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.
“Devotion in Hinduism is known as bhakti. It is an entire realm of knowledge and practice unto itself, ranging from the child-like wonder of the unknown and the mysterious to the deep reverence which comes with understanding of the esoteric interworkings of the three worlds. Hinduism views existence as composed of three worlds. The First World is the physical universe, the Second World is the subtle astral or mental plane of existence in which the devas, or angels, and spirits live, and the Third World is the spiritual sphere of the Mahādevas, the Deities, the Gods. Hinduism is the harmonious working together of these three worlds. Religion blossoms for the Hindu as he awakens to the existence of the Second and Third Worlds. These inner worlds naturally inspire in man responses of love and devotion and even awe. They are that wonderful. “
A moonbow lights the sky above Iraivan Temple during our recent full moon
We’ve been getting lots of rain these last few days. Here, the setting sun shines through the millions of droplets
A good time for this swan neck agave to conclude its life with its one and only flower bloom
The rain also spurs forth the mushroom. These ones are blooming with a massive cluster
It gets to full size and only lasts a few days
Passion Fruit flowers are some of our favorite. Amazingly complex structures and an indescribable aroma
A scary sight for some! This mother centipede is about 7-8 inches and is coiled around her recently hatched keiki
This species of mushroom can be found all over. Easy to spot in the dark of night.
Our fresh mulch always has a few larger ones
Nimu doesn’t like the thunderous rain very much. He has to sing much louder whenever it pours
Some of our local ringneck parakeets enjoy the fruiting palms
“Everything should be an offering to God. The world is an altar.” – Yogaswami
Aum Namah Shivaya
Today marks the 4th day of our Monastics’ short lunar phase. Meaning the next two days will be our retreat days (like a weekend). As a gentle end to our week of seva, we offer you these photos from around the Aadheenam—appreciating the natural world we enjoy here. From the moon in the night sky above Iraivan Temple, to the plants and mushrooms erupting from the earth beneath us. It’s all a sacred sight to behold. Aum.
A few days ago, Satguru and Yoginathaswami visited the San Ramon Ganesha Temple to attend its Kumbhabhishekam ceremony. The temple was beautifully built under the guidance of Viswanathan Gurukkal. Aum!
Under a sacred tree, Tayumanavar speaks to the Vedantins on his right and the Saivites on his left. Around him, villagers listen as the saint reveals the unity at the heart of both faiths: the eternal Siva within.
Tayumanavar welcomed seekers from every path, embracing the many lineages of India—not only Hindu traditions, but also Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists, and others. His vision of samarasam, or harmony, called for unity beyond sectarian boundaries, affirming the shared quest for truth that underlies all faiths.
In the mystic, devotional songs to Siva, Saint Tayumanavar (1705–1742) beseeched humanity to see the one Divinity within all paths and philosophies. He sought to reconcile the religious conflicts of his day in South India—the Buddhists colliding with the Jains, the Vaishnavites quarreling with the Saivites—not unlike what we see in other parts of the world today. He had a Tamil word for it: samarasam. Samarasam literally means “same taste.” It denotes the harmony of doctrines, the inclusivity of religions, the bliss in which all dualities dissolve. It is, in essence, the high state of awareness that sees the One Divine equally in all beings. It reminds us that the thousand names of God are but echoes of one eternal Silence.
That call for religious harmony and reconciliation is a hallmark of Gurudeva’s teachings,and reaches back to Yogaswami before him. Saint Tayumanavar was deeply connected to our lineage, and sang that he followed the teachings of Tirumular, the second satguru on the Nandinatha Sampradaya.
Tayumanavar sings from within this current. His hymns revere both Vedas and Agamas, the saints and siddhars, and above all the living Guru who embodies their essence. He sees Saivism not as one creed among others but as the meeting point where outer differences are reconciled. For him mauna (silence) is not emptiness but the serene absorption that follows perfect understanding; and samarasam (harmony) is not compromise but the state in which Vedanta’s insight and Siddhanta’s devotion fuse as one path. His language of longing—sivanubhūti, anbu, jñāna, mauna—marks a heart that has passed beyond theology into direct awareness.
Today we share a sampling of his songs and art from the book we are soon to publish.
Songs for Siva
Who was it that gave this egoity so much authority? Does this maya even exist outside of my thought? Will “sky flower’’ and “mirage water’’ ever have a practical use? Even my instructed state is thrown into confusion unless I receive Your grace to seek refuge in You. It performs a conjuring trick in my mind, establishing the illusory world as permanent. When shall I receive the secret of conquering this? Please tell me, O Jnanaguru Who expounds in Your grace the six established faiths and the philosophical unity of Vedanta and Siddhanta for all the worlds in cardinal directions to know. O Mantra Guru! O Yoga Tantra Guru! Mauna Guru who comes in the line of Tirumular!
Holding as real this body that is evanescent, like a flash of lightning, holding as real the pleasures of flashy women who intoxicate the senses with their collyrium-painted eyes, holding as heaven the stately mansion and mounting riches, holding gold as an imperishable treasure that waxes high, putting on false appearances to an excessive degree, abandoning to the winds the virtues of patience, wisdom, renunciation and charity, to be possessed of greed, miserliness and other demons, to walk about here below caught in the faith of the materialist—with a single word, in compassion, You kept me from all these that I might receive the grace of the great Vedanta-Siddhanta accord and enjoy the life eternal. O You Jnana Guru! O Mantra Guru! O Yoga Tantra Guru! Mauna Guru who comes in the line of Tirumular!
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.
“Prostration at the holy feet of the satguru has been performed in Hindu India and Sri Lanka for thousands of years. It’s an ancient custom and a very valuable one, because it separates the people who can prostrate from those who cannot. It separates the deeper souls from those still going through the intellectual and instinctive areas of the mind. It allows the aspirant himself to know where he is on the path, and it allows the satguru to know at a glance, without thought, where the seeker is on the spiritual path by the emanations out of the spine as he prostrates himself face down before him. Prostration issues forth definite energies when done before the guru or the temple Deity. The ego is naturally subdued, humility strengthened, and the soul of guru and disciple enjoy deep rapport in that moment. “
Mayilnathaswami performs the blessing to our new vehicles
Jai Ganesha!
As some may know, care for the Aadheenam’s vast acreage is greatly assisted by our small fleet of mostly electric utility vehicles. These little machines are used for everything from gardening and hauling tools to showing around special guests and providing simple, quick transport from A to B. These vehicles are in constant use, and at times we don’t have enough available for all the countless projects taking place. Thankfully, we recently acquired two new additions. The smaller blue one is in great condition and was offered to the monastery at a very low price, while the larger one was a gift. It had stopped working, and its owner said we could have it. Our monks quickly fixed a tiny problem and had it running again like new.
Before any vehicle or large piece of equipment enters service, our monks perform a traditional blessing for it. Last week, the monks of the Siddhidatta Kulam gathered at the large Ganesha outside their office and blessed the vehicles for a long, safe, and productive life of service.
