 |
||
|
||
| Advertise with us! |
|
|
>I have corresponded with Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami from the
>Kauai's Hindu Monastery (whom I found on the Web).
>Does anyone know if this is a reputable source of information on
>Hinduism? Is he legitimate? There were several requests for monetary
>donations in the information package, which made me wary.
I have enjoyed several of his books that I have read and most of the
information was accurate. My husband met Subramuniyaswami about two
years ago and when he attended the opening of the Barsana Dham temple in
Austin. He enjoyed the talk given by the Swami and felt he was sincere.
I have heard various stories about how much they charge for initiation
into the Hindu faith, somethimes as much as $900. This bothers me
because I don't believe anyone should charge outrageous fees for
spiritual teachings. It is simply unethical, like charging for mantra
initiation. Asking for donations is acceptable, especially when a
ceremony involves costly articles, but large fees cause spiritual
teachings to be inaccessible to the poor and available only to the
wealthy.
>One thing that troubled me in particular was a photo of Satguru Sivaya
>Subramuniyaswami standing on the skin of a dead tiger.
Lord Siva is often portrayed as sitting on a tiger skin which is symbolic
of his conquest of lust. This is a very ancient image. It does not means
that the particular person does not believe in ahimsa. Since
Subramuniyaswami is a follower of Lord Siva this is appropriate for him.
>
>Also, if anyone can recommend web sites, books (available in USA), or
>any other sources of information, I would deeply appreciate it.
Here are some links related to the teachings of Swami Sivananda, my
spiritual master. Divine Life Society:
http://www.rsl.ukans.edu/~pknagar/divine/ ,
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres: http://www.sivananda.org/
and Swami Satchidananda: http://www.moonstar.com/~yoga
Also check out the teachings of Ramakrishna, a Hindu saint and devotee of
the Divine Mother, Kali. Other modern teachers are Sai Baba and
Ammachi, most large cities in the US have satsang groups related to these
two, so look for some in your area. You can find books written by these
authors at most new age book stores. Check your phone book to see if
there is a temple or Hindu organization in your area also.
Om shanti,
Radha
|
||
|
||
| Advertise with us! |
|
|