Chapter 14§
The Family
कुटुम्ब
URTURING HINDU CULTURE IS THE FIRST OBLIGATION OF THE FAMILY, THE BEDROCK OF SOCIETY, RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS MEMBERS’ SPIRITUAL, SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC LIFE. ALL RECEIVE STRENGTH AND COURAGE IN THE RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES LOVINGLY GUIDED BY THE MUKHYA, FAMILY HEAD, AND HIS WIFE, GṚIHINĪ, THE GODDESS OF THE HOME. TOGETHER THEY REIGN BENIGNLY TO RAISE UP A NEW GENERATION OF OUTSTANDING CITIZENS.§
247 ¶The United Nations rightly describes the family as the basic unit of society, performing essential socio-economic functions. It is “the primary source of nurturing, as well as a conduit for the transmission of values, culture and information.” All nations know that one criminal can do much damage. Avoiding the creation of criminals is one of the services the family provides. The family is the moral refuge and training center. It is the transmitter of values and knowledge. The family is the basic survival unit. §
Fundamental Unit: the Joint Family§
248 ¶The joint family is the core family group. It is human society’s most essential element, consisting of several generations of kindred living together under the same roof or in an adjoining compound. Traditionally, joint families live in a large single home, but in modern times accommodations are often in individual, nuclear homes within a shared compound. The joint family includes the father and mother, sons, grandsons and great-grandsons with their spouses, as well as the daughters, granddaughters and great-granddaughters until marriage. Thus it often comprises several married couples and their children. The head of the joint family, called kuṭumba mukhya (also mukhya or kartṛi), is the father, supported by the mother, and in his absence, the elder son, guided by his mother and supported by his spouse. From an early age, the eldest son is given special training by his father to assume this future responsibility as head of the family. In the event of the father’s death, sacred law does allow for the splitting of the family wealth between the sons. Division of family assets may also be necessary in cases where sons are involved in different professions and live in different towns, when there is an inability for all to get along under one roof, or when the family becomes unmanageably large. Each individual family of husband, wife and children is under the guidance of the head of the joint family. All work together unselfishly to further the common good. The main characteristics of the joint family are that its members: 1) share a common residence, 2) partake of food prepared in the same kitchen, 3) hold their property in common and, 4) ideally, profess the same religion, sect and sampradāya. §
Joint Family And Extended Family§
249 ¶Each joint family extends out from its home to include a second level of connections as an “extended family,” bṛihatkuṭumba or mahākuṭumba, consisting of one or more joint families plus their broader associations and affiliations. Unlike the joint family, whose members live in close proximity, the extended family is often geographically widespread. Each extended family is headed by a patriarch, called kulapati in our fellowship, who is one of the joint family mukhyas recognized as the leader by all in the joint families of his clan. He and all in the family are in turn under the guidance of the kulaguru, or family preceptor. Traditionally, extended families include, in order of precedence: priests of the faith; elder men and women of the community; in-laws of married daughters; married daughters, granddaughters, great-granddaughters and the spouses and children of these married girls; members of the staff and their families and those closely associated with the joint family business or home; maternal great-grandparents and grandparents, parents, uncles and their spouses, aunts and their spouses, children and grandchildren of these families; very close friends and their children and members of the community at large. In all traditional cultures, each joint family extends out from itself as an extended family.§
The Extended Families of Our Fellowship§
250 ¶In our Church, all nonmonastic śishyas, be they married, single, brahmachārī or brahmachāriṇī, are part of one of our extended families, bṛihat kuṭumba. Fifty-four bṛihat kuṭumbas were established at the start of 1994. There will be more in the years ahead. These families differ from the traditional extended family in that they are made up of joint families not necessarily related by blood or marriage. Rather, they are related and bound together by mutual commitment to the Kailāsa Paramparā and by their karmas from former lives. “There are no accidents in Śiva’s perfect universe.” Each Church bṛihat kuṭumba includes spiritual members unrelated by blood or marriage, such as orphans, widows, avowed brahmachārīs and brahmachāriṇīs, married couples, and men or women whose spouses are not Church members and śishyas in the wisdom years of sannyāsa āśrama. Each of these individuals is either a foster or adoptive member of a kulapati family. §
The Leaders Of Extended Families§
251 ¶Each bṛihat kuṭumba is built around a senior and mature kuṭumba in which both husband and wife are dedicated Church members. The husband is called the kulapati, assisted by his wife, kulamātā. Kulapatis are designated by the Pīṭham, distinguished as heads of stable, well-settled households who are able and willing to serve in this way, including assisting, guiding and overseeing in gentle, constructive ways arulśishyas and Church members they accept as foster or adoptive members of their extended family. Kulapatis and kulamātās are dedicated helpers of the Pīṭham, devout, hard-working, evergrateful and self-sacrificing missionaries. In short, they are the strength and the energy which all Church members depend upon in fulfillment of dharma and the mission of our paramparā. §
There is nothing higher than dharma. Verily, that which is dharma is truth.§
ŚUKLA YAJUR VEDA, BRIHADU 1.4.14. BO UPH, 84§
Guidance From the Śaivite Śāstras§
252 ¶In writing the Śaivite Śāstras in 1973, the inner-plane masters looked forward to 1995 and gave the following overview, in verses 211, as to how families of the fellowship should conduct their lives so as to maintain the core of sublimity within their homes. “The surrounding community always took its pattern from the monastery itself. The parents, the senior minority, humble and transparent, yet firm in seeing their home was connected to the śakti flow of the monastery’s temple, raised the children in a similar way that the monastics were trained. The son became the apprentice of the father, the daughter the apprentice of the mother.” §
Family Purpose and Training§
253 ¶Verse 212 of the Śaivite Śāstras defines the purpose of each family: “The existence of the Śaivite family was for the perpetuation of their religion, its vibration and its tenets, through the living of it. They observed all days when the Deity’s power was strong and participated at every opportunity with other Śaivites ‘round the world. Through association with orthodox Śaivites of India and Sri Lanka, Western Śaivite families found a deeper protocol. This intermingling was encouraged by the guru, as there was no set pattern for the families to follow, other than the swāmī encouraging families to shape the pattern of their lives as closely to the monastery monastic śāstric flow itself. In doing so, the Deities and devas worked in the exact same way with the families as they did with the natyam and sādhaka.” Verses 213-214 explain that “The guru worked with the families in the same way he worked with a single monastery. Each family’s household was looked at as a complete monastery if it had two or more children.…There was little formal teaching of the families as to how they should live. This knowledge was picked up here and there and everywhere and through observation, reading of the Śāstras and the association with well established Śaivite families.”§
Wisdom Regarding House Guests§
254 ¶Sūtra 135 explains, “Śiva’s householder followers, to protect family sanctity and avoid magnetic entanglements, do not allow adult guests in their home for more than three nights who are not part of their extended family. Aum Namaḥ Śivāya.” In this context, we define adult as age 20 and older. Guest stays may be longer for those who are younger. Such guests should either be Church members or arulśishyas. It is naturally expected that they fit into the family as proper sons or daughters. It is discretionary how long they should stay, but wisdom suggests a maximum of 39 days, especially for anyone who is no longer a virgin. Tradition sets other guidelines for guests in the home. For example, a widow with daughters would not invite male guests who had entered puberty. Church families whose homes do not meet mission-house standards should not accept as overnight guests Church members, Academy students or other Church guests. §
Adoptive Family Members§
255 ¶Sūtra 133 states, “Śiva’s followers know the most stable societies are based on the extended family. They often merge individuals with families and families with families in one home or complex, for economy, sharing and religiousness. Aum.” This aphorism encompasses the spiritual adoptive, gṛihatāṅga, who lives in the kulapati’s home under a detailed, formal, written agreement. Adoptives are treated not as a guests but as close family. Thus, they share in household chores and concerns and contribute financially as well. §
Foster Family Members§
256 ¶Spiritual foster members, poshitāṅgas, reside outside the home, relying on the strength and guidance of the extended family and participating occasionally in Family Monday Evening, especially during festival times. They may visit their kulapati family and live in the family home as members of the family whenever it is convenient. Their relationship with the family is as close as that of an aunt or uncle. Spiritual foster members may be Church members or arulśishyas. Overnight stays in the kulapati home are limited to three nights for arulśishyas. Church members may, at the discretion of the family, stay as guest in their kulapati home for up to nine nights. Foster members include: 1) single individuals, 2) entire families in the beginning stages of membership and 3) married persons whose spouses are not members. A minimum of 39 nights must elapse between such overnight stays.§
The Process Of Spiritual Adoption§
257 ¶Adoptive residents of a kulapati family are generally single individuals who would otherwise live alone. In order to be adopted into an extended family as a full-time resident, a śishya must first complete a six-month-and-nine-day trial period as a foster member. The visit is reviewed after the initial nine days, and up to one month is added if all is going well. When that month has elapsed, the stay is again reviewed by the joint family, and the invitation may be extended for up to an additional two months, after which another review is made and the visit may be extended for a final three months. If at the end of this six-month-and-nine-day residency the foster member is deemed by the joint family to be an adoptive, thirty-nine days must elapse before he or she returns to reside permanently in the home.§
Earth is upheld by Truth. Heaven is upheld by the sun. The solar regions are supported by eternal laws, ṛita. The elixir of divine love is supreme in heaven.§
ṚIG VEDA 10.85.1. RVP, 4347§
The Written Adoption Agreement§
258 ¶During the one month apart from the family, a written agreement is drawn up with blessings from the Pīṭham. The adoption is formalized and acknowledged through special ceremony. The resident guest flow described above is given in the Śaivite Śāstras, which govern our monasteries. It is implemented here for families to ensure full devonic support within each home. The covenant between the adoptive and the heads of the family explains the expectations of all parties, the duties, responsibilities, rules and financial arrangements. In drawing up the agreement, factors to consider include: 1) astrological compatibility charts between the adoptive and family members; 2) frank disclosure of biographical information, especially personal problems, including health and finances. During the adoption ceremony, an archana is performed invoking the blessings of the Gods, and the covenant is signed by both parties. Four copies are made. One is kept by the family, one is kept by the adoptive, one is sent to the Aadheenam, and one to the Devaloka through the sacred fire. The covenant is automatically voided if an adoptive or the hosting family withdraws from Church membership. §
Family Monday Evening§
259 ¶Family togetherness is a key to a healthy, welcoming, loving family. It is essential for the immediate family to meet each Monday evening, the day on which family devas are commissioned to be active in the pretaloka, close to the physical world to assist the family in forming strong, vibrant connections for a dynamic, healthy, wealthy future. As explained in sūtra 90: “Each of Śiva’s devotees who is a husband spends time with his wife and children daily. Monday is a family evening at home. One night monthly is devoted to the wife alone in an activity of her choice. Aum Namaḥ Śivāya.” This evening at home is a family event for permanent residents, foster-members and overnight guests. The family devas must be thought of and invoked on kula somavāra sāya, for Monday is their day to come close to their immediate family. §
Family Home Evening Is A Fun Time§
260 ¶Kula somavāra sāya is not a time to look for problems or to correct behavior. It is not a time to be feared or avoided. It is a time to look forward to, a time for showing love and affection, a time of overlooking all the humanness that has transpired during the week, a time for open-heartedness, nonverbalized forgiveness, a time when the good qualities of each member are unfailingly spoken of. If a serious problem does occur that involves the whole family, it must be discussed, but at another meeting. Kula somavāra sāya, Family Monday Evening, is a fun time, a party time, a time of sharing goodwill and happy faces, a time looked forward to by all. All praise the others, share the experiences of the week, help one another in supportive ways and just enjoy each others’ company. §
Worshiping At a Local Śaivite Temple §
261 ¶The temple should be visited for devout worship at least once a week. In most communities, Friday is honored as a special day to visit the temple. This is also a time of family togetherness, when all join in devout pilgrimage to a temple near or far, having prepared mentally, bathed properly and made or purchased offerings for the Gods and dressed in their finest Hindu clothing. As our Śaivite Śāstras state in verse 293: “The families were carefully guided into areas where temples existed for their frequent pilgrimage, worship and security. It was not considered right that families live further than a day’s journey to a Śaivite temple, and that temple was open every day.”§
Centrality Of the Sacred Home Shrine§
262 ¶Sūtra 291 stipulates, “All my devotees must have an absolutely breathtaking home shrine, used solely for meditation and worship of Śivaliṅga, Naṭarāja, Murugan, Gaṇeśa and the satguru’s tiruvadi. This is the home’s most beautiful room. Aum.” The home shrine is an extension of the temple. It is the spiritual core of the home, where the entire family gathers each morning for pūjā and meditation. The placement of the Deities in the home shrine is as follows: at the left is Lord Gaṇeśa, to the right is Lord Murugan. In the center, from back to front, are Śiva Naṭarāja, Śivaliṅga and tiruvadi, the holy sandals of the satguru. Ardhanārīśvara is placed in a shrine or alcove apart from the main altar at the rear of the room, as in Kadavul Hindu Temple. §
Family Guardian Devas§
263 ¶Each family has numerous guardian devas. Many of them are the devas assigned to oversee and protect individuals. Others are drawn from near-by temples, attracted by the pūjās performed in the home shrine before sunrise during brāhma muhūrta. Still others are celestial beings from far-off temples who return with the family after the yearly pilgrimage to help in many ways and inspire them to take the next yearly pilgrimage. This build-up of guardian devas, guest devas and the guardian devas of new foster or adoptive members is similar to the ever-increasing population of devas within an aadheenam or dharmaśāla as it matures through the years. If the family stops their sādhana during brāhma muhūrta, however, the home loses its magnetism, its spiritual power. The array of devas begins to slowly drift away, some returning to the temples whence they came, others performing duties elsewhere, among righteous families that invoke their presence. In the vacuum left by their departure, asuras move in and begin to take over the home, causing argument among family members and the inability to see eye to eye. It is often asked how to know if devas or asuras are in a home. An easy test is through feeling. Does the home feel full, secure, harmonious? Or does it feel empty, insecure and contentious? That is all we need to know to determine who the astral inhabitants are. §
When a man is born, whoever he may be, there is born simultaneously a debt to the Gods, to the sages, to the ancestors and to men.§
ŚUKLA YAJUR VEDA, SATABR 1.7.2.1. VE, 393§
Families Living Near A Monastery§
264 ¶Church families who live close to the Aadheenam or a dharmaśāla are very fortunate to be in such proximity to the central śakti flow radiating out from these sacred sanctuaries of sādhana and pūjā. Theirs is the blessing to be able to worship and meditate daily at the holy tīrthas. And theirs is the boon to be relied upon to perform service, maṭhaseva, for the monastery. This may include hosting visiting swāmīs, pilgrims, important people and truth seekers, giving hospitality, lodging and transportation; preparing prasāda, cooking for gatherings, harvesting produce, caring for certain areas of the grounds, sewing, making garlands and other decorations for festivals and more. Hosting for Church guests, be it for short visits or overnight stays, is done in homes where both husband and wife and all permanent residents are fellowship śishyas. The blessings come in the performance of these expected services. These families so blessed are regarded as pillars of the fellowship and are responsible to see that their offspring are always the best examples to the community at large.§
Duties of Kulapatis and Kulamātās§
265 ¶It is the responsibility of each kulapati to gently implement our articles of faith and conduct within his extended family, including the Five Precepts, Five Practices, Five Parenting Guidelines and the 365 Nandinātha Sūtras so that by fulfilling dharma each family member attains life’s three other goals: artha, “prosperity;” kāma, “pleasure;” and moksha, enlightenment and liberation from rebirth. A great weight is placed upon the shoulders of kulapatis and kulamātās of our paramparā to manage their families with expert kindness, expert firmness, expert love and expert wisdom. It is up to this band of souls to set new standards in contemporary Hindu communities. All the help needed is available for the asking. Each kulapati is encouraged to communicate with the Guru Mahāsannidhānam several times a year regarding his family’s current welfare. §
Knitting Together Our Global Church§
266 ¶Each kulapati and kulamātā can make a profound and important difference in their own lives, in their family’s life, their community’s life, their nation’s life, our planet’s life and ultimately in the lives of all those in the history yet to come. In the spirit of global strength, the kulapatis are encouraged to know personally all of the kulapatis worldwide and to help arrange marriages in and among established families of the Church. It is the duty of kulapatis to inspire one and all in the family community to form praśnottara satsaṅga. It is the responsibility of the kulapatis and kulamātās to encourage foster mukhyas and gṛihiṇīs to qualify as a kulapatis and kulamātās and to train them in the implementation of these Śaiva Dharma Śāstras. It is the mission of the kulapatis and kulamātās to establish and maintain dynamic Master Course teaching programs to bring in new members and to help Śaiva souls to fully convert to Śaivism. The distribution of publications, the planning of yearly pilgrimages, festivals and much more is what these kulapati families are inspired, by the great beings in the inner worlds, to accomplish individually and collectively. It is the good conduct and steadfastness of the next generation that will provide proof of their successes. §
The Elder Retirement Years§
267 ¶When Church family members reach the sannyāsa āśrama at the physical age of 72, their duties and titles change. A special ceremony is held for them, as it has been held down through Śaiva history for those entering the final and most blessed āśrama. Now, having turned over their responsibilities to their successors, they enjoy the wisdom years in peaceful contentment and inner pursuits which focus on the eternal truths of the Vedas and their satguru’s teachings. Theirs is a position of respect, and their advice is listened to. When they are among the kulapatis, they may say little, yet their every look and expression is observed and understood as the elder’s unspoken judgment of what is right and proper. Their advice and comments are taken faithfully to the kulapati chakravāla and conveyed respectfully in the discussions. They comprise an informal saṅga of elders among themselves, keeping a gentle, sagely overview of the welfare of the families of the missions and the international Hindu Church as a whole. Kulapatis and kulamātās after age 72 are known as ṛishipatis and ṛishimātās. At fellowship events, they are not asked to give announcements, but they may be brought forward to give blessings, and special seats are arranged for them. Thus it is that members over age 72 fulfill the traditional role of retired elders, taking advantage of their wisdom years to turn within through rāja yoga, allowing the younger generations to take up the spiritual and secular duties they have left behind. More than often these elders elect to remain aloof from the community duties that consumed their earlier years, choosing some special spiritual service suited to their experience and nature and for which they had insufficient freedom of time to undertake in years gone by. By such positive and energetic efforts they leave behind a legacy of their earthly experiences in such high-minded projects as translations of our teachings, publications work, art and cultural projects, philosophically-centered community service, teaching the Śaivite Hindu Religion course to the young, and much, much more, all of which, as of 1995, is already happening among our eldest of elders.§
Pursuit of the duties of the stage of life to which each one belongs—that, verily, is the rule! Others are like branches of a stem. With this, one tends upwards; otherwise, downwards.§
KṚISHṆA YAJUR VEDA, MAITU 4.3. BO UPR, 810§
Business Rules of the Fellowship§
268 ¶166-170 summarize our central ethics for conducting business within the fellowship, based on injunctions given in our Śaivite Śāstras.§
1. SŪTRA 166, BUSINESS AMOUNG MEMBERS
My Church members may employ other members, provided payment is made promptly each Friday. They may receive blessings to go into business with one another if their relationships are harmonious and spiritual. Aum.§
2. SŪTRA 167, CONTRACTS AND ARBITRATION
My worldly-wise devotees never enter into business transactions without a written contract. In cases of dispute, they avoid courts of law and seek judgment from an arbitration board within their community. Aum.§
3. SŪTRA 168, NOT BORROWING OR GIVING CREDIT
My devotees, to safeguard harmony, never borrow or lend money among themselves or give credit to one another, even for interest. They may do business together, but only through immediate cash transactions. Aum. §
4. SŪTRA 169, TREATMENT OF EMPLOYEES AND SERVANTS
My devotees treat servants and employees honorably, as they would members of their own family, never neglecting or taking advantage of them. They provide conditions that are safe, healthful and uplifting. Aum.§
5. SŪTRA 170, BORROWING FROM OTHERS
My wise devotees never borrow from a monastery or temple. They may borrow belongings from other devotees, provided objects are returned within twenty-four hours after the purpose is fulfilled. Aum Namaḥ Śivāya.§
About Unresolved Debts§
269 ¶The Pīṭham developed a unique way of resolving matters when transactions persisted beyond three days between family and family or monastery and family. The prāyaśchitta to remove the stress between the two parties was to increase the amount owed by one per cent each day the payment was delayed. Similarly, there developed a unique prāyaśchitta to compensate the mental strain that personal money-lending creates within the fellowship. When the Śāstras were not heeded and loans were made and not repaid, when the matter came before the Pīṭham, the loan was always considered a gift from the lending family to the recipient family. Should remorse later set in and the borrowing family wish to repay the debt to resolve the karma, the money was always directed into the Hindu Heritage Endowment to benefit the Kauai maṭhavāsis. This strong penance put a halt to much worldliness which could occur as the families became closer and more trusting of each other. This penance is based on similar practices within the Chettiar community of South India, who learned to renounce unpaid debts and to give to a Lord Murugan Koyil any payment that comes after that renunciation. Equally important was the giving of credit. The sūtras admonish us to effect “cash and carry,” and no form of credit was allowed. However, there were times when businesses and families gave credit for services rendered and goods provided. When such matters came before the Pīṭham, the prāyaśchitta always was that if payment was not received within 180 days, which is six months, the books were wiped clean. Again should payment occur due to the remorse of the receiver, it was given to the Hindu Heritage Endowment to benefit the Kauai maṭhavāsis. This alone brought much mental freedom and as a result attracted great wealth. §
On the Hiring of Members§
270 ¶The Church’s hiring of skilled labor among our membership did serve a worthwhile purpose for a few years before 1995. However, as more and more came closer to the monasteries, it became obvious that this was not to be continued for many good reasons. First, not all could be hired, and favoritism was damaging to the sādhana of all. Secondly, payment within a 72-hour period, a discipline required by our Śāstras, was inconsistent with office procedures and difficult to administrate. Thirdly, as all had vowed to uphold the*365 54 sūtras that set forth the ideals of Śivathondu and seva, there arose an unacceptable disparity between members who served for no compensation and others who were paid, a condition that was unfair to one and all alike. For these several reasons, the hiring of skilled and unskilled helpers within the fellowship was gradually discontinued and eventually eliminated. All current agreements as of 1995 were considered to expire no later than the kumbhābhisheka of Iraivan Temple, and in the meantime no new arrangements were made. §
That splendor that resides in an elephant, in a king, among men, or within the waters, with which the Gods in the beginning came to Godhood, with that same splendor make me splendid, O Lord. §
ATHARVA VEDA 3.22.3. VE, 344§
Caution of Growing too Large or Fast§
271 ¶The maṭhavāsis were admonished not to allow their institutions, Kauai Aadheenam and its dharmaśālas to grow faster or larger than they themselves could easily manage. Not being able to hire members and students and not wanting undue outside influences, forces and projects to burden the monastery, each talaivar began to limit by design the service of his kulam within the capabilities of the monks allotted. This slowly reduced the need for hiring current or former fellowship members and students for any reason. However, nonmembers were sometimes hired, part-time or full-time, for various tasks that the monks could not perform. The freedom to dismiss employed nonmembers without hurt feelings was beneficial, and the giving of work outside the membership was much appreciated by the community at large. §
Emphasis On Service Given Freely§
272 ¶Building, gardening and typing the sacred texts in their homes are some of the many ways in which Church members may perform Śivathondu. These have in years past proven to grant satisfaction and rewards of puṇya. The members’ many contributions have been an important connection for them to Śiva’s sacred work and a positive way they have helped their Church. Our paramaguru Yogaswāmī’s Śivathondan Society, founded in 1935, always had its members serve food and perform other loving, humble tasks. §
Hiring of Professional Non-Members§
273 ¶Similarly, all involvements in Śaiva Siddhānta Church are kept on a simple, nonworldly level. Members are never allowed to become involved in the intricacies of managing the Church, HHE, Himālayan Academy and other institutions, for this would involve too close an outer relationship with the maṭhavāsis. Thus it is that all professional services for the monasteries are to be provided by competent people outside the Church membership, and this principle applies equally and in all instances to students of Himālayan Academy. These include medical, legal, business, computer, financial, public relations needs and similar categories. §
Maṭhavāsis’ Upholding Responsibility§
274 ¶The maṭhavāsis had been trained in, and in the future shall uphold, the edict that they handle all funds and business themselves, never relinquishing those key responsibilities to others, however qualified or willing they may be. The monks are cautioned that letting these responsibilities go, giving up the close self-management of their maṭha to family members, as often happens in India in modern times, would be the beginning of the end of Kauai Aadheenam and its dharmaśālas as founded and envisioned by me. Uncontrolled growth, which is the outcome of wanting to do more than is possible, leads to bringing in more and more unqualified members which leads to an unbalanced largeness. Smallness in numbers of monks and close devotees was appreciated as a strength, and largeness as a weakness to be overcome and corrected. A total separation between the family community and the monastic community emerged to strengthen both. The families came to the monasteries to worship externally and then learn to worship internally through Shum meditations. They became strong outreach arms of the monks, carrying the mission of their missions far beyond expectations. §
Liaison Officers of The Church§
275 ¶In early years, liaison officers were employed by the Church in India and Sri Lanka to coordinate travel and trade in these holy lands. In some cases those employed were also close śishyas, members of Śaiva Siddhānta Church, who served faithfully and selflessly for many years up until the time of Iraivan’s kumbhābhisheka. After that date, however, the guidelines delineated above were applied to these duties as well. Thus, in the future of futures, if liaison officers are needed, they shall be employed from the general public, outside our membership.§
About the Following Chapter§
276 ¶The fleeting moments of life unfold in four stages that we progress through: studentship, householder life, retirement and the wisdom years. To make each stage as perfect as possible is the great challenge, and it is marriage which often poses the greatest challenge of all. In the next chapter we explore the time-proven system of the family’s beginning, marriage, and learn how the entire community must be involved to make everything work out well. §
May Mitra, Varuṇa and Aryaman grant us freedom and space enough for us and for our children! May we find pleasant pathways, good to travel! Preserve us evermore, O Gods, with blessings§
Ṛig Veda 7.63.6. VE, 822§
When family life possesses love and virtue, that is both its essence and fruition. §
Tirukural 45. TW§