swaminarayan religion

[130] They also host sports tournaments and initiatives to promote healthy lifestyles among children and youth. Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS; IAST: Bocsavs Akar Puruottam Svminryaa Sasth) is a Hindu denomination within the Swaminarayan Sampradaya. Though women can take the vow of celibacy, there is no comparable order of sdhvs (female renunciates). In Desh Pardesh: The South Asian Presence in Britain, edited by Roger Ballard, pp. Shastriji Maharaj spent the majority of 190815 discoursing throughout Gujarat, while continuing construction work of mandirs in Bochasan and Sarangpur, gaining a group of devotees, admirers, and supporters. List of Swaminarayan temples - Wikipedia Swaminarayan | Encyclopedia.com A new face of Hinduism : the Swaminarayan religion [71], The organisation held Cultural Festivals of India in London in 1985 and New Jersey in 1991. Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha ( BAPS; IAST: Bocsavs Akar Puruottam Svminryaa Sasth) is a Hindu denomination within the Swaminarayan Sampradaya. Patel established a non-profit organisation known as BSS under US law. [113], The offering of bhakti, or devotion to God, remains at the centre of mandir activities. The core philosophical principles, disciplines, and practices which identify the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha and its followers are rooted in ancient Hindu scripture, the Vedas. In Swaminarayan devotionalism, my is understood, at the most general level, to be primordial matter (prakti) or that which conceals the knowledge required for jva to attain moka, the liberation from sasra, the cycle of rebirth. The most significant differences between the various sects in the Swaminarayan movement rest in the interpretation of who is puruottama and how to understand the relationship between this eternal entity with human-like form and satsags whose devotional activities are motivated by the possibility that each individual jva can potentially achieve eternal existence in akaradham, alongside puruottama. The complex of religious beliefs and philosophical ideas that has developed out of the teachings of the Buddha (Sanskrit, "the Enli, William Temple The Original || Shree Swaminarayan Sampraday . [58], Yogiji Maharaj was unable to travel to the United States during his consecutive foreign tours. The followers of Swaminarayan constitute a dynamic force in Gujarat society as well as among Gujaratis who have settled abroad. By age twenty-five, he had an order of five hundred male sdhus (ascetics) who, notwithstanding the special rules requiring ascetics to avoid all contact with women, were responsible for spreading his message and consolidating the growing numbers of Swaminarayan satsags (devotees). Other important texts include hagiographies cum histories such as the Satsangijivanam, which elaborate on Sahajanand Swami's life story and teachings. [112]:440 BAPS mandirs thus facilitate devotional commitment to the Akshar-Purushottam Darshan, in which followers strive to reach the spiritually perfect state of Aksharbrahman, or the ideal devotee, thereby gaining the ability to properly worship Purushottam, the Supreme Godhead. And by improving the quality of life of the individual, we are bettering families, communities, our world, and our future."[9]. Contributions to Indian Sociology, n.s., 10, no. A New Face Of Hinduism: The Swaminarayan Religion| Raymond Brady Williams, Rank-and-File Rebellion: Teamsters For A Democratic Union (The Haymarket Series On North American Politics And Culture)|Dan La Botz, Conquest Of England By The Normans. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. The Swaminarayan Faith is a branch of Hinduism, which was founded by Lord Shree Swaminarayan Himself, at the end of the eighteenth century in Northern India. The construction for the site of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Robbinsville, NJ began in early 2010. BAPS Swaminarayan communities in the United States and Great Britain now have resident sdhus who teach and administer temple activities. [7] In the tradition of the Bhakti Movement, Swaminarayan and his spiritual successors began erecting mandirs to provide a means to uphold proper devotion to God on the path towards moksha, or ultimate liberation. As a consequence of the Indian emigration patterns, mandirs have been constructed in Africa, Europe, North America, and the Asia-Pacific region. He prescribed nonviolence, abstinence from intoxicants, strict vegetarianism (including no onion or garlic), sexual continence, and frugal living. BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha. [51] On 11 May 1961 during the Gadhada Kalash Mahotsav, he initiated 51 college-educated youths into the monastic order as swamis. Among his innovations, Sahajanand Swami established an institutional structure that provided for the perpetuation of the Swaminarayan satsag, the community of followers-in-truth. Swaminarayan - Wikipedia 17.50. Amazon.com: swaminarayan Swaminarayan ( IAST: Svmnryaa, 3 April 1781 - 1 June 1830), also known as Sahajanand Swami, was a yogi and ascetic, who is believed by followers to be a manifestation of God Krishna, [2] [3] [4] or as the highest manifestation of Purushottam, [5] [page needed] [6] [page needed] [7] and around whom the Swaminarayan Sampradaya developed. Shastriji Maharaj Life and Work. William Temple (1881-1944), archbishop of Canterbury, was an outstanding church and civic leader who by the time he die, Swallowers and Gulpers: Saccopharyngiformes, https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/swaminarayan-movement. Scholars of modern Gujarat history are critical of this cooperation, arguing that the Swaminarayan movement's alignment with the British reflected its bias toward promoting its own caste and class interests at the expense of other groups either unable or unwilling to yield to Anglo-colonial hegemony. [70] During this festival, 200 youths were initiated into the monastic order. The Vachanamrut: Spiritual Discourses of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. [69] Culturally, a need arose to celebrate special festivals (Cultural Festival of India) to reach out to youths in the diaspora to foster understanding and appreciation of their mother culture in a context accessible to them. [149], BAPS is constructing a Hindu stone temple in the Middle East, in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of United Arab Emirates, on 55,000 square metres of land. The Swaminarayan movement became further known for its campaigns against early child marriage, widow immolation (sat), and female infanticide, all practices that had excited concern among the indigenous intelligentsia and colonial administrators of the established Bengal Presidency. Under the leadership of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, over 25 additional shikharbaddha mandirs have been built across Gujarat and other regions of India and abroad. [71] The same festival was shipped to US as a month-long Cultural Festival of India at Middlesex County College in Edison, New Jersey.[49]. Bhagwan Swaminarayan is always present on Earth through the gunatit guru. Swaminarayan devotionalism offers release (moka) attainable not through textual knowledge or correct ritual practices but through the recognition that Sahajanand Swami is himself puruottama, that is the highest existential reality, who appears in human form, and who resides in akaradhma. [69] organisational needs spanned from transmitting cultural identity through spiritual discourses to the newer much alienated generation in the new lands, temple upkeep and traveling to regional and local centres to disseminate spiritual knowledge. I commend Swami Paramtattvadas on this signature achievement.' Ravi Gupta, Charles Redd Chair of Religious Studies, Utah State University [19], On 7 November 1939, 17-year-old Shantilal Patel (who would become Pramukh Swami Maharaj) left his home[43] and was initiated by Shastriji Maharaj into the parshad order, as Shanti Bhagat, on 22 November 1939,[44] and into the swami order, as Narayanswarupdas Swami, on 10 January 1940. Neelkanth Varni or Sahajanand Swami, the originator of Swaminarayan sect, was born in a village called Chhapia in Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh. (June 30, 2023). An Introduction to Swaminarayan Hindu Theology provides a comprehensive doctrinal account of the Swaminarayan tradition's belief system, drawing on its rich corpus of theological literature, including the teachings of Swaminarayan himself and classical commentaries on canonical Vedntic texts. [87] These gurus are essential in illuminating the path that needs to be taken by the jivas that earnestly desire to be liberated from the cycle of rebirth. In the years following Sahajanand Swami's death, the cooperative relationship between Swaminarayan cryas, sdhus, and householders and the British allowed for favorable reciprocation such as temple land grants and festival permits. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Additionally, sdhus from the original movement have left to form their own institutions that sometimes (e.g., Swaminarayan Gurukuls) but not always (e.g., Swaminarayan Gadi) retain an affiliation with their gdd. [56] Beginning 1953, D. D. Meghani held assemblies in his office that brought together several followers in an organized setting. G. Sundaram. In the third leg of the era, the organisation saw an unprecedented level of mandir construction activities taking place in order to accommodate the rapid rise of adherents across the global Indian diaspora. p. 43, Swaminarayan Akshardham (Gandhinagar) temple, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in London, United Kingdom, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Toronto, Canada, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Los Angeles, United States, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Houston, United States, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Atlanta, United States, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Chicago, United States, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Robbinsville, United States, 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199463749.003.0005, "Guru's grace empowers philosophical treatise", "Yogiji Maharaj Sermons of Yogiji Maharaj", "Bhagwan Swaminarayan's Spiritual Lineage", "BAPS Inaugurates Stone Mandir in New Jersey", "Final Darshan and Rites of Pramukh Swami Maharaj", "Digital Mrtis, Virtual Daran and a Hindu Religioscape", "BAPS Temple holds installation of 1st pillar, Mandapam, and Visarjan in New Jersey | News India Times", "Everything we know about the UAE's first traditional Hindu temple", "Hindu Sect Is Accused of Using Forced Labor to Build N.J. Temple", "Federal agents probe Hindu sect for using forced labor to build New Jersey temple", "Hindu Sect Accused of Using Forced Labor at More Temples Across U.S.", "FAQ-Related to BAPS Swaminaryan Sansth-General", "BAPS celebrates Swaminarayan Jayanti & Ram Navmi", "BAPS Commemorates Education with Educational Development Day", "BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha Hosts Women's Conference in Chicago", "BAPS Charities stresses importance of children's health", "BAPS Charities Hosts 15th Annual Walkathon", "BAPS Charities Host Community Walk in Support of American Diabetes Association and Stafford MSD Education Fund", "BAPS Charities to Hold Women's FREE Health Awareness Lectures 2010 on Saturday, June 5th 2010", "BAPS Care International launches relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina victims", "BAPS Charities helps victims of tornadoes", "Traditional Hindu temple opening in Robbinsville, part of BAPS community", "PM Modi officially launches foundation stone-laying ceremony for first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi Times of India ", 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199463749.003.0010, "1,200 young adults from North America attend Spiritual Quotient Seminar", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bochasanwasi_Akshar_Purushottam_Swaminarayan_Sanstha&oldid=1152765339, Religious organizations established in 1907, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from June 2021, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from June 2021, Articles with dead external links from July 2017, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia pages semi-protected from banned users, Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, This page was last edited on 2 May 2023, at 05:20. 4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars (27) Kindle Edition. Monier-Williams, Monier. BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha is a spiritual, volunteer-driven fellowship dedicated to improving society through individual growth by. [38]:11 He instructed Shastri Narayanswarupdas, who now began to be referred to as Pramukh Swami, to ennoble Satsang under the guidance of Yogiji Maharaj. [104], Followers receive gnan through regularly listening to spiritual discourses and reading scriptures in an effort to gain knowledge of God and one's true self. Devotees - BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha 2 (1976): 341365. Polemical in tone, the article critiques the activities of the London BAPS temple. [150], BAPS Charities is a global non-religious, charitable organisation that originated from the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) with a focus on serving society. Akara with form is visible and tangible as the contemporaneous living guru, the one who embodies puruottama' s immanence. [139][140], The founder of BAPS, Shastriji Maharaj, built the first mandir in Bochasan, Gujarat, which led the organisation to be known as "Bochasanwasi" (of Bochasan). [59] Soon, K.C. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. Ahmedabad: Swaminarayan Aksharpith. BAPS advocates the principle of ahimsa (non-violence) and practices vegetarianism. This period of BAPS history saw an important expansion in youth activities. The Ahmedabad temple was designated administrative head of the northern seat and the Vadtal temple, the center for the southern seat. there whole religion is a classic, hitler type brain-wash method at converting people to meet . Similar "traditional" temple complexes were completed in Chicago, Illinois, and Houston, Texas. Satsags explain this inconsistency by noting that Sahajanand Swami was careful to make his divinity known only to those who were ready for this revelation. [9] Their history of service activities can be traced back to Swaminarayan (1781-1830), who opened alms houses, built shelters, worked against addiction, and abolished the practice of sati and female infanticide with the goals of removing suffering and effecting positive social change. Swaminarayan Jayanti 2021 Date . [46], In the last few years of his life, Shastriji Maharaj took steps to preserve the growth and future of BAPS by registering BAPS as a charitable trust in 1947 under India's new legal code. From Walkathons or Sponsored Walks that raise funds for local communities to supporting humanitarian relief in times of urgent need or from community health fairs to sustaining hospitals and schools in developing countries, BAPS Charities provides an opportunity for individuals wishing to serve locally and globally. 2. The Swaminarayan Religion. The first study by a Western scholar of the ideology & history of the Swaminarayan religion. [75] In 1961, he was ordained as a swami by Yogiji Maharaj and named Keshavjivandas Swami. "Preservation of the Religious Life: Hindu Immigrants in England." |, This site uses cookies. Two core texts, the Vachanamritam (Vacanmta) and Shikshapatri (ikpatr), provide the foundation for Swaminarayan bhakti. Publication date 1984 Topics Swami-Narayanis, Swaminarayan movement, to 1983 Publisher Cambridge [Cambridgeshire] ; New York : Cambridge University Press Collection inlibrary; printdisabled; internetarchivebooks Membership in the Swaminarayan movement begins with a brief verbal initiation followed by the devotee's acceptance of the Swaminarayan mantra. Ethnic and Racial Studies 23, no. Selflessly serving God, the gunatit guru, and the community is the only way to rid ones self of base desires and faults. [105] Spiritual service, or seva, is a form of devotion where devotees serve selflessly "while keeping only the Lord in mind. ." As the highest reality, Sahajanand Swami is thus not an avatra or descended form of a higher entity but the ultimate creator of all entities. [49]:217 By the time of his death at the age of forty-nine on June 1, 1830, Sahajanand Swami was considered by his many satsags to be Bhagavn (Lord) Swaminarayan, the highest manifestation of reality. [98][85]:276 As per the Akshar-Purushottam Upasana, each jiva attains liberation and true realization through association with the manifest form of Akshar, in the form of the God-realized guru, who offer spsirtual guidance. Provides a closer look at Gujarati Swaminarayan communities in the United States, including the original Swaminarayan and Bochasanwasi Shree Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha sects. [137] During weekend assemblies, physicians are periodically invited to speak on various aspects of preventative medicine and to raise awareness on common conditions. Furthermore, having access to a greater volunteer force and community enabled the organisation to celebrate festivals on a massive scale which marked the arrival of a number of milestone anniversaries in the history of the organisation, including the bicentenary of Swaminarayan, bicentenary of Gunatitanand Swami, and the centenary of Yogiji Maharaj. NNDYM - Kalupur Mandir - Swaminarayan Yogiji Maharaj believed that in a time of profound and rapid social ferment, there was an imminent need to save the young from 'degeneration of moral, cultural and religious values'. Cambridge, U.K., 1988. The cryas oversee the temples, sdhus, and satsags in their respective gdis. What is remarkable is the degree to which BAPS, and to a lesser extent the original Swaminarayan gdis, have translated the injunction for moral living and reform into a larger transnational project, one that positions Swaminarayan bhakti as synonymous with a reified sense of "Hinduism." Contains account of author's meeting with the English translator of the Vachanamritam, H. T. Dave, and Swami Jnanjivandas, the third living guru in the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha. In many of his discourses in the Vachanamrut (Gadhada I-71, According to the BAPS, numerous historical accounts. For BAPS followers, pj includes the pictorial forms of the guru lineage and a reading selection from Swami ni Vato, a collection of brief sayings by Gunatitanand Swami. [23][note 3], Followers of BAPS believe that the Ekantik dharma that Swaminarayan desired to establish is embodied and propagated by the Ekantik Satpurush ("a most sublime saint"[web 3][note 4]), the Gunatit Guru. Williams, Raymond Brady (2004). Heber, Reginald. [86]:97 These numerous activities stem directly from the ideals taught by Swaminarayan, to find spiritual devotion in the service of others. Contains a wealth of details particularly with respect to the administration and organization of the dominant Swaminarayan sects. The Vachanamritam outlines four categories of action for helping devotees strengthen their devotionalism. One should not commit adultery. It belongs to the Vaishnav tradition and represents the purest form of the Hindu religion. 2003. [1] Hardiman, David. He traveled throughout the Gujarat region, outlining his behavioral expectations along gender lines and according to social groups, from laity to ascetics and political leaders. Skip to the content . Hindu denomination within the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, "BAPS" redirects here. This solid foundation resonates with millions of people around the world: We are the atma and are not this body. Mahendra Patel, a barrister by vocation, writes, "I landed in London in 1950 for further studies. [note 9], According to BAPS doctrines, followers aim to attain a spiritual state similar to Brahman which is ultimate liberation. [44] Initially, he studied Sanskrit and Hindu scriptures[44] and served as Shastriji Maharaj's personal secretary. The most comprehensive and accessible English-language source by a non-Swaminarayan devotee on the history and religious philosophy of the Swaminarayan movement. [8][web 1], BAPS also engages in a host of humanitarian and charitable endeavors through BAPS Charities, a separate non-profit aid organisation which has spearheaded a number of projects around the world addressing healthcare, education, environmental causes, and community-building campaigns.[9]. [74], Following the death of Pramukh Swami Maharaj on 13 August 2016, Mahant Swami Maharaj became the 6th guru and president of BAPS.
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