Kauai's Hindu Monastery Blog
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Covers articles about Hinduism, monastery temples, monastic life, worship, meditation and more. Our mission is to train renunciate monks who live under formal vows, providing them the opportunity to perform advanced sadhana under the guidance of a satguru.
Kauai's Hindu Monastery Blog
2d ago
On the day of sankalpam preparations for the April 12 Samvatsara Abhishekam (one year anniversary of the opening of Iraivan Temple) Siva showed His tangible presence by offering the island His own abishekam in the form of a massive rainstorm, a tropical downpour that brought 14 inches of rain to the monastery in 12 hours! We have rain guage records back decades, and even back to 2017 and 2010 we only once in 40 years of record keeping went beyond 10 inches in a day. So this was memorable. Then, showing the soft side of His grace, Siva flooded the island with sunshine on the following day, all ..read more
Kauai's Hindu Monastery Blog
5d ago
The first annual anniversary of Iraivan Temple’s consecration has arrived. Events take place on April 11th afternoon and April 12th morning. Besides footage that will be posted after the fact, we’ve set up a temporary album where footage will be posted live, as it happens. Feel free to regularly check the link below over these two days if you’d like a semi-live experience.
(Footage from this month’s Krittika Homa on April 11th morning is also posted in this album.)
Iraivan Temple Samvatsara Puja 2024 ..read more
Kauai's Hindu Monastery Blog
5d ago
Today we took a walk along the six-pointed start path that defines the Shadkonam (six points) Desert Garden at the monastery. It was built in the Northwest corner of Iraivan Temple, following vastu science (See slide #2). It is a rare creature on Kauai, where there is so much rain that most desert plants don't tolerate. But over the years we have found which ones will endure 100 inches or more of rain, and we know that of 10 we plant one will survive. But if you plant 300, then you have 30 survivors. So these are the brave ones. The resiliant ones. And many happen to be beautiful as well, as ..read more
Kauai's Hindu Monastery Blog
1w ago
Preparations have been in full swing for Iraivan Temple's first anniversary pujas on April 11-12. From husking coconuts for kumbhas, to securing tents, to installing sitting platforms, a temporary homa kunda and hanging tombai decorations, these photos show a small portion of the details involved to get ready ..read more
Kauai's Hindu Monastery Blog
1w ago
Jai Ganesha!
Today Kodishwara arrived on Kauai after many hours travel from Malaysia. He had spend a full 6 months here on our taskforce program in 2016, so he knows the monastery well. Despite the long flight, he was full of energy once at the Aadheenam again.
Kodishwara is already under the formal pledge of an aspirant and is here to pursue monastic life.
“In enjoyment, there is the fear of disease; in social position, the fear of losing face; in wealth, the fear of government; in honor, the fear of humiliation; in power, the fear of enemies; in beauty, the fear of old age; in scriptural er ..read more
Kauai's Hindu Monastery Blog
1w ago
It is said the greatest offering to God Siva is our love and gratitude, both of which are embedded in the traditional Bharatanatyam dance, offered for thousands of years in Hindu temples (with about 90 years hiatus when the British colonials banned it). Kadavul Temple and devotees were blessed to have such an offering, performed by Fenulla Jiwani during the alankara. She shopped at the Kapaa Farmers' Market the following day and prepared an Italian pasta dish and fresh salad for the monks.
One of the unique features of her dance is this: the last time she performed it in public was 23 years ..read more
Kauai's Hindu Monastery Blog
2w ago
Watch Satguru’s latest Publisher’s Desk Video from his article in Hinduism Today magazine.
This article as well as the rest of Hinduism Today’s April/May/June, 2024 issue is now available online at https://www.hinduismtoday.com ..read more
Kauai's Hindu Monastery Blog
2w ago
At our leased 400 acres across the Wailua River, a tractor is used frequently to mow grass between the rows of noni fruit trees and hardwood trees. Our Branson-brand tractor was starting to break down too frequently, so we found a John Deere tractor in the midwest of mainland US, waited for temperatures to warm so it could be moved onto on a hauling truck to be moved to California, and now it's finally here getting blessed.
The blessing took place at the new home of the Ganesha murti that used to be on San Marga path. Arati was shown, a coconut broken, and limes crushed under the wheels to w ..read more
Kauai's Hindu Monastery Blog
2w ago
Om Namah Sivaya
Recently we celebrated our monthly padapuja to Sivaya Subramuniyaswami during the timing of the Chitra nakshatra. Sannyasin Tillainathaswami and Sadhaka Vatshalanatha performed the puja while other mathavasis chanted Sri Rudram. Local members and devotees brought an abundance of beautiful flowers and enjoyed the peaceful darshan of Gurudeva.
"It is the interplay between our experience and how we respond to it that makes karma devastating or helpfully invigorating" - Sivaya Subramuniyaswami ..read more
Kauai's Hindu Monastery Blog
2w ago
Those CyberCadets who visit TAKA or read our books well know the amazing artwork of S. Rajam (10 February 1919 29 January 2010) musician and painter from Tamil Nadu. He worked on our art commissions for decades and by a small miracle we acquired his life's work, some 60 years worth, which we brought to Kauai and have kept in an archive container.
Amy-Ruth Holt, PhD in Art History (Ohio State University), came to know of the collection and flew to Kauai with her daughter, Maya, to spend five days cataloging and photographing key parts of the collection.
They have been sorting through the hun ..read more