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Dakshinamurti literally means “south-facing form.” Dakshinamurti is Lord Śiva depicted sitting under a banyan tree, teaching four rishis at His feet through mauna, silence, while showing the chin mudra with His right front hand. In chin mudra, the tips of the thumb and forefinger are joined to form a circle while the other fingers are kept open and extended. The palm faces outward. It is a gesture of imparting spiritual knowledge and is also known as jnana mudra. The joining of the two fingers symbolizes the realization that jiva and Śiva are in nondual union. The index finger represents individual consciousness, the jivatma, while the thumb symbolizes supreme consciousness.

The Dakshinamurti Sadhana for Pilgrims

Among the many sadhanas that pilgrims can perform, one of the sweetest is the Dakshinamurti Sadhana, honoring the Silent Guru within. Dakshinamurti teaches not through words or intellectual instruction. Rather, His silence is the force that awakens the spiritual knowledge already resident within us.

Sadhana Practice

Standing before Dakshinamurti, north of Iraivan Temple, offer flowers and chant a simple Dakshinamurti chant three or more times.

Below is a simple chant that may be used. If you prefer another traditional chant to Dakshinamurti, it may also be recited. Afterwards, sit quietly and reflect upon Dakshinamurti’s silent revelation of the nondual union of jiva and Śiva.

Guru Brahma! Guru Vishnu!
Guru Devo Maheswaraha!
Guru Sakshath Parabrahma
Tasmaisree Gurave Namaha!
Gurave Sarva Lokanam
Bhishaje Bhavaroginam!
Nidhaye Sarva Vidyanam
Sri Dakshinamoorthaye Namaha!

Quote from Gurudeva

“Once freed by God’s grace from these bonds—which do not cease to exist, but no longer have the power to bind—the soul experiences nirvikalpa samadhi. This is the realization of the Self, Atattva Parabrahman—timeless, formless, spaceless—a oneness beyond all change or diversity.”

“The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Of course, all gardens had their beginning in the miracle of the seed. But the monastery’s recent bout with Hurricane Lowell has returned our thoughts to the importance and the promise of seeds. Not that we are oblivious to that fact, but it takes on new significance as we contemplate replanting devastated areas of Siva’s Sacred Gardens.

We begin today’s reflections with the two seeds above. One is Aerides odorata, an orchid famous for having one of the tiniest seeds in the plant world. Amazingly, 3.4 million seeds weigh a mere gram (1/28th of an ounce). The other is a coco de mer (Lodoicea maldivica), a single seed of which can weigh 25 kg, or 55 pounds.

By weight, that means it takes about 85 billion Aerides odorata seeds to equal the weight of one very large coco de mer seed!

Yet virtually every living cell in a seed contains the plant’s complete genetic instruction set, encoded in DNA so extraordinarily thin that it cannot be seen by the unaided human eye.

Within those tiny spiraling molecules lies Siva’s User’s Manual for making the plant. In the coconut palm, that genetic manual contains about 2.4 billion base pairs. If we take each base pair as a single letter of the English alphabet and print the User’s Manual in 12-point type on 7 × 10-inch pages, the entire manual would fill about 6,000 books of 200 pages each.

As amazing as that is, the User Manual for the coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), with its vastly larger genome, would require roughly 70,000 such books!

That’s how much information Siva encodes in the DNA of a seed. Talk about efficiency!

It is always a surprising delight to see the Moscow team sharing our publications with seekers in Moscow, where there is an unusually strong interest. In early September a massive Book Fair welcomed Gurudeva’s trilogy and other books (in Russian) and Hinduism Today’s Russian edition. Here is the team leader’s report:

From Dinanatha Bodhinatha

Aloha, dear Kauaians!

Namaste, dear monks!

The 39th Moscow International Book Fair (MIBF) opened in Moscow — one of the country’s main book events, which annually brings together publishers, authors and readers, bookstores and libraries, and cultural institutions. 

This year, the MIBF was held from September 2 to 6 at the Gostiny Dvor Complex. At the same time as the MIBF, the 4th Moscow International Children’s Book Fair took place.

The fair was opened by Vladimir Medinsky — Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, First Secretary of the Union of Writers of Russia, and Actual State Councillor of the 1st Class of the Russian Federation, which speaks to the MIBF as an event of national significance.

The People’s Republic of China became the guest of honour at the 39th Moscow International Book Fair this year.

“Hinduism Today” (Russia) is presenting its own products and those of friendly publishers at the fair.

Jai Ganesha! Jai Murugan! Jai Siva!

Jai Gurudeva! Jai Satguru! Jai Kauai Aadheenam!

Today we say aloha to two amazing trees, mature Sugar Palms (Arenga pinnata) that towered near Rishi from the Himalayas for some 32 years. They were called (by us) “the world’s most overachieving palm tree.” And for good reason, several times a year they would produce massive clusters of seeds, tens of thousands of seeds the size of large grapes. The clusters, sometimes six at once hanging from the trunk, weighed 300 pounds each, or more. No other palm we have produces such abundant seeds, not even close.

They lived a good life, looking down at Rishi’s black granite murti and able to see Bodhinatha’s murti across the pond. A life well lived. Let us all live such that we can say the same, and live with pure detachment so anything can come to us, even calamity, and we will remain centered, unchanged, trusting in Siva’s Dance.

We sometimes kid that projects always take less time, effort and money than expected. Of course, only those who never completed a big project believe it. This Garden Path has been many years in the making. The final step, of many, is to install half-inch-thick quartzite onto the recently poured 900-foot-long, 8-foot-wide concrete path.

It took about four months for the stone to reach Kauai, and that allows Alfredo to begin the installation after the hurricane passes. You will meet him in future TAKA posts. This project is also significant because it is the last large construction project at Iraivan.

Jai to our Beloved Gurudeva! Jai to our Light-filled Paramparai! Jai to Iraivan’s Grace-giving Mahalingesvara!

Jai Ganesha!

As we were going through our photo archives, we stumbled upon a wonderful episode of Gurudeva’s old Innersearch. In this captivating journey, Gurudeva traveled with his devoted members and a few of his monks across various countries, including Sri Lanka, India and Russia. The images we found from this time evoked a wave of nostalgic memories, transporting us back to moments filled with energy and inspiration.

In these photographs, we see a young and vibrant Gurudeva, full of life and passion, leading his group with an infectious enthusiasm that is hard to forget. The smiles on the faces of the monks and members capture the essence of their shared experiences, revealing a deep bond forged through spirituality and exploration. It’s intriguing to see how some of the monks have changed over the years, and you might find it a bit of a challenge to guess who they are, as time has gracefully transformed their appearances while their spirits remain unchanged.

During their travels, Gurudeva and his group immersed themselves in the rich cultures and traditions of the places they visited. In Sri Lanka, they engaged with the local communities, learning about their customs and rituals while sharing the teachings of Saiva Siddhanta. The vibrant festivals and colorful ceremonies provided a beautiful backdrop for discussions on spirituality and the universal values that connect all of humanity.

The images from this journey remind us of the transformative power of travel, especially when it’s infused with purpose and intention. Gurudeva’s ability to connect with individuals from various walks of life underscores the universality of spiritual principles. The joy and curiosity on the faces of those who participated in his sessions reflect a longing for connection that is inherent in all of us.

As we reminisce about these travels, we are reminded of the importance of cultural exchange and the sharing of knowledge. Gurudeva’s commitment to spreading the teachings of Hinduism while also embracing the traditions of others serves as a beautiful example of how spirituality can flourish in diverse environments. This legacy inspires us to continue exploring, learning, and growing, while honoring the rich tapestry of beliefs and practices that exist in our world.

In reflecting on Gurudeva’s journeys, we not only celebrate his contributions but also acknowledge the ongoing journey of each individual who seeks to deepen their understanding of themselves and the world around them. These archives serve as a testament to the impact of his teachings and the bonds created during these transformative experiences.

Now enjoy these nostalgic memories from decades ago.

Jai Ganesha!