Digest Number 193

[Guest guest]

Regarding the Saiva Sidddhanta discussion, I was wondering if anyone was

familiar with "Psalms of a Saiva Saint" by T. Isaac Tambyah. I came across

this book some years ago at a Vedantist book store in Hollywood, CA. For

one volumn it has I believe a lot of useful information,such as : "So far

as Tamil is concerned the Siddhanta is based primarily upon fourteen

treatises written by great Saivite teachers of accreditited sanctity and

scholarship..." p. xvii The text then lists the fourteen sastras. The book

seems to be written by a Christian who finds parallels between Christianity

and Saivite scriptures. On p. xxi, the author discusses The Fundamentals of

the Siddhanta saying in part "God is one. He is the "pati", Lord... There

is not one soul but there are multitute of souls, "Pasu"... God is "the

Lord of souls." - Arthur Gregory

 

 

lgregory

[Guest guest]

Greetings Shri Arthur:

 

Thanks for the useful information on Sidhdhanta. I want to add these

additional historical facts regarding Shivam (Shiva Worship) and

Vaishnavam (Vishnu Worship). It should be pointed out that Jainism and

Buddhism have strong influence in Tamil literary religious works.

 

The following historical facts substantiate your article. The

thirteenth and the fourteenth centuries saw the appearance of the

fourteen works of Saiva iddhanta philosophy in Tamil.The basic Tamil

work is civagnanapOtam. There is still a big ontroversy on whether this

work is a translation of twelve aphorisms from an obscure or unattested

ortion of (Rauravagama). Saiva Siddhanta is a South Indian religion,

found among the Tamils only. esides the canonical fourteen works, there

are subsidiary works and commentaries in Tamil only. Agamas are accorded

a special status while the Vedas only a general status as basic works to

the philosophy. The importance given to the Agamas makes South Indian

Saivism, a distinctive form of Hinduism, in some respects. The Tamils

try to derive the basic framework of the system from their own Twelve

Sacred Books.

 

The Vaishnava bhakti movement was dominated by twelve AzvArs - those who

contemplate deeply on Vishnu. They were authors of tivvijapirapaNtam

(sacred composition) of four thousand verses. Compared to the saiva

devotional poems, the Vaishnava devotional poems make greater use of

akam tradition and less of puRam tradition of the classical period.

Friedhelm Hardy had brought out a fine publication recently on the

history of this movement. Some important saints are

AdAL, kulacEkarar, tirumangky and NammAzvAr. The works of the last one

are very important and are sometimes referred to as Tamil Vedas. Though

less influential in Tamil land, the Vaishnavite bhakti movement exerted

great influence throughout India, during the later periods.

 

For about a millennium, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism were the three

important religions among the Tamils. The triangular contest for the

loyalty of the Tamils led to the growth of polemical literature to

which adherents of all religions contributed. The Buddhist contribution

is seen in the manhimEkaly and the kunhdalakEci, the Jaina contribution

in the NIlakEci and the Saiva contribution in the civagnAnacittijAr. But

overall, conflicts are rare, especially after Hinduism consolidated its

position. The Saiva or Vaishnava rulers, were generally generous to all

the Hindus, irrespective of their personal inclinations and also

patronized the Jaina and Buddhist religious establishments of their

subjects.

 

Islam and Christianity are important minority religions in this period.

Islam came to Tamils in two ways. Arab traders intermarried with local

people and built up a community, who now speak Tamil or Malayalam.

Muslim invaders from the North had temporary success in the South and

their descendants speak Urdu. As in Vaishnavism, there is some split in

the attitude of the Muslims towards Tamil. Many of them are proud to

claim Tamil as their language and they have made

substantial contributions to the development of Tamil for more than six

hundred years.

 

In summary, the language of Tamil was instrumental in establishing the

religious harmony and poets were able to understand and appreciate the

'oneness" inspite of their religious affiliation.

They had the wisdom to communicate the importance of Samarasam (harmony)

and SanmArkam (Discriminating Intellect or Vivekam). Recently, the

Himalayan Academy has published the book,

"Merging with Shiva" by Satgur Sivaya Subramuniyaswami which contains

more information relating to "Self-realization" through

"Shiva-Realization." I have provided information about the book with

couple of reviews. The footprints of Shankara's Advaita Philosophy are

spread all over the book and the book is available in most of the

bookchains.

 

--

Ram Chandran

Burke, VA

 

=============================================

“Merging With Shiva” by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami

Published by Himalayan Academy

ISBN 0-945497-74-1. 1,408 pages, $39.75

 

More information at the Homepage: http://www.hindu.org/ha/mws/

 

About Merging with Siva (Synopsis)

 

For fifty years Sivaya Subramuniyaswami has been

guiding seekers to overcome their fears, teaching

the profound truths of yoga and Sanatana Dharma.

He shares his personal revelations in this collection

of 365 daily lessons.

Can we experience Siva personally? What is the

path to Self Realization?

Do aura colors have meaning? What are the

21 chakras and the kundalini?

How can I find the clear white light in

meditation? What is karma?

How are the sexual energies transmuted?

What are the five states of mind?

 

Review by Dr. David Frawley, O.M.D.,

Vedacharya; Director of the American Institute of Vedic Studies; author

of Yoga and

Ayurveda: Self-Healing and Self-Realization; co-author of The Yoga of

Herbs, Santa Fe,

New Mexico

 

Merging with Siva is a monumental work, a veritable course book of yogic

development in the broadest sense of the term. It maps out all the

domains of consciousness and shows us how to develop them in a

systematic and harmonious manner. It unfolds the keys to our various

bodies, koshas and chakras and how to purify and transform them for the

ultimate goal of liberation. Through this complexity the book keeps to a

simple, practical language that is accessible to any sincere devotee and

helpful on a daily basis in everything that we do. Such a book is quite

unique in an age in which this deeper knowledge, if it is given at all,

comes out only in fragments. Yogic knowledge in the West has recently

been subject to various distortions, getting reduced to physical

postures, divorced from any sense of renunciation, caught up in the

illusions of the astral plane, and disconnected from its genuine

religious and spiritual base. Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami shows what

the complete and authentic yoga is, shining his vast light upon the

great mountains and seas of inner experience, connecting us with the

vast wisdom of the rishis of old. Merging with Siva is an elixir that

can cure all the ills of the soul. The book is one of the most important

sadhana manuals available and will be welcomed by all those who wish to

really connect to their higher Self and experience the Infinite.

 

Review by Patricia-Rochelle Diegel, Ph.D, well known teacher, intuitive

healer and consultant on past lives, the human aura and numerology; Las

Vegas, Nevada

There are so many important things in Merging with Siva. My favorites:

"The Story of Awareness." Philosophies are to be experienced step by

step. Get acquainted with yourself as Being Awareness! Say to

yourself, "I am not the body... I am not the emotions... I am not the

thinking mind... I am Pure Awareness!The Search is Within." Each of

the 36 contemporary dharmic principles opened up doors for me. Instead

of paying attention to my real purposes in this life. Spreading my

energy in too many directions. Try to save "the world" plus all of my

relatives, friends, students and clients. This book has given me the

knowledge and energy to move further onto my spiritual path.