At Satguru’s behest, two web pages have seen upgrades over the last few months. On the new “Shum Language of Meditation” page, we present the seven dimensions, the full alphabet and a overview of how words are formed, calligraphy, proportions of images and rules for connecting images. The slideshow above displays the short word kasi and then expands to finally become iinsimliamkasi. Subsequent slides show all the rules for connecting images when writing the full version of letters.
On the “Twelve Shum Meditations – Level One” page we have the original collection of meditations for each month of the year plus related reading material or additional Shum words selected by Satguru to round out the meditation. This page has existed for a while but needed cleaning up and added the shum script for each meditation collection.
As the landscaping continues, we try to take regular, updated photos
Palms look quite different up here
Some nice afternoon lighting
Over the last few days, Sivanadaiyar Kodiswara has been studying drone piloting so that he can help with the aerial surveying and photography of the aadheenam grounds and temples. Today was an initial flight with instructions for him to capture several updated survey photos. As you can see in the photos, he did a wonderful job and even captured a few unexpected angles that turned out great! Aum.
Mayilnathaswami performing the Ganesha puja with Satguru’s presence
Many of the other monks attended the event
Satguru carries the blessed Ganesha to the buildings new meeting and shrine room
Satguru offering the arati to Nataraja and the newly installed Ganesha
Yoginathaswami explaining the long journey to the building’s completion
Satguru looking around the place
Yoginathaswami explaining about the space to both the Paramacharya
Jai Ganesha!
On March 9th, the Siddhidata Kulam’s new office was officially inaugurated. A small puja to bless the new office was performed by Mayilnathaswami, with Satguru and the monks attending. Later, after the puja, Yoginathaswami gave a tour of the office, explaining the space and how it would be utilized. It has been a 26 year goal for Siddhidata Kulam to eventually create this new office and machine-shop, reflecting the patience and dedication of the kulam’s monks.
The black line shows the placement of the new path around Iraivan Temple
Here we see the old dirt road, and the arrival of asphalt to build the new one.
Many hundreds of loads were required over the months.
The material was stockpiled nearby then carefully placed. It lifts the elevation of the road, providing good watershed even in strong rains.
After the 12-ton compactor has pounded the material.
The new road through the wild guava.
Up a small hill to Tirumular’s murti.
Past Mango Pond and around a corner.
Chellappaswami keeps an eye on this section.
Slide to show the asphalt path before and after
Paths and roads have been the great enablers for the Romans, the Vedic explorers, the early American pioneers, indeed all who wanted to go more than a hundred feet in a day. And the evolution from cow path, to walking trail, to dirt road to paved highway has marked mankind’s progress. So it will surprise no one that paths at the monastery are similarly evolving. For decades we had unimproved dirt paths and roads. A few years back we were able to upgrade a the major arteries, but until recently most access around the land (and visitor parking) was on unimproved dirt, often pitted with potholes that filled with water and mud whenever it rained, which is often as you know.
Fast forward to today. The monks are still getting used to proper asphalt paths, made possible by an unexpected gift. In the past 3 months we have paved virtually all roads and paths, several miles worth, so even on rainy days we can drive safely and comfortably around the monastery. It has changed our life in the same way cross country highways changed the dynamics of transportation in all nations. The slideshow shows the progress and the slider gives a BEFORE & AFTER of the path that now circumnavigates Iraivan Temple.
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.
“Man is like an egg. He lives and moves within the shell of his own concepts; and within a certain area of the mind that is comfortable to him he finds security. Within this area of the mind there are certain strata of thought flow with which he becomes familiar, emotional stresses that he has adjusted to as he matured. Within the eggshell he finds the pressures of his maturing pressing upon the boundaries of his accustomed area of mind and emotion. One day the shell breaks, and man steps out in all his glory. “
Another area of land that was getting overtaken by trees and brush is a mini-isthmus with a pond on either side, at the north end of the Path of the Satgurus, behind the statue of Chellappaswami.
An employee is gradually clearing the brush from the area, so visitors can once again view the banyan tree charmingly sending roots down into the pond, the large Australian Tree Ferns on the isthmus and a small waterfall exiting a culvert underneath, while listening to bird chirps and the gurgle of moving water. One of many pristine pilgrim-accessible areas of our grounds.
