Living with Siva Nandinatha Sutras: Section 1, Right Living
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Stand Strong
Spiritual evolution is achieved by yoga and striving. Devotees perform tapas, holding pots of fire, meditating for long hours, rolling around the temple in hot sand and carrying kavadi. Devas bless their efforts from the inner planes, while the baser worlds remain below and apart.

Dharmika Jivanam

Right Living Block Art

Section 1
Right Living

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Samsara, the transmigration of life, takes place in one's own mind. Let one therefore keep the mind pure, for what a man thinks, that he becomes: this is a mystery of Eternity.

Maitri Upanishad 6.34. UPM, P.103

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The Purpose of Life

SUTRA 1: LIFE'S HIGHEST PURPOSE
Siva's followers strive for God Realization as the first and foremost goal of life. They learn to dance with Siva, live with Siva, merge with Siva. Deep within, they discover their eternal, immortal oneness with God. Aum.

SUTRA 2: FOUR NOBLE GOALS
Siva's followers are ever mindful that life's purpose is to wholeheartedly serve God, Gods and guru and fulfill the four traditional Hindu goals: duty (dharma), wealth (artha), love (kama) and liberation (moksha). Aum.

SUTRA 3: SEEING Shiva'S ENERGY IN ALL
Siva's devotees bask contentedly in Siva consciousness, seeing the pure life energy in every person, animal, bird, reptile, fish, insect, plant, tree and even microscopic intelligence as Supreme God Siva Himself. Aum.

SUTRA 4: ONENESS WITH THE SATGURU
Siva's devotees strive to be inwardly one with their satguru, acknowledging the paramount need for a spiritual preceptor to guide them on the upward climb, the straight path that leads to Lord Siva's holy feet. Aum.

SUTRA 5: SEEKING WHILE STRONG
Siva's devotees heed the ancient wisdom: "The physical body does not last forever. Age prowls like a leopard. Before the limbs lose their vitality, one should take to the auspicious path to the Self." Aum Namah Sivaya.

Facing Life's Challenges

SUTRA 6: LIVING CONTEMPLATIVELY
Siva's devotees cultivate a contemplative nature by meditating daily, seeking the light, drawing the lesson from each experience and identifying with infinite intelligence, not with body, emotion or intellect. Aum.

SUTRA 7: ACCEPTING OUR KARMA
Siva's devotees accept all experiences, however difficult, as their self-created karma, without cringing or complaining. Theirs is the power of surrender, accepting what is as it is and dealing with it courageously. Aum.

SUTRA 8: FLOWING WITH THE RIVER OF LIFE
Siva's devotees live vibrantly in the eternity of the moment and flow with the river of life by giving up negative attachments, releasing the pains, injustices, fears and regrets that bind consciousness in the past. Aum.

SUTRA 9: PURPOSE, PLAN, PERSISTENCE AND PUSH
Siva's devotees approach each enterprise with deliberate thoughtfulness, and act only after careful consideration. They succeed in every undertaking by having a clear purpose, a wise plan, persistence and push. Aum.

SUTRA 10: MOVING THE FORCES OF THE WORLD
Siva's devotees, by remaining steadfast on the path, upholding the yamas and niyamas and relying on their indomitable will, move the forces of the world, and are not moved or affected by them. Aum Namah Sivaya.

Yoga in Action

SUTRA 11: THE LION-HEARTED ONES
Those who live with Siva fulfill life's purposes by placing heavy demands on themselves from within themselves, never shirking their duty to religion, family, community or planet. Jai, they are the lion-hearted. Aum.

SUTRA 12: EXCELLENCE AND NONCOMPETITIVENESS
Those who live with Siva endeavor to be their best in whatever they do, to excel and make a difference. Even so, they remain apart from the demeaning and contentious "winners and losers" spirit of competition. Aum.

SUTRA 13: TEACHING THE FIVE PRECEPTS AND PRACTICES
Those who live with Siva teach children the five precepts: God as All in all, temples, karma, reincarnation/liberation, scripture/preceptor; and five practices: virtue, worship, holy days, sacraments and pilgrimage. Aum.

SUTRA 14: GUIDING AND NURTURING CHILDREN
Those who live with Siva personally guide their children's spiritual and secular education. They teach and model respect, share what happens each day, have fun together and shower love and hugs upon them. Aum.

SUTRA 15: ZERO TOLERANCE FOR DISCORD
Those who live with Siva have zero tolerance for disharmonious conditions. In the home and beyond, they settle differences when others can only disagree. Jai, they are all instruments of peace. Aum Namah Sivaya.

The True Values of Life

SUTRA 16: GIVING AND GRATITUDE
Those who live with Siva render to those in need help that is loving, selfless and free from all expectation of repayment. They are constantly grateful for all they have, never complaining about what they don't possess. Aum.

SUTRA 17: BEINGS OF JOY AND COMPASSION
Those who live with Siva are honorable, cheerful, modest and full of courtesy. Having removed the darkness of anger, fear, jealousy and contempt for others, their faces radiate the kindly compassion of their soul. Aum.

SUTRA 18: SEEKING INNER LIGHT AND STILLNESS
Those who live with Siva attend close to His mystery. While others seek "name and fame, sex and money," they seek the clear white light within, find refuge in the stillness and hold Truth in the palm of their hand. Aum.

SUTRA 19: GUARDING AGAINST INSTINCTS AND INTELLECT
Those who live with Siva keep the mountaintop perspective that life on Earth is an opportunity for spiritual progress. They never lose sight of this truth by becoming infatuated with instinctive-intellectual pursuits. Aum.

SUTRA 20: DIRECTING THE POWER OF DESIRE
Those who live with Siva know the great power of desire and thought, and choose theirs wisely. They also know the infinitely greater power of those who conquer desire by desiring only to know God. Aum Namah Sivaya.

Spiritual Disciplines

SUTRA 21: HOLDING A DAILY VIGIL
Worshipers of Siva perform a one-hour daily vigil, ideally before sunrise, in a clean, quiet place, after bathing and donning fresh clothing and holy ash. This vigil is optional on weekends and when traveling or ill. Aum.

SUTRA 22: MORNING SaDHANAS
Worshipers of Siva, during their daily sadhana vigil, conduct or attend puja, chant the Guru Mantra and 108 repetitions of their mantra, study scripture and perform hatha yoga, concentration and meditation. Aum.

SUTRA 23: YOGA AS A LIFELONG EFFORT
Worshipers of Siva practice basic yogas ( bhakti, karma, hatha and japa) as their guru instructs, throughout life and more as life goes on. They know self-mastery yokes the fire within with That which quells the fire. Aum.

SUTRA 24: CAUTION WITH ADVANCED YOGAS
Worshipers of Siva who qualify may perform advanced yogas ( kriya, raja and kundalini), but only with their guru's guidance, for unless harnessed, kundalini can manifest base desires, disease, egotism and joylessness. Aum.

SUTRA 25: WARNINGS AGAINST ANGER
Worshipers of Siva who are victim to anger or hatred refrain from meditation, japa and kundalini yoga. They confess sins, do penance and engage in bhakti and karma yoga to raise consciousness. Aum Namah Sivaya.

Personal Disciplines

SUTRA 26: SHARING RICE WITH OTHERS
Lovers of Siva, before preparing any meal, place in a vessel one handful of uncooked rice. This modest sharing is offered at their satguru's tiruvadi each full-moon day to be shared by him with the less fortunate. Aum.

SUTRA 27: DAILY OFFERINGS FOR THE TEMPLE
Lovers of Siva keep a box in their shrine into which they place a few coins each day for their favorite temple. They bring or send this love offering to their Saiva temple each year during its Mahashivaratri festival. Aum.

SUTRA 28: KAVADI AND OTHER PENANCE

Lovers of Siva so inclined may perform kavadi during Murugan festivals where custom allows. They may also lie on beds of nails, walk on fire and undertake other penances to build character and atone for sins. Aum.

SUTRA 29: KEEPING CLEAN SURROUNDINGS
Lovers of Siva keep their home and work environment clean and uncluttered to maintain a spiritual vibration and not attract negative forces. They seek fresh air and sunshine and surround themselves with beauty. Aum.

SUTRA 30: INSTRUCTIONS FOR SLEEP
Lovers of Siva sleep with the head placed south or east after chanting and meditating to prepare for a great journey to the inner worlds. If awakened, they sit up and meditate before returning to sleep. Aum Namah Sivaya.

The Nature of God

SUTRA 31: A PHILOSOPHY WORTHY OF PRIDE
Siva's followers take pride in the fact that the philosophical basis of their peerless lineage lies in the unity of Siddhanta and Vedanta. This mysterious dance of dualism and nondualism is called monistic theism. Aum.

SUTRA 32: LIVING AND PREACHING Shiva'S PATH
Siva's followers of my lineage study, live and preach to the world our peerless theological doctrine, called by various names: monistic theism, Advaita Ishvaravada, Advaita Siddhanta and Shuddha Saiva Siddhanta. Aum.

SUTRA 33: GOD'S UNMANIFEST REALITY
Siva's followers all believe that Lord Siva is God, whose Absolute Being, Parashiva, transcends time, form and space. The yogi silently exclaims, "It is not this. It is not that." Yea, such an inscrutable God is God Siva. Aum.

SUTRA 34: GOD'S MANIFEST NATURE OF LOVE
Siva's followers all believe that Lord Siva is God, whose immanent nature of love, Parashakti, is the substratum, primal substance or pure consciousness flowing through all form as energy, existence, knowledge and bliss. Aum.

SUTRA 35: GOD'S IMMANENT NATURE AS PERSONAL LORD
Siva's followers all believe that Lord Siva is God, whose immanent nature is the Primal Soul, Supreme Mahadeva, Parameshvara, author of Vedas and Agamas, creator, preserver and destroyer of all that exists. Aum Namah Sivaya.

The Nature of Souls and World

SUTRA 36: GANAPATI, FIRST AMONG THE GODS
Siva's followers all believe in the Mahadeva Lord Ganesha, son of Siva-Shakti, to whom they must first supplicate before beginning any worship or task. His rule is compassionate. His law is just. Justice is His mind. Aum.

SUTRA 37: MURUGAN, LORD OF YOGA AND HARMONY
Siva's followers all believe in the Mahadeva Karttikeya, Son of Siva-Shakti, whose vel of grace dissolves the bondages of ignorance. The yogi, locked in lotus, venerates Murugan. Thus restrained, his mind becomes calm. Aum.

SUTRA 38: GOD CREATES SOULS WHO ARE ONE WITH HIM
Siva's followers all believe that each soul is created by Lord Siva and is identical to Him, and that this identity will be fully realized by all souls when the bondage of anava, karma and maya is removed by His grace. Aum.

SUTRA 39: THE GROSS, SUBTLE AND CAUSAL PLANES
Siva's followers all believe in three worlds: the gross plane, where souls take on physical bodies; the subtle plane, where souls take on astral bodies; and the causal plane, where souls exist in their self-effulgent form. Aum.

SUTRA 40: KARMA, REINCARNATION AND LIBERATION
Siva's followers all believe in the law of karma -- that one must reap the effects of all actions he has caused -- and that each soul reincarnates until all karmas are resolved and moksha, liberation, is attained. Aum Namah Sivaya.

Evil and Expressions of Faith

SUTRA 41: THE FOUR PROGRESSIVE STAGES OF THE PATH
Siva's followers all believe that the performance of charya, virtuous living; kriya, temple worship; and yoga, leading to Parashiva through the grace of the living satguru, is absolutely necessary to bring forth jnana, wisdom. Aum.

SUTRA 42: THE ILLUSION OF EVIL
Siva's followers all believe there is no intrinsic evil. Evil has no source, unless the source of evil's seeming be ignorance itself. They are truly compassionate, knowing that ultimately there is no good or bad. All is Siva's will. Aum.

SUTRA 43: TEMPLE WORSHIP CONNECTS THREE WORLDS
Siva's followers all believe that religion is the harmonious working together of the three worlds and that this harmony can be created through temple worship, wherein the beings of all three worlds can communicate. Aum.

SUTRA 44: Shaivism'S MOST POWERFUL VEDIC MANTRA
Siva's followers all believe in the Panchakshara Mantra, the five sacred syllables Namah Sivaya, as Saivism's foremost and essential mantra. The secret of Namah Sivaya is to hear it from the right lips at the right time. Aum.

SUTRA 45: Shiva IS IN ALL AND BEYOND ALL
Siva's followers hold as their affirmation of faith Anbe Sivamayam Satyame Parasivam, "God Siva is immanent love and transcendent reality," a perfect summary of Saiva Siddhanta's exquisite truth. Aum Namah Sivaya.

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