We received an invitation to give a blessing at the County Council meeting tomorrow. It'll be Valentine's Day. But what is Valentine's Day to a Hindu monk? We can turn it into a Saivite holy day. Siva is our sweetheart, so he can be honored on this day. We can sing hymns of praise of Siva on Valentine's Day. The Natchintanai "All is You" by Yogaswami is a wonderful hymn honoring Siva. Bodhinatha read this hymn aloud to all gathered in the temple.

Unedited Transcript:

Starting our new phase today and we have an invitation tomorrow to give the blessing at the County Council. We are one of the Churches that they invite on a regular basis. Of course, in the past Gurudeva has given the blessing. This will be my first opportunity. They give you three whole minutes. It can be three minutes or less. They want a blessing but they want to get down to business too. That is tomorrow, which is Valentine's Day.

You cannot help but run into advertisements for Valentine's Day all over the place. I was thinking about it and saying, "Well ... Valentine's Day, giving a blessing on Valentine's Day, isn't that interesting! Valentine's Day is a secular Holiday, a holiday to do with romance." It doesn't have much to do with being a Hindu monk was my first conclusion. But then I started to think, "Well, you know Valentine's Day ... Maybe there is a way we can turn it into a Saivite Holy Day."

So that is my first thought this morning that I wanted to share with you. How can you turn Valentine's Day into a Saivite

Holy Day? What is Valentine's Day? It is the day you compliment a sweetheart with cards and gifts. That is what the dictionary says. Compliment a sweetheart with cards and gifts. So, I hope all of our husbands and wives have that well in hand for tomorrow.

The question is to turn it into a Saivite Holy Day, does God Siva qualify as a sweetheart? God Siva has to qualify as a sweetheart, otherwise He can't be honored on Valentine's Day. So what is a sweetheart? A sweetheart is a three-fold definition. One who is dearly loved. Okay, that sounds reasonable. Second one - a generally likeable person is a sweetheart. Third one - a remarkable one-of-a-kind. Remarkable one of its kind.

So you think God Siva qualifies as a sweetheart? I think so, He definitely has all three qualities. If we want to make God Siva our Valentine, we just have to express all of this on Valentine's Day. We are a day early but you have to allow for poetic license here.

We need a Valentine card. What does a Valentine card express? The dictionary again says, "It expresses uncritical praise and affection." Uncritical praise and affection. Doesn't that sound like so many of our Saivite hymns? Potri, Potri? Uncritical praise and affection. Saivite lore is filled with Valentine cards, filled with hymns we can use on Valentine's Day to praise and love God Siva in that way. I chose one from the Natchintanai. It is called, "All is You." So this is our Valentine's Day card to God Siva. I actually I sent it to God Siva in the fire, so it would be delivered on time. Burned a copy.

"All is You.

Father and Mother are You

Dear brothers and sisters are You

Incomparable wife is You

Precious sons are You

Royal potentates are You.

The devas and all the Gods are You

This great Earth is You

And that which guards and governs me is also You

You it was who stayed the river

You are He whose half is Shakti.

You are the truth revealing Vedas

You are both righteousness and error

You are the one adorned with ashes

You are He with an eye upon His brow

You are the prize that I have gained.

You are the one who has made me Yours

Indra and the Gods are You

The multitude of Rishis are You

Both the sun and the moon are You

'Tis you who as the Lingam stands.

Mantra and Tantra are You

This life and the next are You

All beauty and loveliness is You

And our protector too is You

You are the one without an end.

You are the Lord who is my father

You are in truth the changeless one

You are that which is in the heart

You are he who has no parts

You are also all beliefs.

You are that which is known through search

You are order and perfection

That which is love is You

Body and life are also You

Far and near are You.

Truth and untruth too are You

Verse and melody are You

The contents of the song are You

Numbers and letter are You

And that which is my help is You.

You are all benefits

You are the true support of life

You are the almighty Judge

You are yesterday and today

You are that understood by learning.

You are the heart of the best of men

You are religion and You are race

And it is You who has made of me your man

Everything that is, is You

Your Lady forms one half of you.

All might and power is You

All the days of our life are You

Many there are who glorify You

He who came on the horse was You

The hearts of all good men are You

And that which is myself is You.

You are He who rides the bull

'Twas You who kicked the God of Death

'Tis You who are the Guru comes

'Tis You who as the Guru comes

'Tis You indeed who are my refuge.

You are what cannot be told

You are the self-existent one

You are that beyond all praise

And 'tis you behind the intellect

He who bestows alms is You

And he who accepts alms is You.

The entire Universe is You

The bright-browed lady-spouse is You

He adorned with snakes is You

That which is sweet to worship is You

He of beauteous form is You.

What lies within the heart is You

The Universal One is You

That without place or name is You

That which is good is You

What will be tomorrow is You.

Mountains and Seas are You

The whole of this wide world is You

What is in the open hall is You

That devoid of taint is You

That splendor known as Aum is You.

That which has no form is You

That which affirms is You

And that which negates is You

That which is free of sloth is You

That which is the truth is You.

Our safe guard is also You

And all embodied souls are You

That which envy knows is You

What becomes the letters five is You

He who holds the deer is You.

That which exists as I is You

All upright minds are You

That behind all thought is You

That which is divine is You

Guru and disciple both are You."

That is our Valentine!