What is the Meaning of Nama Sivaya?
February 16, 2017Bodhinatha's Latest Upadesha: "What is the Nama Sivaya Mantra?" (February 13,2017) The letter "Ya" in the Panchakshara Mantra, Namasivaya, stands for the soul. Bodhinatha uses the Panchakshara Mantra to show how the soul is initially drawn by Siva's veiling grace, which leads the soul to maturity through experience in the...
Gurudeva Padapuja
February 15, 2017Jai Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami! Each month during the chitra nakshatra the aadheenam observes a padapuja in Kadavul Temple to Gurudeva's granite paduka (sandals). Today's puja began at 5:45am with the chanting of Sri Rudram and an abhishekam performed by Natyam's Mayuranatha and Jayanatha. This is a powerful time of year...
A Visit to Kauai Aadheenam
February 14, 2017We recently enjoyed a visit from Gayatri and Shivani Rajan and Shivani's husband-to-be Daniel. They are all from California and the Rajans have long been connected to our global fellowship. Shivani is currently an herbalist and Daniel is a professional coffee roaster. He was pleased to learn of our monks'...
Ganesha in 3D
February 14, 2017For those interested the the future of Virtual Reality and Augmented reality, here is a delightful Ganesha done by 3D artist Francesco Coldesina. You can click and drag this model to move around or scroll to zoom. If you have a VR headset you can click the little headset icon...
Media Studio Swing
February 13, 2017The Media Studio has finished constructing a traditional style Indian swing for guests to take their shoes on and off. Acharya Kumarnathaswami has crafted the bench portion while the rest was sponsored by devotees in California. The monkey pod tree was felled in preparation for deconstructing the famous Coco Palms...
Beginning Each Phase with a Homa
February 13, 2017"The mantra 'Shi-Va'" Satguru explained during his morning talk "is an interesting meditation meaning it can be turned into an interesting meditation. Shi and Va we don't have to just do 'Namah Shivaya' we can do Shi-Va reflecting on god as Absolute and God as all-pervasiveness. Or we can do...
Celebrating Thai Pusam!
February 10, 2017Vel Muruga!!! Happy Thai Pusam! Yesterday afternoon the monastery celebrated Lord Skanda with an abhishekam. Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami the monastics and local members and visiting devotees all gathered in Kadavul Temple in the afternoon for the puja, performed by Sannyasin Siddhanathaswami. Lord Muruga was bathed in pranic substances such as...
Meet Our New Yogis
February 10, 2017During this year's Thai Pusam festival Adinatha and Rajanatha took Yogi vows and supplicated their aspirations in front of God, Guru and Acharyas. They read from the Yogi addendum of their sacred vowbook, received new robes, beads, a bamboo staff of tapas or danda, and the sacred thread called yajnopavita...