COMMENT ON MERGING WITH SIVA

"Book" is too poor a word for this great work by H. H. Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. Such an immense compendium of spiritual knowledge is even more than a "treasury," it is an entire cosmos: an ordered world where the spiritual seeker can be at home and will find that everything connects to everything else in a vast, harmonious whole. In this cosmos the seeker's path to the ultimate Goal is clearly charted.

The realities pictured here could be described as concentric circles. At the center is the individual seeker, and his or her inner and outer life. The outer life expands to the family, the religious community, the lineage of Saiva Siddhanta epitomized by monistic theism, the Hindu world at large, our whole planet Earth, and beyond to the infinite universe with its many worlds and dimensions. The evolutionary dynamic of these realities and their different levels of consciousness are elucidated by Satguru Subramuniyaswami forcefully and practically, yet with all their subtlety, and often with sweetness and humor. The reader will always feel the voice of the Master speaking intimately and directly to him or her, telling the seeker that this is your experience, this is your truth, this is your path. Here we find psychology, ethics, history, theology, esoteric teachings and mystical utterances all arrayed so that everything we need to learn and apply is easily accessible.

There is no way to single out parts of the book that are most important or better than others, since Merging With Siva is one organic whole. But as each of us has personal responses to every teaching, I will say that I was deeply compelled by the extraordinary revelation of "The Self God" which has pride of place in this voluminous work. I also take as especially useful for Western seekers these points: devotion is the indispensable preparation and foundation for all other spiritual practices, and formal worship can be a highly effective way to cultivate a bumper crop of devotion. The surrounding culture and community of a practitioner play a huge part in spiritual progress. In this progress knowledge of the "esoteric" (secret) or "occult" (hidden) is not some strange or forbidden realm, but a natural and inevitable stage in a continuous process of spiritual development. Talk of esoteric matters, however, means almost nothing to those who have no direct experience of them, and so it is actually counterproductive to try to learn about them by reading! The purpose of books is not, in this case, to provide information; the opposite is true: for one who already has knowledge, writings by others confirm it. This is a bracing and timely caution to countless seekers who indulge in mental preoccupation with the occult, or seek experiences outside their natural progression. All the knowledge and instruction that is needed as one embarks on the journey is given with clarity and luminosity in Merging With Siva.

Satguru Subramuniyaswami brings down from intuitive planes beyond the mind a wealth of spiritual truth, and makes these riches usable by the seeker at whatever stage he or she may be, from the absolute beginner considering how to enter the path to the advanced meditator. It is his synthesis of yoga, and will prove to be a classic not only for disciples of Saiva Siddhanta and all Siva-lovers, but for all Hindus and indeed all spiritual seekers. Our hearts' deepest gratitude is due for this beautiful, illumining and nourishing gift to humanity.

Kusumita P. Pedersen

New York