Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami articulated a vision of Saivite Hinduism that is both rigorously traditional and carefully systematized. At the heart of his teaching stands Saiva Siddhanta, with its affirmation that God, soul, and world are real and that Lord Siva is the Supreme Being, simultaneously transcendent as Absolute Reality and immanent as all-pervasive Consciousness and Love. He consistently emphasized the classical triad of Pati (Siva as Lord), Pasu (the individual soul), and Pasa (the bonds of anava, karma, and maya that limit the soul). The spiritual journey, in his view, is the gradual freeing of the soul from these bonds through many lives, culminating in Self Realization—direct, superconscious experience of the Absolute and eventual liberation, or moksha.

His path integrates the four traditional margas—karma, bhakti, raja, and jnana yoga—into a graded, coherent discipline rather than treating them as isolated options. Temple worship, especially in the Saivite Agamic tradition, occupies a central place: daily puja, abhishekam, festivals, and pilgrimage are seen as powerful means of purification and devotion, supported by home shrine worship as the spiritual heart of family life. Meditation and inner worship are equally stressed, with a carefully structured approach to withdrawing awareness from external impressions into subtler states of mind and ultimately beyond mind itself. In this way, devotion, service, meditation, and philosophical insight are woven together into a single tapestry of practice.

Ethical and cultural foundations are treated not as secondary matters but as indispensable supports for spiritual realization. He strongly affirmed karma and reincarnation, teaching that personal responsibility, adherence to dharma, and observance of ahimsa shape the soul’s evolution across lifetimes. Vegetarianism, sexual purity, abstinence from intoxicants, and mental discipline are upheld as practical expressions of noninjury and inner purity. Family and community life are honored as sacred arenas for living out Hindu values, raising children in dharma, and sustaining the continuity of tradition through customs, festivals, and scriptural study.

A distinctive feature of his work is the careful preservation and presentation of Hindu identity in a global context. He upheld the unity-in-diversity of Hinduism, recognizing multiple denominations while personally standing within Saiva Siddhanta, and encouraged Hindu solidarity without erasing genuine doctrinal distinctions. The guru-disciple relationship and a disciplined monastic order are given a prominent role, with celibate renunciates and committed householders each following clearly defined spiritual responsibilities. Through systematic teachings, publications, and educational outreach, he sought to make the depth of Hindu philosophy and practice intelligible and livable for sincere seekers, while remaining firmly anchored in orthodox Saivite tradition.