Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
Encyclopedia
Sivaya Subramuniyaswami also known as Gurudeva by his followers, was born in Oakland, California
, on January 5, 1927, and adopted Saivism as a young man. He traveled to India and Sri Lanka where he received initiation from Yogaswami
of Jaffna in 1949. In the 1970s he established a Hindu
monastery in Kauai
, Hawaii
and founded the magazine Hinduism Today.
He was one of Saivism's Guru
s, the founder and leader of the Saiva Siddhanta Church
. Subramuniyaswami was lauded by Klaus Klostermaier as "the single-most advocate of Hinduism outside India".
In 1986, the World Religious Parliament in New Delhi honored him as one of the five Hindu spiritual leaders outside India who had most dynamically promoted Hinduism in the previous 25 years. He became a spokesman for Hinduism at global gatherings, despite (directly) representing fewer then three million of the world's estimated one billion Hindus. His influence reflected the reach of his publications, including the approximately 30 books he wrote. He represented Hinduism at the Global Forum of Spiritual and Parliamentary Leaders in Oxford in 1988, Moscow in 1990 and Rio de Janeiro in 1992. The book Religious Leaders of America explained Subramuniyaswami's role as "a pillar of orthodox Hinduism"
Affectionately known as Gurudeva, he was born in California
in 1927 as Robert Hansen. In his autobiography
, he relates how “the totality of the power of the eternity
of the moment began to become stronger and stronger within me from that time onward”. He was most inspired by the life of Swami Vivekananda
and his four small volumes: Raja Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga and Inspired Talks, and most particularly by Swami Vivekananda’s masterful poem, "The Song of the Sannyasin."
Sivaya Subramuniyaswami’s training in classical Eastern and Western dance and in the disciplines of yoga
developed him into a dancer. He joined the San Francisco Ballet Company, becoming their danseur by age nineteen. At twenty years of age, he took the first ship to leave for India
after World War II
. He celebrated his twenty-first birthday just days before going ashore and walking through the grand Gateway to India in Mumbai
.
Sivaya Subramuniyaswami spent almost three years on the island of Sri Lanka
. Before meeting his guru, he studied with his fourth “catalyst” for a year and a half. Sivaya Subramuniyaswami just wanted to meditate, but his teacher made him work to help village people with reconstructing rural areas. Sivaya Subramuniyaswami visited and lived in many Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka. He was received by the monks there and saw how they lived and dressed. This experience influenced in a very strict way the monastic protocols that he later put into action in his own monastic order.
In the caves of Jalani, Kurugala Balandha, Sri Lanka, he fasted and meditated until he burst into enlightenment. Sivaya Subramuniyaswami relates his feelings while returning to Colombo
, Sri Lanka: “Returning back to the city, nothing looked the same anymore. I was in another dimension. Everything was different. I had lost something: the desire for the realization of the Self. I felt complete. I felt alone.”
Back in Colombo, Sivaya Subramuniyaswami met his final teacher before meeting his guru. One day, his teacher arranged a meeting between Sivaya Subramuniyaswami and his long awaited satguru
, Sage Yogaswami
. After a deep and inner meeting, Yogaswami gave him the name Subramuniya. Subra means "the light than emanates out from the central source." Muni means a silent teacher, and ya means restraint. Subramuniya means a self-restrained soul who remains silent or speaks out from intuition
. After a few visits, Jnanaguru Yogaswami initiated Subramuniya into sannyasa
and ordained him into his lineage with a slap on the back giving the following instructions:
Yogaswami continued to communicate with Sivaya Subramuniyaswami through Kandiah Chettiar until his death in 1964. In the line of successorship, Subramuniya was considered the 162nd Jagadacharya of the Nandinatha Sampradaya's Kailasa Parampara.
In late 1949 Subramuniya sailed back to America and embarked on seven years of ardent, solitary yoga
and meditation
In 1956, Sivaya Subramuniyaswami had a tremendous spiritual experience in Denver, Colorado, where “the soul
body would finally fully inhabit the physical body”. The following year, in San Francisco, Subramuniya founded what is now Himalayan Academy and opened America's first Hindu
temple near Presidio Park. In Switzerland
, 1968, he revealed Shum, a mystical language
of meditation
that names and maps inner areas of consciousness
.
Sivaya Subramuniyaswami moved his ashram to Kauai in 1970, establishing Kauai Aadheenam, on a riverbank near the foot of an extinct volcano. Also known as Kauai's Hindu Monastery, Kauai Aadheenam is a 458 acre (1.9 km²) temple-monastery complex on Hawaii's Garden Island. In 1979 he published the Holy Orders of Sannyas, defining the ideals, vows and aspirations of Hindu monasticism
with unprecedented clarity. In 1979 he founded the Hinduism Today
magazine, and in the early 80s, after his world tours, focused his magazine on uniting all Hindus, regardless of nationality or sect, and inspiring and educating seekers everywhere. In Sri Lanka, Sivaya Subramuniyaswami formally took possession of the main building of his Sri Subramuniya Ashram in Alaveddy, founded in 1949.
In 1986 Sivaya Subramuniyaswami founded a branch
monastery
in Mauritius
in response to the government's request that he come there to revive a languishing Hindu faith. In 1991 he produced the Nandinatha Sutras, 365 aphorisms that outline the entire gamut
of virtuous Hindu living. Especially in the early 1990s he campaigned for fair treatment of temple priest
s, particularly that they should receive the same respect enjoyed by the clergy of other religions. In 2000 he published How to Become a Hindu, showing the way for seekers to formally enter the faith, confuting the notion that "You must be born a Hindu to be a Hindu." In November of that year, he launched Hindu Press International (HPI), a free daily news summary for breaking news sent via e-mail and posted on the web. In 2001 he completed the 3,000-page Master Course trilogy of Dancing with Siva, Living with Siva, and Merging with Siva - volumes of daily lessons on Hindu philosophy, culture and yoga, respectively. On November 12, 2001, he died surrounded by his monastics and devotees.
Gurudeva was author of more than 30 books unfolding unique and practical insights on Hindu metaphysics
, Saivism, mysticism
, yoga
, and meditation
. His works are highly regarded by many contemporary Hindu leaders.
His Master Course is Sivaya Subramuniyaswami's comprehensive treatise on every aspect of Saivism in three books and more than 3,000 pages, composed in what he called "talkanese" - a flowing version of written English that resembles the spoken language and evokes ancient Hindu oral traditions.
, Himalayan Academy, Hindu Heritage Endowment, and the 'Hinduism Today' international quarterly magazine.
Hindu Heritage Endowment is a public service trust founded by Sivaya Subramuniyaswami in 1995.
is an international quarterly magazine founded by Sivaya Subramuniyaswami in 1979. It is a public service of his monastic order, created to strengthen all Hindu traditions by uplifting and informing followers of the Sanatana Dharma everywhere.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, on January 5, 1927, and adopted Saivism as a young man. He traveled to India and Sri Lanka where he received initiation from Yogaswami
Yogaswami
Jnanaguru Siva Yogaswami of Jaffna was Sri Lanka's most renowned 20th-century spiritual master, a Śivajnani and a natha siddhar revered by both Hindus and Buddhists...
of Jaffna in 1949. In the 1970s he established a Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
monastery in Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and founded the magazine Hinduism Today.
He was one of Saivism's Guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
s, the founder and leader of the Saiva Siddhanta Church
Saiva Siddhanta Church
Śaiva Siddhanta Church is a spiritual institution and identifies itself with the Śaivite Hindu religion. It is based on the precepts of the Nandinatha Sampradaya, and traces its origins to a two thousand year-old lineage of the Kailāsa Paramparā Gurus.The Church was founded in 1949 by...
. Subramuniyaswami was lauded by Klaus Klostermaier as "the single-most advocate of Hinduism outside India".
In 1986, the World Religious Parliament in New Delhi honored him as one of the five Hindu spiritual leaders outside India who had most dynamically promoted Hinduism in the previous 25 years. He became a spokesman for Hinduism at global gatherings, despite (directly) representing fewer then three million of the world's estimated one billion Hindus. His influence reflected the reach of his publications, including the approximately 30 books he wrote. He represented Hinduism at the Global Forum of Spiritual and Parliamentary Leaders in Oxford in 1988, Moscow in 1990 and Rio de Janeiro in 1992. The book Religious Leaders of America explained Subramuniyaswami's role as "a pillar of orthodox Hinduism"
Biography
- 1927-1946 - Youth in CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
Affectionately known as Gurudeva, he was born in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1927 as Robert Hansen. In his autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, he relates how “the totality of the power of the eternity
Eternity
While in the popular mind, eternity often simply means existence for a limitless amount of time, many have used it to refer to a timeless existence altogether outside time. By contrast, infinite temporal existence is then called sempiternity. Something eternal exists outside time; by contrast,...
of the moment began to become stronger and stronger within me from that time onward”. He was most inspired by the life of Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda , born Narendranath Dutta , was the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Ramakrishna Paramahansa and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission...
and his four small volumes: Raja Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga and Inspired Talks, and most particularly by Swami Vivekananda’s masterful poem, "The Song of the Sannyasin."
Sivaya Subramuniyaswami’s training in classical Eastern and Western dance and in the disciplines of yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
developed him into a dancer. He joined the San Francisco Ballet Company, becoming their danseur by age nineteen. At twenty years of age, he took the first ship to leave for India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He celebrated his twenty-first birthday just days before going ashore and walking through the grand Gateway to India in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
.
- 1947-1949 - Visit to Sri LankaSri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
Sivaya Subramuniyaswami spent almost three years on the island of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. Before meeting his guru, he studied with his fourth “catalyst” for a year and a half. Sivaya Subramuniyaswami just wanted to meditate, but his teacher made him work to help village people with reconstructing rural areas. Sivaya Subramuniyaswami visited and lived in many Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka. He was received by the monks there and saw how they lived and dressed. This experience influenced in a very strict way the monastic protocols that he later put into action in his own monastic order.
In the caves of Jalani, Kurugala Balandha, Sri Lanka, he fasted and meditated until he burst into enlightenment. Sivaya Subramuniyaswami relates his feelings while returning to Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
, Sri Lanka: “Returning back to the city, nothing looked the same anymore. I was in another dimension. Everything was different. I had lost something: the desire for the realization of the Self. I felt complete. I felt alone.”
Satguru
Satguru does not merely mean true guru. The term is distinguished from other forms of gurus, such as musical instructors, scriptural teachers, parents, and so on...
, Sage Yogaswami
Yogaswami
Jnanaguru Siva Yogaswami of Jaffna was Sri Lanka's most renowned 20th-century spiritual master, a Śivajnani and a natha siddhar revered by both Hindus and Buddhists...
. After a deep and inner meeting, Yogaswami gave him the name Subramuniya. Subra means "the light than emanates out from the central source." Muni means a silent teacher, and ya means restraint. Subramuniya means a self-restrained soul who remains silent or speaks out from intuition
Intuition (knowledge)
Intuition is the ability to acquire knowledge without inference or the use of reason. "The word 'intuition' comes from the Latin word 'intueri', which is often roughly translated as meaning 'to look inside'’ or 'to contemplate'." Intuition provides us with beliefs that we cannot necessarily justify...
. After a few visits, Jnanaguru Yogaswami initiated Subramuniya into sannyasa
Sannyasa
Sannyasa is the order of life of the renouncer within the Hindu scheme of āśramas, or life stages. It is considered the topmost and final stage of the ashram systems and is traditionally taken by men or women at or beyond the age of fifty years old or by young monks who wish to renounce worldly...
and ordained him into his lineage with a slap on the back giving the following instructions:
This sound will be heard in America! Now go ‘round the world and roar like a lion. You will build palaces (temples) and feed thousands.
Yogaswami continued to communicate with Sivaya Subramuniyaswami through Kandiah Chettiar until his death in 1964. In the line of successorship, Subramuniya was considered the 162nd Jagadacharya of the Nandinatha Sampradaya's Kailasa Parampara.
- 1949-1970 – San Francisco
In late 1949 Subramuniya sailed back to America and embarked on seven years of ardent, solitary yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
and meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
In 1956, Sivaya Subramuniyaswami had a tremendous spiritual experience in Denver, Colorado, where “the soul
Soul
A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
body would finally fully inhabit the physical body”. The following year, in San Francisco, Subramuniya founded what is now Himalayan Academy and opened America's first Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
temple near Presidio Park. In Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, 1968, he revealed Shum, a mystical language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
of meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
that names and maps inner areas of consciousness
Consciousness
Consciousness is a term that refers to the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts. It has been defined as: subjectivity, awareness, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind...
.
- 1970-2001 - KauaiKauaiKauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
Monasticism
Monasticism is a religious way of life characterized by the practice of renouncing worldly pursuits to fully devote one's self to spiritual work...
with unprecedented clarity. In 1979 he founded the Hinduism Today
Hinduism Today Magazine
Hinduism Today Magazine is a quarterly magazine published by the Himalayan Academy, a nonprofit educational institution, in Kapaa, Hawaii, USA. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally, currently in 60 nations...
magazine, and in the early 80s, after his world tours, focused his magazine on uniting all Hindus, regardless of nationality or sect, and inspiring and educating seekers everywhere. In Sri Lanka, Sivaya Subramuniyaswami formally took possession of the main building of his Sri Subramuniya Ashram in Alaveddy, founded in 1949.
Branch
A branch or tree branch is a woody structural member connected to but not part of the central trunk of a tree...
monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
in Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
in response to the government's request that he come there to revive a languishing Hindu faith. In 1991 he produced the Nandinatha Sutras, 365 aphorisms that outline the entire gamut
Gamut
In color reproduction, including computer graphics and photography, the gamut, or color gamut , is a certain complete subset of colors. The most common usage refers to the subset of colors which can be accurately represented in a given circumstance, such as within a given color space or by a...
of virtuous Hindu living. Especially in the early 1990s he campaigned for fair treatment of temple priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
s, particularly that they should receive the same respect enjoyed by the clergy of other religions. In 2000 he published How to Become a Hindu, showing the way for seekers to formally enter the faith, confuting the notion that "You must be born a Hindu to be a Hindu." In November of that year, he launched Hindu Press International (HPI), a free daily news summary for breaking news sent via e-mail and posted on the web. In 2001 he completed the 3,000-page Master Course trilogy of Dancing with Siva, Living with Siva, and Merging with Siva - volumes of daily lessons on Hindu philosophy, culture and yoga, respectively. On November 12, 2001, he died surrounded by his monastics and devotees.
Honors and awards
- 1986 - New Delhi's World Religious Parliament named Sivaya Subramuniyaswami one of five modern-day Jagadacharyas, world teachers, for his international efforts in promoting and chronicling a Hindu renaissance.
- 1988 - Oxford, England: Hindu representative at the Global Forum of Spiritual and Parliamentary Leaders for Human Survival. Sivaya Subramuniyaswami joined hundreds of religious, political and scientific leaders from all countries to discuss privately, for the first time, the future of human life on this planet.
- 1993 - Chicago: at the centenary Parliament of the World's Religions, Sivaya Subramuniyaswami was elected one of three presidents, along with Swami Chidananda SaraswatiSwami Chidananda SaraswatiSwami Chidananda Saraswati was President of the Divine Life Society, Rishikesh, India. He is well-known in India as a yogi, jnani and spiritual leader. He succeeded as President of the Divine Life Society in 1963, after the death of his predecessor, Swami Sivananda, who founded the Society.Swami...
of the Rishikesh-based Divine Life Society and Kerala's Mata AmritanandamayiMata AmritanandamayiMātā Amṛtānandamayī Devī , primarily known simply as Amma ["Mother"], is a Hindu spiritual leader and guru, who is revered as a saint by her followers. She is widely respected for her humanitarian activities...
, to represent Hinduism at the Presidents' Assembly, a core group of 25 men and women voicing the needs of world faiths. - 1995 - Delhi, the World Religious Parliament bestowed on Sivaya Subramuniyaswami the title Dharmachakra for his remarkable publications.
- 1997 - Sivaya Subramuniyaswami responded to the US President's call for religious opinions on the ethics of cloningEthics of cloningIn bioethics, the ethics of cloning refers to a variety of ethical positions regarding the practice and possibilities of cloning, especially human cloning...
from the Hindu point of view.
- 1997 - Sivaya Subramuniyaswami spearheaded the 125th anniversary of Satguru Yogaswami and his golden icon's diaspora pilgrimage through many of the over 75 Sri Lanka temples and societies around the globe.
- 2000 - On August 25, he received the U ThantU ThantU Thant was a Burmese diplomat and the third Secretary-General of the United Nations, from 1961 to 1971. He was chosen for the post when his predecessor, Dag Hammarskjöld, died in September 1961....
Peace Award (an award created by Sri ChinmoySri ChinmoyChinmoy Kumar Ghose, also known as Sri Chinmoy was an Indian spiritual teacher, poet, artist and athlete who immigrated to the U.S. in 1964., the founder of the religious organization "Sri Chinmoy Centre Church, Inc." better known as "Sri Chinmoy Centre"...
) at the United Nations in New York. Prior recipients of this award were the Dalai LamaDalai LamaThe Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
, Nelson MandelaNelson MandelaNelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
, Mikhail GorbachevMikhail GorbachevMikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
, Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul IIBlessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
and Mother TeresaMother TeresaMother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
. He addressed 1,200 spiritual leaders gathered for the UN Millennium Peace Summit, with the message, “For peace in the world, stop the war in the home.”
Books
Metaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
, Saivism, mysticism
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
, yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
, and meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
. His works are highly regarded by many contemporary Hindu leaders.
His Master Course is Sivaya Subramuniyaswami's comprehensive treatise on every aspect of Saivism in three books and more than 3,000 pages, composed in what he called "talkanese" - a flowing version of written English that resembles the spoken language and evokes ancient Hindu oral traditions.
Four areas of service
The four areas of service established by Sivaya Subramuniyaswami and now carried out by his successor, Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami, and monastics, are: Saiva Siddhanta ChurchSaiva Siddhanta Church
Śaiva Siddhanta Church is a spiritual institution and identifies itself with the Śaivite Hindu religion. It is based on the precepts of the Nandinatha Sampradaya, and traces its origins to a two thousand year-old lineage of the Kailāsa Paramparā Gurus.The Church was founded in 1949 by...
, Himalayan Academy, Hindu Heritage Endowment, and the 'Hinduism Today' international quarterly magazine.
Hindu Heritage Endowment
Hinduism Today Magazine
Hinduism Today MagazineHinduism Today Magazine
Hinduism Today Magazine is a quarterly magazine published by the Himalayan Academy, a nonprofit educational institution, in Kapaa, Hawaii, USA. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally, currently in 60 nations...
is an international quarterly magazine founded by Sivaya Subramuniyaswami in 1979. It is a public service of his monastic order, created to strengthen all Hindu traditions by uplifting and informing followers of the Sanatana Dharma everywhere.