Gurudeva gave a rousing talk yesterday morning on harmony in the extended family and community. It was recorded and will be put onto 32 cassette tapes today and mailed out to our kulapati families throughout the world in a record time for upadesha delivery.

Our young upakurvana, (a young man staying in the monastery, often just after graduating from high school) living as a monastic for six months before entering the world of work as an adult) Markendeya Sendan, will be traveling with Paramacharya Bodhinatha and Yogi Tapodhana to India. This will be Markandeya's first big adventure away from home to the Holy Land of Bharat.

Here at the foot hills of the mountain of Waialeale, amidst a sea of green and old canes fields we have 1000's of furry rodent friends, mushikas, who love to try to come in a live with us. . .of course, they need to stay on their own turf which is OUTSIDE. So, what is the answer: "kitties, kitties, kitties!" With sugarcane fields nearby, they are an absolute necessity here and keep the mighty rodent extended family at bay. . .we recently got 3 new little ones and the feline population is now up to nine furry balls of fun and delight. Not a rat in sight.

Merging with Siva, that great compendium of Hindu Metaphysics. . .nears completion as pre-publication bound galleys are leaving from Kinko copy shop to 72 VIP recipients around the world this week.

Another mailing just went out from the monastery to the 50 US state governors, sharing our research on corporal punishment of children and urging them to adopt laws that would eliminate striking helpless kids in their state.

James Chong, a Chinese man in Malaysia writes that he loved the gift of a dhoti/veshti from one of his Tamil friends, who showed him how to wear it. But says: "The sad thing is that not many men wear the veshti nowadays in Malaysia, not even in the temples, except for the priest. Many of my friends say that wearing a veshti is uncomfortable since they are more used to trousers. I have to say that there is nothing really uncomfortable about the veshti; one can get used to it after a while. . ." And this gossip columnist would rather wear a veshti or sarong any day!