HONOLULU, HAWAII, October 20, 2006: (HPI note: This article appeared in the Hawaii newspaper, the Honolulu Advertiser, and mentioned Kauai’s Hindu Monastery, home of HPI and Hinduism Today.)
Hawai’i has yet to see commune-like groups where one can live a monastic-like contemplative lifestyle, such as Rutba House in Durham, N.C. However, there is an increasing interest in living the monastic life – whether for a month-long retreat or for regular weekend retreats. Where can you find Hawaiian retreat centers? In a number of locales, and they’re not limited to Christianity. Hawaii offers religious seekers contemplative retreats at the Diamond Sangha’s Palolo Zen Buddhist Center, St. Anthony’s Retreat Center, the Benedictine Monastery oblate program and Hinduism’s Kadavul Temple at Kauai’s Hindu Monastery. And when completed in 2012, Iraivan Temple at the San Marga Sanctuary on Kauai will welcome pilgrims, but not for overnight stays. Kartikeya Katir, 16 year old junior at Da Vinci High School in Davis, California, dedicates time for an annual retreat at Kauai’s Hindu monastery. What does he get out of it? “Extreme spiritual indulgence. You learn a lot when you’re surrounded by that many great people. It’s not really something you share with other people, only you can know (what you get out of it). It’s an amazing self-realization. … I learned a lot about my religion, a lot of mystical things.”