Check out the SSC Website for descriptions and photos of the January homa at our Spiritual Park in Mauritius

Welcome to Moksha Ritau. Let's get a clear understanding of what's going on:


"The third period of the year, Moksha Ritau, the cool season, is from mid-December to mid-April. It is the season of dissolution. The key word is resolution. Merging with Siva: Hinduism's Contemporary Metaphysics is the focus of study and intense investigation. The colors of the season are coral-pink, silver and all shades of blue and purple. Coral for the Self within, silver and blue for illumination, and purple for enlightened wisdom. High above flies the coral flag, signaling Parashiva, Absolute Reality, beyond time, form and space."



Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami's explanation of this new life period:

"In thinking about Moksha Ritau, it is natural to think first about the meaning of moksha. Gurudeva gives us a beautiful definition of moksha in our lexicon, which is:

"Release from transmigration, samsara, the round of births and deaths, which occurs after karma has been resolved and nirvikalpa samadhi -- realization of the Self, Parasiva -- has been attained."

So one of the beauties of this definition is that it focuses on resolving karma. Quite often that is overlooked. When you ask someone "Well, what causes moksha?" and they will describe it as "Oh, some kind of experience of God, Self realisation, that is what causes moksha." And Gurudeva is saying that yes, that is part of it, but also you must have resolved all karma. In other words, we are here to have certain experiences. When we run out of experiences, there is no need to be here. So running out of experiences that we need to have, is resolving all our karma. There is nothing coming at us that needs to be faced in this world. So consequently we have a whole series of lessons on karma and effectively resolving the karma that comes to us and also being careful not to create new karmas, to lengthen the process.

As moksha relates to realization of the self, some conclude that the Moksha Ritau relates just to the monks and not to householders. As this is definitely not the case we need to also think about Moksha Ritau in other ways as well. Each Ritau relates to one of Gurudeva's Master Course Trilogy, and of course the Moksha Ritau relates to Merging with Siva, as we mentioned. Merging with Siva focuses on understanding and controlling the mind. Therefore this is an important aspect of the Moksha Ritau.
Let's compare the ritau we are just leaving, which is called Jivana, to the one that we are just entering, or Moksha. In the Jivana Ritau we are concerned with the worldly experience with our eyes open, and bringing more harmony and refinement into it. In the Moksha Ritau we are concerned with the world we experience with our eyes closed. We are concerned with what is occurring in our mind and in making it more peaceful and content and joyous."

Click here for description and more photos of the homa at our Spiritual Park.

Our local mission gathers once a month to make Iraivan's most profitable source of revenue--island grown rudraksha malas. The seva performed by these divine souls helps make Iraivan Temple a reality, supporting the shipping containers, labor costs, building materials and the endowment that will keep Iraivan funded for the future. From the core of our hearts, thank you. If you are reading the daily blog then show your support as well and let these amazing people know they are loved and supported by commenting down below.

Click here for more photos of observances in Mauritius.

Click here for description and more photos of sishyas in Mauritius celebrating Satguru Jayanti.

http://www.saivasiddhanta.org

Click here for sishyas observing Jayanti in Malaysia

https://www.facebook.com/aravindrajc/posts/10212403204613673

Click here for more photos of the annual students' blessing homa at our Spiritual Park

Click here for more photos of the September Ganesha homa at our Spiritual Park

http://www.saivasiddhanta.org

Click here for the full beautiful set of photos showing the Ganesha Chaturthi celebration at our Spiritual Park

www.saivasiddhanta.org

Today was the auspicious occasion for Archana and Divyesh Pillay, who took their Brahmacharya Vrata in front of Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami.

This vow of celibacy remains in place until marriage at which point it requires the two to be faithful to their partner. The fundamental reason for observing Brahmacharya before marriage is it creates a stronger, more mature relationship between husband and wife. Those who are promiscuous prior to marriage are susceptible to impulses of anger, have undefined fears, experience jealousy and other instinctive emotions.
Gurudeva explained the mystical reason behind this quite beautifully, he states that, "In virgin boys and girls the psychic nadis, the astral nerve currents that extend out into and through the aura have small hooks on the end. When a boy and girl marry the hooks straighten out and the nadis are tied one to another and they actually grow together. If the first sexual experience is premarital and the virginity is broken, the hooks at the end of the nadis also straighten out but there is nothing to grow on to, if the partners do not marry. Then when either partner marries someone else, the relationship is never as close as when a virgin boy and girl marry because their nadis dont grow together in the same way. In cases such as this, they feel the need for intellectual stimuli and emotional stimuli to keep the marriage going."
For monks and other single individuals intent on pursuing deeper realizations and higher consciousness, Brahmacharya is important for another reason. Gurudeva explains that, "Containing the sacred fluids within the body builds up a bank account through the years that makes the realization of God on the path to enlightenment a reality within the life of the individual who is single. This is called transmutation of the sexual energy. If Brahmacharya is broken through sexual intercourse, this power goes away. Therefore trying to pursue the higher goals of meditation without practicing celibacy, will clearly not lead to success."