Divine Life Society

The Divine Life Society (DLS) is a Hindu spiritual organisation and an ashram, founded by Swami Sivananda Saraswati in 1936, at Muni Ki Reti, Rishikesh, India. The Society has branches around the world, with its headquarters in Rishikesh.

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.Introduction Chidananda Saraswati served as president of the society from August 1963 to 28 August 2008,Biography of Swami Chidananda Saraswati Divine Life Society HQ website. 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.Divine Life Society Britannica.comDivine Life Society Divine enterprise: Gurus and the Hindu Nationalist Movement, by Lise McKean. University of Chicago Press, 1996. . Pages 164-165.Swami Shivananda Religion and anthropology: a critical introduction, by Brian Morris. Cambridge University Press, 2006. . Page 144.

Vegetarianism

Sivananda insisted on a strict lacto-vegetarian diet for moral and spiritual reasons, arguing that "meat-eating is highly deleterious to health".Rosen, Steven. (2011). Food for the Soul: Vegetarianism and Yoga Traditions. Praeger. p. 22. McGonigle, Andrew; Huy, Matthew. (2022). The Physiology of Yoga. Human Kinetics. p. 169. "Meat-Eating". sivanandaonline.org. Retrieved 22 January 2023."Vegetarianism". dlshq.org. Retrieved 22 January 2023. Divine Life Society thus advocates a vegetarian diet.

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.

Divine Life Society

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