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THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY

WHAT IT IS AND HOW IT WORKS

Sivananda Ashram (Headquarters of The Divine Life Society)

Rishikesh, Himalayas, India.

Even though the Ashram welcomes anyone at any time, yet, unfortunately the
very pragmatic problem of space and accommodation compels its management
to state frankly that visitors must come for shorter/longer stay only after writing
and obtaining a written permission in reply from:
General Secretary,
The Divine Life Society,
P.O. Shivanandanagar,
Pin Code 249 192,
District Tehri-Garhwal, Uttaranchal,
India.
Tel: (91)-135-2430040
Fax: (91)-135-2442046
E-mail: [email protected]
Basic Presuppositions
Location
Visitors to the Ashram
Departments of Service
The Aims and Objects
More Information

Basic Presuppositions

The Divine Life Society is a shining example of the creative aspect of the Divinity
within man. It is a remarkable achievement of the Founder, His Holiness Sri Swami
Sivananda, who from the year 1936, has built up the wonderful mansion of 'Divine
Life' brick by brick, on the firm foundations of purity, integrity, nobility and
magnanimity. The ideals of the Society are lofty, most practicable and within the
reach of every human being, irrespective of position, caste, colour, country and creed.
The Institution caters to the cultural needs of all ranks of people, to whatever class
they may belong. Each one can tap whatever suits him the best according to his stature
and intellectual or spiritual attainments. The holy river Ganga flows by the side of the
Ashram, coming down from the icy regions of the Himalayas, carrying with her the
message of seers and sages of the past and the present, thus in a way keeping intact
the connection between the ancient and the modern and nourishing the body and the
mind of the wearied soul in its earthly sojourn. There is also available a Jnana
Ganga (river of knowledge) emanating from the prolific pen of the Great Master Sri
Swami Sivananda and his direct disciples, whom the Master has chiselled and
moulded into his own pattern with the laudable idea of enabling them to continue and
further the cause of his lofty mission.

The lofty ideal of 'Divine Life' has its humble beginning in the building of a true
human being, even as the fine superstructure has its small start in the foundation. Just
as the strength of a building depends on its foundation which remains silent and
invisible, so is the achievement of the Divine dependent on the strenuous preparation
of man, to annihilate the animal in him, to develop the human nature and to allow it to
blossom into Godliness. Thus there is no Divine Life without one being, or trying to
become, human first, and one cannot claim to be a human being merely because he
walks on two legs and talks with his tongue. It is our attitude, our behaviour and our
dealings with others that go to decide whether we are humans, sub-humans or
superhumans. What is our attitude to our fellow-beings, to ourselves and to the
Creator? This will decide what we are. Hence the noble Mission of Sri Swami
Sivanandaji Maharaj was to bring about the needed transformation in man, to
gradually eradicate the animal in him and to unfold the Divinity within to its
perfection. This transformation is needed by everyone, irrespective of caste, creed,
colour, country, sex, position high or low, and the Society therefore attracts seeking
souls from all walks of life and from every country.

The Divine Life Society carries out its object of a world-wide revival of spirituality
through publication of books, pamphlets and magazines dealing scientifically with all
the aspects of Yoga and Vedanta, universal religion and philosophy, and ancient
medicine; holding and arranging cultural and spiritual conferences and discourses;
establishing training centres for the practice of Yoga and the revival of true culture;
and taking such other steps from time to time as may be necessary for bringing about
a quick moral and spiritual regeneration in the world.

This institution serves as a place of preservation of the ancient traditions and cultural
practices that has come down as a time-honoured heritage. It has been built up to
serve as a model of many-sided, altruistic activity, an ideal to copy, intended to bring
about a complete unfoldment of the human personality, and to reveal the essential
blending together of all sides of human nature. The Society also functions as an ideal
place of spiritual retreat for the educated citizens of the world, wherein he can renew
himself and recreate and refresh his being, physically, mentally, morally and
spiritually.

Location

Sivananda Ashram, the Headquarters of The Divine Life Society, is housed at

Shivanandanagar, on the right bank of the Ganga, at a distance of 3 kilometres from
Rishikesh Town, (Distt. Tehri-Garhwal, U.P., India) and is served by 3-wheeler Autos
and taxis. Rishikesh is about 24 kilometres from the renowned pilgrim centre,
Haridwar, and is linked by rail and road. Regular buses and taxis are available
throughout the day, at any time. Haridwar is situated on the banks of the river Ganga
at a distance of 263 kilometres to the north of Delhi (Capital of India), and is served
by rail and road. Haridwar Railway Station is on Delhi-Dehra Dun line.

Here labour a band of Sannyasins (renunciates) and Sadhaks (spiritual practitioners),

whose life are entirely dedicated to the service of humanity, to learn and put into
practice the Yoga of Synthesis and to function actively as dynamic centres of
spirituality. The Society has as its aim the awakening of humanity to the true and lofty
purpose of life, enlightening them on the various means and methods of attaining the
Goal of life, and inspiring them and urging them to strive for its attainment.

Visitors to the Ashram

The Sivananda Ashram,-the Headquarters of the international organisation, the Divine

Life Society,-is situated in sylvan surroundings, with multihued hills all around and
the beautiful and holy Ganga flowing majestically by its side. The setting is so
alluring and capturing that all physical and mental ailments are forgotten for a
moment, and there appears to be a standing invitation by the hills and dales and the
sacred Ganga for periodical visits by people from all countries and from all strata of
society for recoupment and conditioning of both body and mind. Added to this is the
healing balm of the generous reception accorded by the Ashram to the visitors from
all parts of the world, and to the travellers proceeding to the sacred Himalayan
shrines, viz., Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, who intend to make a
brief halt at the foot of the Himalayas, which takes one to sublime heights of
exhilaration.

Even though the Ashram welcomes anyone at any time, yet, unfortunately the very
pragmatic problem of space and accommodation compels its management to state
frankly that visitors must come for shorter/longer stay only after writing and
obtaining a written permission in reply from:
General Secretary,
The Divine Life Society,
P.O. Shivanandanagar,
Pin Code 249 192,
District Tehri-Garhwal, Uttaranchal,
India.
Tel: (91)-135-2430040
Fax: (91)-135-2442046
E-mail: [email protected]
WWW: http://www.divinelifesociety.org/

Departments of Service

The following are the principal departments of The Divine Life Society:

The Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy trains seekers in the knowledge of India's Culture

and in the practice of Yoga as a general discipline for developing integral personality
as well as human welfare. The Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy Press prints the cultural
and spiritual books as well as the periodicals and other literature of the Society. The
Sivananda Publication League caters to the public this valuable literature. The Free
Literature Section distributes freely books and other literature to deserving seekers
and aspirants the world over. The Charitable Hospital renders free medical service to
the public and conducts periodical medical relief camps freely. The Annapurna
Annakshetra, which is the common kitchen of the Ashram, feeds about 600 permanent
residents, daily visiting Sadhaks and guests and pilgrims. The Guest House looks to
the needs of the many visitors and guests (visiting Sadhaks) who come to the Ashram
for spiritual guidance and Yoga training. The Temples of worship hold prayers for the
peace of the world, conduct regular worship and continue the recitation of the Divine
Name throughout the 24 hours of the day, for the welfare of mankind. The two
Monthly periodicals ('the Divine Life' in English and 'Divya Jeevan' in Hindi) consist
of articles on sublime philosophy and provide guidance of topical value to all the
seekers and students of Yoga. The Library furnishes reading of some the most
precious books in philosophy, Yoga and culture in general. The Correspondence
Section provides proper replies to countless queries that come from seekers all over
the world in the various walks of life. The Daily Satsanga held in the Ashram is a
perennial source of inspiration to the souls that seek communion with inner
peace. The Yoga Courses held in other parts of India, outside the Headquarters, in
other Institutions and Organisations, are, again, channels of the much-needed
inspiration to students, officials and people in general, the work which the Society
carries on through its Yoga Instructors who travel for this purpose. The Divine Life
Conferences held indifferent places in India have become effective means of
mustering in the moral and cultural forces of people and bringing them together for
the purpose of achieving individual and social solidarity. The Cultural
Tours conducted by the senior Swamis of the Ashram have become a byword to
anxious seekers in India as well as in other countries, who are benefited immensely by
the teachings, discourses and personal guidance provided by the Swamis travelling for
this purpose. The Personal Guidance which the senior Swamis at the Headquarters
render in a paternal way to hundreds of people coming to the Ashram from the various
countries in the world has been ever giving a healing touch to the tension-ridden
personalities in society. The Daily Meditation sessions are a practical mobilisation of
mental and soul-force for re-construction of the human personality towards the
various noble purposes in life. The Annual Sadhana Weeks are Spiritual Camps held
in the Ashram, to which hundreds flock in eagerness for cultural and spiritual
rejuvenation of their minds and hearts. The Educational Activities of the Society
consist in helping poor and deserving students, about a thousand in number right from
the primary standard to the post-graduate level, by providing them free with the
requisite facilities in their studies, as a gesture of the Ashram's goodwill towards the
welfare of people. The Leprosy Relief Work of the Society is so well-known that it has
always been regarded as part and parcel of the love extended by the Society to some
200 or more leper-patients who are rehabilitated and taken care of in a suitable
manner. The Social Service Wing attends to such services as medical aid to the poor
and needy, contribution towards different relief works in the country, and such other
gestures of charity as would relieve the sufferings of people, in some measure, from
poverty, disease and ignorance.

The Society has several Branches, functioning in India as well as in other countries.

The Daily Programme of the Ashram at the Headquarters include Group Prayers and
Meditation early in the morning; Worship in the temples three times daily; Practise of
Yoga Exercises in the forenoon and in the afternoon; Discourses on Yoga, Vedanta
and the Bhagavad Gita, daily; regular Meditation Session in the evening; and General
Satsanga at night; in addition to the Services rendered through the Departments of
Activity mentioned above.

These services and activities of the Ashram are so conceived and conducted that they
form a vehicle for the expression of the spiritual aspirations of seekers and become a
venue for manifesting in practical life the broad-based spiritual ideal of the Oneness
of God, the brotherhood of creation and the immortality of the Soul.

The fundamental aims and objects of the Divine Life Society, as a whole, are purely
spiritual, entirely non-sectarian, universally applicable and perfectly tolerant. The
Society offers a peaceful haven wherein is provided ample opportunity and actual help
for the restoration of peace to the troubled, conflict-ridden and psychologically
traumatised personality of the modern man.

The Aims and Objects

The Divine Life Society has been established

I. To Disseminate Spiritual Knowledge

(a) By publication of books, pamphlets and magazines dealing with ancient, oriental
and occidental philosophy, religion and medicine in the modern scientific manner, and
their distribution on such terms as may appear expedient to the Board of Trustees;

(b) By propagating the Name of the Lord, and by holding and arranging spiritual
discourses and conferences and frequent Sankirtans (singing the Lords name) or
spiritual gathering for singing and glorifying the Name of the Lord;

(c) By establishing training centres or societies for the practice of Yoga, for moral and
spiritual Sadhanas (spiritual practices) and the revival of true culture, to enable
aspirants to achieve regeneration through worship, devotion, wisdom, right action and
higher meditation with systematic training in asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing
exercise), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (superconscious
state); and

(d) By doing all such acts and things as may be necessary and conducive to the moral,
spiritual and cultural uplift of mankind in general and to the attainment of the above-
mentioned objects in Bharatavarsha(India) in particular;
II. To Establish and Run Educational Institutions
On modern lines and on right basic principles and to help deserving students by
granting them refundable and non-refundable scholarships for doing research work in
the various branches of existing scriptures and comparative religion, as also to train
them to disseminate spiritual knowledge in the most effective manner;

III. To Help Deserving Orphans and Destitutes

By rendering them such assistance as the Society may deem proper, whether in any
individual case or in any particular class of cases;

IV. To establish and Run Medical Organizations

Or any other medical institutions and hospitals or dispensaries for the treatment of
diseases and dispensing medicines and performing surgical operations, etc., to the
poor in particular and to the other public in general, on such terms and in such manner
as may be deemed expedient by the Board of Trustees;

V. To Take Such Other Steps from Time to Time

As may be necessary for effecting a quick and effective moral and spiritual
regeneration in the world and in Bharatavarsha in particular.

The Society was registered as a Trust in the year 1936 and has been actively
functioning since then to fulfill the above aims and objects in the world.

More Information

For more information about Swami Sivananda and the history of the Divine Life
Society, please download the book Swami Sivananda & The Divine Life
Society from our download page at:
http://www.dlshq.org/download/download.htm

Last Updated: Saturday, 27-May-2017 11:04:51 EDT

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