Guru founded monastery on Kauai

He supervised more than 50 Hindu
temples around the world

SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNLYASWAMI /
HINDU LEADER

SEE ALSO: OBITUARIES

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By Anthony Sommer
tsommer@starbulletin.com

LIHUE >> Satguru Sivaya Subramunlyaswami, who founded a Hindu monastery on Kauai in 1970, died Sunday night at the age of 74.

The announcement from Kauai Aadeenam, also known as Kauai's Hindu Monastery, said he had been fasting since being told on Oct. 9 he had incurable cancer.

COURTESY PHOTO
Satguru Sivaya Subramun-lyaswami of Kauai was the
hereditary guru of 2.5 million Sri Lankan Hindus.

The monastery's extensive biography of Gurudeva, as he was addressed by his followers and people on Kauai, gives little information about his early life. It states he was born in the United States and converted to the Hindu faith while on a trip to India and Sri Lanka in 1947.

The monastery said he is the hereditary guru of 2.5 million Sri Lankan Hindus and that he was considered one of the most traditional gurus in the world. In addition to the monastery on Kauai, Gurudeva supervised more than 50 temples worldwide.

Gurudeva was the author of more than 30 books on Hindu metaphysics, mysticism and yoga.

His 51-acre monastery near Wailua is the home for his order of 25 swamis, yogis and sadhakas. Work has been under way for the past decade on a massive stone temple scheduled for completion in 2010.

Gurudeva selected his disciple of 37 years, Satguru Bodhinatha Yeylanswami, 59, as his successor to head the monastery. A memorial service was held last night at Borthwick Mortuary in Koloa.