Philosophy and Teachings of Swami Sivananda – A Symposium

The uniqueness of Sri Swami Sivanandaji’s writings has been acclaimed to be the freedom that he allows each individual seeker to pursue the path he is best fitted for while emphasizing the need for an integration of his personality by harmonizing the head, the heart, and the hand, Swamiji has rediscovered the various paths to Godhead and flooded them with the light of his own Realisation.

Publishers Note to the First Edition

Several volumes of the “Philosophy and Teachings of Sri Swami Sivananda” have already been published. A few await publication.

In this volume are presented the viewpoints of several eminent men of letters- Eastern and Western. We are confident that it will stimulate the interest of others in this vast field of spiritual literature.

(R.S. Soekanto Tjokrodiatmadjo)
(Speech delivered before the Rotarian Club in Djakarta, Indonesia)

I happen to be the chairman of the Divine Life Society in Indonesia and also an appointed District commissioner of the A.M.O.R.C of San Jose. Let me explain what these organizations stand for.

The Divine Life movement founded by Sri Swami Sivananda Maharaj in 1936 in Rishikesh (Himalayas) represents the quintessence of the teachings of all the religions and of all saints and prophets of the world, it is based on the highest common factor of the best that there is in religions. It is concerned with religion in the practice and pursuit of a Divine Life.

This society now covers all corners of the world with more than 300 Branches in India and over 200 Branches elsewhere in the world. Although Indonesia counts many disciples of the revered Guru, the first Branch was established in 1955 in Malang, followed by Djakarta, Surabia, Bogor, and Semarang.

The young renowned doctor, Swami Sivananda, renounced the world in 1923 to follow spiritual education. While practicing Yoga and Vedanta in seclusion, he would interrupt his solitude to serve the sick and the suffering. He gained Self-realisation and founded the Divine Life Society in 1936.

His philosophy of serve, Love, Meditate, and Realise has a magnetic force. It attracts all. Sivananda’s loving service; his intense austerities and his deep meditation have given him immense spiritual enlightenment and power. Thousands have come in order to receive spiritual guidance and to obtain the blessings of the self-realized saint, who loves God by loving and serving his despairing creatures.

His teaching is not a religious creed, but a helping hand extended to all, whatever race, color, or faith they bear. His numerous books mostly on his spiritual method are written in Hindi and in beautiful English. They are clear, instructive, and glowing with self-experienced wisdom. Some are also translated into French, German, Spanish, and Russian, and are obtainable in many libraries. Spiritual giants of his stature are needed in our days of restless strife more than ever before, as living examples of love, goodwill, and tolerance among all men.