Schisms of Swami Muktananda’s Siddha Yoga
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17192/mjr.2010.15.3419Abstract
Although Swami Muktananda’s Siddha Yoga is a relatively new movement it has had a surprising amount of offshoots and schismatic groups claiming connection to its lineage. This paper discusses two schisms of Swami Muktananda’s Siddha Yoga, Nityananda’s Shanti Mandir and Shankarananda’s Shiva Yoga. These are proposed as important schisms from Siddha Yoga because both swamis held senior positions in Muktananda’s original movement. The paper discusses the main episodes that appeared to cause the schism within Swami Muktananda’s Siddha Yoga and the subsequent growth of Shanti Mandir and Shiva Yoga. Nityananda’s Shanti Mandir and Shankarananda’s Shiva Yoga may be considered as schisms developing from a leadership dispute rather than doctrinal differences. These groups may also present a challenge to Gurumayi’s Siddha Yoga as sole holder of the lineage of Swami Muktananda. Because of movements such as Shanti Mandir and Shiva Yoga, Muktananda’s Siddha Yoga Practice continues and grows, although, it is argued in this paper that it now grows through a variety of organisations.
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● Brooks, D. R. (1997). Meditation Revolution: A History and Theology of the Siddha Yoga
Lineage. South Fallsburg. NY:
● Caldwell, S. (2001). The Heart of the Secret: A Personal and Scholarly Encounter with
Shakta Tantrism in Siddha Yoga. Nova Religio, 5(1), 9-51.
● Chidvilasananda, S. (1986). A Message From Gurumayi to All the Devotees of Siddha
Yoga. Circular distributed to Siddha Yoga ashrams, 23of March.
● Conser, C. J. (1984). An ashram education towards contentment: Rituals as means.
Columbia University, New York.
Dawson, L. L. (2006), ‘Psychopathologies and the Attribution of Charisma’, Nova Religio:
The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions 10:2, 3–28.
● Harris, L. (1994). O GURU, GURU, GURU. Retrieved 15/12/09, from
http://www.leavingsiddhayoga.net/o_guru_english.htm
● Healy, J.P. (2010). Siddha Yoga Practice: Discovering a New Religious Movement. United
Kingdom, Ashgate.
● Ippolito, R. M. (1996). The Guru-Disciple relationship in SYDA. California Institute of
Intergral Studies, California.
● Kanuha, V. K. (2000). Being” native versus “going” native: Conducting social work
research as an insider. Social Work, 45(5), 439-447.
● Kodikal, D., & Kodikal, R. (2005). Life of Bhagawan Nityananda. Mumbai: Surendra
Kalyanpur.
● Kottary, S. (1986, March 16). I Was Abducted. The Illustrated Weekly of India, 7-13.
● Lewis, J. R. & Lewis, S. M. (eds). (2009). Sacred Schisms: How Religions Divide. New
York: Cambridge University Press.
● Martin, J. P. (1993). The meaning system of North American adherents of Hindu-based
beliefs and practices: Its reconstruction and its implications. Unpublished PhD, University
of Maryland, Maryland.
● Melton, G. (1993). Encyclopaedia of American Religions (4th ed.). Detroit: Gale Research
Inc.
● Melton, G. J. (1991), ‘Introduction’, In: T. Miller (ed.), When Prophets Die: The
Postcharismatic Fate of New Religious Movements. Albany: State University of New York
Press.
● Muktananda, S. (1975). Sadgurunath Maharaj Ki Jay. Melbourne Sydney: Baba's Devotees
in Australia.
● Narayan, D. K. (1989). Storytellers, Saints, and Scoundrels: Folk Narrative in Hindu
Religious Teaching.Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Pitchford, S., Bader, C., & Stark, R. (2001). Doing Field Studies of Religious Movements:
An Agenda. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 40(3), 379-392.
● Rochford, E. B. (1989). Factionalism, Group Defection, and Schism in the Hare Krishna
Movement. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 28(2), 162-179.
● Shanti Mandir. (2009). Shanti Mandir. Retrieved 15/12/09, from http://shantimandir.com/
● Stark, R., & Bainbridge, W. S. (1979). Of Churches, Sects, and Cults: Preliminary Concepts
for a Theory of Religious Movements. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 18(2),
117-131.
● Thursby, G. (1991). Siddha Yoga: Swami Muktananda and the seat of power. In: T. Miller
(ed.), When Prophets Die: The Postcharismatic Fate of New Religious Movements, pp. 165–
81. Albany: State University of New York Press.
● Thursby, G. (1995). Hindu Movements since the Mid-Century. In: T. Miller (ed.),
America’s Alternative Religions. New York: State University of New York Press, pp. 191–
213.
● Wallis, R. (1979). Salvation and Protest: Studies of Social and Religious Movements New
York: St. Martin's Press.
● Weber, M. (1968). On Charisma and Institution Building. Chicago: The University of
Chicago Press.
● Wessinger, C. (1993). Woman guru, woman roshi: the legitimation of female religious
leadership in Hindu and Buddhist groups in America. In: C. Wessinger (ed.), Women’s
leadership in marginal religions, pp. 125–46. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.
● Wilcox, J. D. (1984). Kundalini: A study of spiritual awakening and movement towards the
self. Unpublished PhD, Columbia University, New York.
● Williamson, L. (2005). Perfectibility of Perfection. In: T. A. Forsthoefel, C. A. Humes
(eds.), Gurus in America. New York: State University of New York Press, pp. 147–67.
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Published
2015-04-28
How to Cite
Healy, J. P. (2015). Schisms of Swami Muktananda’s Siddha Yoga. Marburg Journal of Religion, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.17192/mjr.2010.15.3419
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