The Guru Chronicles : The Making of the First American Satguru

Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927-2001) sailed for Sri Lanka in 1947 to find his guru. After years of arduous training, he fell at the feet of the Tamil master, Siva Yogaswami. Following his guru's orders, the illumined yogi returned to America to teach the path of enlightenment. Ultimately, he was recognized and befriended by India's spiritual leaders as the first Hindu guru born in the West. Gurudeva, as he was affectionately known, founded the Saiva Siddhanta Yoga Order and established Kauai's Hindu Monastery in Hawaii. Hinduism's many guru lineages are the spiritual rivers that pass the power on through the ages. The lineage that he joined extends to his guru's guru, Chellappaswami, and before him to Kadaitswami, then a nameless rishi and countless others, back to Rishi Tirumular and his guru, Maharishi Nandinatha, some 2,200 years ago in the high Himalayas. These are the illustrated stories of Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, his guru Siva Yogaswami and five preceding masters, who all held truth in the palm of their hand and inspired slumbering souls to "Know thy Self."