Sacred Gardens

Iraivan Northwest Corner Buildup

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The ground-level perimeter of Iraivan is planted with two types of grass, separated in the middle by paver stones that form a pradakshina path. One can perform the circumambulation walking on the stones or on the light green short grass next to them. For a while now, the northwest corner of this grassy area and paver stones has been sunken, accumulating mud and standing water. We are now in process of rectifying this. Paver stones in the corner were removed and dirt brought in to raise the area. A pipe was placed under the new dirt to help channel water around the corner and away. When our employee returns to work, he’ll finish re-installing the paver stones.

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Kadavul Guestbook, and Sadhu Paksha begins

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Morning sunrise at Shanmuga Banyan

The first two weeks of April, August and December are called Sadhu Paksha here in the Aadheenam, during which the monks have a individualized early morning routine. We can do personal sadhanas on various parts of the grounds, and catch up on extra rest if needed.

For many years we had a handwritten guestbook in Kadavul Temple for visitors to leave their contact information if they wished. We consider the email address as the most useful information, as we can conveniently send a followup note sharing our services some time after they visit. While handwriting is consider quaint these days, we often find the letters written to be questionable at best, and illegible at worst. Too much time was spent trying to decipher email addresses, not to mention typing them into a computer list in the first place. Also, many people did not leave a email address at all. We finally decided to switch to a digital guestbook, which not only encourages correct spelling and is fully legible, but allows us to simply copy all the email addresses for a given period and paste into a followup note.

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The Sweet Sugar Palm

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A walk through the garden today brings us to the Rishi from the Himalayas murti where two stunning Arenga pinnatas are blossoming again. This is the first time we have captured the early protective sheath that covers the inflorescense, and also its removal to reveal the flower buds.

When you visit Siva’s Sacred Garden, you must stand in front of this Sugar Palm, a true gem of Southeast Asia, especially revered in Indonesia and the Philippines. Towering up to 20 meters, this majestic palm boasts large, feather-like leaves that dance in Kauai’s tropical breeze. More than just a scenic marvel, every element of the sugar palm is utilized by local communities. The sap is tapped and transformed into sweet sugar and aromatic alcohol (called arrack). Its fibers are woven into durable ropes and rustic brooms, while the broad fronds find a second life as robust roofing materials. This versatile palm is a cornerstone of sustainability and a testament to the ingenuity of traditional practices in harmonizing with nature.

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Siva Is Silence

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Today while walking along the Path of the Saiva Satgurus we came across a bird sitting on the black granite murti of Satguru Yogaswami. It reminded us of a story he told that one day “I was in meditation under the Illupai tree and a bird came and sat on my head.” The unspoken implication is that he was seated so unmovingly, drawn so far within, that the bird did not take him to be human, so rested on his head.”

Silence, Summa Iru, was a major teaching of the Lion of Lanka. Yogaswami taught it often, urging seekers to quiet the mind more and more perfectly, a meditative exercise that proved a life-long sadhana for many.

When he established the upstairs meditation hall in the Sivathondu Nilayam, in the late 1930s, he had a sign installed with three short sentences that summarized his requirements for all those climbing the steps to the room. “All words are in silence. All doing is in silence. Everything is perfect within silence.” He would nnot allow a single word to be uttered in that space.

Read more of this story by following this link to The Guru Chronicles chapter on Yogaswami. Click Here.

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