Monastery Customs
मठचरितः
Chapter 20
247 ¶The senior minority group always kept themselves a little apart from the other members of the monastery and sometimes even lived together in a separate area of the monastery. They kept apart mainly by their attitudes, and this enabled them better to understand how the inner force fields of the monastery were behaving. §
Constant Philosophical Discussion§
248 ¶In the larger monasteries, often some of the most senior monastics of the senior minority group would all the time be walking through it, engaging others in philosophical discussion. Philosophical discussion was important in all Śaivite monasteries, as when the harmony of it began to occur between two or more, many devas on the inner planes would hover around and send blessings through these Śaivite souls, and often the discussions would be heard by others at great distances through their inner ears. The inner darshan of the devas, the Deities and the guru himself would merge as one great darshan flow out through the senior minority group in the totality of the monastery, its population and to those who lived surrounding the monastery. The darshan, as well as the kammaba, rested equally and was shared by each member of the senior one-third minority of each monastery. §
Sticks Indicating Seniority §
249 ¶Each monastic kept track of his monastic age by placing notches in the stick that he carried with him. His physical age, brahmacharya age, and time in our individual monastery would be kept in this way through notching the stick. Each time he entered a new monastery, while sitting by the wall he would prepare a new stick and discard the old one. One could actually tell by the age of his stick whether he had lived in the monastery a long time or not, as he carried it with him all of the time. It represented to him the ray of the light he traveled on while coming to this planet, and he was always seen with it in his hands, meditating on this ray of light which emanated back into the Central Sun. Occasionally monastics would dance and clap their sticks together. §
Vadivel Calculates The OTM§
250 ¶Whenever there was a change within the monastery’s population, someone came or left, each monastic would leave his stick, together with all the others at a certain place, so that the Vadivel could separate them through analyzing the monastic age and duration of his time within the monastery walls to find the one-third minority of them all. This often took the Vadivel far into the night, preparing the next senior minority group, and in the morning each one would choose his stick again and carry this wand away, knowing full well whether he was to polarize the darshan or not. §
Formula of Residency & Monastic Age§
251 ¶All kinds of activity that would lift the ego in the Vadivel were given to him, for the ego comes from the animal nerve system, whereas nothing would be given to the rest of the monastery that would lift the ego in any way. It was subdued but not suppressed. And so, it was the Vadivel that calculated the senior minority group, chose the Umāgaṇeśa, the Hanumān, the Umādeva, each time the comings and goings within the monastery and devasthānam occurred. He used a simple formula to calculate and determine who they were. He would first determine how many were living within the monastery and devasthānam and then subtract one third of that number. That would tell him how many sticks represented the resident seniority in the monastery. His next calculation would be to choose one half of this remaining group, and this would be determined by monastic age. The most senior in monastic age would be the half that represented the senior minority group. If there was a tie between two members, the brahmacharya age would be looked at. The most senior would be chosen. If there was a tie here as well, the physical age would be looked at, and the oldest would be chosen. Occasionally, but not too often, the Vadivel made an error in his calculations. If it was discovered, it was always overlooked as divine providence of the trident. §
Residency Determines Duties§
252 ¶The Umāgaṇeśa is chosen through the arrangement of the circle. The seating occurs because of the resident age within the monastery itself. The oldest resident is the Umāgaṇeśa, the youngest, the Umādeva. The one on the left of the Umāgaṇeśa is the second in residency. If there were a tie in the Umāgaṇeśa or any one of this group, then the monastic age would settle the question. The most senior would take precedence. If this also tied, then brahmacharya years and physical years were consulted. §
If someone was out of harmony within the monastery, he was out of harmony with his guru, and it was recommended through the Umāgaṇeśa to the guru that one kind or another of tapas be given to him. Tapas and discipline always came from the guru. §
Applying Tapas Instead Of Discipline§
253 ¶The senior minority group never disciplined anyone, though they did correct to try to bring each one into line with the śāstras that governed our culture. If someone was out of harmony within the monastery, he was out of harmony with his guru, and it was recommended through the Umāgaṇeśa to the guru that one kind or another of tapas be given to him. Tapas and discipline always came from the guru. The senior group always approached the entire population in the monastery from the perspective that each one arrived on this planet in a perfect state, and if anything was askew with anyone it was because of some external thing that came to him from this planet. It was not inherent in themselves, but simply had to be dealt with. And so, if problems occurred, they would recommend certain prescribed kinds of tapas as remedies, and if the guru acquiesced, tapas was given and the matter righted itself. §
Three Kinds Of Dravidian Tapas§
254 ¶Three of the basic kinds of tapas given are called Dravidian tapas. Sitting alone by oneself for long periods of time, breathing and waiting while the devas in the Second World heal and harmonize the forces was one. Another was walking for long periods of time alone, with the devas in the Second World running along beside him, breathing and refraining from thinking but simply feeling the forces of the body. And the other was called, “the quest for the guru.” A monastic would be sent away from the monastery to find and travel with his guru. The gurus of our time worked with this tapas, trying to always avoid them, hide from them, until such a time they let themselves be found. Then he would travel for a time with his guru and be left alone at one of the monasteries. §
Senior Minority Meetings§
255 ¶Every member of each senior group were all of one area of the mind. They would rarely discuss anything, just look at each other, know and nod. Each individual spokesman of the winds would just speak out. The Umāgaṇeśa, in a quiet, humble way, would guide the meeting along, and when they met, everything was there—the darshan was there, the problems were there, the Deity was there, the devas were there, the guru was there. They were amazingly of one mind. When tapas was given, it was always given by the guru and ended by him, either in person, but more often through one of the spokesmen of the senior minority group. He instructed the Umāgaṇeśa; the Umāgaṇeśa always conveyed the guru’s instructions to the entire group and then, either privately or in the group, told the Umādeva, and the Hanumān, how the guru wished his instructions to be carried out. And so we see that the Umāgaṇeśa, in his wisdom and compassion, was the spokesman of the guru and nothing more. §
The daily routine was easy-going, simple, yet lively, with a lot of force for the fulfillment of the mission, but no real complications or congested forces ever occurred, because of the immediate residency, and everyone had enough time for everything. §
Routine, Simple and Easy-Going§
256 ¶In large monasteries the senior minority met regularly, at least four or five times each moon. In small monasteries they would have to meet for long periods each day. Sometimes twice a day. Meetings were always scheduled by the Umāgaṇeśa under the instruction of the guru, who would set the pattern for the formula each monastery was to function under. All monastic problems were handled by the devas or the guru, and it was only those who performed good sādhana by the walls who were allowed to enter the monastery. And so, the daily routine was easy-going, simple, yet lively, with a lot of force for the fulfillment of the mission, but no real complications or congested forces ever occurred, because of the immediate residency, and everyone had enough time for everything. The senior group never made decisions on previous flows or routines that had been established or tried to alter them in any way. Each one was so highly trained, this was not necessary. In the larger monasteries they just gave approval or disapproval to the timing of events and looked after how these events were being handled, especially if they were ones that did not occur too often. §
The Main Duties of the Hanumān§
257 ¶It was the Hanumān and his assistant who coordinated—from the core of the monastery out way beyond the wall into the devasthānam—all of the activities and events of various and varied natures, especially those that were not in the total direction of an executive, artisan, brāhmin, mohan or swāmī, and he would fill in for anyone of them to see to the smooth flow of their duties if they were transferred from one monastery to another. He performed his work in an unseen way. No one knew who the Hanumān was, and sometimes, in an important event, the Hanumān would form a committee of other members, and there would be under his direction four or five Hanumāns within the monastery, handling the event. §
Hanumān’s Flow of Information§
258 ¶Those within the devasthānam seeking entrance were closely watched by the Hanumān, and their needs were always met in unseen ways. Occasionally he would work with the Umādeva, and groups would be spoken to and individuals simultaneously—after the group meeting—in this way. But, of course, they never initiated anything. His instructions came from the Umāgaṇeśa, who in his wisdom, received his instructions from the śāstras and our guru. §
Speaking Out, but not Being Known§
259 ¶In a large Śaivite monastery, mohans of the east wind would speak to the entire monastery occasionally and talk of monastic life and occurrences and activities within other monasteries. Swāmīs of the east wind would speak of the philosophy, as well as mature brāhmins. The Hanumān would also speak, as well as the artisans would address their apprentices as well as others. In monasteries such as these, it was not difficult to speak, as well as not be known. And in these large monasteries, no one knew or cared actually who was in the senior group. The activity and attention was placed elsewhere. §
Adjustment Of OTM Members§
260 ¶Our Śaivite gurus could change, for reasons of their own, different members of the senior minority group by simply moving a few new sādhakas into the monastery, taking out a few or putting someone into mahā tapas or reducing, because of another type of tapas, monastic age to six-years old. In this way they could balance the forces if the senior group or any member of it were becoming out of harmony with the responsibility of polarizing so much of the darshan or for any other reason. These were such humble souls and inwardly expressive, that their gatherings were inspirational to each and every one of them. On rare occasions when they met, the many within the monastery would feel the vibration and sit and meditate. To eliminate more of the animal nature in this great priesthood, many kinds of different names were given, names with and without meaning to the individuals, and these names would be changed occasionally, especially during the time they lived by the wall. §
Training Young Monastics§
261 ¶The senior minority group was primarily concerned with the training of the monastics, and through the great calendar log at regular intervals, the Umādeva would be sent on tour through the monastery to inquire from the artisan and the new monastic himself as to how his training was being attended to, making his own observations as well. He would always do this incognito, of course, and in a very humble, quiet way. If the training was not properly being done, the artisan or executive would be called to meet with the senior minority group to seek solutions to the problem. They knew that the first three moons after entering the monastery were the most important for a new monastic, and if he was tended well during that time, everything would go well with him from that time. The Umādeva or his assistant hovered close to new monastics for their first three moons, sometimes giving daily reports as to their proper orientation. However, no training or concern was given to anyone within the devasthānam seeking entrance into the monastery. §
Orienting Monastic Newcomers§
262 ¶Regularly, the Hanuman or his assistant would speak to the entire group, as would others who spoke to groups. Most of the monastic orientation has already been given to those who entered the devasthānam from the family they had been living with, studying, learning and preparing themselves with. It was felt that a newcomer into the monastery may be a guru or a God in disguise. The gurus of our time were often traveling around, entering the monasteries of other gurus as new monastics. They did this in order to allow themselves time to work inwardly and to help the guru whose monastery they entered, as all of these gurus gathered together in inner conclave in the Second World to plan their strategy. §
Many tribes were forming at this time, and it was necessary to send swāmīs into these tribal areas to teach the most outstanding leaders, so that they could pass it on to those about them. §
Among the Broader Community§
263 ¶Senior minority groups in the monasteries faced other kinds of problems as well. Acquisition of land, building of buildings all had to be taken care of without upsetting or disturbing the darshan flow. Many tribes were forming at this time, and it was necessary to send swāmīs into these tribal areas to teach the most outstanding leaders, so that they could pass it on to those about them. Other problems, too, such as negotiation for water, seeing to the flow of food and gold—which was very important and helped to hold the vibration of the darshan in the temple—existed. They also had to prove themselves to the tribal community, that they could maintain the monastery in good order so that the community would come, sit by the wall and listen to the dissertations of teaching through the holes in it. §
Forming A New Monastery§
264 ¶When these monasteries were formed, it was the most senior one third of the senior minority group of each of the guru’s monasteries that would become the new residents of the new one. This might occur every three or four years. This selection of monastics would give all of the power necessary to form a new monastery, because they took with them some of the power from all of the other monasteries. The guru may work within the new monastery, or never enter it until it’s well established, but work with them from a distance. Also, their most senior monastics knew how to prove themselves to the surrounding community for the first three or four years, as well as bring in new sādhakas into the monastery. In four years, when the monastery was well founded and artisans had been brought from other monasteries, these senior members would begin to leave, allowing the growth to come from those who had been entered into the monastery during that time.§