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Revision as of 03:17, 27 August 2015 by Anantashakti (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Saiva 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 Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, a Saiva Hindu guru from the United States. The name of the Church is from the Sanskrit language and could be roughly rendered in English as "The Church of God Śiva's Revealed Truth." The Saiva Siddhanta Church was incorporated under the laws of the United States of America in the State of California on December 30, 1957, and received recognition of its US Internal Revenue tax exempt status as a church on February 12, 1962. Among America’s oldest Hindu institutions, it established its international headquarters at Kauai Aadheenam, also known as Kauai's Hindu Monastery, on Kauai, Hawaii, on February 5, 1970. While many of the members of Saiva Siddhanta Church living in the West are converts to Hinduism, more than 85% of the global membership are born Hindus living, mostly, in Mauritius, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Sri Lanka and South Africa. The Church is currently constructing the Iraivan Temple on Kauai.
The current head of the Church and the Himalayan Academy is Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami. The Himalayan Academy runs a number of charity organisations for Hindus worldwide, as well. Furthermore, their magazine Hinduism Today is widely read among Hindus in India and in the worldwide diaspora. Thereby, the movement provides an important means for worldwide networking, which is widely acknowledged.
In the Press
Referring to the Iraivan Temple, New York Times reporter Michelle Kayal wrote:
This looks like India, but it is the Hawaiian island of Kauai, where members of the Saiva Siddhanta Church are erecting a white granite temple to the Hindu god Siva that fulfills the vision of their guru and is intended to last 1,000 years. For this act of devotion, every single piece of stone -- 1,600 tons in all -- is being pulled from the earth by hand in India and carved into intricately detailed blocks using nothing but hammer and iron chisel.
Testimonials
A. Vaithilingam, Malaysia Hindu Sangam: The vacuum left affects the whole Hindu world, and it can never be easily filled. Gurudeva brought Saivism to the world, especially to the Western world, and has also played a leading role in uniting the Hindus of the world. In fact, Gurudeva has put Hinduism on the map of the world.
Chaitanya Christensen, USA:Although Vaishnavas don't usually praise other gurus, I feel this is appropriate, since His Holiness was not an ordinary being. He was born a white American and still demonstrated the universal nature and application of Sanatana Dharma to millions of people all over the planet. He helped bring our ancient traditions into the 21st century, revitalizing them without threatening their integrity in any way. Although hisschool of Saiva Siddhanta is very orthodox, he skillfully addressed every last contemporary issue from abortion, abuse of women, aging, to media control, consumerism, genocide, genetic engineering, to deforestation and environmentalism.
Devant Maharaj, Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha Inc. Trinidad and Tobago: Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami graced the shores of Trinidad last year and visited the Maha Sabha Headquarters and held discussions with pundits and the general Hindu community here in Trinidad. He has to be considered among the ranks of the visionary Hindu leaders that the world has produced. Hinduism Today remains the only medium that unites Hindus globally. The Hindu universe is indeed a great deal poorer with the loss of such a great and visionary leader. The life and service of Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami will no doubt be a shining beacon for all Hindus to aspire.
Radheyshyam Dwivedi, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, Inc., USA: Gurudeva left a rich legacy of exemplary asceticism, compassion and spiritual philanthropy. He had a profound influence on countless individuals through his dedicated scholarship and charismatic teaching. We hold him in the highest esteem as the champion of Hindu renaissance in the Western world.
Notes
- Don Baker (31 May 2010). Asian religions in British Columbia. UBC Press. pp. 26–. ISBN 978-0-7748-1662-5. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
- Template:Cite article
- Kayal, Michele (7 February 2004). "Religion Journal; For Temple, 1,600 Tons, 8,000 Miles and 1,000 Years". The New York Times. p. 5.
External links
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