Lord Swaminarayan's Philosophy: Five Eternal Realities (ritual, Earth, salvation, soul)

[celina]

Lord Swaminarayan's Philosophy

"I have incarnated upon this earth, not to kill demons, but to uproot the demonic elements from the human mind; not to liberate man temporarily from the poverty and pain of this life but to emancipate him forever from the transmigratory cycle which lies at the root of all pains and poverty."


The author of these words was an unparalleled phenomenon, a courageous champion of truth, an embodiment of limitless compassion. He was Lord Shri Swaminarayan, the great revolutionary reformer and one of the truly great pillars of Hinduism.


The philosophical position of Lord Swaminarayan may be described as Navya Vishishtadvaita, i.e. ‘Neo Qualified Non Dualism’. It holds that Jiva, Ishwar, Maya, Aksharbrahman and Parabrahman are the five fundamental realities distinct from one another.


Parabrahman or Purushottam is the highest reality, the supreme Godhead, one and unique. He is, at once, superior to everything and immanent in everything. He is concrete reality with perfect personality. The Jiva, Ishwar, Maya and Aksharbrahman constitute the body of Parabrahman - and Parabrahman is their Soul.


Aksharbrahman (Akshardham or Brahman) is superior to Jiva, Ishwar and Maya but subservient to Parabrahman. It is a buoyant, all-pervading and pure consciousness. It serves the supreme Lord in a two-fold manner : In its personal aspect it serves the Lord wherever He incarnates Himself. He is the ideal devotee and the most appropriate medium for the aspirant striving to reach the supreme Lord. On the other hand, in its impersonal aspect, it serves the Lord by being His divine abode which is formless, infinite and all-pervading and in which infinite muktas (liberated souls) serve the Lord. It is also the basis of all that is subservient to it.

Maya or Prakriti is an inert primordial substance from which the universe comes into existence. It is constituted of three gunas (modes) and causes confusion and delusion in the Self.

Ishwar is a cosmic self, a conscious spiritual being conditioned by the adjuncts of Maha (higher) Maya. There are innumerable Ishwars and each is assigned the duty of taking care of a universe, or at least a department of it.

Jiva or soul is the finite individual Self - a conscious spirit, knower, enjoyer and doer of things. It is conditioned by the adjuncts of Maya. It pervades the whole body and yet its power of knowing and willing ultimately depends upon God and is governed by God. Salvation consists in the realization of Ekantik Dharma comprising dharma (righteousness), jnana (knowledge), vairagya (detachment) and bhakti (devotion unto God). This is the goal to be pursued under the guidance of a saint who is in constant rapport with God, the manifest form of Aksharbrahman. This is the highest state one can realize now, in an embodied state of this worldly existence.



Sadhana

Satsang is the only means for ultimate redemption or absolute Brahmanization. Lord Swaminarayan says, "The eternal truth Sat is Atma and Sat is Paramatma. The contact of Atma with Paramatma is Satsang." The Fellowship established by Lord Swaminarayan is also called Satsang. Mortification of all physical desires and service at the lotus feet of the guru who is the manifest form of Aksharbrahman are the sadhanas prescribed by Lord Swaminarayan.

The attachment towards such a guru should be deep. He should be worshipped on par with God. When a seeker approaches him he explains the cardinal truth that ‘Thou art Atma, the eternal truth and the knower whereas thy body, mind, indriya and prana are all perishable.’ This preliminary knowledge distinguishing the Atma and body as separate is essential for setting apart Sat from Asat or Chit from Achit. It is the first step in the divine ladder to become one with the guru of Brahman.

The seeker should serve such a guru through thought, word, and deed. He should constantly meditate upon his form because it is only through the bondage of divine love with Brahman, that association with Parabrahman becomes possible. This is called jnanyajna. One who successfully performs it ultimately attains Brahmic consciousness and becomes the instrument for the revelation of God. He becomes fully established in dharma (righteousness), jnana (knowledge), vairagya (detachment from material pleasures) and bhakti (devotion unto God). He becomes a jivanmukta (liberated in this very embodied state) realizing the infinite greatness and powers of Parabrahman.

http://www.swaminarayan.org/philosop...epts/index.htm

[Aupmanyav]

There is no death, and therefore, no re-birth. It is only recycling of atoms. It is not correct to put a temporary phenomena (any man for that matter) in the various imagined categories of Jiva, Ishwar, Brahman, or Parabrahman Purushottam. Are there more categories than what has been mentioned here? The list seems to be increasing all the time! That is untruth.

[Guitar's Cry]

Originally Posted by celina

Lord Swaminarayan's Philosophy

"I have incarnated upon this earth, not to kill demons, but to uproot the demonic elements from the human mind

I like that!

[Aupmanyav]

Who put demonic elements in the human mind in the first place?

[Ram]

great thread. but a better source would be swaminarayansatsang.

[Guitar's Cry]

Originally Posted by Aupmanyav

Who put demonic elements in the human mind in the first place?

Nobody and everybody.

Nobody because we may well be the result of deterministic forces that is overall beyond our control (except subjectively), and everybody because we all attribute to the deterministic web of existence.

[xexon]

Demons, like gods, merely represent the various aspects of creation.

They are personified in the human mind, based upon our own expectations that everything needs a face.

It is the easiest way to break them down so they can be understood.

By that same method, we can undo their influence upon us.


x

[Aupmanyav]

So, there is no God, no Ishwara, and Sahajananda is only Sahajananda, and not Parabrahman Purushottam. Ram, your comments?

[celina]

Originally Posted by Aupmanyav

So, there is no God, no Ishwara, and Sahajananda is only Sahajananda, and not Parabrahman Purushottam.

Swaminarayan Bhagawan is God. Lord Swaminarayan has propagated a philosophy where He says that God is Supreme, has a divine form, is the all doer and always present on earth. He simply states that jivas never merge or dissolve into God and neither are they part of God but always subservient to God. The Jiva, through absolute surrender and attachment toward the Guru, attains the realized state and becomes eligible to offer pure worship to God.

Parabrahman or Purushottam is the highest reality, the supreme Godhead, one and unique. He is, at once, transcendent to everything and immanent in everything. He is the concrete reality with divine form and perfect personality who is the controller and supporter of everything. Jiva, Ishwar, Maya and Aksharbrahman constitute the body of Parabrahman who is their soul. And Lord Swaminarayan Himself is Parabrahman or Purushottam.

http://www.swaminarayan.org/philosophy/index.htm

[celina]

Originally Posted by Guitar's Cry

I like that!

thanx.