The Divine Life Society/Integral Yoga Institute
| By: Dr. John Ankerberg, Dr. John Weldon; ©1999 |
| The Divine Life Society’s teachings are found in the writings of Swami Sivananda and Swami Satchidananda and in Hindu Scriptures. |
The Divine Life Society/Integral Yoga Institute
Info at a Glance
Name: The Divine Life Society/Integral Yoga Institute.
Purpose: The dissemination of Sivananda’s and Satchidananda’s Vedantic teachings and yoga practice.
Founder: Swami Sivananda and Swami Satchidananda.
Source of authority: The founders’ writings and standard Hindu scriptures (Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads).
Revealed teachings: Besides the Hindu scriptures, Sivananda’s alleged post-mortem communications are accepted as genuine.
Examples of occult potential: Development of psychic powers, kundalini arousal, spiritism.
Attitude toward Christianity: Rejecting.
Quotes:
“I am a true Christian, a true Musalman [Muslim], a true Hindu, a true Buddhist, a true Sikh, and a True Parsi.” (Swami Sivananda, Divine Nectar, p. 81.)
“The Lord has many names, many forms and many attributes. Call Him by any name, any form or any attribute. He will hear you.” (Sivananda, Divine Nectar, p. 251.)
“Guru is God in human form.” (Sivananda, Divine Nectar, pp. 185, 226.)
Note: Chinmayananda was a disciple of Sivananda and his work (Chinmaya Mission) and teachings are very similar to the Divine Life Society.
Doctrinal Summary
God: The Vedantic Brahman; impersonal, ineffable; Satchidananda (impersonal Being, consciousness, bliss).
Jesus: A great prophet; one of many great souls; a spirit in the astral world.
Salvation: By knowledge and spiritual practice (yoga, meditation). Man is never separate from God, but must seek to become conscious of his divinity.
Man: Inwardly divine.
Sin: Ignorance of one’s true divine nature.
Satan: Figurative for false perception.
The Fall: In consciousness, not history.
The Bible: Sivananda’s words are the true word of God, and his interpretation of the Bible is considered divine revelation.
Death: A normal transition, or spiritual advance.
Heaven and Hell: States of consciousness or temporary places.
