing of prayers can be done in several ways. Each devotee can write his or her own prayer about personal questions, needs or problems. One can pray for another person, for a group of people, or for a situation to clear up within a group or community, even for solutions to national or world problems. Every prayer received is answered in some way, however mysterious. Not one is neglected, ever. ¶The Gods and devas look very carefully into the karma of the devotee before taking any action. Because of this, it is always best to describe two or more alternatives that you would be satisfied with in each prayer, rather than insisting on only one solution. This is because your first preference may not be possible in your karmic pattern or, without your knowing, it may actually be the worst possible thing that could happen to you. In this case, your prayer would be answered with a non-answer. Therefore, it is wise to suggest two or more alternatives when making a request. For example, in seeking help in finding employment, you might suggest three places you would be content at, indicating first choice, second and third.

We Are Celebrating

We weren't sure even a few days back if it would happen, if our 2022 Digital Dharma Drive goal would be met. Each year we seek your help at year's end to keep our websites ad-free and all of our resources available at no cost. This year we set a goal of $75,000, and we reached it. In fact, we exceeded it. We are immensely grateful for all your generosity, and we are committed to continuing throughout 2023 our important work of driving Gurudeva's and Bodhinatha's mission forward by creating new tools and spiritual resources, to help all seekers on the Great Path. Mahalo, that's our Hawaiian "Thank You!"

Loving Ganesha, Now in the Russian Language

We have mentioned briefly that the team in Moscow is continuing its remarkable work with Gurudeva's publishing legacy despite the extreme challenges being faced in that part of the world. They have, for instance, translated and typeset the entire new edition of "Loving Ganesha, Hinduism's Benevolent Elephant-Faced Deity" into Russian. We thought you would like to see some of the graphically-rich pages. Remember, this is a big book, over 400 pages in all. Our congratulations to those who are working for upliftment in difficult times.

Archives are now available through 2001. Light colored days have no posts. 1998-2001 coming later.

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