Swaminarayan Sampraday

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  • "The Indian word is sampradaya, which is difficult to translate. It is not equivalent to a philosophical school, a monastic order, a denomination, a church, or a sect; it is definitely not a cult in the modern American sense. A sampradaya is a tradition which has been handed down from a founder through successive religious teachers and which shapes the followers into a distinct fellowship with institutional forms… To a large extent the individual's exposure to the elements that make up what is called Hinduism comes through participation in a particular sampradaya. Those aspects of belief and practice common to most persons who call themselves Hindus constitute what could be designated "Hinduism in general," but most individuals are first of all "Hindus in particular." Particularity is the essential feature of religious and group affiliation. Certainly it is the case with the satsangis of the Swaminarayan sampradaya." (2) [1]
  • “Pramukh Swami Maharaj (1921–2016) was the religious leader of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan  Sanstha (BAPS), a denomination of the Swaminarayan Sampraday, which was established by Shastriji Maharaj (1865–1951) in 1907.” [2]
  • "Unlike the doctrine of other groups within the Swaminarayan sampradaya...Shastriji Maharaj argued that Swaminarayan is Purna Purushottam.” [3]
  • "The only other standalone commentaries composed in the Swaminarayan Sampraday are relatively recent, written by Sadhu Bhadreshdas, an ascetic of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha." [4]
  • "She [Smit Gadhia] gives specific attention to the fourth dimension of akshara as exposited by Swaminarayan—its human embodiment on earth, manifest through the guru. The exact meaning of this has been a point of contention between different branches of the Swaminarayan Sampraday." [5]
  • "Swaminarayan’s description of akshara or Aksharbrahman in the Vachanamrut is critical to the theological and organizational understanding of the Swaminarayan Sampraday for two key reasons. First, it is both Personal or saguna (saguna) as an ideal devotee in the divine abode of Parabrahman as well as manifest on earth, and Impersonal or nirguna (nirguna) as the all-pervading substratum of the entire universe….Second, rather consequently, it is this understanding of aksara, as manifest in human form on earth—as guru—which resulted in an important schism within the Swaminarayan Sampraday. This variance in the theological understanding of akshara led to the formation of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), as its leader Shastriji Maharaj (Sadhu Yagnapurushdas) separated from the older Vadtal diocese in 1906. (See Williams 2001 for more on the difference dioceses within the Swaminarayan Sampraday.)" [6]
  • "These presuppositions—punarjanma and moksha—lay out the preamble to a Hindu anthropology and theology of pastoral care. To explain these theologies, I turn to the Śrīmadbhagavadgītā Svāminārāyaṇabhāṣyam, a commentary on the Bhagavad-Gita by Bhadresh Swami, a world-renowned theologian of the Swaminarayan Sampraday." (86) [7]
  • “The first of the guru traditions to be considered here is the Swaminarayan sampradaya with its two separate organisations—the International Satsang Organization (ISSO) and the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Sanstha (BAPS).” [8]
  • “Sadhu Yagnapurushdas, known as Shastriji Mharaj (1865-1951), left the Vadtal Swaminarayan Temple in 1905 to establish the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in 1905 to establish the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) as a Swaminarayan organization separate from the Vadtal Diocese and Acharya.” (339)[9]
  1. ^ Williams, Raymond Brady. (2001). An introduction to Swaminarayan Hinduism. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-65422-X. OCLC 43615520.
  2. ^ Mamtora, Bhakti (2018-11-05). "BAPS: Pramukh Swami". Brill’s Encyclopedia of Hinduism Online. doi:10.1163/2212-5019_beh_com_1010071046.
  3. ^ Patel, Aarti (December 2018). "Secular Conflict". Nidān: International Journal for Indian Studies. 3 (2): 55–72.
  4. ^ Brahmbhatt, Arun (2016-04-01), "The Swaminarayan Commentarial Tradition", Swaminarayan Hinduism, Oxford University Press, pp. 138–155, ISBN 978-0-19-946374-9, retrieved 2019-12-18
  5. ^ Trivedi, Yogi (2016-04-01), "Introduction to Theology and Literature", Swaminarayan Hinduism, Oxford University Press, pp. 131–137, ISBN 978-0-19-946374-9, retrieved 2019-12-18
  6. ^ Gadhia, Smit (2016-04-01), "Akshara and Its Four Forms in Swaminarayan's Doctrine", Swaminarayan Hinduism, Oxford University Press, pp. 156–171, ISBN 978-0-19-946374-9, retrieved 2019-12-18
  7. ^ Patel, Viraj (2019). "The Bhagavad-Gita's Theological Anthropology as a Foundation for Hindu Pastoral Care". Hindu approaches to spiritual care : chaplaincy in theory and practice. Chander, Vineet, Mosher, Lucinda. Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. p. 86. ISBN 9781785926051. OCLC 1090695879.
  8. ^ Warrier, Maya. "Traditions and Transformations". Public Hinduisms: 172.
  9. ^ Vivekjivandas, Sadhu; Patel, Mahendrabhai; Ishwarcharandas, Sadhu (2016-04-01), "Transnational Growth of BAPS in East Africa", Swaminarayan Hinduism, Oxford University Press, pp. 339–349, ISBN 978-0-19-946374-9, retrieved 2019-12-31


Proposed Merger

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Swaminarayan Sampraday Swaminarayan (spiritual tradition) Narnarayan Dev Gadi Laxminarayan Dev Gadi List of Swaminarayan temples
Fundamentals
  1. Foundation
  2. Beliefs
Beliefs
Scriptures and important texts Scriptures
Temples
  1. Temples in India
  2. Overseas
Create a new section
Organizational structure
  1. Importance of Acharyas
  2. Organizations within Swaminarayan Sampraday
Create a new section (all groups except ISSM) Create a new section (ISSM only)
Membership
  1. Ascetics
  2. Swaminarayan Paramhansas
Create a new section
Breakaway groups and disputes Succession of Swaminarayan1
Recent developments
  1. Swaminarayan Museum
Create a new section
Opinions
  1. Mahatma Gandhi
  2. Vallabhbhai Patel
Create a new section
Criticism of Swaminarayan Sect
  1. Early Criticism
  2. Swaminarayan and caste
Create a new section

1Rename Swaminarayan Sampraday to Narnarayan Dev Gadi and Laxminarayan Dev Gadi to reflect the majority scholarly opinion.


Excerpts to Remove and/or Rewrite

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Excerpt Reason
The Swaminarayan Sampraday began as the Uddhav Sampraday and was led by Ramanand Swami. In 1799, Swaminarayan, born as Ghanshyam Pande, was initiated into the Uddhav Sampraday as an ascetic (Sadhu) by his guru, Ramanand Swami, and given the name "Sahajanand Swami".[1] At the age of 21, Neelkanth Varni was given the leadership of the sect known as Uddhav Sampraday with the blessings of Ramanand Swami, who handed him control of the religious diocese shortly before his death.[2] Fourteen days after Ramanand Swami died, Neelkanth Varni, now known as Sahajanand Swami, held a large gathering of followers at the town of Faneni.[3] It was during this meeting that Swaminarayan introduced what he termed "the father of all Mantras" and described it as "maha" (or great).[4] Then he was known as Swaminarayan, and the name "Swaminarayan Sampraday" came into existence.[3]At the age of 49, Swaminarayan took Samādhi at Gadhada in 1830 and died, after he promised to remain within the Swaminarayan Sampraday in[5] the images he installed (and by the Acharyas succeeding him), the Acharyas and saints installed by him (and those in direct succession), the saints he initiated (and those initiated by succeeding Acharyas) and the scriptures, such as Shikshapatri, Vachanamrut, Satsangi Jeevan, Nishkhulanand Kavya and Yamdand (and those authorised by succeeding Acharyas). WP:OR

WP:RS

The Swaminarayan Sampraday aims to consolidate characters in society, families and individuals by mass motivation and individual attention, through elevating projects for all, irrespective of class, creed, colour and country. The organisation believes that the hallmark of the Swaminarayan devotee is that he or she devoutly begins the day with pooja and meditation, works or studies honestly, and donates regular hours in serving others. Swaminarayan's lifetime objective for the organisation was to establish a permanent system of achieving the ultimate redemption from the cycle of life and death (aatyantik kalyaan).[6] WP:STICKTOSOURCE


A liberal interpretation of the six reasons why Swaminarayan incarnated on earth

According to Raymond Williams, when Swaminarayan died in 1830, the movement had a following of 1.8 million people. In 2001, the original movement had 3.5 million of a total of 5 million followers of the Swaminarayan faith. BAPS was more wealthy, had more followers, both householders and saints, and supported more large temples than the other Swaminarayan groups.[7][8] WP:STICKTOSOURCE


Need to rewrite to apply to the entire movement, not just two dioceses; also last sentence is clearly POV and not reflected in the sources

The panch vartman, or the five principal vows, are prerequisites for being considered as part of the Sampraday for Sadhus.[9]
  • Lustless, Desireless:- Observe Naishthik Brahmacharya i.e. eightfold celibacy strictly. He has to observe a fast if he has seen a face of a lady. Not to expect any remuneration even of his good deeds or must not have any desire of anything.
  • Greedless:- Not be attached at all to the worldly objects. He should keep clothes and things only permitted to him. He should not accept, touch or possess even any sort of currency of his own.
  • Tasteless:- Not be allured or tempted at all to any taste. Not to eat anything which is not offered to God.
  • Prideless:- Not have any sort of pride of renouncement, penance, knowledge, efficiency religious austerity, devotion, etc. If anybody beats him, abuses him or insults him, he should endure patiently, not to be angry at all, should forgive, not to oppose, not to keep any grudge or any ill feelings for him, but to wish good for him and to pity for his ignorance.
  • Affectionless:- Not have any affection at all towards his body, his relatives, his disciples or anything except Almighty God Supreme.
WP:STICKTOSOURCE

WP:RS


Website is not a secondary source, and details don't match what's on there.

  1. ^ Williams 2001, p. 75
  2. ^ Williams 2001, p. 17
  3. ^ a b "Meaning of Swaminarayan". Archived from the original on 1 May 2009.
  4. ^ . Shree Kutch Satsang Swaminarayan Temple Harrow https://web.archive.org/web/20121126093802/http://www.sksst.org/faqs. Archived from the original on 26 November 2012. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ^ "About the Swaminarayayan Sampraday". Archived from the original on 17 April 2008.
  6. ^ Dave, Ramesh (2009). Sahajanand Charitra (English Edition). Ahmedabad: Swaminarayan Aksharpith. p. 116. ISBN 978-81-7526-152-5.
  7. ^ Williams 2001, p. 68
  8. ^ Robin Rinehart (2004). Contemporary Hinduism. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-57607-905-8. Retrieved 10 May 2009. Page 215
  9. ^ "About the Swaminarayayan Sampraday". Archived from the original on 17 April 2008.