Never forget and teach to your children that as is the difference between a firefly and the blazing sun, between the infinite ocean and a little pond, between a mustard seed and the mountain Meru, such is the difference between the householder and the sannyasin!
Swami Vivekananda of the Puri Order
These rare souls follow the path of the traditional Hindu monastic, vowed to poverty, humility, obedience and purity. They pursue the disciplines of charya, kriya, yoga and jnana that lead to realization of the Self. There are one billion Hindus on the planet today, and by conservative estimate, three million swamis, sadhus and satgurus in India alone. The Swami Narayana order has well over 800; Ramakrishna Mission over 700 worldwide. Other organized Hindu orders range into the thousands, and some estimate the number of sadhus in India to be 300,000. Temples to the Gods of Sanatana Dharma are estimated at 500,000--with 1,000 in the USA. The priests serving in these temples outnumber those in several of the great religions.
We invite you, if you feel a calling and are under age 25, to consider joining our order, the Saiva Siddhanta Yoga Order, composed of men from six nations and cultural backgrounds. Knowing God Siva and serving others is our only goal in life. 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.
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, accepting candidates from every nation on Earth. Young men considering life's renunciate path who believe they have found their spiritual life in Saiva Siddhanta are encouraged to write to Bodhinatha--he is available--sharing their personal history, spiritual aspirations, thoughts and experiences, and to visit his monastery and meet others who are following this highest path on Earth.
Entrance is slow. The first step is to come on a noncommital taskforce program for six months, then return home and think over the experience. After that, vows for six months at a time are given for the first year or two. Renewable two-year vows are given until final lifetime vows, Holy Orders of Sannyasa, may be given after ten to twelve years of training. If you are inclined toward Hindu monastic life, read our vows and send an e-mail to Bodhinatha to share your spiritual aspirations.
Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami
Guru Mahasannidhanam, Kauai Aadheenam
107 Kaholalele Road, Kapaa, Hawaii 96746-9304 USA
E-mail: bodhi@hindu.org
Helpful information about Hindu monastic life
- Song of the Sannyasin by Swami Vivekananda
- Holy Orders of Sannyasa, Excerpts from a Saiva Swami's Diksha and Lifetime Vows of Renunciation
- Kauai Aadheenam, our traditional Hindu monastery in Hawaii
- Gurudeva's Home Page
- Bodhinatha's Home Page
Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927-2001), and all the swamis, yogis and sadhakas have been captured in this Rajput painting by Vedasmriti Devi completed in 1997. The artist beautifully captured the monks at our Kauai monastery. We are all seated beneath the giant, 60-year-old banyan tree that lies just in front of our little temple--listening attentively to the wisdom of our spiritual heritage. And, yes, we dress and work in Sri Lankan style handwoven cotton robes. Behind is the natural Nani Kaua pond and waterfall, among the most beautiful on the islands. Our cows and parrots, tropical plants, flowers and lotus ponds all share this special little paradise. Aum Namasivaya!
Founder and Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, his successor Bodhinatha and the monastic order, 20 men from six nations.
As of 2007 we have two Paramacharyas--Palaniswami and Ceyonswami; one acharya, Kumarswami; eight other sannyasins: Muruganathaswami, Arumugaswami, Sivakatirswami, Shanmuganathaswami, Saravananathaswami, Yoginathaswami and Senthilnathaswami; one yogi tapasvin: Yogi Jivanandanatha; and eight sadhakas: Jothinatha, Haranandinatha, Adinatha, Nilakantha, Tejadevanatha, Dandapani and Satyanatha.
