Aadheenam Devotee Study Program
Aadheenam Devotee is the first category of association with Saiva Siddhanta Church. It is offered to Hindus who are already practicing Saivites. Aadheenam Devotees are welcome to participate in Mission activities. The only requirement to sign up for this program is to first read our book Path to Siva. Note that there are twelve levels of gradational practice for an Aadheenam Devotee. You can move forward, if you wish, from one level to another at your own pace. Of course, you can also just choose to stay at your current level. The next category of association after Aadheenam Devotee is called Advanced Aadheenam Devotee. Then comes Vratasishya, Dikshasishya and Chela.
To sign up as an Aadheenam Devotee, send your name, e-mail address and street address to mastercourse@hindu.org. Be sure to state that you have read Path to Siva and also indicate which of the twelve levels of practice (see below) you would like to start at.
Twelve Levels of Practice
Level #1: General Commitment
Applying Gurudeva’s teachings in daily life but without any specific consistent practice such as the Pancha Nitya Karmas or a daily vigil.
Optional Additional Reading:
Publisher’s Desk “Making Dharma Your Own.”
Publisher’s Desk “Advancing Through Life’s Four Stages.”
Level #2: Performing the Pañcha Nitya Karmas
Take up the pañcha nitya karmas, “five eternal practices,”
Upāsanā, worship
Utsava, holy days
Tirthayātrā, pilgrimage
Dharma, virtuous living
Samskâras, sacraments
Required reading:
Path to Siva Lesson 41– “What Are Our Five Core Practices?”
Publisher’s Desk– “Practice Makes Perfect.”
Optional Additional Reading:
Publisher’s Desk– “Temple as the Source Culture.”
Publisher’s Desk– “The Aim of Hindu Practices.”
Level #3: Performing A 10-Minute Spiritual Workout
Take up a ten-minute a day vigil practice. It is done according to the format given in the Publisher’s Desk article “A 10-Minute Spiritual Workout.” This routine is also available as a mobile app entitled “Spiritual Workout” from both the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Worship two minutes
Introspection two minutes
Affirmation one minute
Study five minutes
Required reading:
Path to Siva Lesson 43, “What is Sadhana?”
Publisher’s Desk– “A 10-Minute Spiritual Workout.”
Publisher’s Desk– “Using the Power of Affirmation.”
Optional Additional Reading:
Merging with Siva Chapter 11, “The Power of Affirmation.”
Merging with Siva Chapter 13, “Discipline for Self-Transformation.”
Level #4: Adding “Do It Well”
Maintain the level three routine. Read the “A Word of Advice” portion of the intro- duction to Dancing with Siva, and the “Meeting His Mentor’s Challenges” section of The Guru Chronicles. Afterwards take up the practice of “Throughout the day, everything you do, do it well.”
Required reading:
Dancing With Siva, Introduction pages xxxv – xxxvi “A Word of Advice.”
The Guru Chronicles, pages 6 – 15.
Level #5: Adding Helping Others Throughout the Day
Maintain the level three routine. Read the Publisher’s Desk articles “The World
is an Ashram” and “Be A Spiritual Leader.” Then take up helping others through the day, wherever you are.
Required reading:
Publisher’s Desk– “The World Is an Ashram.”
Publisher’s Desk– “Be A Spiritual Leader.”
Level #6: Feeling Gratitude and Expressing Appreciation
Maintain the level three routine. Read Gurudeva’s lesson in Living with Siva on gratitude and appreciation. Understand what the sadhana of gratitude and the sadhana of appreciation are and practice them in your daily life.
Required reading:
Living with Siva Chapter 42, “Nurture Gratitude, Be Considerate”
Level #7: Learning the Ganesha Puja
Lengthen the basic vigil routine a few minutes to learn the Ganesha puja by studying “Home Puja” which is Chapter 24 of What is Hinduism? An audio tutorial is also available. See resource section for urls.
Required reading:
What is Hinduism? Chapter 24, “Home Puja.”
Optional Additional Reading:
Publisher’s Desk– “Drawing Close to Ganesha.”
Publisher’s Desk– “God of Fear/God of Love.”
Level #8: Half an Hour Vigil with Ganesha Puja
When you are able to perform the Ganesha Puja, replace the offering of rice nine times to Lord Ganesha with the Ganesha Home Puja. This will lengthen the vigil to about half an hour. If the puja takes too long, you can optionally chant nine names during the ashtottara section rather than the full 108.
Optional Additional Reading
Publisher’s Desk– “Our Three Kinds of Temples.”
Publisher’s Desk– “Surrender is Central to All Yogas.”
Level #9: Hour A Day Vigil, Hatha Yoga Practice and Controlling Thoughts
Increase the daily vigil to an hour and in the additional time add the practice of the twenty-four hatha yoga poses as written up in the resource section of Living with Siva. This doesn’t mean all poses must be done every day. You can do half one day, other half the next day.
Required reading:
Level #10: Hour A Day Vigil, Learning Meditation, Mindfulness and Letting Go of Past and Futurew
Go through the forty-six lessons of the online course “Beginning to Meditate” two times. The text of the lesson is your vigil’s study portion and the meditation exercise is your vigil’s introspection portion. Read the following articles once a month: “A Hindu View of Mindfulness” and “Letting Go of Past and Future” Practice mindfulness and letting of past and future a few times each week.
Required reading:
Publishers Desk– A Hindu View of Mindfulness
Publisher’s Desk– “Letting Go of Past and Future.”
Optional Additional Reading:
Living with Siva, Chapter 14 “The Meditator.”
Merging with Siva, Chapter 5 “The Story of Awareness.”
Level #11: Perform the Full One-Hour Vigil
The one hour a day vigil can now be done in the format given in Nandinatha Sutra 22: “Worshipers of Siva, during their daily sadhana vigil, conduct or attend puja, chant (or listen to) the Guru Mantra and 108 repetitions of their mantra (Aum), study scripture and perform hatha yoga, concentration and meditation.”
Level #12: Perform the Full One-Hour Vigil Plus Vegetarian Vrata and Tithing
Maintain the one hour a day vigil. Take the vegetarian vrata (see resources) and start tithing to Kauai Aadheenam. This is the last level of Aadheenam Devotee. The next step would be to take up the Advanced Aadheenam Devotee Preparation.
Required reading:
Living With Siva, Resource “Religion’s Dues”
Resource Section “Vegetarian Vrata”
Optional Additional Reading:
Publisher’s Desk– “Giving’s Secret Gifts.” Publisher’s Desk– “An Alternative To Happiness.”