The Living Land Around Us

One of the magnificent 12-inch flowers from our pitcher plant vine

Rains and morning sunlight produced this recent rainbow over Iraivan Temple

Mahalingeshvara bedecked in blooming flowers

The aadheenam’s only yellow jade vine is also in bloom. Be careful though, flowers from this hue come with little spines!

Evening sun shines through the rudrakshas and bamboo

Our very happy, red tiger lily blooms near Satguru’s office

It’s the only one of this particular type that we have blooming right now. For some reason it will often bloom in the dark of night, and then close midday.

Nene have been stopping by this month. They are our state bird, and always nice to see

The temple gets a sudden rain shower

An eye in the sky! Perhaps somebody is looking out for us.

The Ganesha near our entrance gives protection to a little gold-dust day gecko on His nose

Our monks recently found some aloha near the ocean’s edge

The chariot parades around Iraivan Temple during our recent celebration of Guru Purnima

This has been quite an energizing month at the Aadheenam. We’ve had many guests come through, mostly to attend Guru Purnima celebrations. We’ve also been having bright, sunny day’s, interspersed with sudden, deafening deluges of tropical rains from Kauai’s fast moving clouds. After our cooler spring months, much of our surrounding nature has begun to grow and bloom rapidly, aided by this onset of water and sunlight. In the slideshow are a few photos of some of the sites from our jungle canopies and waterways.

Tirumantiram 2010:

Śiva assumes the form of infinite smallness by being within the minutest atom. At the same time, He assumes the form of infinite vastness by holding all the universes within Himself, such that each universe appears like a small atom. Lord Īśvara who is incomparable and matchless, simultaneously presents Himself within all the objects of the world, both moving and inert. He pervades the entirety of space and all the worlds. There is not even a minute space that is unoccupied by Him. In spite of this presence of Śiva, the worldly-minded do not realize His inseparable oneness with each soul and His presence in everything.