Global Hindu Events: Satguru Bodhinatha's Satguru Purnima 2017 message

Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami has many devotees in Malaysia. As such, he is well aware of news & happenings in the Hindu & Indian community here in Malaysia.

On the occasion of Satguru Purnima 2017, he shares the following message to his Malaysian devotees. Hindu Events Malaysia also take this opportunity to share his message with our readers for their benefit.

Note: ‘Gurudeva’ refers to Satguru SivayaSubramuniyaswami, the predecessor of Satguru Bodhinatha.

Om Sivaya everyone on the occasion of Satguru Purnima.

Since the release last year of our newest book Path to Siva: A Catechism for Youth, there has been a renewed interest in our global congregation in teaching Saivism to children and youth. This is wonderful to observe. As you will recall, five test questions have been prepared for each of the sixty-eight lessons, a total of three-hundred and forty questions. Those members who have started teaching or will be starting soon are encouraged to complete the test questions themselves. This is to make sure your answers reflect the contents of the book. As Gurudeva points out in the quote that follows, when children are young all they need to do is memorize the material. However, when they are older their reasoning faculties have developed and it is important the answers that are given to their many questions are accurate and satisfying. And children seem, at least to me, to be asking these questions at a younger age than a few decades ago.
Gurudeva: "We have one duty to perform, which is to pass our religion on to the next generation, the next and the next. And how do we do this? How is this done? It is done by causing the children to memorize the precepts of our scriptures. Our Saivite scriptures are the heritage of the children. They own those scriptures. It is our duty to give them the scriptures. Among others, we now have the Tirukural in the English language, entitled Weaver’s Wisdom. It must be memorized by them, by each and every one of them, along with the hundreds of Vedic verses in Hinduism’s Contemporary Catechism, Dancing with Siva. The teachings of our other scriptures should be familiar as well. That establishes them in their dharma. The sooner we get our scriptures into the minds of the children, the better we build the children into fine citizens. Crime is very expensive for any nation. Crime is very expensive for any family, for they suffer and the individual suffers. Nothing is gained by crime. Good citizenship comes from a good religious education. A good religious education starts with memory, and it is fulfilled in the realms of reason when the child is older and able to discuss his religion with his elders. We must educate the youth. We must educate them well in the Saivite Hindu religion. Start with the Tirukural. Lord Murugan will help you. Lord Ganesha will open doors and give you wisdom of how to proceed. Lord Murugan will give you the willpower—He is the God of Will—to perform this one supreme duty, and duty is also dharma, to pass our Saivite religion on to the next generation, the next and the next…