Divine Life Society
Hindu spiritual organization and an ashram
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History
In 1936, after returning from a pilgrimage, Swami Sivananda stayed in an old hut on the banks of the Ganges in Rishikesh. The King of Tehri Garhwal granted him a plot of land to construct the present day Shivanandashram. Chidananda Saraswati served as president of the society from August 1963 to 28 August 2008, while Krishnananda Saraswati served as the General-Secretary of the Society in Rishikesh from 1958 until 2001.
Sivananda's disciples have started independent organisations in Mauritius, the United States, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, South Africa, South America, and Europe.
Vegetarianism
Sivananda insisted on a strict lacto-vegetarian diet for moral and spiritual reasons, arguing that "meat-eating is highly deleterious to health". Divine Life Society thus advocates a vegetarian diet.
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Teachings
Sivananda outlined 20 spiritual instructions for people of any religion:
- Brahmamuhurtha: Waking up early in the morning during
- Asana: Sitting in an appropriate asana for half an hour to three hours
- Japa: recitation of a mantra
- Dietetic Discipline: Eat sattvic food
- Meditation: Have a separate meditation room or area in the home
- Svādhyāya: Study religious books from half an hour to an hour daily
- Elevate the Mind: Recite shlokas before performing japa
- Brahmacharya: preservation of the vital force
- Charity
- Have Satsang: "association with holy people"
- Fast: Fast on Ekadashi or the appropriate days for one's religion
- Japa Mala: Keep a rosary and chant at every opportunity
- Observe Mouna: Be silent for a couple of hours daily
- Discipline of Speech: Speak a little, what is true, and what is sweet
- Be content: have mental detachment and share with others
- Practice Love: control anger and serve the sick and poor
- Be self-reliant
- Have self-analysis: understand one's mistakes and try to correct them
- Do your duty
- Remember God: remember God at all times
The teachings of yoga are explained at length by Swami Sivananda. Yoga is "the process by which the identity of the individual soul and the Supreme Soul is realised by the Yogi."
Departments
- The headquarters for Divine Life Society is Sivananda Ashram in Uttarakhand.
- Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy trains aspirants in yoga and provides knowledge of Indian culture to develop integrity.
- Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy Press prints the cultural and spiritual books as well as the journals and other literature of the Divine Life Society.
- Sivananda Publication League is the publishing arm of the Divine Life Society.
- Sivananda Charitable Hospital renders free medical service to the public and conducts periodical medical relief camps freely.