Chapter 18§
Family Missions
गृहस्थप्रॆषन
EFINED, SUBLIME AND CONTENTED, FAMILY MEMBERS GATHER IN FELLOWSHIP, IN CHURCH MISSIONS LARGE AND SMALL. DEDICATED TO THE SPIRITUAL UPLIFTMENT OF EACH INDIVIDUAL AND EXTENDED FAMILY, THEY CONVENE FOR WORSHIP, SĀDHANA, STUDY AND SERVICE TO IMPLEMENT IN THEIR DAILY LIVES AND MAKE AVAILABLE TO OTHERS THE ENLIGHTENED TEACHINGS OF THE VENERABLE NANDINĀTHA SAMPRADĀYA’S KAILĀSA PARAMPARĀ.§
353 ¶All missions are bound to follow the instructions given in these Śaiva Dharma Śāstras, 1995 edition. It is imperative that all heed all edicts given from the Kailāsa Pīṭham at Kauai Aadheenam. Many of these dictates are brought forth in these Śāstras, and more will come in special addendums and bhāshyas from time to time as we grow and expand our horizons. It must be emphasized that all fellowship missions are guided directly by Kauai Aadheenam. Missions are not guided by our branch monasteries or national Church bodies, such as Śaiva Siddhānta Church of Mauritius. Missions are not branches of the parent Church. They are extensions of the parent Church, and all the missions make up the body of the whole. Missions have no decision-making authority. They are local congregations joining together in the name of the Church for the purposes of worship, study and personal change through self effort. §
Participation And Church Guidance§
354 ¶The principles of mission membership are as follows:§
1. Each mission is an extension of the parent Church, whose international headquarters and spiritual nucleus is Kauai Aadheenam in Hawaii, USA.§
2. Membership in the mission is restricted to members of the parent Church. Therefore, each mission is an association of local members who are part of the world assembly of devotees.§
3. Parent Church membership is renewed yearly by formally rededicating one’s loyalties to the Guru Mahāsannidhānam at Guru Pūrṇimā in July. Those who do not rededicate at that time are not eligible to participate in activities. §
4. Missions are encouraged to hold a yearly one-day open house, before or during Pañcha Gaṇapati, in December, for students, neighbors, friends and relatives to familiarize them with the teachings. An open house may be held by one mission or by two or more missions joining together.§
The Purpose Of Church Missions§
355 ¶The primary objective of each mission is to preserve the faith and tradition and serve the needs of the local congregation. Through its activities, each council on missions, the administrative group, seeks to uplift and guide its members in the fulfillment of all four aspects of life: spiritual, social, cultural and economic. First and foremost is the emphasis on personal daily sādhana and weekly satsaṅga, resulting in spiritual unfoldment of the soul, the stress being more on inner striving than outer expression. The goal of the mission is unrelenting religious or selfless service in fulfillment of the common goals. The higher beings work with all on the physical plane who gather for this purpose. It is well known that at this time in the Kali Yuga individuals by themselves are less effective than highly cooperative, harmonious groups for a dynamic religious service to reach its height. The Śaivite Śāstras offer a brief summary in verse 356: “The Society [mission] performs all the functions of the village. It conducts the funerals, the weddings and fulfills the ceremonial saṁskāras of our religion.”§
Indomitable Religious Spirit§
356 ¶The missions are defined more by what the members don’t do than by what they do do. They don’t eat meat, fish, fowl, reptiles, mollusks, insects, eggs or shellfish. They don’t argue or cause contention at home or in a group. They don’t cause problems within the community. They don’t indulge in backbiting or hurtful gossip. They don’t get divorced, they don’t permit abortions and they don’t abuse substances, spouses or children. Wives are not employed outside the home, and they do not involve themselves excessively in activities that would draw them away from the family, such as sports, personal projects, dinner parties, business enterprises in the home, even Church gatherings—anything that would cause them to neglect their strī dharma even for a day. They are housewives first and Śivathondars second. These traditions of purity are followed for health and security benefits to the entire family. The above-mentioned virtues indicate their striving on the San Mārga, the straight path to God Śiva’s holy feet, for the attainment of moksha that these śishya have dedicated their lives to accomplishing. What they do do can well be expressed in one word most dear to our ancient Paramparā: Śivathondu, “service to Śiva.” Their Śivathondu is designated through their council on missions, which works closely with the Pīṭham and the monastic staff.§
Objectives Of our Church Missions§
357 ¶Toward these aims, members work together blending their prārabdha and kriyamāna karmas in an effort to polish their character and strengthen their will, their love and tolerance for others, to establish a high standard of Śaiva culture in the home and in the community. This culture is based on Lemurian Scrolls, Śaiva Dharma Śāstras, Dancing with Śiva, Living with Śiva, Merging with Śiva, The Vedic Experience, Loving Gaṇeśa and other texts—all of which they hold as defining the ultimate sustainable pattern for their lives as families and individuals for this and many, many future generations. Śaiva Siddhānta Church missions are action groups, founded to carry out the “mission of the mission.” Their goals include the following: §
Even as a mirror covered with dust shines brightly when cleaned, so the embodied soul, seeing the truth of ātman, realizes oneness, attains the goal of life and becomes free from sorrow.§
KṚISHṆA YAJUR VEDA, SVETU 2.14. BO UPH, 399§
1. To hold weekly mission satsaṅga implementing the Articles of Conduct and Articles of Faith of our fellowship.§
2. To promote the doctrine of monistic theism by teaching from and encouraging daily study of The Master Course, and by distributing Dancing with Śiva, Hinduism’s Contemporary Catechism. §
3. To promote the doctrine of Hindu solidarity by cultivating good public relations with various Hindu sects and distributing religious literature, especially HINDUISM TODAY, the international Hindu family magazine. §
4. To bring new members into the fellowship and, as membership expands, encourage new Śaiva Siddhānta Church missions to form. §
5. To safeguard and promote the spiritual, social, cultural, economic and educational interests of Śaivites worldwide and to encourage the study and practice of Hinduism among all Hindus. §
6. To provide religious training and personal discipline for children, particularly through the grammar-school level as predicted in Śaivite Śāstra verse 346: “After the Society became well founded and known, it expanded facilities into educating young children in the beginning learnings—how to read, how to write and conduct oneself through life. This training, completed by twelve or fourteen years of age, gave a fine foundation for the next succeeding step, according to their solar astrology.”§
7. To print and freely distribute, as authorized by the Pīṭham, religious books, periodicals, booklets, posters, leaflets, in printed form and on the Internet.§
8. To extend heartfelt rushing-forward invitations for the Guru Mahāsannidhānam and his āchāryas, swāmīs, yogīs and sādhakas to visit their country or locality, to come on yātrā. To cover the expenses incurred by such travel, the members will raise funds. §
9. To form and sustain a Hindu Businessmen’s Association, a Hindu Workingmen’s Association, a Hindu Student’s Association and a Rājarāja Chola Gurukulam for mission members and their children. §
10. To join with other missions to help the Pīṭham establish a local Kauai Aadheenam branch monastery, dharmaśāla. §
11. To perform Śivathondu each week. §
12. To provide candidates for sannyāsa to perpetuate the lineage. §
Invitations to Satguru and Maṭhavāsis§
358 ¶It is up to each mission to extend invitations to the guru and his maṭhavāsi sevakas for each mission and group of missions when they feel they are ready for change, new input and revitalization. This is in accord with tradition—and it is a tradition which is crucial to maintain—whereby the śishya comes to the master, rather than the guru feeling obligated to go to the śishya. However, in the 21st century global village all devotees cannot always be near their guru, for he may live in another nation many thousands of miles away. Thus the new duty of the collective group of śishyas is to invite the guru and/or his maṭhavāsis to come to them, to revitalize their community. Through their collective sādhanas the devotees are ready to receive the maṭhavāsis and make all arrangements within their own mission and the community at large. Having the Guru Mahāsannidhānam present and/or his āchāryas, swāmīs, yogīs and sādhakas is accomplished by all the local missions within the country giving earnest invitations at the proper time.§
How New Missions Are Formed§
359 ¶One or more kulapati families gathering in a particular geographical region may seek blessings to create a mission through filling out a written invitation sent from the Aadheenam. In order to form a mission, at least one home among the families must meet the mission-house standards described later in this chapter. When the mission document is agreed to and signed and permission has been granted, they gather at an auspicious time and take the mission vow promising to uphold to the best of their ability the following five sūtras from Living with Śiva and all other guidelines accompanying the responsibility they are undertaking together. §
1. THE FIRST MISSION APHORISM, SŪTRA 261
My congregation is organized into local missions to nurture religious life through shared worship, extended family gatherings, sacraments and community service, in accordance with the Śaiva Dharma Śāstras. Aum.§
2. THE SECOND MISSION APHORISM, SŪTRA 262
My devotees rush to family gatherings for bhajana, havana satsaĪga and fellowship, to worship devoutly and sing loudly in praise of God, Gods and guru. They attend Śaivite temples weekly and during festivals. Aum. §
3. THE THIRD MISSION APHORISM, SŪTRA 263
At gatherings among themselves, my devotees sing from our Śaiva Church hymnal, primarily Sage Yogaswami’s Natchintanai. When with devotees of other sects, they enthusiastically join in their devotional songs. Aum.§
4. THE FOURTH MISSION APHORISM, SŪTRA 264
My devotees abide by “consensualocracy.” All involved in a decision must unanimously agree and obtain the guru’s blessings before proceeding. No votes are taken based on the majority superceding the minority. Aum.§
5. THE FIFTH MISSION APHORISM, SŪTRA 265
My devotees never apply the principle of unanimous agreement to sovereign edicts issued from Kauai Aadheenam’s seat of power. Such proclamations are the uncontestable law of the satguru. Aum Namaḥ Śivāya.§
The mind, indeed, is this fleeting world. Therefore, it should be purified with great effort. One becomes like that which is in one’s mind—this is the everlasting secret.§
KṚISHṆA YAJUR VEDA, MAITU 6.34. VE, 422§
Official Name of the Missions§
360 ¶The official name of each mission is Śaiva Siddhānta Church (name of city, state or province) Mission. This name is used for all letterheads, newsletters and other printed literature, for signs, and for introductions at public events. For example, the letterhead for the mission in Beau Bassin, Mauritius, would read: “Śaiva Siddhānta Church Beau Bassin Mission.” This pattern has been well established through use for many years. Hindus around the world have come to be proud of their Hindu Church and want to see it flourish and grow. Even the two words Hindu Church have been a boon from the Gods to prevent conversion. The great Swāmī Vivekānanda, who inspired me to take sannyāsa, was also the one who inspired me to fulfill a vision to establish an international Hindu church. No one religion owns the word church. All Church members and Academy students shall be proud to uphold the name Śaiva Siddhānta Church and never seek to change it. Thus, they glorify our Hindu Church as an international body of devotees upholding the dharma of the Vedas to the best of their ability, with individual and collective goals reaching farther than the farthest star. For information on translating the word church into other languages, see chapter one.§
Official Seal: the Tripuṇḍra§
361 ¶Each mission has a common seal bearing its official name. This seal includes the Church symbol or logo, called the tripuṇḍra, consisting of a colored circle with three horizontal white lines or stripes across the middle. In the center is a small circle the same color as the emblem itself with a white center about one fifth the size of the larger circle. This emblem represents the renowned Śaivite symbol, three stripes of gleaming vibhūti (holy ash) across the brow. Holy ash connotes purity, and the three lines signify the burning away of the soul’s triple bondage of āṇava (veil of duality), karma (effects of past deeds) and māyā (the principle of matter). The dot or small circle in the middle represents the pottu, the dot worn by Śiva’s devotees at the point of the third eye, signifying the soul’s spiritual faculties and insight. §
About Social Service and Politics§
362 ¶Each local mission is managed through a council on missions of extended family patriarchs called kulapatis. The council will, from time to time, be required as part of its civic duty to concern itself with community events, with war, with health or medical services, and material relief to the underprivileged, the poor, the handicapped, the uneducated, the homeless or the aged. These are all matters of important and abiding interest to those who have awakened compassion for their fellow man. These concerns, however, should never over-balance the mission’s religious objectives. Mission gatherings are never used as political forums and members never participate in political block voting. Nor do members and students at official gatherings unduly engage in talk of politics, though each is elsewhere free to pursue actively his or her individual political persuasions. Political and social agendas are confined to their separate arenas, being healthy and positive parts of the gṛihastha dharma but not to be intertwined with religious activities.§
The Church Mission House §
363 ¶Each mission has a gathering place, called the mission house, the home of a kulapati, which functions as a hospitality and information center for members and guests, providing security, stability and hospitality for the ongoing work of the fellowship as a whole. It is the site of the monthly full-moon gathering, and it provides an address for the mission. It is in the mission house that the holy tiruvadi reside, the pictures of the Paramparā are displayed, the Gods and the havana kuṇḍa (the fire altar in which prayers are burned) are installed and artifacts given by the Kailāsa Pīṭham are enshrined. The mission house is reestablished each year, in mid-December, at the beginning of the third season, with a house blessing performed by a Śivāchārya or a monastic priest. When possible, a different home is selected each year so that the responsibility and blessings are equally shared. The sacred items are moved to the new location.§
The Mission House Library§
364 ¶A mission library, maintained by the śishyas, is kept in each mission house. Here books, pamphlets, videos as well as photocopies of rare publications are collected and made available to members and guests. These are all publications of, or approved by, the Kailāsa Paramparā. §
About the Mission Gatherings§
365 ¶The mission house serves as the gathering place for the monthly havana satsaṅga, which is one of four gatherings held by the mission each month. The other three are bhajana satsaṅgas which ideally are held in other homes, rotating from home to home, so that all households enjoy the blessings of these sacred events. §
Peaceful for us be the planets and the moon, peaceful the sun and rāhu.§
ATHARVA VEDA 19.9.10. GK, 161§
Mission House Standards§
366 ¶The mission house must be a true Śaiva kulapati home blessed by traditional priests, totally free from asuric influences, and in which there are no prevalent non-Asian symbols, such as Western religious artifacts, a grand piano or guitar, competitive sport trophies, European sculptures or paintings other than landscapes and seascapes. There is no criticism attached to the presence of non-Asian symbols as described above, but it is only natural that they be gradually replaced or discarded as śishyas come deeper into the pure Śaiva way. Within these pure homes, supātra gṛiha, one sees Śaiva images everywhere. Most prominently, photos of the satguru are displayed in nearly every room. To qualify as a mission house, it must be a dwelling in which all who live in the home, including relatives and guests, are Church members and in which only vegetarian meals are served, where no meat, fish, fowl, shellfish or eggs are ever served to humans. One of the meanings of Saivam is “vegetarian” in the Tamil Lexicon.) It is not possible to establish a mission house in a home where the wife works in the world, even in the case of the husband being ill or temporarily unable to provide for the family. The gṛihiṇī must be a full-time wife and mother. Of course, the family’s regular monthly tithing must be up to date. Conducting a household with standards in variance to the Śaiva traditions stated above reflects an attitude, sets an example and reveals the underlying belief of the family. It is imperative that the kulapatis and kulamātās visit the home of arulśishyas, prospective members, to assure themselves that these devotees are who they say they are by seeing whether they are fulfilling the basic requirements of dharmic living, and to gently assist the truly sincere to make the necessary adjustments. Thus, it is essential that the mission house set a perfect example. §
About Mission Gathering Places§
367 ¶The need for mission gathering places has always been amply met by the homes of members, Church monasteries and public temples. Other than their own homes, family members do not individually or collectively purchase or rent permanent facilities for Church or Academy activities. In early years this was tried, but usually the first and invariably the second generation of management was not harmonious. The consequences led to failure and a strain on the monastic community who then had to move into the facilities and eventually dispose of the property. When a mission has grown too large to meet in a single home, it can, with the guru’s blessings, divide itself into two. Some families have built or acquired larger homes to accommodate mission gatherings of up to 30 devotees. The real real estate of our Church is the people of our disciplined congregation. §
Closure For Personal Retreats§
368 ¶The mission house is closed whenever the host family is on a personal retreat. As explained in sūtra 229: “Śiva’s devotees observe a thirty-one-day retreat after the birth or death of a family member, not entering temples or home shrines, not attending pūjā or religious events, but continuing their japa, study and meditations. Aum.” The mission house is also closed during the monthly retreat of a woman of the household or if anyone in the household has injuries that are in the process of healing (*make sure numbering is still accurate) (see paragraph 312-313). If the mission house is closed on the day of the monthly havana, then the satsaṅga is convened at another family home that meets the above qualifications of a mission house. The mission house is also closed if the family is hosting guests who are not Church members. §
Bhashya from Bodhinatha, March 9, 2005§
“After the missions experienced several years of difficulty in finding suitable satsaṅga locations due to women being on retreat, Gurudeva verbally amended the above rule after communicating with the mission COMs about the subject. He decided that mission satsaṅgas can be held in śishya homes where the wife or daughter is on monthly retreat, and also that other women on retreat can still come to satsaṅga. The women on retreat would simply stay in another room during the initial pūjā, and then return for the meditation, study period, cultural activities, announcements and prasāda. Of course, these activities would not be held in the shrine room. The women would not participate in making prasāda for the satsaṅga. If the satguru and/or monks are present at the satsaṅga, the women on retreat do not come forward to talk with them or touch their feet.”§
Financial Commitment Of Members §
369 ¶Every arulśishya of the Academy takes the Daśama Bhāga Vrata, tithing vow, and gives 10% of his or her gross income each month to the Hindu Heritage Endowment until he or she becomes a fellowship member. Church members tithe monthly to Śaiva Siddhānta Church. All devotees reconcile their tithing annually. All tithing, daśamāṁśa, is sent directly to the parent Church in Hawaii. §
Mission Financial Guidelines §
370 ¶1. Missions do not solicit contributions without written permission from the parent Church, and only for ongoing projects of the parent Church or for one-time projects for the mission itself, such as travel expenses for a maṭhavāsi or a special homa at a nearby temple or a scholarship for an Academy student. §
2. All mission finances are conducted on a strict cash basis. No bank accounts are allowed. If funds are inadvertently collected beyond the intended purpose the excess monies are refunded to the givers. §
3. Gifts in kind, such as milk, food, incense and altar supplies should be given generously at mission functions, especially those held in homes, to alleviate financial strain on the hosting family. §
In previous years missions did handle their own funds and bank accounts. In some this became a source of contention or a source of pride in one’s mission being more abundant than another. The small allotment to the Aadheenam was difficult to collect and the receiving of accounting even more so. Thus, service became, at times, a source of contention, something no one intended and no one enjoys. §
Let the drum sound forth and let the lute resound, let the strings vibrate the exalted prayer to God. §
ṚIG VEDA 8.69.9. BO GK, 330§
Growth and Division; Dissolution§
371 ¶As a mission grows in its number of families, members and students, it may be divided into smaller missions. All missions and the members within them are extensions of the parent Church in Hawaii, dedicated to serving the Kailāsa Paramparā. Missions never think of themselves as different or separate from the Parent Church. A mission may be dissolved by a resolution of the council on missions with the blessings of the Kailāsa Pīṭham. In the event of dissolution of the mission, the council agrees to not use the name Śaiva Siddhānta Church, nor an equivalent name, at any time or in any way. Possessions, such as religious artifacts, in the care of the mission would be distributed as directed by the stewards of the parent Church in Hawaii, USA.§
Interaction Between Missions§
372 ¶Each mission helps other missions in its local area and, in fact, worldwide. This is done in the spirit of all for one, and one for all. They are all team players on Siva’s stage in their Śivathondu. Each council on missions helps the others. Two or more missions in one geographical area may combine from time to time to interact and communicate regularly to fulfill the divine mission of the mission on a particular project as an ad hoc committee that has a reasonable date of beginning and an end. In doing this, the two councils on mission, consisting of two groups of kulapatis, meet as a one group. This may lead to missions specializing in various duties. There is no rivalry between missions. The HBA, HWA and HSA, for example, are groups that bring together members of all missions in each area. Internationally, communication between missions and members is ongoing through electronic mail and other means, including telepathy.§
Government Registration Of Missions§
373 ¶A mission may register itself with the local government. To do so, the council on missions seeks blessings from the Kailāsa Pīṭham at Kauai Aadheenam. When the request is approved, a Mission Charter is granted to be filed with the government offices. The Guru Mahāsannidhānam and a swāmī are president and vice president whenever local law allows. For registration purposes, the talaivar of the council on missions is recorded as chairman, the padipālar as treasurer, the pechālar as priest and the tūtuvar as secretary.§
About Remote Families§
374 ¶A family, either kulapati or mukhya, that lives in a region where there are no other kulapati families and which has not established itself as a mission is known as a durat kuṭumba. This general category may also include single individuals, and married persons whose spouse is not a member. Each durat kuṭumba is designated as an outreach extension of the mission best able to assist it with its needs. It is through the council on missions that the family receives their instructions for service, supplies and encouragement. The council in turn keeps the Pīṭham informed as to the progress of its outreach extensions. §
About Minstrel Tirukuttams§
375 ¶Tirukuttams are joyous singing groups of Church members, arulśishyas, bālaśishyas and vidyāśishyas who go from home to home of members, students, family, friends and the broader Hindu community. This is a form of outreach to spread the teachings of the sampradāya and bring new souls to their guru’s feet. These inspired bands of minstrels sing loudly and clearly the lofty teachings of our lineage to uplift and inspire one and all. They extol their guru, give out his printed messages and pictures and display his books and quarterly journal, HINDUISM TODAY. At each home visited, a gift of Dancing with Śiva is presented from the Pīṭham. We encourage the formation of tirukuttams in every mission, overseen by the council on missions. They do not solicit donations during their sessions except with written permission from Kauai Aadheenam.§
An Overview Of Mission Activities§
376 ¶Each mission meets weekly for satsaṅga. In addition, the kulapatis meet monthly for the Council on Missions meeting, and at other times as needed. Other Church gatherings include meetings of the HBA, HWA and HSA, described in chapter 24, along with the daily school sessions of the Rājarāja Chola Gurukulams. Participation is open to Church members and to bālaśishyas, vidyāśishyas and arulśishyas. Meetings of these groups, convened as needed, are informal, conducted according to the chakravāla method. Some religious ceremony accompanies every gathering. All innovations or changes in established patterns or service and activity are gently coordinated through the council on missions. These are presented at the preshana chakravāla by a kulapati, as explained in the next chapter. Especially in well-established missions, the patterns and programs rarely change from week to week, month to month, year to year. In large missions, additional committees may be formed as needed and recommended by the council on missions. §
The powerful man should give to one in straits; let him consider the road that lies ahead! Riches revolve just like a chariot’s wheels, coming to one man now, then to another.§
ṚIG VEDA 10.117.5. VE, 850–851§
Types of Nurture Service§
377 ¶Religious service is of two general forms: nurture and outreach. Nurture is taking care of the religious life and welfare of the local congregation, and outreach is serving those outside its circumference. Nurture religious service maintains a strong, healthy, vibrant religious life for the immediate membership. Below are listed some of the many kinds of nurture activities in our Church missions internationally.§
1. Weekly satsaṅga at the mission house, monastic facility or local public temples, including arranging for flowers, garlands, decorations, prasāda, bhajana singing, religious entertainment and scriptural readings. §
2. Helping with the maintenance of temples and monasteries in the local area through karma yoga projects, such as cleaning, mowing or gardening, needs best discerned by consulting the management.§
3. Providing for social events and activities such as picnics, field trips, youth retreats, group outings, sewing circles, hiking, skating, family nights, breakfast gatherings and noncompetitive sports and games for youth and adult members. §
4. Helping with cultural functions and festivals; preparing prasāda, making decorations, and helping with coordinations. §
5. Providing, through our Rājarāja Chola Gurukulams and other agencies, classes in music, art, drama and dance, cultural skills such as kolam design, garland making and cooking, bhajana and Natchintanai singing, and hosting of guest teachers and lecturers.§
6. Hosting guests, treating each visitor as God, attending to them carefully and courteously to make their stay most enjoyable and uplifting. This includes receiving them, arranging for accommodations, caring for them during their stay and seeing them off when they leave. §
7. Helping to arrange marriages, including determining compatibility, a responsibility held primarily by our kulapatis and kulamātās. §
8. Career planning for youths, using Vedic astrology as a guide.§
9. Arranging activities for and care of the elderly.§
10. Hospital visitation to members.§
11. Counseling for adolescents, marriage and other types of counseling for Church members, given by qualified kulapatis and kulamātās. §
Types of Outreach Service§
378 ¶“Outreach” consists of serving Hindus outside the immediate membership. It brings new members to the Church by encouraging eager souls to begin studying The Master Course. Together, nurture and outreach nourish the great banyan tree of dharma, which spreads out in all directions. Nurture feeds the roots, the trunk and its branches. Outreach draws in the sun’s rays to give energy through the leaves, allowing the growth of new branches, a stronger trunk and deeper roots. Thus, our religious service is the life force of a great tree, ever spreading, ever fulfilling an ever greater service as the years go by. It must be remembered, however, that while there are many things that we can do to help others, the Asian way is to not interfere in anyone’s karmic pattern unless their door is open. This firm, wisdom principle is given to all who follow our paramparā and wish to perform religious service for others. Below are listed some of the many kinds of outreach activities our Church missions engage in. §
1. Hospital visitation, taking flowers to and consoling Hindus who are ill; reading scriptures to the elderly or handicapped.§
2. Arranging for the airing of tape recordings, videos and CD’s sent from Kauai Aadheenam for this purpose,§
3. Promoting HINDUISM TODAY, the major vehicle of our outreach, through selling subscriptions and advertisements.§
4. Selling Dancing with Śiva, Living with Śiva and Merging with Śiva, our primary religious texts, through placing them in bookstores and libraries and through retail sales at festivals and other events.§
5. Making sure that each new Himālayan Academy publication is ceremoniously released at a public function. §
6. Distributing free religious literature at public gatherings and through door-to-door visitation.§
7. Conducting classes in Books 1-6 of Śaivite Hindu Religion.§
8. Conducting specialized, advanced Śaiva Siddhānta seminars with blessings from the Pīṭham. §
9. Keeping in touch with members in other countries in the spirit of Śivasambandha.§
10. Conversion counseling, a service performed by authorized missionaries with blessings from and in coordination with the Pīṭham. §
From Him come hymns, songs and sacrificial formulas, initiations, sacrifices, rites and all offerings. From Him come the year, the sacrificer and the worlds in which the moon shines forth, and the sun.§
ATHARVA VEDA, MUNDU 2.1.6. BO UPH, 371§
About the Following Chapter§
379 ¶In the chapter that follows we go into the internal administration of a mission, made up of heads of extended families. As in any group effort, planning is needed for activities to be successful. The next chapter explains this in some detail. §
Since perverse considerations—such as injuries, whether done or caused to be done or approved, whether ensuing upon greed or anger or infatuation, whether mild or moderate or vehement—find their unending consequences in pain and in lack of thinking, there should be the cultivation of their opposites.§
Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras 2.34, SP p. 183§