Chapter 24§
Church Agencies
समाज
RAY VISION INTO LIFE’S DEEPEST TREASURES IS THE OUTCOME OF DHARMIC LIVING. FAMILY MISSIONS CAN FORM SEVERAL SPECIAL CONCLAVES TO ENHANCE LIFE SPIRITUALLY, SOCIALLY, CULTURALLY, ECONOMICALLY AND EDUCATIONALLY. IN THIS CHAPTER WE PRESENT THE MAIN FOUR: THE HINDU BUSINESSMEN’S ASSOCIATION, THE HINDU WORKINGMEN’S ASSOCIATION, THE HINDU STUDENT’S ASSOCIATION AND THE RĀJARĀJA CHOLA GURUKULAM. §
455 ¶Working to develop sound financial management, solve problems, catalyze growth and to upscale the standards by which business is conducted, the HBA provides a monthly forum through which our businessmen discuss company strategies. Their motto is “by serving the community first, wealth is the natural reward.” They know that wealth is preserved by personal discipline and righteous decisions.§
Encouraging Wealth’s Acquisition§
456 ¶Wealth, artha, is one of the four goals of life. It is the goal of every Hindu family to achieve financial abundance so that their religion remains vibrant and dynamic. Therefore seminars and discussions are regularly held by the HBA on budgeting income, long-range financial planning, retirement issues and the meaning and use of profits in business enterprises. The Hindu Businessmen’s Association, Hindu Vaiśyadharma Samāja, encourages the acquisition of wealth among members through being good, dependable, productive employers. I founded the HBA on Guru Pūrṇimā 1979. It follows the same administrative and seating procedures as the kulapati preshana chakravāla. This eliminates the need for the election of officers.§
HBA Monthly Gatherings§
457 ¶Each local HBA gathers for dinner meetings the first Sunday of every month in a private room of a very fine restaurant. The meetings are informal and in the nature of the Asian Hindu saṅga, which is a harmonious meeting of minds and blending of wills like the merging of great rivers. Everyone sits according to chakravāla seniority. The talaivar conducts the meeting according to the following agenda. The various courses of the meal are served while the items on the agenda are being discussed. Each meeting lasts about two and one-half hours.§
1. If there is a guest speaker, the talaivar gives a special welcome and asks him to give a presentation sharing his wisdom and experience with the group. This portion may take 20 to 30 minutes or longer. If the topic is particularly inspiring, since guest speakers only attend occasionally, more time may be allotted according to the discretion of the talaivar, and other parts of the agenda may be shortened to compensate.§
2. Next, the talaivar, turns the group’s attention to the first purpose of the HBA: improving company performance through good business ethics. He allots about 20 minutes for this part of the meeting, asking for testimony from individuals around the chakravāla. He keeps note of those who don’t have the opportunity to share their experience at this time so they can be invited to do so at the next meeting or the next. Testimony focuses on the business ethics described below. After these testimonies, the talaivar inquires about potential guest speakers for future meetings, and arrangements are planned as needed. All guest speakers must be approved ahead of time by the Pīṭham.§
3. The HBA’s second purpose is the next item on the agenda: fostering substantial growth in each member’s business. Individuals around the chakravāla are invited to share their testimony on the status of their company.§
4. Next is a time for problem solving. The talaivar inquires of any difficulties or challenging situations anyone would like to share with the assembly. At this time, any needed arbitration may be discussed as well as strategies to increase company performance. This is the time when any pending arbitration cases would be scheduled.§
5. Next the talaivar inquires if there are any opportunities for the group to assist fellowship members who are just starting their own business. Individual cases may be discussed and plans made to give assistance.§
6. Next the talaivar asks for news of progress made since the last meeting on the HBA’s fifth purpose: promoting fellowship among Church businessmen by communicating regularly with other HBAs, etc.§
7. Finally, the pechālar collects the monthly dues from all present and gives a brief financial report, including an update on gifts of The Master Course books made possible by these funds. §
Teaching Business Ethics §
458 ¶The first purpose of the HBA is to improve company performance through intelligent, effective management and business practices. Toward this end, the HBA stresses the following ideals. §
1. Be successful in speaking and writing. Win with words; be effective at conferences and write clear communications. §
2. Deal wisely and fairly with people. Keep employees working with you, for you and not against you. §
3. Think like an executive who makes things happen through others, not like a laborer concerned with his own task only. Keep the overview, harness your mental forces and develop your innate smartness. §
4. Solve company problems swiftly and effectively. Ask key questions, analyze clearly, bring facts into focus and eliminate irrelevancies to arrive at right conclusions. §
5. Make things happen through wise planning. Management means action, not reaction. Identify areas needing improvement, then act in the best interests of all. §
6. Utilize your staff effectively. Don’t try to do everything yourself. Bring others into the picture, be a good listener and implement their ideas. Catalyze each one’s highest potential. §
7. Improve performance of employees by making them part of the team effort. Conduct good personal inspections and correct subordinates tactfully. Don’t make matters worse by getting personal. Learn, through seminars and professional advice in diplomacy, how to make rigid managers more flexible and improve poor work habits among employees. The workforce is the strength of any organization. Keeping everyone happy is the art of good management.§
By your favors granted enable us, O Lord, once again to leap over the pitfalls that face us. Be a high tower, powerful and broad, for both us and our children. To our people bring well-being and peace.§
ṚIG VEDA SAṀHITĀ 1.189.2. VE, 810§
Stimulating Business Growth§
459 ¶The second purpose of the HBA is to foster substantial growth in each member’s business. The goal is a minimum of ten percent growth annually. This is aided by sharing smart business practices through personal testimony, a vital part of every HBA meeting. Topics include: §
1. company progress reports; §
2. guest speakers and supplemental study to improve business skills; §
3. problem-solving for difficult relationships or situations; §
4. strategies to increase company performance and profit; §
5. arranging for HBA arbitration of business disputes when needed.§
Other Purposes of The HBA§
460 ¶1. The third purpose of the HBA is to sponsor each month the distribution of books of The Master Course trilogy to religious organizations, religious leaders and libraries worldwide. This effort is financed through Hindu Heritage Endowment with the monthly HBA dues and through approved fund-raising activities.§
2. The HBA’s fourth purpose is to promote Hindu solidarity by helping wherever needed to promote, preserve and protect the Hindu Dharma.§
3. The HBA’s fifth purpose is to promote fellowship among Church businessmen by communicating regularly with other HBAs and encouraging the establishment of HBAs worldwide.§
4. The sixth purpose of the HBA is to promote prosperity—physical, mental, emotional well-being—among all members who own their own business. This is accomplished through fulfilling the above five purposes. In addition, the HBA sponsors business education for members going into business themselves.§
Benefits of The HBA, A Summary§
461 ¶The benefits of belonging to the Hindu Businessmen’s Association include: §
1. The opportunity to further the mission of our Kailāsa Paramparā by financing the distribution of The Master Course trilogy. §
2. The nurturing of each member’s company through business education, lectures and forums for the exchange of ideas and advice, acquiring employment for members, financial management and more. §
3. The opportunity to talk with peers monthly about one’s business in order to improve job performance and overcome obstacles. §
4. Access to problem-solving resources that many businessmen would not normally have, including arbitration. §
5. Access to advice, know-how and encouragement from experienced businessmen—both for members who have just started their companies and those planning to do so and who are invited to HBA meetings as guests.§
Membership And Dues in The HBA§
462 ¶Membership in the Hindu Businessmen’s Association is open to all adult male Church members and arulśishyas in good standing who own their own business, be it a sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation. They must also have a good tithing record, an acceptable financial statement and the endorsement of the local Hindu Workingmen’s Association. One, two or three percent is payable as HBA dues on the company’s gross profit. Each member decides which percent he will contribute. For retail and wholesale merchandising concerns, the percentage is calculated on gross profit (gross sales minus the cost of goods sold). For service businesses, the percentage is calculated on gross fees. For businesses that include fees for service and sale of products, the percentage is calculated on gross profit and gross fees. Each month the HBA pechālar sends the dues collected to the Hindu Heritage Endowment office to be credited to the Hindu Businessmen’s Association Trust. The grants provided by from this endowment are used for the purchase and gifting of The Master Course trilogy. Reconciliation of dues is performed by each HBA member once a year.§
HBA Arbitration Cases§
463 ¶Arbitration cases are handled at a separate, private meeting, before an arbitration board made up of three male Church members. These three are selected in the following way. Two of them are chosen, one each, by the disputees. Then those two, together, choose the third member. The disputees appear before the board to air their case. The board’s decision is given then or after further investigation. The judgment is legally binding, as indicated in the arbitration agreement signed before the session. For the privilege of arbitration each contesting party gives a donation of $300 (in the US and determined locally in other countries). This money goes into the HHE Orphanage Fund. §
Come down to us, Rudra, who art in the high mountains. Come and let the light of thy face, free from fear and evil, shine upon us. Come to us with thy love.§
KṚISHṆA YAJUR VEDA, SVETU 3.5. UPM, 89§
Wealth From the Angelic View§
464 ¶Wealth is passed from one generation to the next as local laws permit. Wealth consist also of having gold and precious stones within the home. During daily puja, these substances are easily seen on the astral plane by the devas, who are commissioned to sustain wealth and are expert in seeing into the future and giving great business ideas through thought-form transference. In reverse, when wealth once acquired is used for hurtfulness, these same devas are ordered to withdraw their powers and allow the family to go to rack and ruin. All this is deva knowledge, genie knowledge. Each household should have as much gold as the monthly income is expected to be. Gold is real money in any currency in the world. Its very vibration sustains the mental force field of business and home. Gold, silver and precious gems attract more abundance. A woman’s jewelry augments her natural śakti and in turn makes her husband more successful. The devas conceive of money as pure energy to be used to sustain society. This inner-plane group of money people respond to sincere prayers for wealth, such as the Saint Sambandar’s Devaram which many families sing daily after pūjā, as brāhma muhūrta is ending. When an HBA group is sitting in their chakravāla, they are open to the influence of their collective devonic contingency. The room becomes filled with the energy of inspiration and security.§
The Hindu Workingmen’s Association§
465 ¶There is a special power in the excellent employee who sees to the employer’s needs before being asked. This is emphasized in seminars and discussions of the Hindu Workingmen’s Association (HWA), in which men focus on job performance, problem-solving and financial planning. The HWA encourages promotions and progress into management. Its motto is “We prosper by serving the business of others as if it were our own.” Artha, one of the four goals of life, is security as well as abundance, living within one’s means. It is a goal of every Hindu family to achieve material welfare and abundance through dharmic occupation so that security is maintained through the years and all needs are amply fulfilled. Toward this end, the HWA encourages each workingman to continue to improve his skills, to advance in his position and profession through being a good, dependable, productive employee. The Hindu Workingmen’s Association, Hindu Śudradharma Samāja, was founded on Guru Pūrṇimā, July 4, 1993. It follows the same administrative and seating procedures of the kulapati preshana chakravāla. This eliminates the need for the election of officers.§
Membership Dues and Meetings§
466 ¶Membership is open to all employed adult male Church members and arulśishyas in good standing. Dues are $11 per month in the US, and determined locally in other countries. Each HWA has dinner meetings (or breakfast or luncheon) the first Saturday of every month in a private room of a local restaurant or hotel. The meetings are informal and in the nature of the Asian Hindu saṅga. Everyone sits around the table according to chakravāla seniority. The talaivar conducts the meeting according to the following agenda. The various courses of the meal are served while the items on the agenda are being discussed. Each meeting lasts about two and one-half hours.§
1. If there is a guest speaker, the talaivar gives a special welcome and asks him to give a presentation sharing his wisdom and experience with the group. This portion may take 20 to 30 minutes or longer. If the topic is particularly inspiring, since guest speakers only attend occasionally, more time may be alloted according to the discretion of the talaivar, and other parts of the agenda may be foreshortened to compensate. All guest speakers must be approved ahead of time by the Pīṭham. If there is no guest speaker, the talaivar inquires at this time about potential speakers for future meetings, and arrangements are planned as needed.§
2. Next, the talaivar, turns the group’s attention to the first purpose of the HWA: enhancing vocational skills through positive, spiritual attitudes. He allots about 20 minutes for this part of the meeting, asking for testimony from individuals around the chakravāla. He keeps note of those who don’t have the opportunity to share their experience at this time so they can be invited to do so at the next meeting or the next. Testimony focuses on the ethics listed in paragraph 472. §
3. The HWA’s second purpose is the next item on the agenda: being excellent employees through the keys of the “first-rate second man,” as described in paragraph 473. Individuals around the chakravāla are invited to share testimony in this area. §
4. Next is a time for problem solving. The talaivar inquires of any difficulties or challenging situations anyone would like to share with the assembly. Needs and means for additional training, progress reports on matters focused on at the previous meeting and ways to increase company profits all are open for discussion at this time. §
5. Next the talaivar inquires if there are any opportunities to assist fellowship members who are out of work or starting out in new jobs. Individual cases may be discussed and plans made to give assistance. §
6. Next the talaivar asks for news of progress made since the last meeting on the HWA’s fifth and sixth purposes: promoting Hindu solidarity and promoting fellowship among Church businessmen by communicating regularly with other HWAs, etc.§
7. Finally, the pechālar collects the monthly dues from all present and gives a brief financial report, including an update on gifts of The Master Course books made possible by these funds. §
The Āgamas explain, Only a well-qualified priest may perform both ātmārtha pūjā, worship for one’s self, and parārtha pūjā, worship for others. Such an Ādiśaiva is a Śaiva brāhmin and a teacher.§
KĀRAṆA ĀGAMA 18. BO MT, 75§
The Art of Spiritualizing Mundane Work§
467 ¶The first purpose of the HWA is to enhance the vocational skills of its members by bringing positive spiritual attitudes into the daily work situation, inspiring each member to fully adopt the profound perspective that one’s work is also his worship, rather than a “secular” activity that he endures to earn the money to do what he really wants to do. Each member works to approach his daily task, not with the mentality of a hired hand, but as a skilled artisan, a craftsman or a poet, knowing that each effort, each act, however small, is important.§
Instilling Dynamic Work Ethics§
468 ¶The second purpose of the HWA is to promote dynamic work ethics to establish a professional relationship with one’s employer, to endear oneself to management by being cooperative, responsive, responsible, cheerful, doing a better job than expected, arriving a little early and leaving a little late. The devas, experts in their field, who work with the HWA are interested in creating excellent servants. There is a natural tendency for those working for others to resent their employment, bring frustration home and take it out on their wife and children. These devas want HWA members to rise above such tendencies, and instead be the best of servants, for to be a perfect servant means to be master of oneself. They help in many unseen ways, but must be invoked through daily pūjā to be held close enough to Earth consciousness to be effective. Mastering the art of humble servitude means egoless service, being the perfect employee any employer would dream of having in his workplace: the “first-rate second man.” §
Becoming A First-Rate Second Man§
469 ¶Here are seventeen guidelines toward this ideal. §
1. Be a subordinate your employer can depend on. §
2. Keep your boss informed, but don’t bore him with unnecessary details and don’t take up his time needlessly. §
3. Exercise initiative, come up with several solutions for your boss to choose from, and don’t be offended if he adds his own. §
4. Know your boss’s job but don’t try to do it for him. §
5. Don’t make your boss lose face.§
6. Don’t back your boss into a corner.§
7. Don’t correct or trap your boss into admitting a mistake to you or in front of other people. §
8. Think before you speak to your boss. §
9. Don’t grab the stage from your boss. §
10. Understand how the boss looks at you and your job. §
11. Find ways to implement your boss’s directions and resist the urge to convince him of alternatives you prefer. §
12. Never belittle or criticize your boss behind his back. §
13. Take responsibility yourself. Don’t lean on your boss to make your work easier or to solve your problems. §
14. If your boss gives you something to do, don’t transfer it to someone else without permission. §
15. Be honest and forthright with employers, never deceitful or cunning. §
16. Regard your employer’s business interests as if they were your own. §
17. Work with your employer as an ally, not an adversary.§
Other Purposes of The HWA§
470 ¶1. The third purpose of the HWA is to improve attitudes and job performance. This is catalyzed by sharing personal testimony as an integral part of each HWA meeting. Topics include: a) progress reports; b) ways to improve job skills and earn promotions through additional training, reading and guest speakers; c) solving problems, discussing difficult situations or relationships; d) discussing how to earn one’s wages by increasing company profits.§
2. The HWA’s fourth purpose is to sponsor each month the distribution of The Master Course trilogy books to religious organizations, religious leaders and libraries worldwide. This service is financed by monthly dues and other approved fund-raising activities.§
3. The fifth purpose of the HWA is to further Hindu solidarity by helping wherever needed to promote, preserve and protect the Hindu Dharma.§
4. The sixth purpose of the HWA is to promote fellowship by communicating regularly with other HWAs and encouraging the establishment of HWAs worldwide.§
5. The seventh purpose is to promote prosperity—physical, mental, emotional well-being—by encouraging good work attitudes and increasing excellence in job performance.§
Daily the sacrifice is spread. Daily the sacrifice is completed. Daily it unites the worshiper to heaven. Daily by sacrifice to heaven he ascends.§
ŚUKLA YAJUR VEDA, SATABR 9.4.4.15. VE, 396§
Benefits of The HWA, A Summary§
471 ¶The benefits of belonging to the Hindu Workingmen’s Association include: §
1. the opportunity to further the mission of our Kailāsa Paramparā by distributing The Master Course trilogy;§
2. the nurturing of each member’s career through business education, lectures and forums for the exchange of ideas and advice, acquiring employment for perspective members, family budgeting and more; §
3. the opportunity to talk with peers monthly about job situations or employers to continually improve performance; §
4. access to problem-solving resources that most workingmen don’t have in today’s world; §
5. access to advice, know-how and encouragement from businessmen who are members of the Hindu Businessmen’s Association for any employee who plans to begin his own business.§
Two Other Important Agencies§
472 ¶There are two other very important agencies among our Church missions: the Hindu Student’s Association and the Rājarāja Chola Gurukulam. The Hindu Student’s Association follows the general pattern of the Hindu Workingmen’s Association in its structure and meeting procedures. The Rājarāja Chola Gurukulam is a woman-based agency that functions along the lines of a small private school. §
The Hindu Student’s Association§
473 ¶I inaugurated the Hindu Student’s Association (HSA) in 1995 as a forum for our young Church members, from the earliest school age to age 19, both boys and girls, to gather, discuss issues of concern and perform karma yoga projects. They also plan occasional outings for education and recreation, such as to temples, state parks, museums and libraries. They hold regular meetings the first Sunday of each month, and more often as needed, sitting in chakravāla. Like the HBA and HWA, an HSA can be formed among the members of one mission, or among two or more missions that are close enough geographically for convenient meetings. To each gathering the students invite one kulapati family to attend as chaperones. The chaperone(s) sit at the end of the circle, to the right of the student tūtuvar. A period of 10 to 20 minutes is scheduled on the agenda during which the chaperones are invited to share their advice and wisdom on a particular subject. Beyond this, as a gentle guideline, they refrain from entering into the conversation.§
Rājarāja Chola Gurukulams§
474 ¶All our Church family groups are encouraged to establish a Rājarāja Chola Gurukulam in their mission or among two or more missions. The pattern of these schools is simple: the qualified women of the mission provide religious and secular education to the children. Girls may attend through grade 12 (form 6). Boys may attend through grade nine (form 3). Teaching methods and attitudes are loosely modeled after the Montessori method, devised in 1907 by Maria Montessori, which emphasizes sensitive guidance rather than rigid control of the child’s activity, so as to encourage self-education. The training given in our gurukulams is when possible officially certified by the state through the use of already-existing home-study programs with a curriculum of study and primary textbooks. Classes are held in family homes that meet mission house standards, or at one of our monasteries in areas designated by the Pīṭham. At this time we have two such schools, one on Kauai and one in Concord, California. We established this Śaivite home-study program in 1980 under the name Indo-American Śaivite Schools, later adopted the name Rājarāja Chola Gurukulam when we began teaching certain of the traditional 64 kalās.§
The Sixty-Four Kalās For Girls§
475 ¶The 64 kalās are a classical curriculum of sacred sciences, studies, arts and skills of cultured living listed in various Hindu śāstras. These are among the skills traditionally taught to both genders, while emphasizing masculinity in men and femininity in women. Here are the 64 kalās for girls, as presented in Himālayan Academy, followed by kalas for boys. I have updated several of the kalas for our times. This too, is a process of culture, for culture is not unchanging. It does shape itself to the present conditions of life. 1) understanding the Nandinātha Sūtras and living up to them, 2) studying the Tirukural to acquire the qualities of the noble woman, 3) perfecting haṭha yoga, 4) singing, 5) playing the tambūrā and cymbals, 6) dancing, 7) Art work, painting, 8) decorating the forehead with religious insignia, 9) jewelry crafting, 10) decorating the bed with flowers, 11) application of perfume to the body, 12) art of bed-making, 13) equipping a kitchen, 14) ātmārtha pūjā performance, 15) making flower garlands, 16) āyurvedic hygiene, 17) decorating the hair with flowers, 18) dressing according to the season and place, 19) making perfumes, 20) applying make-up, 21) looking beautiful, 22) dexterity with hands, 23) cooking, 24) fruit juice making, 25) sewing, 26) macrame, 27) playing vīṇā, 28) playing riddle games, 29) debating skills and rules, 30) ability to grasp hidden meaning in any conversation, 31) reading a story in a musical way, 32) writing plays and stories, 33) writing poems, 34) making simple furniture, 35) carpentry, 36) interior decoration, 37) appraising gems, 38) metallurgy, 39) gemology, 40) training pets, 41) understanding the language of parrots and other animal species, 42) sign language for use between husband and wife, 43) knowledge of foreign languages, 44) building floats for a parade, 45) interpreting signs from the Devaloka—lizard chirps, cow movement, etc., 46) developing a good memory, 47) knowing the mind of others, 48) understanding words and their exact meaning, 49) sensing when trickery is used, 50) mastering games, 51) learning entertaining magic, 52) exercise, 53) driving a car, 54) building the force field of the workplace and home to repulse asuras, 55) intimate arts (taught by mother), 56) typing, 57) computer skills, 58) natural child birth, 59) art of raising children, parenting, 60) public speaking, 61) pañchāṅga reading, 62) āyurveda and healing skills, 63) leadership training, 64) project organization skills.§
Homage to Him who presides over all things, that which was and that which shall be; to whom alone belongs the heaven, to that all-powerful Brahman be homage! From Fullness He pours forth the full; the full spreads, merging with the full. We eagerly would know from whence He thus replenishes Himself. §
ATHARVA VEDA SAṀHITĀ 10.8.1 & 29. VE, 824–827§
The Sixty-Four Kalās For Boys§
476 ¶1) understanding the Nandinātha Sūtras and living up to them, 2) studying the Tirukural to acquire the qualities of the noble man, 3) perfecting haṭha yoga, 4) singing, 5) playing the tambūrā and cymbals, 6) ātmārtha pūjā performance, 7) art work, painting, 8) decorating the forehead with religious insignia, 9) pottery crafting, 10) structuring an office, 11) office management, 12) art of negotiation, 13) equipping a workshop, 14) travel expertise, 15) making flower garlands, 16) grooming, 17) gift selection, 18) dressing according to the season and place, 19) āyurvedic hygiene, 20) intimate arts (taught by father), 21) making favorable impressions, 22) dexterity with hands, 23) cooking, 24) wine making, 25) sewing, 26) car maintenance, 27) playing mṛidaṅga or vīṇā, 28) appliance repair, 29) debating skills and rules, 30) ability to grasp hidden meaning in any conversation, 31) reading a story in a musical way, 32) writing plays and stories, 33) writing poems, 34) making simple furniture, 35) carpentry, 36) interior decoration, 37) praising financial investments, 38) metallurgy, 39) gemology, 40) training employees or fellow workers, 41) working under a boss, 42) sign language for use between husband and wife, 43) knowledge of foreign languages, 44) building a home shrine, 45) interpreting signs from the Devaloka—lizard chirps, cow movement, etc., 46) developing a good memory, 47) knowing the mind of others, 48) understanding words and their exact meaning, 49) sensing when trickery is used, 50) household budgeting, 51) hosting business guests, 52) exercise, 53) driving a car, 54) building the force field of the workplace and home to repulse asuras, 55) typing, 56) computer skills, 57) natural child birth, 58) art of raising children, parenting, 59) public speaking, 60) pañchāṅga reading, 61) astronomy, 62) future strategic planning, 63) leadership training, 64) project organization skills.§
Protocol for Maṭhavāsi Guest Speakers§
477 ¶Often invitations will be extended for our maṭhavāsis to attend gatherings of HBA, HWA and HSA groups. When the guru or his representative attends a meeting, he sits as talaivar. Any monks accompanying him sit beside him, the least senior to his right as tūtuvar, and all others to his left. During the meeting, the maṭhavāsis fulfill the duties of the seats they hold, but these duties rarely continue outside the meeting. The maṭhavāsis do not stay throughout the meeting in most cases. They are there to give darśana and possibly a spiritual discourse relevant to the occasion. §
About the Following Chapter§
478 ¶Now we shall discuss guru protocol, the social refinements that are traditionally followed to keep the prāṇas of this student-teacher relationship flowing perfectly. Protocol with a guru has as its basis respect, intelligent cooperation and deep inner feelings of belonging, be it to a spiritual lineage, a family tradition, school or college. §
There is no one greater in the three worlds than the guru. It is he who grants divine knowledge and should be worshiped with supreme devotion.§
Atharva Veda, Yoga–ShikhaU 5.53. YT, 26§
The disciple who desires to see the guru happy should not visit him empty- handed, since the guru is a person to be adored like a king. Hence, fruits, flowers and betel leaves should be offered first to the guru at the time of worship. The disciple may be a virtuous worshiper and a learned knower of the scriptures, and he may belong to the culture family, yet he should unhesitatingly bow down to the guru. Of all the etiquettes, two are praised the most. One is sweet words, and the other is bowing down. All other etiquettes are considered meaningless.§
Chandrajñāna Śaivāgama, Kriyāpāda, Chapter 2, Verse 31-34.§