There are a few unusual young men who have had enough of the materialistic world and choose to dedicate their life to the spiritual goal of Self Realization while serving their religion as Saivite Hindu monks. Perhaps you are one of them.
There are one billion Hindus on the planet today, and by conservative estimate there are three million swamis, sadhus and satgurus in India alone. The Swaminarayan order has over 900; Ramakrishna Mission over 700; the Bharat Sevashram Sangh has over 500. Other organized Hindu orders range into the thousands. While our order of monks is small by comparison, its influence in the Hindu world is profound. See this page for a video introduction to monastic life here.
Guided by our satguru, Bodhinatha Veylanswami, successor to our founder, Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, and headquartered at Kauai Aadheenam in Hawaii, our order ranks among Hinduism’s foremost traditional monastic orders in the West. We accept candidates from every nation, young men considering life’s renunciate path who believe they have found their spiritual life in Saiva Siddhanta.
We invite you, if you have chosen to follow an inner path of spiritual striving and religious service and are under age 24 (under 23 if outside USA),* to consider joining the Saiva Siddhanta Yoga Order. Knowing God Siva and serving others is our only goal in life. Following the monastic traditions of South India and Sri Lanka, we live in monasteries apart from the world to worship, meditate, serve and realize the truth of the Vedas and Agamas, uplifting the world by our example.
* There are no exceptions to these age limits. If you are over our limit, please research other Orders with higher age limits such as Divine Life Society and Ramakrishna Mission.
Taking the First Step
The first step is to write to Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami and share with him your spiritual experiences and intentions and a little about yourself. After Satguru receives your email, one of the swamis will connect with you to arrange a first visit to the monastery. Please do not make plans to come until approval is given. You will be asked to fill out a “Getting to Know You” application and complete a simple at-home study course. The process usually takes several months. You will also be asked to be celibate and have refrained from taking any illegal substances for at least six months before visiting. During your days on the island, we will provide accommodations nearby and meals, and you will enter the monastery each day to serve alongside the monks, worship in our temple and meditate. After this initial visit, you would return home and think over the experience.
If you decide to pursue monastic life, and meet the qualifications, you would return to the monastery and take a simple premonastic pledge for six months at a time for the first year or two. After that, renewable two-year vows of celibacy, obedience, humility and confidence are given.
If you are not a Hindu, you will be guided to go through the full conversion steps to Hinduism before returning to the Aadheenam. Our book How to Become a Hindu provides the details on this process.
As a way to learn about our spiritual lineage, you may find it helpful to read the detailed history of our Nandinatha lineage in our book, The Guru Chronicles.
Our small monastic order accepts men only, Women interested in Hindu monastic life are encouraged to google other orders or ashrams that are for or include women, such as Mata Amritanandamayi centers, the Sarada Convent in southern California, and the Svami Gitananda Ashram in Italy.
Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami
Email: bodhi@hindu.org
Next Steps
A Detailed Summary of a Candidate’s Progress
Hindu Monasticism
THE HIGHEST PATH OF DHARMA
Renunciation and asceticism have been an integral component of Saivite culture from the earliest days, the most highly esteemed path of Hindu dharma. Monastic life has both an individual and a universal objective. At the individual level, it is a life of selflessness in which the monastic has made the supreme sacrifice of renouncing all personal ambition, all involvement in worldly matters that he might direct his consciousness and energies fully toward God Siva. Guided by the Satguru he unfolds through the years into deeper and deeper realizations. At the universal level, Saivite monasticism fosters the religion by preserving the truths of the Sanatana Dharma.
The spirit of Hindu monasticism is embodied in the following verse from the ancient scripture Tirumantiram: “A sattvic is he, his thoughts centered on Truth, his vision clear among conflicting faiths, abhorrent of recurring cycles of birth, walking straight in dharma’s path. Indeed, he is a disciple good and true. He scans that which divides the Real and the unreal. He melts in the soul of his being and, with Siva’s Grace to guide, he receives Jnana in true devotion. He humbles himself before the Lord and seeks the bliss of His Shakti—he is the fit one, the disciple good and true.”
Today young men of strong spiritual inclination, knowing that the world’s greatest seers have been celibate monks, ask, “How can I become a sannyasin?” Others seek the solace of monasticism to pursue their inner quest within a spiritual brotherhood dedicated to the same lofty goals. Still others embrace monasticism naturally to continue work of previous births. For such rare individuals drawn not to the path of family life, the Saiva Siddhanta Church offers a progressive monastic pattern based on the traditions of Saivite Hinduism in which men may dedicate themselves wholly to God-Realization and selfless service.
Saiva Siddhanta Church, the first Hindu Church of America, was founded in 1949 by Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. It is a progressive institution vowed to uphold traditional enlightenment disciplines, to teach of Siva and Siva Consciousness leading to Parasivam or God-Realization, to improve the lives of members and preserve Saivism for future generations. Its headquarters and spiritual nucleus is Kauai Aadheenam, located on 382 acres of secluded land on the Hawaii island of Kauai. From here, Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami and the Saiva Swami Sangam oversee the teaching and publications of the Church and guide members, missionaries and ministers worldwide.
OVERVIEW
The spiritual lineage of the Saiva Siddhanta Church and its monastic order is that of siddhars, or perfected ones. We trace the known beginnings of this line to the great Himalayan Satguru, Nandinatha, and his eight disciples, who were the spiritual precursors of the first Agamic school and were known as nathas. In recent times this same descent of spiritual awakening and authority has been continued through our preeminent Siva Yogaswami Guru Paramparai of which the first historically known Satguru is a nameless Rishi from the Himalayas (circa 1770-1840). From him this spiritual line was passed to Kadaitswami of South India (circa 1810-1872), then Chellappaswami (1840-1914) and Siva Yogaswami (1872-1964), of Sri Lanka, and in 1949 to our beloved Gurudeva, Sivaya Subramuniyaswami.
Our order is a spiritual community or brotherhood of monastics assembled together to continue the work of the Siva Yogaswami Guru Paramparai and to live and teach Saiva Dharma and Saivite culture. It is not an exclusively contemplative teaching order, but a balance of the two, for one cannot teach spiritual matters from the intellect. Such teachings, to be effective, must arise out of personal spiritual unfoldment, maturity and superconscious intuition, out of a knowledge of the within and not an accumulation of outer learning. Our mission includes the care and maintenance of Kauai Aadheenam, Kavadul Hindu Temple, Iraivan Temple and other consecrated and dedicated properties of the Saiva Siddhanta Church. It extends to serving Saivites throughout the world, and seeking out Saiva souls, including those born in Western bodies, and educating them in their faith. Philosophically, the Order is based firmly on the teachings of Saint Tirumular and Paramaguru Siva Yogaswami, who taught the unity of Siddhanta and Vedanta. This theological stance is called monistic theism, Advaita Siddhanta or Suddha Saiva Siddhanta and is rooted equally in the ultimate objective of human life—God-Realization—and in the vast religious traditions and customs of Saivite Hinduism, its protocol, sacred hymns and forms of devotion and worship.
Monastic life in this tradition is strict yet not restrictive. Each swami’s, yogi’s and sadhaka’s goal is to “Know Thyself” and from the power of that knowing to do his humble part to preserve and promote the Saiva Siddhanta teachings. This is done through teaching, other forms of selfless service, such as caring for the temple, cooking, office work, publishing, gardening or construction. In the effort of monastics working together in one-mindedness under the Satguru, in cooperation with all three worlds, a dynamic energy is generated and maintained through which the Saivite teachings are enlivened and made available for all seekers. Obedience to the Satguru and devotion to God are each monastic’s daily sustenance and unfailing guide. One-mindedness is the keynote. Monastics work as a group toward common goals rather than individual expression. Candidates, therefore, are carefully screened as to their dedication and ability to get along with others. Monastic life and training in the Saiva Siddhanta Church begins with two stages of pre-monastic training, the Aspirancy and the Supplicancy. It culminates in two traditional roles: the lay brother, known as the postulant or sadhaka, under two-year vows, and that of the renunciate monk, known as the Sannyasin or Swami, under lifetime Holy Orders of Sannyas.
1 THE ASPIRANCY
“Let mind and heart alike encompass the personal Deity… The inner life to which you aspire is San Marga, the Straight Path to God, to realizing God within.” GURUDEVA
Monasticism within the Saiva Siddhanta Church begins with the Aspirancy, a pre-monastic program designed to acquaint Church members with monastic life through living in the Church’s gurukulams and monasteries or in special circumstances alone on an independent sadhana. Aspirants take a six-month pledge of purity, vowing to remain chaste and pure in thought word and deed, and may renew their Aspirancy commitment every six months. Aspirants may live as a resident guest in a monastery for up to six months to learn through example and observation, and receive religious training in the context of monastic life. Resident communities called gurukulams, or Aspirancies, are established by the Aspirants themselves as a vital part of their training. Such communities are generally near Hindu temples, so that Aspirants may there enjoy the rich environment and the many activities, pujas and sacred ceremonies of the temple. The Aspirancy is open to all candidates for monastic life who have received a high school diploma or its equivalent and who have reached their 17th birthday and aspire to follow the monastic path. Aspirants are self-supporting and can attend school or work in the world, except when living in a monastery as a resident guest. They wear the traditional white robes. Male Aspirants are also known as brahmachari, and women as brahmacharini.
2 THE SUPPLICANCY
“This pre-monastic time of your life will be filled with new knowledge. . . Use this time wisely to study Saivism and to prepare yourself for the monastic life that lies ahead.” GURUDEVA
Those who do well in the Aspirancy stride firmly forward in their monastic training into the Supplicancy, living in a monastery as a resident guest under more strict supervision for a six-month period under pledges of purity, humility and obedience. Supplicants, known as Sivanadiyar, are given responsibilities and instruction in one or more of the five monastery kulams and fully familiarized with monastic life and the mission of Kauai’s Hindu Monastery. They serve, study, perform sadhana and receive religious training, working among the Postulants and Swamis. The Supplicant is enjoined to practice the art of concentration as the cornerstone of effective service and strength of character. He is encouraged to strive for the perfection of service and moral purity.
Monastic ideals of humility, industry and responsibility, renouncing personal needs for the benefit of others. This is a time of orientation and of profound worship of Lord Ganesha, Lord Muruga and God Siva. For many this is a time of detaching from family and former friends and preparing for a more long term commitment. It is also a proving period in which the candidate is judged as to his sincerity and worthiness for monastic life. Near the end of this six-month period, the pre-monastic may request permission to beg formal entrance into the monastery and acceptance into the long term as a full-fledged monastic under two-year vows.
3 The Postulancy
“You will have need to call upon Lord Muruga to send His Holy Vel of spiritual discernment so that your Sacred Vows may be upheld to your inmost ideal.” Gurudeva
Through the Postulancy the Saiva Siddhanta Church offers its members the traditional life and disciplines of the Saiva Sadhaka, the single man residing in an ashram, performing sadhana and serving the Saivite faith. To qualify, candidates must have completed at least one year as a pre-monastic (as an Aspirant and then a Supplicant), two years of brahmachariya and settled all affairs in the world. The Postulant, one who postulates his faith, is encouraged to look upon himself as the perpetual student, the defender of the Saivite faith and servant of the faithful. He wears white and takes a solemn oath to abide by the four Sacred Vows of Humility, Purity, Obedience and Confidence. These vows are given for a period of two years and renewed time and again after reviewing his karmic patterns. Postulants who entered the Aspirancy before age 25 may apply to be Natyam and be recognized as a candidate for the Postulant Tapasvin dharma. Natyam are distinguished by a yellow sash worn around the waist. Later, the Natyam may beg for the staff of tapas and the yellow robes of the Tapasvin, or Yogi, which designate yogic striving. Postulants who do not enter this pre-sannyas training and remain in the lay-brother path of the Sadhaka may after 12 years of training in the monastery qualify as Nirvana Sadhaka to assume mature responsibilities as senior monastics.
4 THE HOLY ORDERS
“Remember and teach that God is, and is in all things. Spread the light of the One Great God, Siva—Creator, Preserver and Destroyer, immanent and transcendent.” GURUDEVA
Sannyas Diksha marks the renunciation of all worldly ties and the taking of lifetime Holy Orders. Sannyas is the relinquishment of the transient and illusory in favor of a permanent Reality, the eschewing of a worldly life that one may, by gradual stages of purification, draw inward toward God as Parasivam, Truth Absolute. Sannyas in Saiva Siddhanta Church is generally given only after 10-12 years of training. At his diksha, the Sannyasin, or Swami, takes lifetime vows of Renunciation, Purity, Obedience, Humility and Confidence. Swamis of Kauai’s Hindu Monastery, distinguished by their orange robes, three strands of rudraksha beads and shaven head, comprise the Saiva Siddhanta Yoga Order, also known as the Saiva Swami Sangam.
Together with Bodhinatha they form the ecclesiastical body to protect the purity of the faith and decide matters of education, theology, Church law and doctrine. Candidates for Sannyas must be at least 24 years old and have begun pre-monastic training before age 25 (or have entered the Sannyasa Ashrama after age 72). They must be inclined toward a life of renunciation, possess moral and spiritual maturity, have completed six years of brahmacharya and at least one year of personal training under the initiating guru, have divested themselves of all possessions and be astute in the teachings of the Siva Yogaswami Guru Paramparai.
GURU AND DISCIPLE
Nothing is more central to monastic life at Kauai’s Hindu Monastery than the Guru/Disciple relationship. Monastic life means coming to study with Bodhinatha to attain to the Truth he has realized. The grace of the Guru is the sustaining force in the life of each monastic. Grace is crystallized in the giving of diksha, the bestowal of shakti, marking the beginning of a new training and personal spiritual practice. Brahmachariya Diksha starts the kundalini unfoldment process. Samaya Diksha bestows blessings for Panchakshara japa, and Vishesha Diksha for Siva puja. Nirvana Diksha marks the advent of serious yoga; and Sannyas, the renunciation of all worldly ties and obligations. Other advanced dikshas are also given. All monks hold foremost in their mind service and obedience to the Guru, working closely with his mind to understand their own true nature. The Kularnava Tantra says, “By mind, by speech, by body and by action do what is helpful to the Guru… As in the vicinity of fire butter gets melted, so in the proximity of the Holy Guru all sins dissolve. As darkness is destroyed at the very sight of the lamp, so is ignorance destroyed at the very sight of the Holy Guru.”
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Q: If an individual is inspired to become a monastic, what is the first step?
A: One should write to Bodhinatha and apply to visit here on our Taskforce program. If he is interested in learning more about monastic life before choosing his path, or is inclined toward married life, he should also participate in this Taskforce. Taskforce it is a simple karma yoga, resident program in which individuals come to Kauai’s Hindu Monastery to serve, study and perform sadhana.
Q: What is the nature of the commitment one is making when he becomes an Aspirant?
A: The Aspirancy is a six-month program. However, it is a definite stepping stone to the Postulancy. One important requirement for the Aspirancy is that the candidate aspire to continue on into the Supplicancy and then the Postulancy, having chosen the monastic dharma. Of course, the Aspirancy is also a proving ground for the individual and a time for him to learn more about monastic life and determine for certain if it his dharma.
Q: I understand that age 17 is the minimum age for beginning monastic training. What can we do to help prepare our son for monastic life before he reaches 17?
A: You can send him on Taskforce as often as possible for nine days, one month, three months or six months at a time.
In addition, he should complete his high school education and strive to do very well in his studies, focusing especially on skills and knowledge he will use as a monastic. He should learn to type, develop a craft, become a good speaker and strive for mastery in areas of academic study, particularly spoken and written English. Perhaps most importantly, especially in the early years, the father should accompany his son to the monastery and be with him on Taskforce at least once a year. In this way the father teaches the son through example about the special sanctity of the monastery and the monastic path at this crucial stage in the young man’s life.
Q: What should the attitude be of parents whose son becomes a monastic?
A: Parents should be proud when a son sets out on the monastic path. Traditionally it is considered a great boon to have a son who becomes a monastic, bringing blessings to the family and to all souls. While families naturally feel a sense of loss, in the truest sense, he is not leaving them so much as he is embracing the larger family of all humanity. He knows that he has had many mothers and fathers in many incarnations and has finally taken this special birth wherein he seeks Sannyas Diksha to pursue life’s ultimate goal. In our monastic order, however, the candidate must undergo many years of training before such a commitment can be made. It is left to the discretion of each monastic to establish mature relationships with his family that are loving, harmonious and conducive to the spiritual quest. Parents of monastics may visit their son at the Kauai monastery at any time.
Q: What is the Church’s monastic pattern for women?
A: While we do not have a brahmacharini ashram, some women members now live as brahmacharinis on their own, following the disciplines of the Aspirancy, living under the vow of purity.