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Blossom 20 Petal 1
March 2016
Bloom and grow Bloom and grow
Newsletter
by Kamya
Ramaswamy
Thiruvempavai & Ardhra Darshanam, Dec. 16-25
2 3
Thai Pongal, Jan. 15
Sri Vidya Temple Society Publications from 1995 to 2014
Below is the itemized list of almost all of the temples publications, including
This traditional Tamil festival cel- Navarathri malars, puja manuals, and special editions. Thanks to Mr. U.
ebrates the beginning of the Suns journey
northward, as well as the ensuing harvest
Madhvanath for submitting this comprehensive list. Please contact the temples
season. bookstore if you wish to acquire any of these items.
As it fell on a Friday this year and
many temple regulars were still in India
on the Yatra, Shankar aiya took the reins in Year Title / Author
performing the short but sweet puja.
All those present were given the 1995 Sri Chakra 19th Navarathri Malar
chance to add grains to the pongal patram (i) Narayana Sukta Vidhana Lakshmi Narayana Puja
with their own hands, and everyone was (ii) Sri Sukta Vidhana Devi (Suvasini) Puja
given sakkarai pongal (sweet jaggery rice) (iii) Khadgamala stotra (Tamil, Sanskrit, English) - Spiral bound A4 pp 36
prasadam upon conclusion of the puja.
Sri Vidya Sri Chakra Puja Vidhi: (Tamil) 20th Navarathri Malar
Chaitanyananda - Hardbound Crown Size pp 627 + viii
The earths riches were on display to symbolize the wealth of the 1996 Sri Chakra 21st Navarathri Malar
harvest (i) Sri Nagara Vimarshana
(ii) Sri Lalita stava ratnam (Tamil, Sanskrit, English) - Spiral bound A4 pp 139
Sri Vidya Sri Chakra Puja Vidhi (English)
Chaitanyananda - Hardbound Crown Size pp 649 + xii
Upcoming Events
1997 Sri Chakra 22nd Navarathri Malar
Tithi Nitya Puja (Nityakala
Event Date/time Location devi) (English)
Maha Shivarathri March 7-8 Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam, indoors Anandanandanatha (A Srinivasa
Sharma) - Spiral bound A4 pp
Tamil New Year April 13 Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam, yajnashala 97 + ix & 19 Pictures
Maha Pratyangira homam April 24 Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam, yajnashala
1998 Sri Chakra 23rd Navarathri Malar
Chitra Purnima (mothers tarpanam) April 21 Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam, indoors Rush Temple Nitya Utsava
(Daily Pujas) to all deities
(Tamil, English, Sanskrit) -
Spiral bound A4 pp 44
2009 Sri Sharabha Saluva Kalpam (Tamil, Sanskrit) 34th Navarathri Malar
S Sangaranarayanan - Paperback A4 pp 167 + vii
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Q & Aiya
become involved in it first. You chopping a cake. example.
must show them by example. I see Whose culture is this? Is this why we left home? I
especially with Sri Lankan Jaffna The shastras tell you that on your left Sri Lanka almost 45 years ago
Tamils that when they come into birthday, you have to light a lamp and I havent forgotten what was
our temple, they only want to have and you have to give. Not blow out given to me. We absorb all the rot-
archana done. And they have no the candles and think three weeks ten things from the western culture;
We all love hanging out with Aiya, drinking tea, and sometimes getting idea why they want it! ahead, What will my uncles give why havent we absorbed the good
In our temple, no ritual is me? What will my cousins give things?
some guidance on how to travel down our own paths to the Devi. Here, he
done without explanation, and a me? Do you ever thank God
addresses questions that were asked to him at a workshop abroad. typical archana will take about 30 Dont think the children or the Devi for the meal that is in
minutes whether Im doing it or wont follow your example. In front of you, or do you walk into
whether any other volunteer is doing Canada, I taught regular classes the kitchen, ask whats cooking,
it. And you can see after about 10 of about 60 children who couldnt and then smell it instead of doing
minutes, the fellows in the back are cross the border to come to the naivedyam?
Q: Should we have the shruti box Learn the Thirumurais and The- ing. Its not about which hand you
getting restless and they just leave. temple. And they talked to me very The best motivation for the
on when we are chanting every day varams. Imagine if I served lunch use; its the attitude with which you
So when the older folks freely. youngsters is seeing their parents do
at home? for you and you saw there were five offer the flowers.
dont have the patience, how do you One time, a child told me what they are asking the kids to do.
curries and you took just one and
expect the kids growing up in this she went to her cousins birthday Shortening the pujas wont do it.
Aiya: I have a weakness, AmmaI then wanted to go back for more, Q: Why are our rituals so long? It
communication age to do it? and they had fun, and lots of food,
like the sound. When you play the how would you feel if I yanked the demotivates the youngsters. How
When we move to the West, and soft drinks, and that the big
tambura shruti, you can keep hear- plate away then and said that was do we motivate them to do more?
what do we practice? For every people had their own soda in the
ing, Om, om, om and you cannot enough?
occasion theres a partybirthday back. You think the kids dont
hear any outside sounds that would If you sing just the first Aiya: Let me tell you something.
party, anniversary party, graduation know youre drinking? After the
verse of Manthira Maavadu Even if you are a seasoned pro at
party and whether they know the age of 10 or 12, they come to think
Niru, for example, you meditation and you sit down early
words or not, theyre singing and its normal and theyll follow your
have sung just one-tenth of in the morning without any distur-
it. If youre going to do it bances to meditate, it will still take
in Tamil and do it properly, your body at least 25 to 30 minutes
you have to sing the whole to physically settle down. And
padikam. And you cant do only after that will your mind settle
a rush jobyou sing it ex- down.
actly according to the meter You think it can happen in
and thaalam. And then you 5 minutes? No way. When theres
can do pujas in Tamil. chanting going on and its 1000
names long, what should you be fo-
Q: Why do you use your cusing on? Only the sound. Noth-
left hand to offer flowers ing else.
and do puja? The rituals are long, and
thats the nature of it. Just because
Aiya: My friend, Im a the youngsters dont have the pa-
natural left-hander. If I use tience in a world where everything
otherwise come in and disturb you. my right hand, the flowers will land is instant, it doesnt mean the prac-
For me, that works. on your head and not Ganapathis. tices should change. Maybe they
When the shruti is on in our Let me ask you thiswhy has the should learn the rituals to develop
temple, its played over the public left side of the body suddenly be- that patience.
address system. Even if someone is come untouchable? When I was small and my
in the temple and has nothing to do If you think of Shiva as Ar- mother took me to the temple, she
with the puja going on, it will still dhanareeshwara, the entire left side would tell me I had to sit in one
calm their nerves. If I were you, I of his body is the Devi. Whos to place until we leftif she saw me
would keep it on while chanting. say shes not pleased when I do puja running around, I would pay for it
using my left hand as the dominant when we got home. Thats not how
Q: Can the pujas be done in Tamil? hand? it is now. Children run wild in the
If so, how? One thing we all have to temple and the parents do nothing.
get over is the conventions which The only way to motivate
Aiya: Yes, it can be done in Tamil. we have been conditioned into hold- the children is for the parents to
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Cosmic Web
by Aparna Hasling
particular plants continues
to disrupt natures web;
even though poison ivy is
a native species relished
by deer, it is routinely re-
moved from public lands.
underground battles and trail guide to Aiya. It was the For millions of years the
determine the level of culmination of an intense sadhana, animal kingdom (Shakti)
nutrients available to and I hoped it would evolve into an lived in harmony with the
plant roots. Among actual environmental center link- plant kingdom (Shiva).
the most sacred are the ing spirituality and science ecol- life. Caterpillars cannot munch the leaves, birds cannot Each was part of a chain,
mycorrhizal fungi, a ogy. Unfortunately, comments from eat the caterpillars and foxes cannot eat the birds. This and the bounty of food was enough for all. Now, just as
cooperative network devotees were discouraging and I plant should be given a different name because the only our spiritual culture is being depleted by worldly influ-
of organisms which feared some would unknowingly things it attracts are ticks and mosquitos. ences, the environment is also experiencing collapse. The
carpet forest floors. desecrate land. I had to explain to For years I knew that the temple land suffered reciprocal influence between plants, animal and soil is no
The temple woods visitors that every turn of the trail from invasive plant species: buckthorn, honeysuckle, longer sustainable and the intricate food-chains are broken.
and wetlands, a place was designed to bring attention to garlic mustard (and many more). At first, the wild Modern society disavowed the sacred circle by converting
I call Shakambharis a particular tree, or divert attention grape vines seemed most destructive, since I could see forests into farmland, fertilizing soil with toxic chemi-
Amma, Tharuman, and Natarajan uncle
approaching the Vanadevata Trail Sanctuary, has nur- away from a sensitive habitat. I felt them use trees as giant trellises and eventually kill our cals, hunting animals to extinction, and cultivating exotic
tured my unique spiri- protective of the land and prayed trees by blocking light from above. Then I learned that tastes. Attempting to become civilized, the human race has
Blazing the Vanadevata tual perspective. After that others would respect the trail as invasive buckthorn trees lead their attack underground become an invasive species, destroying without cause and
Trail at the Sri Vidya Temple con- Aiya announced that Devi would sacred ground, rather than an oppor- by emitting a toxic compound called emodin through its amassing resources without providing for the community.
tinues to teach me lessons about show me tunity to roots, overpowering adjacent root structures. In partner- Chaos is expected in Kali Yuga, yet some devo-
nature, society and existence. I have Herself in further ship, garlic mustard groundcover emits a phytotoxin, tees are compelled (by duty, remembrance or compassion)
learned to see traits of individual the trees, subjugate thus killing the sacred mychorrhizal fungi. My studies to strive for an ancient balance. The Vedas deify Mother
plants akin to human beings and in 2005 nature or were overwhelming as I learned that buckthorn also Earth, and therefore service to Her is divine seva. For me,
ecosystems as complex spiritual I began construct interferes in the embryonic development of frogs and the work of land restoration is equal to the task of re-iden-
communities. The spiritual experi- explor- accord- garlic mustard also suppresses butterflies eggs. tifying the tiny self with infinite consciousness. Removing
ence we call LIFE is a dance of ing this ing to The overall impact of these non-native plants invasive plants, I imagine my own negative tendencies.
Shiva/Shakti (akin to flora/fauna) uncharted their have cascading effects on the biodiversity of natures Chipping the dead plants to bits, I invoke Kalis energy of
reciprocally influenced by the subtle land. desires. web, yet only those devoted to Mother Nature conceive transformation. And nurturing new native plants to thrive,
energies of stored samskaras (akin Alone and Yet my the consequences. I awaken my consciousness to God. While the manual
to soil), and it continuously repeats oblivious attention The spread of invasive species kicks natures labor is intense, it is a contemplative path and slowly the
in infinite variations throughout the to my own shifted balance off kilter; it causes some creatures to perish echo of Shivas drumbeat calls me home.
cycles of time. vulnerabil- when I which stimulates others to overpopulate. For example, Sri Gurubhyo Namah!
As maya refracts infinite ity, I walked through thicket, marsh, saw a more immediate threat on the the extermination of wolves led to a 10-fold prolifera-
consciousness, individuals are and meadow without map, compass horizon. tion in white-tail deer. Simultaneously, human popula-
blinded to most of the electromag- or GPS. Getting lost was part of In early spring and late fall tions increased, shrink-
netic spectrum and ignorant of the the experience, as I slowly awak- the honeysuckle bush dominates ing forest habitat. As
microcosmic ecosystem beneath ened to the consciousness of nature. the understory. Before I understood a result, deer have
their feet. Yet embracing the power For me, it was a place to worship the plant was invasive, I admired its become a destructive
of anima-siddha, it is possible to without murthis and heal without capacity to defy winter by leafing force in the forest; they
hold a single teaspoon of healthy words. A mystical link developed out early and holding leaves through overgraze native plants
soil and commune with half a billion such that when I lay on the ground, late fall. Yet just as wealth is no and allow unsavory
tiny life forms. Soil is a dynamic I could feel Devis embrace. And as longer beautiful upon learning about invasive plants to
community of microorganisms with I learned to make friends with the a corrupt source of funds, so does spread further. Today,
diverse populations of predators and trees, my devotion to guru magni- honeysuckle monopolize the soils deer are blamed for
prey. They have complex survival fied. and suns energy, offering nothing the disappearance of
strategies, and winners of these In 2014, I offered the trail in return to local insects or wild- regenerating trees as
well as vertebrate and
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