Today at Kauai Aadheenam

Fish Tank Base Update

Jai Ganesha.

Recently, Archarya Kumarnathaswami and Sadhaka Shankaranatha have been working on with the new fish tank base for the aquarium in the Siddhidata Kulam’s recently completed office. Today, we found Sadhaka working in the wood shop, getting the pieces ready to assemble. Sadhaka also explained to us what is a jointer and how to work on with it. Sadhaka is always happy to share his knowledge with everyone of us. Aum.

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Malaysia Trip Update – Days 9 to 14

Our traveling monks continued the second week of their Path to Siva youth workshop tour with a deepening impact across Malaysia. Each workshop brought new energy, meaningful conversations, and growing enthusiasm among youth and families alike.

Day 9 took the team to Setiawan, where the third workshop was held at the Hindu Sangam Activity Centre. Around 50 to 60 students attended the three-hour session. Swami delivered his talk primarily in Tamil, with some English to support understanding. The group was attentive throughout, though reserved during the Q&A. Once again, the Vasana Daha Tantra exercise stood out as the most transformative part of the day, bringing a palpable sense of emotional release to many. After lunch and photos with members, the monks journeyed onward to Sg Petani, Kedah.

On Day 10, the fourth workshop was held at the Sri Subramaniya Swami Devasthanam. A smaller group of 24 students attended, and Swami adapted the session by inviting each participant to introduce themselves. This built rapport and led to greater engagement during the discussion. That evening, the monks enjoyed dinner with the Thiliga family and paid a short visit to a nearby Siva temple.

Day 11 began with a hearty breakfast hosted by the Thanabalan family. The team then drove to the Ramakrishna Mission in Penang for the fifth workshop, which welcomed 26 students. The serene shrine to Sri Ramakrishna added a sacred tone to the hall. After the workshop, the monks were warmly received at the Temple of Fine Arts and treated to a complimentary vegetarian meal by the appreciative staff. The day concluded with a six-hour return drive to Petaling Jaya.

On Day 12, the sixth workshop took place at Sri Kasi Visvanathan Swamy Thirukovil in Bangsar. With over 30 students and 10 parents or teachers in attendance, it marked the highest number so far already familiar with the concept of karma. The workshop was delivered in both English and Tamil and was enthusiastically received. After a temple-provided lunch and a short rest, the monks concluded the day with a dinner hosted by the Gunalan family.

Day 13 brought the seventh workshop to Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Shah Alam. Sixteen students attended, about half of whom had participated in a previous Path to Siva session. Swami took the opportunity to introduce a breathing technique—nine counts in, one hold, nine counts out, one hold—to help manage emotions and karma. A short video promoting the monastery’s spiritual workout app was shown, and nearly every student downloaded it, inspired by the content and Swami’s presence.

On Day 14, the team traveled to Kajang for the eighth workshop at Sri Subramaniya Temple. Fifty students were present, including several returning participants. Swami emphasized the power of our response to karma, explaining that while we cannot control what comes to us, we can control how we handle it. He used the analogy of a rainstorm—either get soaked or use an umbrella. He also clarified that although some karma is fixed, others—like our physical health—can be improved through personal effort and devotion. The temple hosted a meal afterward, and the day concluded with an uplifting satsang with members at Iraivan Illam in Klang, capping a deeply rewarding two-week stretch of spiritual service and community connection.

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Sadhaka Shankaranatha’s First Chitra Pada Puja

Jai Gurudeva!

 Jai to the Kailasa Parampara!

Aum Namah Sivaya! 

Today, we joyfully celebrated Gurudeva’s Chitra Pada Puja at Kadavul Temple. This occasion was particularly special, as it marked Sadhaka Shankaranatha’s very first pada puja as the main priest. With deep devotion and steady focus, Sadhaka performed the puja beautifully, invoking a powerful spiritual presence. Through his heartfelt chanting and sacred abhishekam, the atmosphere was uplifted, drawing forth the inner divinity from each of us who were present.

Below is a video of the final ārati, shared so you too may receive the same blessings and spiritual upliftment that we experienced today.


In Other News: Now on Instagram

All this while we were posting the shorter version of Path to Siva chapter content here in TAKA but now it will be available in Instagram and will be posting it on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for you to enjoy the content. We have already posted the first chapter, and in subsequent days we will be posting the rest of the chapters.

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Golden Gurudeva Arrives in California from South India

For many years a small shrine in the basement of the Concord Siva Muruga Temple held Gurudeva’s photo, honoring the founder. Now that the temple has been completely rebuilt, a more formal space has been designed for this, and devotees worked to have a sculptor in India make a proper bronze murti, which was then gold plated.

Everyone rushed to meet the deadline. The timing was not what was planned; it was better. The original schedule had the arrival scheduled to coincide with the May 9-10 kumbhabishekam, the Grand Opening. But the shipment was delayed and it arrived weeks later. This was great, because all of the intensity of 50,000 devotees, and all of the sacred chaos had settled, so when Gurudeva arrived the temple was quiet and the priests could focus solely on taking care of him. The slideshow shows the simple greeting. At a time yet unknown to us Gurudeva will be moved to his permanent place and be installed.

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The Fine Art of Meditation, Part Two

Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami gives his weekly upadesha in Kadavul Temple at Kauai’s Hindu Monastery in Hawaii. It is part of a series of talks elaborating on the inspired teachings of Satguru Śivaya Subramuniyaswami as found in his book Merging With Śiva.

“Devotees occasionally ask, “When you experience a thought you don’t like, should you go around the thought, or go to the center of the thought and find out why you don’t like it?” Look at thoughts as people. I see thoughts when I’m in the world of thought like a school of fish. I’m there in the ocean, sitting and looking, and a school of fish goes by, right in front of me. Well, look at thoughts as people. You are aware of other people, but you are not other people. You are just aware of other people. So, when you see someone you do not like, you don’t have to do anything about it. Let him be. It’s the same with thoughts. When a thought comes passing by that you don’t like, let it go. You don’t have to glue yourself onto it and psychoanalyze it; it doesn’t do the thought any good to be psychoanalyzed by you!

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