Today at Kauai Aadheenam

New Mower For Himalayan Acres

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The primary task across the river on our Himalayan Acres agricultural land is to keep the vigorous guinea and elephant grasses mowed down next to and between the rows of noni and hardwood trees. However, the tractor must stay a distance from the tree to avoid bumping and breaking its lateral branches. To accomplish this and still mow grass right next to the trunk, we mount mowers that stick several feet out to the right side, beyond the tires. Our old Ford tractor has just been fitted with a new rotary mower on the back which is stronger than the previous mower. It needs to be strong enough for when the grass sometimes gets extra tall and thick. Some extra reinforcement was added to handle the weight of the mower.

At the front of the tractor is mounted a small rotary mower that sticks out even further. It is able to safely cut right next to the trunk because the blade is underneath a slightly wider circular disk which turns freely and can roll against the trunk.

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Light and Leaves in the Monastery Gardens

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  • Our morning light never ceases to be stunning
  • Iraivan glistens through the brush
  • Lord Muruga shines in His own way
  • One of the many scenes found in our Chola Gardens
  • A place not oft seen. Winding stream waters make their way below papayas, bananas and breadfruit trees
  • Palms as far as the eye can see
  • Look close and you might find interesting things. This is an egg-casing from a praying mantis.
  • Happy Kavi cat, reminds us to keep it simple
  • At night we roll past our galactic center
  • A baby bullfrog floats on his raft
  • “That is the goal of life, to know Siva, to love Siva and to find union in Him, to dance with Siva, live with Siva and merge with Siva.” – Gurudeva

Aum Namah Sivaya


This week brought a few quiet moments to step outside and enjoy the land. The gardens and surrounding jungles offered small scenes of beauty. Soft light on new leaves, the play of shadows along the paths, and the stillness that gathers between passing showers. We captured a handful of simple photos to share, reflections of the peaceful rhythm that moves through the Aadheenam each day.

“This inner light is so beautiful. All day long my head has been filled with light. It feels that if I were to reach up and put both hands around the top of my head, there wouldn’t be a head there.” – Sivaya Subramuniyaswami

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Sivacharyar at Kauai’s Hindu Monastery

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  • Swaminatha Sivacharyar (second from left) and Viswanatha Sivacharyar (third from left)

Jai Ganesha!

Few days ago, Viswanatha Sivacharyar and Swaminatha Sivacharyar visited our monastery. Swaminatha Sivacharyar is the founder of Sivapuram Patasala in Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile, Viswanatha Sivacharyar recently had kumbhabhishekam for his new Ganesha Temple at San Ramon, California. And Satguru and Yoginathaswami went for the kumbhabhishekam. They had a wonderful time visiting the monastery and had meetings with Satguru and monks.

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Fire Mountain, Rain Mountain: Waialeale

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Mount Waialeale is one of Kauai’s greatest natural marvels, rising from the island’s emerald heart (more technically the island rises from its heart) and cloaked in near-constant mist. Its name means “rippling waters” or “overflowing water,” a reference to the countless waterfalls and ancient bogs that spill from its summit. Known as one of the wettest spots on Earth, Waialeale is revered in Hawaiian culture as a sacred wao akua, a realm of the gods, where clouds gather, nourish the land, and sustain life downstream. Its blue-green cliffs and perpetual rain have long inspired respect, marking the mountain as a living temple of water, fertility and spiritual presence at the center of the island.

We live with it daily and watch it change from hour to hour as the clouds come and go, as the setting sun sets it on fire. Gurudeva envisioned a futuristic coffee table book which would show all of its moods, and we share a few of those in today’s TAKA, taken by various monks over the years.

In December of 1968 Gurudeva brought 32 Innersearchers to Kauai and on the second day we hired Larry rivera, the island’s legendary singer/composer, to regale us all with his song about Waialeale. Larry warned us, as we gathered around what is now the temple pool, that the song makes it rain more often than not. We nodded politely, and asked him to continue. It rained before he ended!

Want to hear him sing it right now? Go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0voBezB05cw

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Love of the Gods, Part Two

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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.

“Darshan is a vibration, too. It is first experienced in the simple physical glimpse of the form of the Deity in the sanctum. Later, that physical sight gives way to a clairvoyant vision or to a refined cognition received through the sensitive ganglia within your nerve system, the chakras. Through these receptors, a subtle message is received, often not consciously. Perhaps not immediately, but the message that the darshan carries, direct from the Mahādeva—direct from Lord Gaṇeśa, direct from Lord Murugan, direct from Lord Śiva Himself—manifests in your life. This is the way the Gods converse. It is a communication more real than the communication of language that you experience each day. It is not necessary to understand the communication immediately. The devotee may go away from the temple outwardly feeling that there was no particular message, or not knowing in his intellectual mind exactly what the darshan meant. Even the words you are now reading may not be fully cognized for days, weeks or even months. The depth of meaning will unfold itself on reflection. “

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Our Instagram Contents

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Jai Ganesha!

Here are some of our newest Instagram posts, showcasing teachings from Path to Siva and Gurudeva’s Spiritual Toolbox. We’ve been putting extra care into crafting these carousels and visuals to make the wisdom more accessible, engaging, and visually inspiring. Below are the links to these recent creations—we hope you enjoy exploring them and find them uplifting.

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