Jai Ganesha!
Vel Muruga!
Jai to the Kailasa Parampara!
Aum Namah Sivaya!

In the midday following the Guru Purnima abhishekam on July 19th, both Shankara and Kodiswara formally moved forward on the Great Path. Sadhaka Shankaranatha is our newest formal monastic, and Sivanadaiyar Kodiswara is our new supplicant--the final stage of training before taking vows as a mathavasi. Satguru and the monks gathered in the guru pitham to witness the event. First Shankaranatha read and signed his vows. He then received his monastic vestments, including his new silver earrings. Following his vows, Kodiswara entered to sit before Satguru and take his vows as a supplicant.

The following are excerpts from a Sadhaka's four vows:

THE SACRED VOW OF HUMILITY: known in Tamil as PANNIVU

Humility is the state of profound maturity in which the soul, immersed in the depths of understanding and compassion, radiates the qualities of mildness, modesty, reverent obeisance and unpretentiousness. There is an analogy in the Saivite tradition that compares the unfolding soul to wheat. When young and growing, the stalks of wheat stand tall and proud, but when mature their heads bend low under the weight of the grains they yield. Similarly, man is self-assertive, arrogant and vain only in the early stages of his spiritual growth. As he matures and yields the harvest of divine knowledge, he too bends his head. In the Tamil language this absence of pride or self-assertion is known as pannivu. Pannivu also means "jewel." In the Tirukural it is said that "Humility and pleasant words are the jewels that adorn a man; there are none other."

Humility does not consist in concealing our merits and virtues or in thinking ourselves worse or more ordinary than we are. Nor is it a pretended meekness. Rather it lies in not exalting ourselves before others for we perceive the grandeur of God Siva in every human being and reverently acknowledge Him there. Humility in this ideal is the awakened perception that "Siva is All." It is the inner being predominating over the outer nature.

THE SACRED VOW OF PURITY: known in Tamil as TIRIKARANNASUTTI

Purity is the pristine and natural state of the soul. It is not something which the monastic attains as much as that which he already is, and which becomes evident as the layers of adulterating experience and beclouding conceptions are dissipated. Purity is clarity and clearness in all dimensions of being. It is innocence as opposed to familiarity with the ways of the world. It is for monastics the observance of chastity, called brahmacharya. In Tamil purity is given its fullest expression in the term tirikarannasutti, which means "purity in mind, speech and body." These three--also called thought, word and deed--convey the fullness of the ideal of purity.

Purity does not consist in merely doing good and being good, though these are essential, nor is it an outward appearance or show of such goodness. It is primarily an inner quality, equally present in the saint who outwardly reflects the purity of his attainment and in the sage who inwardly rests in that same purity though his attainment may not be apparent. Purity is not a manner of behavior, though it may be reflected in our behavior, and there is no merit in taking on the appearance of being pure when one is not yet pure.

THE SACRED VOW OF OBEDIENCE: known in tamil as TAALVU ENUM TANMAI

Obedience is the state of willingness and cooperation in which the soul remains open and amenable to enlightened direction. For the monastic it is an unbroken pledge of trust in and surrender to the satguru, the guru parampara and the mystic process of spiritual evolution. In the Tamil language this definition of obedience is expressed in the term taalvu enum tanmai, which denotes "the quality or state of humble submission."

Obedience does not consist in blind submission and yielding to authority, nor in weakening our own will that it may be dominated by the will of another. Yet it is, in another sense, submission to a sacred purpose and the divine authority of the Second and Third Worlds. It is, for the monastic, an inner quality that allows him to remain consciously tractable and responsive. In the beginning, while the instinctive nature remains strong and there exists a sense of "I" and "mine," obedience is a surrendering of the ego to the soul or the instinctive nature to the spiritual nature. As long as the ego dominates the life of man, he will experience obedience as capitulation or subjection. As the soul unfolds and separateness is replaced by knowledge of the unity that pervades the universe, obedience is perceived as the union of minds and purpose, a state of harmony so complete that there can exist no distinction between him who gives and him who receives instruction or direction. True obedience is based on agreement, trust and knowledge, as opposed to passive servility, nonresistance or domination, which have ignorance and fear as their basis.

Confidence is the state of trust in which the sacred teachings and sensitive or personal matters are not divulged to others. Spiritual matters must be protected and preserved by those to whom they are entrusted, never wantonly or indiscriminately revealed. When we confide in another, we do so with the assurance that sensitive and serious information will not be inappropriately disclosed. In the Tamil language confidence is known as rahasiyam, meaning "secret or mystery."

Confidence as applied to these Sacred Vows does not mean "certainty," "a belief in one's abilities" or "self-confidence." Rather it is a confiding, a trusting and a relying upon. It is the controlled sharing of privileged teachings or information that should not be disclosed, but held in confidentiality. In its most simple form it is the keeping of a secret.

Confidence for the monastic may be defined as wisdom in handling information. The monastic must learn to hold in strict secrecy all spiritual direction and esoteric laws entrusted to him, never revealing them unless specifically ordained to do so. He must realize the wisdom of Saint Yogaswami's statement that "Sacred is secret and secret is sacred," never treating the inner teachings as ordinary knowledge to be published or spoken of to the public or prematurely disclosed to devotees.

Aum Namah Sivaya

Many of us are familiar with Nimu, the Ganapati Kulam's avian mascot. Recently, Nimu has been aspiring towards Mantra Diksha, hoping to bless himself with the inner authority to chant the Namaḥ Śivāya mantra (SEE BELOW VIDEO). He sets a good example for us all.

Listen to Nimu's chanting voice:

African Greys are extremely intelligent, considered to be the smartest birds on Earth.

From Merging With Siva:
LESSON 161
Pañchākshara is Perfection
Aum Namaḥ Śivāya is such a precious mantra because it is the closest sound that one can make to emulate the sounds rushing out of the Self into the mind. Chanting it is profound because it is a sound channel which you can follow to get close to the Self of your self—sort of like following a river upstream to yourself. Aum Namaḥ Śivāya can be equated with Śiva’s drum of creation, called damaru. When Aum Namaḥ Śivāya is repeated, we go through the chakras, Na-Ma Śi-Vā-Ya Aum. The Aum is in the head chakra. Within Namaḥ Śivāya is each of the elements—earth, water, fire, air and ether—which in the mind are transmuted into all-pervasive consciousness, and that is also transmuted into the great chakra way above the head at the end of the Aum. In just the breath, the space of time between the next repetition of “Aum Namaḥ Śivāya…Aum Namaḥ Śivāya…Aum Namaḥ Śivāya,” the prāṇas, having reached Paraśiva, fall back into the spiritual, mental, astral and physical worlds, blessing them all with new energy, new life and new understanding. “Namaḥ Śivāya Aum, Namaḥ Śivāya Aum, Namaḥ Śivāya Aum, Namaḥ Śivāya Aum” is the constant process of life. It is the essence of life itself. We must realize that at any given moment we are a complete Paraśiva-Satchidānanda jīva, only working on the “Maheśvara part”—on the jīva’s becoming Śiva. Paraśiva is there. Satchidānanda is there. The maturity of the purusha, of the jīva, the embodied soul, is not. Therefore, Aum Namaḥ Śivāya takes us into the reality above and beyond the relatively real. To know it is to experience it, and to experience it is to become initiated. ¶I have been performing Aum Namaḥ Śivāya for over fifty years. At first it had no meaning other than, “Wonderful, at last I got my mantra, and an assignment from my guru to perform japa regularly.” As the japa progressed, all the inner worlds opened, all the doors of the mind. All the spiritual forces were unleashed, and the ability to control them came naturally. You see, Namaḥ Śivāya Aum brings the totality of the individual to the forefront and makes it manifest in daily life. This most pragmatic mantra is found at the center of the Vedas, in the hymn known as Śrī Rudram, and Śiva is at the center of Namaḥ Śivāya Aum. As the center of the Vedas, it blends Vedānta with Siddhānta, fusing them together with the fire of realization. So, I and all Śaiva Siddhāntists are a fusion of Vedānta and Siddhānta, with all doors open of understanding of the fourteen windows, the chakras of the mind, and even more than that. ¶My satguru, Siva Yogaswami, placed great emphasis on japa, repeating the name of Śiva with concentration and feeling. This great Nātha jñānī explained, “May we not forget that mantra is life, that mantra is action, that mantra is love, and that the repetition of mantra, japa, bursts forth wisdom from within. Japa yoga is the first yoga to be performed toward the goal of jñāna. In the temple perform japa. Under the sacred tree, perform japa. I performed japa all of this life as a silent sādhana, and it is automatic now.” Siva Yogaswami enjoined his devotees: “Wear rudrāksha beads, repeat the Pañchākshara, let your heart grow soft and melt. Chant the letters five, and in love you will discover Śiva’s will. Chant so that impurities, anxieties and doubts are destroyed. All hail Namaḥ Śivāya.”

Photo: Nimu exploring the outdoors. African Grey's are generally cautious in nature, as they spend much of their time near the ground, drinking from clay mud puddles.

One of the requirements for our monastic aspirants is to learn the Saiva Atmartha Puja and then, soon before taking his first monastic vows, perform it in front of all the monks. This puja is learned by all of our Saiva Siddhanta Church formal sishyas.

After taking monastic vows, Brahmachari Shankara will learn the parartha puja, "worship for the benefit of others", that is performed in temples.

Aum Namah Shivaya

Today the moon resides in the Krittika Nakshatra, one of 27 lunar mansions in our Vedic sky. Krittika nakshatra, also known as the "Star of Fire," is represented by a group of seven stars known as the Pleiades and spans across the zodiac sign of Aries Taurus. Symbolized by a razor or a flame, Krittika is associated with determination, courage, and transformation. This nakshatra is ruled by the Sun and is considered auspicious for activities like initiation, starting new ventures, and personal growth. Lord Siva is sometimes known as "Krittivasan," which means "the one who resides in Krittika." This name signifies His connection to the Krittika nakshatra.

This nakshatra is significant for Iraivan Temple, and thus we hold a special homa each month on this day.

"God is with us always, even when we are unaware of that holy presence. He is His creation. It is an extension of Himself; and God is never apart from it nor limited by it." - Gurudeva

Aum Namah Sivaya.
Recently Kodiswara has been exploring some new web tools during his seva with the monks of the Ganapati Kulam. One such tool is Adobe Express, with which he made this nice presentation for us all to enjoy!

Aum Namah Sivaya

This afternoon, Kodiswara took a walk through the Aadheenam's jungled pathways, taking photos as he went. We have many flowers in bloom right now, including orchids, naga pu, hoya vines and more. Enjoy the photos, and the wise sayings included. Aum.

This week, Acharya Kumarnathaswami has been working to add the tile roofing to the Redwood Bell Tower. As you may know, this hand-built masterpiece will house the granite bell that was carved with Iraivan Temple. Visitors will be able to ring the bell with a wooden mallet.

See this post for earlier work on the project: https://www.himalayanacademy.com/blog/taka/2024/02/13/granite-bell-tower-installation-part-1/

Aum Namah Sivaya

On Swami's recent visit to the aadheenam, he and his entourage had time to explore the many areas around the property, including our temples, the Wailua River, the publication's offices, the gardens, the rudraksha forest and more. Swami was also able to attend Vaikasi Visakam while here as well as have lunch with the monks.

For the first time, our Amorphophallus kojak has blossomed at the monastery. It's called the "Corpse Flower" since it smells like a dead rat, a trick the plant plays to attract flies to pollinate it. The larger species, titanum, only blossoms once in a decade or so, and when it does, it ends up on the front page of the local papers, inviting plant lovers to come to the garden and experience something truly unique. Enjoy the slideshow.

So compelling is the experience, someone wrote this poem about it.

Ode to the Corpse Flower

O grand Amorphophallus titanum, you rise,
A behemoth in disguise,
Unfurling without a care,
Filling the greenhouse air.

They flock to see your rare display,
Braving your bouquet of decay,
A scent of socks left out in the rain,
Mixed with fishwhat a strange refrain!

Your petals stretch, a burgundy throne,
But oh! The smells you own,
Like a banquet left to spoil
A testament to your arduous toil.

For every decade, maybe one grand show,
To which admirers gladly go,
Despite the olfactory plight,
To witness your blooming might.

Titan Arum, they call you too,
A titan, indeed, with a whiff of the zoo!
Yet in this odd floral fest,
Your stinky best is still the best.

Laugh, dear reader, hold your nose,
And marvel at how nature composes,
Such curious forms and scents,
In this peculiar floral event!

Aum Namah Shivaya

During Swami's 2024 visit to the Aadheenam, he had the chance to meet with the monks and explore different areas and projects being worked on. During one morning, he toured Iraivan Temple with Yoginathaswami, followed by the visiting the Siddhidatta Kulam new shop, offices and the green houses.