Clay Balls

Clay Balls
A man was exploring caves by theSeashore. In one of the caves he found a canvas bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls. It was like someone had rolled clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake. They didn't look like much, but they intrigued the man, so he took the bag out of the cave with him. As he strolled along the beach, he would throw the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could.

He thought little about it, until he dropped one of the clay balls and it cracked open on a rock . Inside was a beautiful, precious stone!

Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each contained a similar treasure. He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left.

Then it struck him. He had been on the beach a long time. He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasure into the ocean waves. Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have taken home tens of thousands, but he had just thrown it away!

It's like that with people. We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel. It doesn't look like much from the outside.. It isn't always beautiful or sparkling, so we discount it.

We see that person as less important than someone more beautiful or stylish or well known or wealthy. But we have not taken the time to find the treasure hidden inside that person.

There is a treasure in each and every one of us. If we take the time to get to know that person, and if we ask God to show us that person the way He sees them, then the clay begins to peel away and the brilliant gem begins to shine forth.

May we not come to the end of our lives and find out that we have thrown away a fortune in friendships because the gems were hidden in bits of clay. May we see the people in our world as God sees them.

I am so blessed by the gems of friendship I have with you. Thank you for looking beyond my clay vessel.
APPRECIATE EVERY SINGLE
THING YOU HAVE, ESPECIALLY YOUR FRIENDS!
LIFE IS TOO SHORT AND FRIENDS ARE TOO FEW!
Do not ask GOD to Guide your Footsteps if you are not willing to MOVE your Feet'

Value Of Satsang

By Goda Venkateswara Sastrigal
The company of learned and virtuous people (Satsang) is what we should seek. Just being in their company, rids us of our ignorance (agnana). Gnanis do not indulge in unnecessary talk. They discuss only matters relating to the atma. They speak the truth, and thus we too imbibe the quality of honesty.

Honesty, in turn, confers peace of mind on us. One who utters lies can know no peace. He is always in a state of agitation, for fear that he might be found out. To cover up one lie, he utters another, and thus he is caught in a cycle of lies, from which he cannot get out of. Our association with gnanis also earns for us the respect of society. If we count the learned as our friends, then that says a lot about our own good qualities.

Gnanis help us in ways we cannot even think of. There was a poor man who, every day, provided food to a gnani engaged in penance. One day, the poor man had to perform his father's death anniversary, but he had no money to perform the rituals. His wife asked him to approach the gnani for help. The gnani, being a man of God, had no money to give the poor man. All he had was an ash gourd, which he gave to the poor man. Obviously, the vegetable was going to be of no use to the man in conducting his father's death anniversary. So he laid it aside and managed to go ahead with what little money he had.

The gourd shrivelled up after some days. The poor man's wife cut open the gourd to see if something could be salvaged, and inside the gourd she found diamonds. The gnani had not put the diamonds there. How could he, when he had nothing to call his own? But such was the power of the gnani's penance that the poor man had been rewarded for serving the gnani throughout the year.

Our minds are constantly in a state of worry and confusion because of the pressures of life. This confusion is wiped out when we are with gnanis. We are no longer faced with dilemmas, for now decision-making becomes easier for us, since we think clearly. Since gnanis always speak only about the scriptures, and of matters pertaining to the atma, we derive mental strength from their words.

Hanuman Jayanthi 2011

Yatra yatra raghunatha kirtanam;
Tatra tatra kritha masthakanjalim;
Bhaspavaari paripurna lochanam;
Maarutim namata raakshasanthakam

Meaning : "We bow to Maruti, Sri Hanuman, who stands with his palms folded above his forehead, with a torrent of tears flowing down his eyes wherever the Names of Lord Rama are sung".

Sri Hanuman is worshipped all over India-either alone or together with Sri Rama. Every temple of Sri Rama has the murti or idol of Sri Hanuman. Hanuman is the Avatara of Lord Shiva. He was born of the Wind-God and Anjani Devi. His other names are Pavanasuta, Marutsuta, Pavankumar, Bajrangabali and Mahavira.

He is the living embodiment of Ram-Nam. He was an ideal selfless worker, a true Karma Yogi who worked desirelessly and dynamically. He was a great devotee and an exceptional Brahmachari or celibate. He served Sri Rama with pure love and devotion, without expecting any fruit in return. He lived to serve Sri Rama. He was humble, brave and wise. He possessed all the divine virtues. He did what others could not do-crossing the ocean simply by uttering Ram-Nam, burning the city of Lanka, and bringing the sanjeevini herb and restoring Lakshmana to life again. He brought Sri Rama and Lakshmana from the nether world after killing Ahiravana.

He had devotion, knowledge, spirit of selfless service, power of celibacy, and desirelessness. He never boasted of his bravery and intelligence.

He said to Ravana, "I am a humble messenger of Sri Rama. I have come here to serve Rama, to do His work. By the command of Lord Rama, I have come here. I am fearless by the Grace of Lord Rama. I am not afraid of death. I welcome it if it comes while serving Lord Rama."

Mark here how humble Hanuman was! How very devoted he was to Lord Rama! He never said, "I am the brave Hanuman. I can do anything and everything."

Lord Rama Himself said to Sri Hanuman, "I am greatly indebted to you, O mighty hero! You did marvellous, superhuman deeds. You do not want anything in return. Sugriva has his kingdom restored to him. Angada has been made the crown prince. Vibhishana has become king of Lanka. But you have not asked for anything at any time. You threw away the precious garland of pearls given to you by Sita. How can I repay My debt of gratitude to you? I will always remain deeply indebted to you. I give you the boon of everlasting life. All will honour and worship you like Myself. Your murti will be placed at the door of My temple and you will be worshipped and honoured first. Whenever My stories are recited or glories sung, your glory will be sung before Mine. You will be able to do anything, even that which I will not be able to!"

Thus did Lord Rama praise Hanuman when the latter returned to Him after finding Sita in Lanka. Hanuman was not a bit elated. He fell in prostration at the holy feet of Lord Rama.

Lord Rama asked him, "O mighty hero, how did you cross the ocean?"

Hanuman humbly replied, "By the power and glory of Thy Name, my Lord."

Again the Lord asked, "How did you burn Lanka? How did you save yourself?"

And Hanuman replied, "By Thy Grace, my Lord."

What humility Sri Hanuman embodied!


On this holy day worship Sri Hanuman. Fast on this day. Read the Hanuman Chalisa. Spend the whole day in the Japa of Ram-Nam. Sri Hanuman will be highly pleased and will bless you with success in all your undertakings.

Glory to Hanuman! Glory to his Lord, Sri Rama!

The Art Of Giving

"Rivers do not drink their own water, nor do tree eat their own fruit, nor do rain clouds eat the grains reared by them. The wealth of the noble is used solely for the benefit of others?

Even after accepting that giving is good and that one must learn to give, several questions need to be answered.

The first question is when should one give?

We all know the famous incident from the Mahabharata.

Yudhisthir, asks a beggar seeking alms to come the next day. On this, Bhim rejoices, that Yudhisthir his brother, has conquered death! For he is sure that he will be around tomorrow to give. Yudhisthir gets the message.

One does not know really whether one will be there tomorrow to give! The time to give therefore is now.

The next question is how much to give.

One recalls the famous incident from history. Rana Pratap was reeling after defeat from the Moghals. He had lost his army, he had lost his wealth, and most important he had lost hope, his will to fight. At that time in his darkest hour, his erstwhile minister Bhamasha came seeking him and placed his entire fortune at the disposal of Rana Pratap. With this, Rana Pratap raised an army and lived to fight another day.

The answer to this question how much to give is "Give as much as you can!

The next question is what to give.

It is not only money that can be given. It could be a flower or even a smile.

It is not how much one gives but how one gives that really matters. When you give a smile to a stranger that may be the only good thing received by him in days and weeks! "You can give anything but you must give with your heart!

One also needs answer to this question whom to give.

Many times we avoid giving by finding fault with the person who is seeking. However, being judgmental and rejecting a person on the presumption that he may not be the most deserving is not justified. Give without being judgmental!

Next we have to answer How to give.

Coming to the manner of giving, one has to ensure that the receiver does not feel humiliated, nor does the giver feel proud by giving.

In giving follow the advice, Let not your left hand know what your right hand gives? Charity without publicity and fanfare is the highest form of charity. 'Give quietly!

While giving let not the recipient feel small or humiliated. After all what we give never really belonged to us. We come to this world with nothing and will go with nothing. The thing gifted was only with us for a temporary period. Why then take pride in giving away something which really did not belong to us? Give with grace and with a feeling of gratitude.

* When you help someone in need, give it before he asks for it; for if you place him under the necessity of stretching out his hand, you take away from him his self-respect which is worth more than the value of your alms.

What should one feel after giving?

We all know the story of Eklavya. When Dronacharya asked him for his right thumb as "Guru Dakshina", he unhesitatingly cut off the thumb and gave it to Dronacharya.

There is a little known sequel to this story. Eklavya was asked whether he ever regretted the act of giving away his thumb. He replied, and the reply has to be believed to be true, as it was asked to him when he was dying.

His reply was "Yes! I regretted this only once in my life. It was when Pandavas were coming in to kill Dronacharya who was broken hearted on the false news of death of his son Ashwathama and had stopped fighting. It was then that I regretted the loss of my thumb. If the thumb was there, no one could have dared hurt my Guru.

The message to us is clear. Give and never regret giving!

And the last question is How much should we provide for our heirs?

Ask yourself 'are we taking away from them the gift of work'? - A source of happiness! The answer is given by Warren Buffett: "Leave your kids enough to do anything, but not enough to do nothing!”

I would conclude by saying: let us learn the Art of Giving, and quoting Saint Kabir:

"When the wealth in the house increases, when water fills a boat, Throw them out with both hands "

Make life simple

By Chitrangada Singh
believe that spirituality is a quest to reach a deeper sense of consciousness It’s a journey to simplify the complexities of lifeWhat brand of clothes you wear, your bank balance or the profession you chose are factors in life which affect one's understanding of spirituality Whether you are clad in a Gucci or flash an expensive brand - if you can save a part of yourself, your innocence and a part of your silence, you can see God or experience Him anywhere If you see goodness in people,.you find goodness coming into your life.

This positivity in your own life translates into a sense of well being and joy that probably no amount of manipulations and strategies can get you Life needs to be simple I probably lack the level of consciousness to remember exactly when my life was touched by the Divine But I can say when I have felt special Many times when I’ve stumbled in life, I’ve felt that I was being guided A lot of times when I have felt terribly weak and unable to go on — my weakness was transformed to my anger.and subsequently my anger became strength.

ll the people in my life who supported me in those moments were nothing but a divine blessing I believe one has to experience sadness to value happiness When we see the bottomless pit of materialism, we open our minds’ doors to spirituality which is nothing but a quest to satiate one’s mind Spirituality is extremely personal and individualistic, and has nothing to do with a talisman or Cavalli briefs with images of God that you wearIn a day-to-day context, spirituality means keeping malice.and negativity at bay, seeing goodness in others and saving yourself from the set rules of the world.

The Monks of Kauai's Hindu Monastery

Kauai Aadheenam is the spiritual home and theological seminary for 21 monks from five nations. They are the ministers of Saiva Siddhanta Church overseeing an international religious mission, while living a strict lifestyle of daily religious worship, meditation, yoga and service. Morning worship begins before dawn in the temple with rites to Lord Ganesha, Lord Murugan and then Lord Siva. Young, single men under 25 years of age who are interested in traditional Hindu monastic life can explore our How to Become a Monk page.

Following the daily worship, at 6:00am the monks sit together for a one-hour guided meditation followed by singing and guidance from the abbot. This daily spiritual activity is the anchor for the coming day of service to dedicated spiritual seekers and the Hindu world at large.

The monks are involved daily with the Hindu temple that is the center of their life, performing three-hour vigils 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in the sacred precincts. Classes, seminars and training take place throughout the week as they study together the philosophical and metaphysical teachings of the founder, chant Sanskrit mantras, sing traditional devotional hymns and celebrate the festivals of their lineage.

Self-sufficiency is a prime principle for Hindu monastics, and thus each monk is called upon to help with the daily chores of the monastery, whether in the kitchen, the gardens, the temple or the offices.

Now we introduce ever so briefly the founder of Kauai's Hindu Monastery and the 20 monks whom he initiated and who now carry on the spiritual work of his lineage.


For over five decades Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, affectionately known as Gurudeva, taught Hinduism to Hindus and seekers from all faiths. In the line of successorship, he was the 162nd Jagadacharya of the Nandinatha Sampradaya's Kailasa Parampara and the founding Guru Mahasannidhanam of Kauai Aadheenam (also known as Kauai's Hindu Monastery), a 458-acre temple-monastery complex on Hawaii's Garden Island. Gurudeva's mission, received from his satguru, Siva Yogaswami of Jaffna, Sri Lanka, was to protect, preserve and promote the Saivite Hindu religion as expressed through its three pillars: temples, satgurus and scripture. That mission is now carried forward by his monastic and family communities.




Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami is Gurudeva's designated successor, having spent 37 years training and serving at Gurudeva's side. On November 13, 2001, he was installed as Guru Mahasannidhanam of Kauai Aadheenam and the 163rd preceptor of the Kailasa Parampara. Bodhinatha is the spiritual head of Saiva Siddhanta Church, Himalayan Academy and Hindu Heritage Endowment. As publisher of Hinduism Today magazine, he carries forward Gurudeva's vision to inform, strengthen and connect Hindus around the world. Read a more thorough biography here.

Tatva Bodh of Adi Shankaracharya

Lectures by Swami Nikhilanandaji,
Tatva Bodh was written by Adi Shankaracharya. Shankaracharyaji salutes his guru Shri Krishna before he starts the text. This is important because before we undertake any study of the scriptures, we have to surrender our ego and identify with the Supreme Reality.

Tatva Bodh is not a text for those who are curious or for those who want worldly knowledge. It is not merely a book of theories to be read. It is meant for people who desire Moksha. We all have desires that we try to fulfill in our past time because we think we get happiness when they are fulfilled. The degree of happiness is proportionate to the intensity of the desire. But there are always more unfulfilled desires than fulfilled desires. These desires always give rise to restlessness. Where there is restlessness, there is no peace. Example: “I want water. I am thirsty.” Once this desire has entered your mind, you can not sit peacefully. You go to where this water and drink it or if there is none, you think about where to go and get some.

It is natural that we have desires and they propel us. It is even written in the scriptures. (Kaama cheshta – everything is propelled by desire) The rishis analyzed these desires and wondered if one can fulfill all his desires, will he be happy. They classified the desires into four types.

1. Desire to be secure (Survival instinct):

This is the first and foremost desire among all living beings. We want to survive. This desire arises from deep within us. Eons ago, the caveman lived in caves and killed animals to survive. Today, we desire to own a house, car, and credit cards to feel secure. (Arthapurushaartha – desire for security)

We think money will provide security and so we desire to earn more, own a house with security alarms and smoke detectors. Or we may be physically, socially and financially secure but we feel psychological insecurities. “Why won’t he smile at me? Why doesn’t she like me? Let me make cookies for her.” We may also feel intellectual insecurities. We then use philosophy to feel more secure. “I am an Advaiti. I am a Hindu. I am a Muslim.” We may join a movement or a mission to feel intellectually secure. We must take care to not just calm our insecurities but try to learn and move towards the goal.

We also feel secure doing what a lot of people do. We feel more secure with a crowd. We do not want to be alone. Even if God is there and everyone is going towards Him, we prefer to go with everyone rather than go alone to God.

These insecurities will remain with us until we have “atma gnana”. Therefore, in Bhagavad Gita, Bhagwan says “Have faith in me. I will make you secure. I will take care of all your needs.” “Yogakshemaam vahaamyaham” – whatever needs to be protected, I shall protect.” Till we understand the greatness of God and till we understand that the greatest security is God within us, we will be insecure and desire for security.

2. Desire to gain pleasure:

This is a very strong desire. Almost everything is propelled by these two desires – security and pleasure. We are propelled by fear or pleasure and so many religions use this – “Do this and go to heaven. Don’t do this, you will go to hell.” They create fear or give pleasure to make people do things. There are pleasures at all levels: physically, senses etc. The drawback is pleasure is always followed by pain. There is insecurity in the pleasure - “Will we feel it tomorrow?” Also, a person who always seeks pleasure becomes dull. His thinking capacity is diminished because he becomes totally focussed on acquiring pleasures. It is said in the scriptures: If you want to gain knowledge, forget about pleasure. If you want to gain pleasure, forget about knowledge.

Even after trying to gain security and pleasure, we are not happy. So, we desire to gain a superior type of security and happiness – that which is more lasting. This is the third ty pe of desire.

3. Desire to be good:

This is the desire to become a better and more righteous person. There is pleasure in eating but there is more pleasure in feeding others. There is pleasure in being protected but there is greater pleasure in protecting others. This indicates rise of Dharma and goodness and giving up of selfishness. We should try to gain security without making the other person insecure. We should try to be happy without making others miserable.

Dharma says – “Live and let live.” If you want to gain something, do so by adhering to certain rules (“niyams”) so that you do not harm others. Even the worst person has this desire to be good in him. He has the potential that is deep within him and that is inborn in him to be a saint. The Gita says the moment an evil person desires to be good, he becomes a saadhu. (Example: Valmiki)

When a person follows Dharma, he feels more secure and happier in this world. This seems very strange but is true. A dharmic person feels very secure (Example: Sitaji, Ramji). An adharmic person feels very insecure. (Raavan, despite all his strength and wealth he felt insecure all the time.)

Dharmorakshathi rakshathaha One, who follows Dharma, is protected by Dharma. He feels God, Goodness, Righteousness is on his side and so he gains unshakeable strength. Nothing can affect him. Mahatma Gandhi was small, frail, without money, without even the full complement of garment to cover his body, not owning even as much earth as might be held on the point of a needle, yet he was so much stronger than the mightiest of empires. The British feared him.

One who follows truth: His words gain power, even the Gods must obey him. Example: Anasuya. When someone approached her for help, her husband was cursed to die at sunrise the next day, Anasuya had the power to stop the Sun from rising because she followed dharma.

When a person follows dharma, he feels more secure and happier, he feels joy in just being and existing (Example: Mahatmas). They work not because of sense of duty and not because of aspiration but because of inspiration.

But a Dharmic person still feels a sense of bondage, a sense of limitation by rules. He will have to be born in this body, eat, sleep and drink with this body. Living in this world becomes bondage. Mumukshatwam (desire to be free from bondage) arises in him.

4. Desire to gain Moksha:

This is the desire to free from bondage of desires, body etc. It is subtlest of all desires. Example: No matter how much pleasure we gain from being awake, we do not want to turn away from sleep. We always want rest and sleep. A mumukshu is one who has intense desire for freedom, liberation and Moksha. The Tatva Bodh is written for such a mumukshu. This liberation that he seeks can be gained from knowing the Self. There is no need to go elsewhere or outwards. The liberation lies within. Knowing the true self is freedom.
Transcribed by Neena Venugopalan