Saiva Siddhanta Church Sishya Receives Mantra Diksha

On the auspicious full moon day of Guru Purnima, Gunamaya Sivananda from Tijuana, Mexico, received mantra diksha from Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami after several years of study and sadhanas. She now joins the fellowship of Dikshasishyas in Saiva Siddhanta Church.

Mantra Diksha is formal blessings from Satguru for "Aum Namasivaya" to become the mantra used for performing daily japa-- chanting a mantra 108 times. A summary explanation from Dancing with Siva book--

Is Initiation Necessary to Perform Japa?
LOKA 138
The most precious of all aivitemantras,Nama ivya is freely sung and chanted by one and all.Mantra dkshbestows the permission and power forjapa yoga.Without this initiation, its repetition bears lesser fruit. Aum.

BHSHYA
The Pachkshara Mantra is the word of God, the name and total essence of iva. But to chant Nama ivya and to be empowered to chant Nama ivya is likened to the difference between writing a check without money in the bank and writing a check with money in the bank. Nama ivya is the gateway toyoga. Initiation from an orthodoxguruis given after preparation, training and attaining a certain level of purity and dedication. Thegurubestows the authority to chant Nama ivya. After initiation, the devotee is obligated to intone it regularly as instructed. This forges theishya'spermanent bond with theguruand his spiritual lineage,sampradya,and fires the process of inner unfoldment. From the lips of my Satguruntha I learned Nama ivya, and it has been the central core of my life, strength and fulfillment of destiny. The secret of Nama ivya is to hear it from the right lips at the right time. Then, and only then, is it the most powerful mantra for you. Theiva Sahitaffirms, "Only the knowledge imparted by aguru,through his lips, is powerful and useful; otherwise it becomes fruitless, weak and very painful." Aum Nama ivya.

Gunamaya\

s mother, second from left, looks on, with other SSC sishyas as witnesses'

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