SERVE, LOVE, GIVE, PURIFY
MEDITATE, REALISE

So Says Sri Swami Sivananda
Saraswati Maharaj

 www.dlshq.org 

www.divinelifesociety.org

 > FREE BOOK DISTRIBUTION <

Swami Sivananda Saraswati (September 8, 1887—July 14, 1963) was a Hindu spiritual teacher and a well known proponent of Sivananda Yoga and Vedanta. Sivananda was born Kuppuswami in Pattamadai, in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. He studied medicine and served in Malaya as a physician for several years before taking up monasticism. He lived most of the later part of his life near Muni Ki Reti, Rishikesh. He is the founder of The Divine Life Society (1936), Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy (1948) and author of over 200 books on yoga, vedanta and a variety of other subjects. He established Sivananda Ashram, the location of the headquarters of The Divine Life Society (DLS), on the bank of the Ganges at Shivanandanagar, at a distance of 3 kilometres from Rishikesh. Sivananda Yoga, the yoga form propagated by him, are now spread in many parts of the world through Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres, but these centres are not affiliated with Swami Sivananda’s original ashrams which are run by the Divine Life Society. Read more: > HERE <

Nurse the Sick, Feed the Hungry, Clothe the naked, This is DIVINE LIFE..

…..Swami Sivananda

Swami Sivananda, one of the greatest Spiritual masters of the 20th century, he is famous for his teachings, his books, his medical missions and so much more. He was also a great master of Yoga. Sadly most people in the west just equate Him with yoga, only a few know he was so much more than this.

His Early Life

Born in 1887 in Pattamadai, Tamil Nadu, South India, Swami Sivananda whose name was then Kuppuswami, was a brilliant boy at studying as well as gymnastics and naturally inclined toward spiritual and religious practices.

His parents were very devoted to Lord Siva and Kuppuswami was eager to join them twice daily for worship (Puja) and Kirtan (Mantra chanting).

His natural selfless spirit lead him to a career in the medical field. His amazing eagerness and ability to learn and assimilate his studies earned him the respect of his professors who invited him to attend surgeries while still in his first year of medical school.

Dr. Kuppuswami

The young Dr. Kuppuswami felt a strong urge to go to Malaysia where he felt there was great need. In a short time he was given the responsibility of running a hospital. During these years Dr. Kuppuswami was renowned as being both an excellent doctor and a true humanitarian. Very often he waived consultation fees for patients too poor to afford his services and on many occasions provided medicine for free to his neediest patients.

One day Dr. Kuppuswami had the opportunity to cure a wandering Sannyasin (renunciate or Monk) who then gave the doctor instruction on Yoga and Vedanta. From that day on his life changed, and gradually Dr. Kuppuswami became more introspective and could not stop pondering the great questions of life. Now he felt the need to help people on a more profound level, not just healing their physical body, but helping them to find a cure for all suffering.

The Great Sannyasin Swami Sivananda

Filled with a tremendous desire for spiritual growth and enlightenment Kuppuswami went to North India in search of his Guru. After spending time in Varanasi (Banaras) he travelled north to the Himalayas. There in the holy town of Rishikesh (which means „the abode of the sages“) Kuppuswami discovered his Guru who gave him Sannyas (a monk’s vows of renunciation). After taking these vows, Swami Sivananda Saraswati, as he would be known henceforth, started an extremely intense daily Sadhana (spiritual practices) and Tapas (austerities) for the next 10 years or so. By the end of that period many co-Sadhus felt drawn to Swami Sivananda for his instruction and his spiritual inspiration.

Swami Sivananda, The World Teacher

From that time Swami Sivananda became one of the most prolific Yoga teachers who has ever existed. Although he rarely left the little town of Rishikesh (with only 2 India tours and no visits abroad) Swami Sivananda’s teachings spread quickly throughout our entire planet. He personally wrote – by hand, no computers at the time 🙂 – more than 200 books on topics connected to Yoga and Philosophy. He wrote in a style that is very direct and bursting with dynamic, spiritual energy. As a result many who read his books felt their lives deeply touched and transformed and so came from all of India, all of the world, to learn from him directly, and to bask in his holy presence. The teachings of Master Sivananda are summarized in these 6 words: „Serve, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate, Realize“.

Heritage of Swami Sivananda

His Legacy: Gurudev Swami Sivananda was a very versatile man, and his personality and life had many facets. It is, therefore, difficult to pinpoint any particular legacy as his sole legacy. Some of them are: (a) a large band of sannyasin and non-sannyasin disciples of very high spiritual states; (b) his writings; (c) the Divine Life Society; (d) free medical aid to the poor through the free medical camps, charitable hospitals and dispensaries and the leprosy relief colonies; (e) his own exemplary life as reflected in so many biographies.

A) Disciples: When Gurudev was asked what is his legacy, he had pointed out that Swami Chidananda is his legacy. Even if he had not left behind anything else worth mentioning, Gurudev would have been remembered respectfully for a very long time as the Guru of his great disciples. A guru who can give to the mankind a saint of the caliber of Swamiji must be himself a great saint. Gurudev continues to live through his disciples and his teachings. In fact, Gurudev gave many capable sannyasins who initiated a new spiritual awakening throughout the world through the institutions they established and through their writings.

B) His Writings: A common problem with the spiritual literature is that the reader is lost in the maze of the words, verbosity and intricacy. He fails to understand what the writer has to convey. But, Gurudev had a distinct inimitable style of his own. He did not write scholarly or erudite treatises of abstruse and abstract principles. He wrote in easy-to-understand simple language. His was the language of the heart. The force of his Experience took shape of a powerful fountain through his pen. His writings were more like a father speaking a few words of advice to his son, or a guru to his disciple. He preached only that which he had practised to perfection. As such, his words had spiritual vibrations and force that will penetrate the hearts of the readers. His writings continue to guide and inspire many thousand of spiritual seekers even today. His books are always in good demand, and will continue to be in future also.

C) The Divine Life Society: The Divine Life Society was founded by the great Saint and Sage of modern times, Swami Sivananda, in the year 1936. It was founded for resuscitating the higher values of life beyond the limitations of perceptional and cognitional evaluations of life. The Founder’s main intention was to awaken humanity towards the ways and means of imbibing in one’s life the characteristics of Ultimate Reality, veritably God-Realisation.

Towards this end a vigorous disciplinary process has to be undergone by imbibing in one’s personal life the other associated values, such as the social, ethical, and austere principles, all which have to be set in tune harmoniously with everything that is considered as part of one’s life at any stage of one’s existence in this world. This is briefly the great vision of the Founder, Swami Sivananda.

D) Medical Aid: Helping the poor was the main mission of Gurudev’s life. Be good, do good was his mantra. Even during the days of most intense sadhana, he had continued to serve others, mainly the poor. In the year 1927, he started Satya Sevashram, a charitable dispensary. And when he moved to this side on Ganga on January 17th 1934, on the very same day he started a charitable dispensary. He kept one room for this purpose though there was acute shortage of rooms. Major General Dr. A.N. Sharma and good many eminent specialist doctors were Gurudev’s disciples. They imbibed Gurudev’s spirit, and Gurudev organised free medical camps with their help from 1950 onwards. Swami Chidananda became the champion of the leprosy-affected persons. The Divine Life Society established three leprosy relief colonies and gave direct and indirect help to two others. The Society looked after these partially disabled persons provided physiotherapy, rehabilitation, and even built houses for them. Sivananda Home is providing invaluable service to the poorest of poor destitutes.

E) Exemplary Life: As per the ancient Indian tradition, guru’s life itself is his best teachings. The disciples learn more from his exemplary life than his writings. The best example of this tradition is found in Gurudev’s life. All about his life was a lesson for his disciples. All those who came in his contact found an invisible force leading to spiritual elevation. Even during his own lifetime more than a hundred biographies were written on him, and more have come out afterwards also.

Swami Sivananda made Swami Chidananda head of the Ashram before taking Mahasamadhi.

The only legitimate ashram and organization to use Swami Sivananda’s name is Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh aka Divine Life Society (this is the ashram/organization founded by Swami Sivananda).

There are many other organizations (many of them being Yoga centers) using his name to make monetary gain by exploiting the Sivananda name.

Hari Om.

http://www.divinelifesociety.org/

http://www.dlshq.org/

http://www.dlsnd.org/refl.htm

http://www.sivananda.dls.org.za/

http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/home.html

IN JAPANESE: http://www.ceres.dti.ne.jp/~f-oyama/

http://www.divinelifesociety.org/

http://divinelifesociety.org/graphics/

http://divinelifesociety.org/html/

http://www.dlshq.org/

CONTACT:

Webseite:  http://www.divinelifesociety.org/

Büro: Sivananda Ashram

Ort: Sivananda Nagar, Muni-Ki-Ret