Newsletter – June 2021
| Presidential Message – V. Balaraman June is always a nostalgic month to write an update. Never fails to trigger memories of the past and always is a reminder to me for us to be looking to the future with positive thoughts and plans. June 11th is etched in my memory as the day in which the Healing Stones that was the basis of the birth of this organization were removed from their current site on the roadside of California Avenue. I would believe that this was a big loss not only for us but also to the Hawaiians as the whereabouts of what they also considered sacred is probably not very widely known even within their community. Even as we have moved forward with the installation of a Shiva Lingam at the site, it is unclear if a similar acceptance of the events has played out within the Hawaiian community. I sure hope so. Sometimes it is difficult for us to see rationality in human actions but these actions have profound influence in the long run. I think the commitments of LOTUS to our adopted Hawaiian community at large is a path which is a part of the long term solution for confluence of diverse cultures. In Hawaii this culture of unity is also celebrated on the same day (June 11) as Kamehameha Day, recognizing the efforts of the Hawaiian monarch in uniting the warring factions of all the Hawaiian islands several centuries ago. Hawaii is gradually opening up with each county with slight variation of their plans. We still see cluster infections in crowded settings of graduation parties and places of worship. Even as our community vaccination numbers inches up we need to be conscious of the continued presence of the virus in our midst. We need to continue practicing mitigation strategies and minimize our times in crowded environments and be mindful not only of personal safety but also those of others around us. We continue our 3rd Sunday activities at the temple and welcome your participation in the same in a safe and practical manner. LOTUS had its general membership meeting at the Wahiawa temple on May 16th. Although participation in the annual elections of the Board was very slim, the current leadership including Archana Choppari, Saguna Verma, Maiju Kutty and myself were re-elected unanimously for another term and we will continue to serve the community as Board members between June 2021 and May 2022. We welcome input from the community with recommendations for LOTUS sponsorship of activities for this upcoming year. Our immediate next step is to identify an organization in India to monetarily support the post COVID spike recovery targeted at individuals and families as they try to put their life back on track. We continue to request you to send in your directed or general donations to LOTUS via our website or directly through PayPal. If you use your PayPal account, there are no fees when you donate to LOTUS. Our PayPal handle is @lotushi. For the first time we had a small donation received through Amazon for shoppers designating us as the supported charity. Please see below for details. Stay safe and best for the upcoming summer. |
| Photo of the Shiva Lingam at Wahiawa taken on 6/11/2021 with the picture of the original healing stones in the background.  |
| Temple Activities – June 20th, 2021 Dr. Bhawuk continues with performing the monthly pooja on the 3rd Sunday of the month. For the next two months with him out of town, we are hoping he will remotely support the Pooja activities. Even if he is unable to participate, we will continue our monthly pooja with the help of Babu Choppari and local volunteers. Overall in the past several months thanks to volunteers and their commitment, the temple grounds have been kept reasonably clean which allows for all visitors to have a pleasant experience. We would appreciate a call if the temple needs to be cleaned. |
| June Calendar June20 – Wahiawa Temple Pooja Day June 20 – Fathers Day June 21 – Summer Solstice. (Longest day on the Northern Hemisphere) June 21 – International Yoga Day (look for celebrations and events at the Still and Moving Center (https://stillandmovingcenter.com/event/international-yoga-day-2021/) June 21 and 22 – Amazon Prime Day (If shopping use the site smile.amazon.com and designate Lord Of The Universe Society as the Charity supporting) |
