Kaua‘i’s spiritual diversity inspired the format for this experimental column. Religious community leaders are invited to respond to a bi-weekly question. To jump-start the column, a dozen leaders were e-mailed the inaugural subject. As responses arrive they will be considered
Kaua‘i’s spiritual diversity inspired the format for this experimental column.
Religious community leaders are invited to respond to a bi-weekly question. To jump-start the column, a dozen leaders were e-mailed the inaugural subject. As responses arrive they will be considered for publication.
This week’s question is:
Will you speak to us of intentions?
Paramacharya Palaniswami,
Kaua‘i’s Hindu Monastery, Wailua
Palaniswami responded from his pilgrimage in Cambodia.
For Hindus, the world is the divine intention of the Worshipful One who is “All” in all. It is God’s willing Himself into being.
We, too, will our life into being, through the power called intention. Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, who lived for 30 years on Kaua‘i taught seekers to affirm, “I will be what I will to be. I will do what I will to do.”
When we set high intentions and plans in motion, we quicken our innate powers of creation, transform our habits and mold our future. But intention, when driven by the lower and instinctive nature, is equally potent and forges unseemly patterns and karmic confusions.
Knowing the power of the will to create the future, let us set before ourselves the noblest plan human imagination can conjure, calling forth our willpower, our soul’s essence in fulfillment of that plan.
Living thus, we are one with dharma and our spiritual progress is assured.
“When you live in the present, you eliminate fear, worries and doubts.” — Gurudeva, founder of Kaua‘i’s Hindu monastery.
Next week’s question:
• Will you speak to us of aging?
• Spiritual leaders are invited to e-mail a response of three to five paragraphs to pwoolway@kauaipubco.com.
