A year back, organizational swamis jabbered about Dominic Smith, the first baseman of the future.
|
|
Swamis, spiritualists, and other self-proclaimed religious authorities quickly made their way out West to forge new faiths.
|
|
In the great succession of swamis, it was Prabhavananda who inspired author Christopher Isherwood, philosopher Gerald Heard, and Huxley.
|
|
Peacocks, swamis and puzzling posters of Beyoncé as a Bollywood star demonstrate an exclusively white interpretation of the country's vast cultural signifiers.
|
|
He produced portraits and only portraits — of Marilyn Monroe and George Wallace, drifters and swamis, his dying father and his dejected wives.
|
|
Shamans and swamis have used breathwork for thousands of years, but the modern practice was born out of LSD research in the 1960s.
|
|
Meeting up with our driver, we were taken a gridlocked mile to a blockaded street (though motorcycles zigzagged through) and, my camera at the ready now, we stepped out into a stream of people passing kiosks selling firecrackers, chewing tobacco, incense, plastic figurines of Vishnu and Ganesh, and swamis with painted faces offering to pose for 50 rupees, about 75 cents, toward broad steps of the ghat, a word derived from the Sanskrit term for embankment.
|
|
Swaminarayan also encouraged his swamis to serve others. During the devastating famine of 1813-14 in Kathiawar, for example, the swamis collected alms in unaffected regions of Gujarat to distribute among the afflicted.
|
|
As relations improved, however, the swamis were readmitted soon after.
|
|
They involve Swamis deploying spiritual "teachings" to manipulate young people into having sex with each other and with adults. The testimony points toward a pattern of psychological, physical and sexual abuse, carried out by numerous Swamis against numerous children and young adults.
|
|
A local highlight is fresh squeezed fruit juice and healthy breakfasts from the famous Swamis Café.
|
|
Two incompetent private detectives pose as swamis in order to infiltrate a gang of bank robbers.
|
|
Sankar was a devout Sanātanī Hindu throughout his life, and paid for several overseas swamis to visit Guyana.
|
|
In the evening, dinner is offered. Finally, the swamis put the murtis to rest by adorning them with night garments.
|
|
However, the young woman was persistent, so Ayyappan promised to marry her the day kanni-swamis (new devotees) would stop visiting him at Sabarimala. Unfortunately for the woman, Sabarimala was visited by kanni- swamis every year, and she was not able to marry Ayyappan. The woman is worshiped as goddess Malikappurathamma at a neighbouring temple.
|
|
This code of conduct included refraining from retaliation when harassed by others, which left them vulnerable to physical assault. To help them escape such harassment, at 30 June 1807 Swaminarayan ordained 500 swamis into the highest monastic order as paramhansas (paramhaṃsas), thereby allowing them to temporarily suspend certain practices, like applying sacred marks, that allowed opponents to identify them as one of his followers. Altogether, Swaminarayan ordained 3,000 swamis over the span of his leadership. The swamis expressed their devotion to Swaminarayan in various ways, ranging from composing bhakti poetry to authoring scriptural commentaries.
|
|
He used to meet other swamis who passed through the village from the holy places of pilgrimage in North India. Swaminarayan swamis, such as Ghanshyam Swami and Balmukund Swami, frequently visited Chansad and other nearby villages; Shantilal regularly engaged in serving them during those visits. As a teenager, Shantilal's bond with Shastriji Maharaj deepened, and his devoutness and intellect impressed many in the fellowship. Those close to Shantilal felt it was only a matter of time until he would embark upon a monastic life by joining the order of Swaminarayan swamis under Shastriji Maharaj.
|
|
Before sunrise, the murtis which are adorned in their night attire are woken by the swamis and the shrine doors are opened for the Mangala Aarti, which is the first of five Aarti rituals offered during the day. Aarti is a ritual wherein a specific prayer is recited to a poetic format with music while the swamis wave a lighted lamp in front of the murtis. The swamis recite some shlokas (prayers), serve the deities, offer them food and bathe them, and close the shrine doors. The shrines are opened again for the second arti (Shangar Arti).
|
|
Swaminarayan and his senior disciplesSwaminarayan's ministry "faced great opposition," most strongly in the first fifteen years untill the arrival of the British colonisators in Gujarat. A number of attempts at his life, "by both religious and secular powers," are reported. His followers also faced harassment, particularly his swamis (monks). Swaminarayan had instructed the swamis to maintain an austere code of conduct as part of their spiritual practice.
|
|
After nearly three years in exile, he was willingly accepted back into the religious fold at the insistence of a large number of devotees and swamis.
|
|
A food shop provides visitors and members with an assortment of vegetarian snacks. There is a living quarters for the swamis who perform daily rituals in the mandir.
|
|
The Sandhya Arti (sunset arti) follows at 7:00 pm. Thereafter, a selection of prayers are recited by the devotees including dhun (where the names of God are chanted and verses of praise are sung). The shrines are closed again for approximately one hour so they can be offered their final meal by the swamis (monks). The Deities are then prepared for the night and adorned in their evening attire by the swamis.
|
|
Columbia University Press. p. 105. After renouncing worldly ambitions, these swamis were guided by him in their service of God and society. Milestone events in this realm include the bicentenary celebrations of Swaminarayan in 1981 and of Gunatitanand Swami in 1985, which saw the initiation of 200 and 173 swamis, respectively, in a single day. On 14 March 2012, he initiated 68 youths into the monastic order during a ceremony in Sarangpur, Gujarat.
|
|
The millennia-long debate in Hindu society, somewhat suppressed in the colonial period, has revived. In 2004, Hinduism Today reporter Rajiv Malik asked several Hindu swamis (teachers) their opinion of same-sex marriage. The swamis expressed a range of opinions, positive and negative. They felt free to differ with each other; this is evidence of the liveliness of the debate, made possible by the fact that Hinduism has no one hierarchy or leader.
|
|
He was initiated in the order of swamis in 1967. In 1972 he went to Europe and founded the Austrian-Indian Yoga-Vedanta fellowship in Vienna and the first Sri Deep Madhavananda Ashram.
|
|
Their single "Aana Kallan" is a modified version of a folk song, which is about the fraud swamis and liars, with elements of jazz, melody and funk—a lighter style compared to their first album.
|
|
BAPS swamis with Pramukh Swami Maharaj in Sarangpur, Gujarat, India (2016) Beginning with his first swami initiation ceremony in January 1971, during his lifetime he initiated 1,000 youth into the swami fold. Hutchinson observes that his "selfless love…was his most frequently and enthusiastically reported characteristic that had influenced persons to become devotees and swamis".Brian Hutchinson (1996) The Divine- Human Figure in the Transmission of Religious Transition. Published in Raymond Williams’ A Sacred Thread: Modern Transmission of Hindu Traditions in India and Abroad.
|
|
Swamis Sharvananda, Satprakashananda, Swahananda, Budhananda, Vandanananda and Gokulananda were also associated with the Delhi Mission. In 2013, the Mission started working with CBSE to provide value-based education to students of classes VII, VIII and IX.
|
|
The team of eight swamis consisted of scholars in the field of the Pancharatra Shastra, a Hindu scripture on architecture and deity carving. The swamis watched over stonework as well as the research on carvings on Indian craftsmanship from between the eighth and twelfth centuries. This research was done at various sites such as Angkor Wat, as well as Jodhpur, Jagannath Puri, Konark & temples of Bhubaneswar of Odisha and other temples in South India. Seven thousand carvers and three thousand volunteers were put to work for the construction Akshardham.
|
|
Furthermore, the failure of some Vadtal swamis to strictly adhere to the monastic vows dictated by Swaminarayan and fear of some officials that Shastriji Maharaj would install an image of Gunatitanand Swami in the main shrine of the Vadtal temple led to increased harassment. Matters came to a head on 8 November 1905, when several swamis of the Vadtal diocese attempted to murder Shastri Yagnapurushdas by administering poison. The following day, another attempt was made on his life. Despite the danger to his life, Shastriji Maharaj was reluctant to separate from the Vadtal diocese.
|
|
Hindu priests historically were members of the Brahmin caste. Priests are ordained and trained as well. There are two types of Hindu priests, pujaris (swamis, yogis, and gurus) and purohits (pundits). A pujari performs rituals in a temple.
|
|
Kerala is home to Hindu saints and swamis of all castes. Vaikunda Swami, who was the first among the saints of Keralawww.education.kerala.gov.in Towards Modern Kerala, 10th Standard Text Book, Chapter 9, Page 101. See this Pdf was a Nadar.
|
|
On 7 November 1939, when Shantilal was seventeen years old, he received a letter from his guru, Shastriji Maharaj, asking him to join the swamis. His parents gave their permission and blessings, and Shantilal left home that day to join Shastriji Maharaj and his swamis. Shastriji Maharaj gave Shantilal primary initiation, parshad diksha, at Ambli-Vadi Pol in Ahmedabad on 22 November 1939, and renamed him Shanti Bhagat. One of Shastriji Maharaj's first requests to the newly initiated Shanti Bhagat was for him to study Sanskrit; Shanti Bhagat complied with this wish, and excelled in his studies.
|
|
Throughout these efforts, he remained unassuming in his conduct and uncomplaining during the hardships he encountered. Before dying in 1971, Yogiji Maharaj had explained to swamis and devotees, "From now onwards, Pramukh Swami Maharaj will carry on my work…Pramukh Swami is my everything".
|
|
Although this decision was criticized by some due to Bhagatji Maharaj's low-caste, Shastri Yagnapurushdas pointed to the teachings of Swaminarayan in the Vachanamrut to argue that a spiritual leader should not be judged by social classifications but by spiritual elevation. Bhagatji Maharaj continued to spread the message of Akshar and Purushottam for the rest of his life. A group of swamis, including Shastri Yagnapurushdas and Swami Vignandas, endeavored to stay with him as much as possible and listen to his discourses. As a result of this association, these swamis were demoted from their monastic status and forced to were the white robes of the initiate.
|
|
Krishnaji Ada argued that, in light of the threats to his life in Vadtal, Shastriji Maharaj would be disobeying the commands of Swaminarayan if he did not leave. Unable to deny this argument, Shastriji Maharaj eventually decided to leave the Vadtal temple with five swamis and a select number of devotees. Although he told everyone that he was not splitting with Vadtal, but just going to preach in the villages, his departure gave his detractors the excuse they were looking for, and Shastri Yagnapurushdas was, as Prof. Raymond Williams observes, "expelled from the fellowship by a hastily called meeting of swamis" of the Vadtal diocese.
|
|
A disciple was adopted by Sri Anandashram Swamiji in 1959, once again from the Shuklakar family. His name was Swāmi Parijnānāshram III. The Rathotsava was restarted by him since it had been discontinued by previous Swamis for financial reasons. He collected antiques and artifacts to set up a Museum.
|
|
1 The term is also applied to Hindu ascetics (e.g., sadhus, gurus, swamis and yogis). These usages developed primarily in the Mughal era in the Indian subcontinent. There is also a distinct clan of faqeers found in North India, descended from communities of faqeers who took up residence at Sufi shrines.
|
|
As head of the temple, Shastri Narayanswarupdas oversaw a major expansion of the temple facilities despite considerable financial constraints. His leadership and unassuming personality in the midst of significant hardships earned him the respect of his fellow swamis and devotees, and presaged the significant responsibility that his guru would soon entrust to him.
|
|
He would often indulge in childish pranks like selling an ornamental portion of his mother's sari, on one occasion, to feed a group of swamis, that were evidence of his spirited good nature. Pragji was introduced to the Swaminarayan faith when Sadguru Yoganand Swami visited the local Swaminarayan mandir and initiated him as a satsangi.
|
|
Bhadreshdas Swami was initiated as a renunciant (swami) of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha by his guru Pramukh Swami Maharaj in 1981 at the age of 14, Afterwards, he attended the BAPS seminary for swamis in Sarangpur, Gujarat, where he learned Swaminarayan Vedanta as well as the philosophical system of logic (nyaya) and Sanskrit grammar (vyakaran).
|
|
Param Poojya Pāndurangāshram took charge of the math in 1863. He is the longest serving Mathādhipati till date (52 years). He is considered one of the most brilliant of all the swamis and his mastery over Sanskrit and Logic was unquestionable. Even after taking charge of the matha, he continued to learn the Vedanta and the Upanishads.
|
|
On weekends, assemblies are held in which swamis and devotees deliver discourses on a variety of spiritual topics. During these assemblies, bhakti is offered in the form of call-and- response hymns (kirtans) with traditional musical accompaniment. Religious assemblies also take place for children and teenagers of various age ranges. Throughout the year, mandirs celebrate traditional Hindu festivals.
|
|
Assemblies with special discourses, kirtans, and other performances are arranged to commemorate Rama Navami, Janmashtami, Diwali, and other major Hindu holidays. Members of the sect are known as Satsangis. Male Satsangis are generally initiated by obtaining a kanthi at the hands of a swamis or senior male devotee while females receive the vartman from the senior women followers.
|
|
Swamis of BAPS with Pramukh Swami Maharaj in Sarangpur, Gujarat, India (2016) The personal outreach (vicharan) of the earlier era (1971–81) by Pramukh Swami Maharaj through traveling to villages and towns, writing letters to devotees, and giving discourses contributed to sustaining a global BAPS community. The Gujarati migration patterns in the early 1970s, globalization factors and economic dynamics between India and the West saw the organization transform into a transnational devotional movement. Organizational 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 centers to disseminate spiritual knowledge. As a result, this era saw a significant rise in the number of swamis initiated to maintain the organizational needs of the community – both in India and abroad.
|
|
It is entirely constructed from Rajasthani pink sandstone and Italian Carrara marble. Based on traditional Hindu architectural guidelines (Shilpa shastras) on maximum temple life span, it makes no use of ferrous metal. Thus, it has no support from steel or concrete. The mandir also consists of 234 ornately carved pillars, nine domes, and 20,000 murtis of swamis, devotees, and acharyas.
|
|
Once the divine has been invoked in a murti, it becomes an embodiment of the Divine. Accordingly, Swaminarayan swamis (Hindu monks) offer devotional worship to the deities throughout the day. Before dawn, they awaken the deities by singing morning hymns (prabhatiya). The deities are then bathed and offered food and garments depending on the time of the day and season.
|
|
These teenagers gave up the comforts of home and householder life to perform service, in line with the lifestyle of the swamis they traveled with. One such youth, Vinu Patel, was inspired to join the monastic order, and Yogiji Maharaj ordained him Keshavjivandas Swami in 1961. Popularly known as Mahant Swami Maharaj, in 2016, he became the president and guru of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha.
|
|
In addition to providing religious and spiritual guidance, Yogiji Maharaj encouraged youths to work hard and excel in their studies. Towards realizing such ideals, he would often remind them to stay away from worldly temptations. A number of youths decided to take monastic vows. On 11 May 1961 during the Gadhada Kalash Mahotsav, he initiated 51 college-educated youths into the monastic order as swamis.
|
|
Swaminarayan temple Ahmedabad 1866 In the 20th century, due to "different interpretations of authentic successorship," the sampradaya split-up into various denominations. All groups regard Swaminarayan as God but differ in their theology and the religious leadership they accept. In the early years of the sampradaya, Swaminarayan personally directed control of the spiritual and administrative duties. Swaminarayan later delegated responsibilities amongst swamis, householders, and the members of his family.
|
|
Volume 60: 98-103. Harry Houdini replicated the Kluski materialization moulds by using his hands and a bowl of hot paraffin. Erlendur Haraldsson investigated one of the Hindu swamis, who are associated with frequent and widely accepted claims of materializations of objects or substances, namely Gyatri Swami, and reached a negative conclusion regarding his claims. Indian gurus Sathya Sai Baba (died 2011) and Swami Premananda have claimed to perform materializations.
|
|
Multi-color lasers, video projections, underwater flames, water jets and surround sound in symphony with lights and live actors produce a captivating and inspiring presentation. International experts contributed their expertise with BAPS volunteers and swamis to produce this one-of-a-kind presentation. The fountain is named after the founder of the Hindu organisation BAPS, Shastriji Maharaj. The fountain measures by with 2,870 steps and 108 small shrines.
|
|
A team of eight swamis were assigned to oversee the Akshardham project. The majority of the team had gained experience from work on the Akshardham in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, Delhi Akshardham's sister complex. During development, Pramukh Swami Maharaj was consulted in many aspects of the monument's construction. Construction on the Akshardham complex Around 1997 and 1998, the idea to start development on the temple, by beginning the stone carving, had been requested.
|
|
In 1976 when he was touring England, Swami Prakashanand Saraswati requested to participate in Dr. Maxwell Cade's research. Dr. Maxwell Cade and his team found patterns they had not seen before. Maxwell Cade concluded that the Swamis' spiritual training conferred unusual powers of healing and perception. Dr. Cade spent two weeks with Prakashanand Saraswati to measure his brainwaves, and he always seemed to be in this "Awakened Mind" pattern.
|
|
Bhoj is a village in Belagavi district in the southern state of Karnataka, India.Village Directory, 2001 Census of India Bhoj is a large village surrounded by the Vedaganga River on two sides—south and west. There is a meeting of two rivers Vedaganga and Doodhaganga at north west and making Doodhaganga river her way from west to east. It is a good old story about Bhoj and her famous legendary Swamis goes like this.
|
|
While individual discourses were untitled in early manuscripts, with individual Vachanamruts referred to only by their section and number, Gunatitanand Swami and the swamis of the Junagadh mandir created titles for individual discourses to serve as mnemonic tools. The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha uses these titles in its version of the text, which is an exact printed version of the Vachanamrut text published in 1928 under the auspices of Acharya Shripatiprasad of the Vartal diocese.
|
|
Sahajananda died on 10 December 2007, after a short illness. News of his death spread to all corners of the world from Swamis, statesmen, devotees, etc. His body lay in state the day of the 10th and throughout the night, allowing people to pay their final respects to him. His final request was for his body to be cremated and his sacred ashes to be immersed in the holy waters of Mother Ganga.
|
|
The murtis of Purushottam Paramatma Bhagwan Swaminarayan (left) and Aksharbrahman Gunatitanand Swami (right) are worshipped together as Akshar Purushottam Maharaj at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Bochasan, Gujarat. Gunatitanand Swami was instrumental in the early administration of the Swaminarayan fellowship after the death of Swaminarayan. Devotees and swamis alike looked up to him for leadership and direction. He encouraged Raghuvirji Maharaj to give up the pomp and splendor of his position and nurtured both his spiritual and administrative traits.
|
|
After all his attempts had failed he returned to his family in Lyallpur. A sadhu appeared at the door soon after and Poonja asked him the question he had asked swamis throughout the country: "Can you show me God? If not, do you know of anyone who can?" The sadhu told him that there was a person, Ramana Maharshi, who could show him God and explained how to find Ramana Maharshi at Tiruvannamalai in southern India.
|
|
A Russian Hindu girl. ISKCON Moscow Ratha Yatra Hinduism has been spread in Russia primarily due to the work of scholars from the religious organization International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and by itinerant Swamis from India and small communities of Indian immigrants. While ISKCON and Brahma Kumaris appear to have a relatively strong following in Russia, the other organizations in the list have a marginal presence in this country. There is an active Tantra Sangha operating in Russia.
|
|
These teachings made an indelible impression on his young mind and brought him in touch with the direct disciples of Ramakrishna. He was initiated by Holy Mother. He also met the direct disciples of Ramakrishna, Swamis Brahmananda, Saradananda, Shivananda, Turiyananda, Premananda, Akhandananda, Abhedananda as well as Mahendranath Gupta, the recorder of Kathamrita among others. After coming into their influence, he abandoned his role as a freedom fighter and renounced the world to join the Ramakrishna Order.
|
|
Mahamandaleshwar (or Maha Mandaleshwar) is a title used by some Hindu monks of the Dashanami order of renunciates ("swamis") founded by Shankaracharya. A person called Mahamandaleshwar has been elevated by his peers to the highest level of traditional, Hindu spiritual guardianship. Today India has 530 Mahamandaleshwars who carry on the work begun by Adi Shankaracharya 1200 years ago. Literally, "Mahamandaleshwar" means "Superior of great and/or numerous monasteries" or "Superior of a religious district or province" (maha = great, mandala = district, ishwara = head, sovereign).
|
|
Satsang in Africa had started during Shastriji Maharaj's lifetime, as many devotees had migrated to Africa for economic reasons. One of Shastriji Maharaj's senior swamis, Nirgundas Swami, engaged in lengthy correspondence with these devotees, answering their questions and inspiring them to start satsang assemblies in Africa. Eventually, in 1928, Harman Patel took the murtis of Akshar-Purushottam Maharaj to East Africa and started a small center. Soon, the East Africa Satsang Mandal was established under the leadership of Harman Patel and Magan Patel.
|
|
303x303px On 20 July 2012, in the presence of senior swamis in Ahmedabad, Pramukh Swami Maharaj revealed Keshavjivandas Swami (Mahant Swami) as his spiritual successor. Following the death of Pramukh Swami Maharaj on 13 August 2016, Mahant Swami Maharaj became the 6th guru and president of BAPS. In 1961, he was ordained as a swami by Yogiji Maharaj and named Keshavjivandas Swami. Due to his appointment as the head (mahant) of the mandir in Mumbai, he became known as Mahant Swami.
|
|
Shrine erected at the place of cremation, Sarangpur He had been suffering from a chest infection in his last days from which he was gradually recovering. However, due to his longstanding heart problems, he died on 13 August 2016, at 6 pm at the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, Sarangpur, Botad district, Gujarat, India. On 20 July 2012, Pramukh Swami had declared in the presence of senior swamis that Mahant Swami Maharaj would succeed him as the sixth guru and spiritual head of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha.
|
|
In early 1992 construction of the new Temple building had commenced. The building was visited by 1008 Shree Tejendraprasadji Maharaj and his son, Lalji Maharaj, 108 Shree Koshelendraprasadji Maharaj. The official opening of the new temple took place on 6 September 1993, on this day the Murti Pratishta took place. Those present included 1008 Shree Tejendraprasadji Maharaj, Mahant Swami Shree Hariswarupdasji, Sadguru Swami Shree Dharmakishordasji, Sadguru Swami Shree Ghanshyamjivandasji, Sadguru Swami Shree Madhavpriyadasji, and many other Swamis from the Shree NarNarayan Desh - Bhuj and Ahmedabad Temples.
|
|
In addition to his studies, Shastri Narayanswarupdas routinely engaged in a multitude of activities, including cleaning the temple compounds, cooking for swamis and devotees, and many other duties. Shastri Narayanswarupdas also played a significant role throughout the construction of the Atladra mandir in the early 1940s. During the construction, he sustained chemical burns and blisters on his body after mixing the lime to be used in construction, yet he persisted unflinchingly in performing his service despite the injuries.Sadhu Paramananddas, translated by Sadhu Tilakratnadas (1995?).
|
|
Among the religions that originated in ancient and medieval India, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, teachings regarding homosexuality are less clear than among the Abrahamic traditions, and religious authorities voice diverse opinions. In 2005, an authority figure of Sikhism condemned same-sex marriage and the practice of homosexuality. However, many people in Sikhism do not oppose gay marriage. Hinduism is diverse, with no supreme governing body, but the majority of swamis opposed same-sex relationships in a 2004 survey, and a minority supported them.
|
|
Bhagatji Maharaj, 2nd spiritual successor of Swaminarayan and guru of Shastriji Maharaj Dungar was initiated as a Swaminarayan swami on 29 November 1882 in Vadtal by Acharya Viharilalji Maharaj, the head of the Vadtal diocese of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya. He was given the name Yagnapurushdas Swami. After his initiation, Shastri Yagnapurushdas resumed his duties as administrator of Surat mandir and continued to serve under Vignanand Swami. Soon, a large festival was held in Surat and prominent swamis and devotees, including Bhagatji Maharaj, came to celebrate the occasion.
|
|
On 12 August 1910 Shastriji Maharaj met his eventual successor, Yogiji Maharaj, at the house of Jadavji in Bochasan. Yogiji Maharaj was a resident swami at Junagadh Mandir (Saurashtra), where Gunatitanand Swami had served as mahant. Yogiji Maharaj regarded Gunatitanand Swami as Akshar and also served the murti of Harikrishna Maharaj which had previously been worshiped by Gunatitanand Swami. As he already believed in the doctrine being preached by Shastriji Maharaj, Yogiji Maharaj left Junagadh on 9 July 1911 with six swamis to join Shastriji Maharaj's mission.
|
|
Depiction of the ceremony at Ambli Vali Pol in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, where Pramukh Swami Maharaj was appointed president of BAPS in 1951. In the early part of 1950, Shastriji Maharaj wrote several letters to 28-year-old Shastri Narayanswarupdas expressing his wish to appoint him the president of the organization. Twice Shastri Narayanswarupdas wrote back respectfully declining, citing his young age and inexperience, and the presence of many senior swamis who would be more suited to the responsibility. Shastriji Maharaj continued to insist, sending several senior devotees to convince Shastri Narayanswarupdas.
|
|
These are: the law courts, the media, and some Hindu authorities (such as the swamis mentioned earlier in this article) from her book. When female couples can stay together under the social pressures and get to the courts, the courts generally hold up their decisions, holding to the fact that the women are consenting adults. While this does not necessarily stop the harassment, it does lend the couple further legitimacy under the laws. In addition, the more successful same-sex marriages of women are those in which the women are financially independent.
|
|
The temple bell dates approximately to the period of the Sung dynasty (circa 960-1279). Facilities adjacent to the temple include; a bookstore, a shaded sitting area for congregating after services, and a 12th-century bronze Japanese-cast temple bell (which was once fastened to a Chinese military ship) that is rung three times per day at dawn, noon, and dusk. A path behind the temple leads up a hill to a pavilion where classes are held with the swamis and the nuns. The temple is open daily to the public.
|
|
Mickey Bones and his dog Penga Mickey Bones is an American drummer and singer- songwriter. He has played with the Tarbox Ramblers, Bo Diddley, Morphine, The Breeders, Queen Ida, Michael Hurley, Catie Curtis, Bob Franke, Jimmy Ryan, Rick Danko, Bryan Lee, Van "Piano Man" Walls, Jill Sobule, Jim Kweskin, Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, and Steve Weber. Bones has also played in small side projects with David Lindley, Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar, and Wayne Bennett. He has led his own bands, the Boogaloo Swamis, Spitwhistle and the Hot Tamale Brass Band.
|
|
Jina readily agreed and despite his young age was happy with the new duties. He prepared offerings for the deities installed within the mandir, tended its grounds, taught meditation techniques and made sure everyone received sanctified food. Just after Jina had taken his seventh standard exams, Krishnacharandas Swami, a prominent disciple of Gunatitanand Swami, was visiting the mandir with a group of swamis. After observing Jina's dedication in volunteering at the mandir and his service to the community, he inquired about Jina's interest in being initiated as a swami.
|
|
It was during this time that he met his guru, Shastriji Maharaj. When Shastriji Maharaj's identification of Gunatitanand Swami as the personal form of Akshar led to a doctrinal split with the Vadtal diocese, he formed a separate entity, BAPS, as a result. This meeting in Rajkot, where Shastriji Maharaj expounded the principles of the Akshar- Purshottam Darshan, ultimately resulted in several swamis from the Vadtal diocese, including Yogiji Maharaj, leaving to join Shastriji Maharaj. Under Shastriji Maharaj's guidance, Yogiji Maharaj played an integral part in growing the fledgling BAPS organization in India and beyond.
|
|
He first received formal education at the village school under the tutelage of Gangaram Mehta of Alindra. In addition to this, Dungar often interacted with swamis at the Swaminarayan temple in Mahelav and began studying the Bhagavad Gita and other Hindu scriptures under them. This initial education would be further enhanced under Vignananand Swami an illustrious and eminent swami who had been initiated by Swaminarayan. Dungar initially came into contact with Vignananand Swami during the Chaitra festival in 1881 whereupon the Swami impressed Dungar with his spirituality and renunciation of material objects.
|
|
Generally "Parivrajakas" (Dandi Swamis) are to be on the move as the word "Vraja" indicates but during the Chaturmasa period they have to stay-put in one place. Moving out either for yatra or for other reasons is violation of Shastras and Yati Dharma. During this season of Chaturmasya, the wandering mendicants (Yatis) takes Chaturmasya deeksha, stay at a suitable place and become fully engrossed in contemplation of God. In 2017, Satyatma Tirtha spent his Chaturmasya deeksha in Palamoor in Telangana from (18 July 2017 – 6 September 2017).
|
|
The founder of BAPS, Shastriji Maharaj, built the first mandir in Bochasan, Gujarat, which led the organization to be known as "Bochasanwasi" (of Bochasan). The organization's second mandir was built in Sarangpur, which also hosts a seminary for BAPS swamis. The mandir in Gondal was constructed around the Akshar Deri, the cremation memorial of Gunatitanand Swami, who is revered as a manifestation of Aksharbrahman. Shastriji Maharaj constructed his last mandir on the banks of the River Ghela in Gadhada, where Swaminarayan resided for the majority of his adult life.
|
|
Finally, in 1935, an incident in Swaminarayan mandir in the village of Ishnav led to a lawsuit against Shastriji Maharaj by the Acharya of Vadtal that brought the dispute of Shastriji Maharaj's standing in the Vadtal diocese to its "legal conclusion." A group of Shastriji Maharaj’s swamis had visited the village of Ishnav and stayed at the local mandir "with the approval of some villagers but against the wishes of the trustee" Consequently, the Acharya of Vadtal filed a lawsuit aiming to prohibit swamis of the Akshar-Purushottam Sanstha from using properties belonging to the Vadtal diocese on the grounds that they had been officially excommunicated. Although a local judge upheld the legality of Shastri Yagnapurushdas’ expulsion, the verdict was appealed and the District judge, Mr. J.D Kapadiya ruled in favor of Shastri Yagnapurushdas when he stated, "The laws of natural justice have clearly been broken in these proceedings [of 1906], and I have no hesitation in holding that as far as the law courts are concerned they would not recognize the excommunication of defendant No. 1 [Yagnapurushdas]." Thus, Judge Kapadiya overturned the ruling of the lower court and validated that Shastri Yagnapurushdas had not been legally excommunicated from the Vadtal diocese.
|
|
Pavitranand Swami He would proclaim to all that Gunatitanand Swami was the form of Akshar manifest on the earth. This message, coming from a member of a lower caste, was anathema to a section of householder devotees and swamis, led by Pavitranand Swami. Charging that Pragji was falsely spreading the glory of Gunatitanand Swami, Pavitranand Swami had Pragji excommunicated and sent letters expressing this to the mandirs in all towns and villages. Despite this declaration, Pragji continued his association with the Sampradaya by discoursing and providing material assistance in the form of grains that he had collected.
|
|
Pramukh Swami Maharaj (left) with his Guru Shastriji Maharaj (right) shortly after entering monastic life at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Sarangpur (1939). [Photograph by Shankarprasad Mulshankar Trivedi]. Shantilal was strongly inclined towards spirituality from a young age. Upon completing his schoolwork, he would often rush off to the village's Hanuman temple, where he and a childhood friend would listen to the discourses of a Hindu "holy man" named Haridas. Shantilal's daily “darshan”, or worship, at the Swaminarayan temple in Chansad, and his association with Shastriji Maharaj and his disciple swamis whenever they came to the village, further reflected Shantilal's affinity for spirituality.
|
|
Swaminarayan, founder of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya The Swaminarayan Mantra, a spiritual-focused mantra, was introduced and explained by Sahajand Swami, spiritual head of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, shortly after the death of his predecessor, Ramanand Swami. He explained that the Swaminarayan mantra is a compound of two words: Swami and Narayan. Swami denotes Akshar incarnate, God’s ideal devotee, whom Sahajanand Swami identified as Gunatitanand Swami, one of his ordained swamis and ‘Narayan' denotes Purushottam, or God, understood to be Sahajanand Swami himself. Composed of these two words, the mantra encapsulates the central principle of Sahajanand Swami’s theological teachings of five eternal and distinct entities.
|
|
Sara held Sarada Devi, the spiritual consort of Sri Ramakrishna reverentially and was primarily responsible for getting her photographed during her visit to India in 1898. She enjoyed a good relationship with other Swamis and disciples of Sri Ramakrishna including Swami Brahmananda, Yogin Ma, Gopaler Ma among others. When Swami Abhedananda, a brother disciple of Swami Vivekananda went to head the Vedanta Society of New York, Sara had assisted him initially but soon they had a disagreement over the functioning of the society. Later Sara also helped Swami Paramananda, a disciple of Swami Vivekananda to settle and preach in Boston.
|
|
There is no formal canonization process in Hinduism, but over time many men and women have reached the status of saints among their followers and among Hindus in general. Hindu saints have often renounced the world, and are variously called gurus, sadhus, rishis, swamis, and other names. Many people conflate the terms "saint" and "sant", because of their similar meanings. The term sant is a Sanskrit word "which differs significantly from the false cognate, 'saint'..." Traditionally, "sant" referred to devotional Bhakti poet- saints of two groups: Vaishnava and a group that is referred to as "Saguna Bhakti".
|
|
Pramukh Swami Maharaj had known that Mahant Swami would be his successor when the latter received initiation in 1957. On 20 July 2012, in the presence of senior swamis in Ahmedabad, Pramukh Swami Maharaj formally declared that Mahant Swami Maharaj would be his spiritual successor after his death and wrote a letter in his own handwriting to this effect. On 13 August 2016, he became the sixth spiritual successor in Swaminarayan's lineage of Gunatit gurus. In 2020, he wrote Satsang Diksha, a book where he describes a path which he believes will give its followers Moksha.
|
|
It was while working as a journalist that he travelled to Sivananda's ashram in Rishikesh for this purpose of writing an exposé of the sadhus. He later said, "I went not to gain knowledge, but to find out how the swamis were keeping up the bluff among the masses." In the summer of 1947, Balan arrived in Rishikesh, by the banks of the Ganges and made the one-mile hike to the Divine Life Society, the ashram of Swami Sivananda. There, at the age of 31, he went from being a sceptic to an enthusiast, finally becoming a renunciate monk.
|
|
By the end of the era, owing to the success of these festivals and the cultural impact it had on the youths, the organization saw a need to create a permanent exhibition in the Swaminarayan Akshardham (Gandhinagar) temple in 1991. In 1992, a month-long festival was held to both celebrate Yogiji Maharaj's centenary and to inaugurate a permanent exhibition and temple called Swaminarayan Akshardham (Gandhinagar). The festival also saw 125 youths initiated into the monastic order bringing the total number of swamis initiated to more than 700 in fulfillment to a prophecy made by Yogiji Maharaj.
|
|
Aarti, which is a ritual of waving lit lamps in circular motions to illuminate the different parts of the murti while singing a song of praise, is performed five times daily in shikharbaddha mandirs and twice daily in smaller mandirs. Additionally, food is offered to the murtis amidst the singing of devotional songs three times a day as part of the ritual of thaal, and the sanctified food is then distributed to devotees. Daily readings of and discourses on various Hindu scriptures also take place in the mandir. Many mandirs are also home to BAPS swamis, or monks.
|
|
In 1977, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the former spiritual leader of BAPS (Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha), visited California. During his first visit, he encouraged a small group of individuals to hold regular assemblies. He, and other senior swamis, returned nearly every year, nurturing and inspiring devotees. In 1984, Pramukh Swami Maharaj inaugurated a small center in Whittier, Los Angeles County. Nineteen years later, in 1996, the local group made a proposal to build a larger facility, including a traditional stone mandir, to fulfill Pramukh Swami's vision that he had shared with them almost two decades earlier and to accommodate their growing congregation.
|
|
Swaminarayan, founder of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya The Swaminarayan Sampradaya is a Hindu sampradaya which was founded in 1801 by Sahajanand Swami, who is worshipped as Swaminarayan, the supreme manifestation of God, by his followers. Under Swaminarayan’s leadership the sampradaya grew to more than 100,000 followers and 3,000 swamis (monks) by the time of his death in 1830. Early in his leadership of the group, Sahajanand Swami directed his devotees to chant the Swaminarayan mantra, which is a compound of two Sanskrit words: Swami and Narayan. Both the religious group and then its leader became popularly known by the new mantra they had begun chanting, Swaminarayan.
|
|
Many are devotees of Sai Baba of Shirdi. Some CKPs may also be devotees of the religious swamis from their own caste – and "Gajanan Maharaj (Gupte)", who took samadhis at Kalyan(in 1919) and Nasik(in 1946) respectively. Many CKP clans have Ekvira temple at Karle as their family deity whereas others worship Vinzai, Kadapkarin, Janani as their family deity The CKPs share many common rituals with the upper-caste communities and the study of Vedas and Sanskrit. Unlike most upper-caste Marathi communities however, the CKPs, through their interaction with Muslims and residence in the coastal Konkan region, have adopted a diet which includes meat, fish, poultry and eggs.
|
|
Swaminarayan Akshardham, New Delhi (2007) Under his leadership, BAPS rapidly grew into a global Hindu organization and witnessed a significant expansion in many measurable parameters. As of 2019, BAPS encompasses over one million devotees, more than 900 swamis, 3,300 mandirs and congregations, over 7,200 weekly assemblies, and a host of humanitarian and charitable activities. He accompanied Yogiji Maharaj on a tour of East Africa in 1960 as well as in 1970, and embarked upon his first overseas visit as the guru, or spiritual leader, of BAPS in 1974. In the following decades, his 27 international spiritual tours spanned over fifty countries in five continents.
|
|
Lasater co-founded the Iyengar Yoga Institute in San Francisco (it had been the CYTA's teacher training institute) and Yoga Journal magazine. With her husband and William Staniger, she published the 300 copies of the first issue of the journal, becoming its copy editor and later associate editor. She helped to make the journal accurate, technical, and with a strong emphasis on yoga's therapeutic value, continuing a tradition started by Indra Devi. In so doing, Lasater helped to bring about what Syman describes as a revolution, "wresting [yoga] back from the swamis", something that in Syman's view was possible only because of her teacher Iyengar's stubbornness, determination and knowledge.
|
|
Most of these marriages and suicides are by lower-middle-class female couples from small towns and rural areas across the country; these women have no contact with any LGBT movements. Both cross-sex and same-sex couples, when faced with family opposition, tend to resort to either elopement and marriage or to joint suicide in the hope of reunion in the next life. Vanita examines how Hindu doctrines such as rebirth and the genderlessness of the soul are often interpreted to legitimize socially disapproved relationships, including same- sex ones. In a 2004 survey, most — though not all — swamis said they opposed the concept of a Hindu-sanctified gay marriage.
|
|
Traditional iconographical portrait of Swaminarayan According to the sect, Nilkanth's understanding of the metaphysical and epistemological concepts of the pancha-tattvas (five eternal elements), together with his mental and physical discipline, inspired senior swamis of Ramanand Swami. Nilkanth Varni received sannyasa initiation from Ramanand Swami on 20 October 1800, and with it was granted the names Sahajanand Swami and Narayan Muni to signify his new status. At the age of 21, Sahajanand Swami was appointed successor to Ramanand Swami as the leader of the Uddhav Sampradaya by Ramanand Swami, prior to his death. The Uddhav Sampradaya henceforth came to be known as the Swaminarayan Sampradaya.
|
|
Alambazar Math, 1896 (farewell to Swami Abhedananda leaving for the US)(from left) standing: Swami Adbhutananda, Yogananda, Abhedananda, Trigunatitananda, Turiyananda, Nirmalananda, and Niranjanananda; sitting: Swamis Subodhananda, Brahmananda (on chair), and Akhandananda Akhandananda was the first monk of the Ramakrishna order, who gave shape to the cherished desire of Vivekananda to begin rural development work—even before the Mission was established. The distressing sorrows and suffering of the masses pulled him down to the plains, and to them he became a harbinger of peace and succour. Sacrificing his Himalayan bliss, he chose to be with poor. Akhandananda practised till the very end of his life his Master's call: Worship jiva as Shiva.
|
|
He attended a variety of worship services in his personal search for religious understanding, and took advantage of opportunities to meet Asian religious scholars. An introduction to Swami Nikhilananda at the Ramakrishna Mission Center in New York City led to an invitation for residency at ashrams in India to live as swamis did, without special accommodations. In 1935, shortly after completing Divinity School with an S.T.B. degree, he was on a boat to India for a year of residence and study in Hindu ashrams. He spent several months living at Belur Math temple on the banks of the Ganges River in Calcutta and several more at Mayawati Ashram in the Himalayas.
|
|
He continues the legacy of the Aksharbrahma Gurus by visiting BAPS mandirs worldwide, guiding spiritual aspirants, initiating devotees, ordaining swamis, creating and sustaining mandirs, and encouraging the development of scriptures. In his discourses, he mainly speaks on how one can attain God and peace through ridding one’s ego (nirmani), seeing divinity in all (divyabhav), not seeing, talking, or adapting any negative nature or behavior of others (no abhav-avgun), and keeping unity (samp). In 2017, he performed the ground-breaking ceremony for shikharbaddha mandirs in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Sydney, Australia, and in April 2019, he performed the ground-breaking ceremony for a traditional stone temple in Abu Dhabi.
|
|
The Ramakrishna Order (Bengali: রামকৃষ্ণ সংঘ) is the monastic lineage that was founded by Ramakrishna, when he gave the ocher cloth of renunciation to twelve of his close disciples, in January 1886 at the Cossipore House.Ramakrishna and His Disciples, Christopher Isherwood, page 292Ramakrishna Math and Mission "About Us" page The Ramakrishna Order should not be confused with the Ramakrishna Math, which is the legal entity that trains young monks and directs the spiritual duties of the Swamis of the Order. There is also a parallel organization, the Ramakrishna Mission, which performs the charitable work including, orphanages, hospitals, clinics, primary schools, high schools, colleges, and universities - as well as disaster relief and economic development in villages.
|
|
As Dennis Lingwood, he joined the Buddhist Society at the age of 18, and formally became a Buddhist in May 1944 by taking the Three Refuges and Five Precepts from the Burmese monk, U Thittila. He was conscripted into the army in 1943, and served in India, Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon) and Singapore as a radio engineer in the Royal Corps of Signals. It was in Sri Lanka, while in contact with the swamis in the (Hindu) Ramakrishna Mission, that he developed the desire to become a monk. In 1946, after the cessation of hostilities, he was transferred to Singapore, where he made contact with Buddhists and learned to meditate.
|
|
The two monks received enthusiastic support from Dhanraj Giri, the head of Kailash Ashrama monastery in Rishikesh, who had a good relationship with Vivekananda and Abhedananda. Because of the effort of Dhanraj Giri, the local monks began accepting the two disciples of Vivekananda as part of the fraternity. Along with service to the poor patients, the two swamis followed strict austere practices like begging their food from a satra or alms house so that they did not have to spend the funds available for personal expenses like food and clothing. Many monks of the Ramakrishna Order, including Brahmananda, Turiyananda and Shivananda, as well as householder disciples of Ramakrishna like Mahendranath Gupta, better known as "M", visited the Kankhal Sevashrama.
|
|
Shastriji Maharaj (left) with his successor Yogiji Maharaj (right) An important meeting that would have a significant impact on the future of BAPS occurred on 12 August 1910 when Shastriji Maharaj met his eventual spiritual successor, Jhina Bhagat (Yogiji Maharaj). This meeting in Rajkot ultimately resulted in several swamis from the Vadtal diocese including Yogiji Maharaj and Krishnacharandas Swami, leaving to join Shastriji Maharaj. Shastriji Maharaj continued to nurture the fledgling BAPS organization and facilitated its growth by consecrating the murtis of Swaminarayan and Gunatitanand Swami in four further mandirs in the towns of Sarangpur, Gondal, Atladra and Gadhada. Furthermore, Shastriji Maharaj’s captivating discourses and determination enabled BAPS to establish itself in Africa.
|
|
Having been conscripted into the British Army and posted to India, at the end of the war Sangharakshita handed in his rifle, left the camp where he was stationed and deserted. He moved about in India for a few years, with a Bengali novice Buddhist, the future Buddharakshita, as his companion, meditating and experiencing for himself the company of eminent spiritual personalities of the times, like Mata Anandamayi, Ramana Maharishi and Swamis of Ramakrishna Mission. They spent fifteen months in 1947–48, in the Ramakrishna Mission centre at Muvattupuzha with the consent of Swami Tapasyananda and Swami Agamananda. In May 1949 he became a novice monk, or sramanera, in a ceremony conducted by the Burmese monk, U Chandramani, who was then the most senior monk in India.
|
|
The foundations for the establishment of BAPS were laid in 1905 when a combination of factors caused Shastri Yagnapurushdas to leave the Vadtal temple. The major reason for Shastri Yagnapurushdas’ departure was his belief in the doctrine of Akshar- Purushottam, regarding Gunatitanand as "the true spiritual successor of Swaminarayan." His identification of Gunatitanand Swami as the personal form of Akshar was a paradigm shift that led to "opposition and hostility" from many within the Vadtal diocese. A major incident that exacerbated the hostility was Shastriji Maharaj’s stipulation that Acharya Kunjvihariprasadji consecrate the murtis of Akshar (Gunatitanand Swami) and Purushottam (Swaminarayan) in the Vadhwan mandir if Shastriji Maharaj assisted in providing the land for the temple. Gordhanbhai Kothari’s benevolent attitude towards Shastriji Maharaj led to further hostility from a section of the Vadtal swamis.
|
|
Seeing the unrelenting threat to Shastriji Maharaj's life, Krishnaji Ada, a respected devotee of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, advised him to leave for his own safety, as per the teachings of Swaminarayan in the Shikshapatri Verse 153–154. Acknowledging the commands of Swaminarayan in the Shikshapatri, and interpreting Krishnaji Ada's words to be of Bhagatji Maharaj, Shastriji Maharaj decided to leave the Vadtal temple to preach in the surrounding regions until the temple became safe again. On 12 November 1905, Shastriji Maharaj left the Vadtal temple with five swamis and the support of about 150 devotees. However, he did not want to believe that he was separating from Vadtal as he initially instructed his followers to continue their financial contributions to and participation in the temples of the Vadtal diocese.
|
|
The history of BAPS as an organization begins with Shastriji Maharaj's desire to propagate the mode of worship from Swaminarayan's teachings. During Swaminarayan's own time, his group's spread had been curbed by opposition from Vaishnava sampradayas and others hostile to Swaminarayan's bhakti teachings. Due to the hostility of those who found Swaminarayan's growing popularity and teachings unacceptable, swamis and devotees during Swaminarayan's time tempered some of the public presentation of his doctrine, despite their own convictions, to mitigate violence towards their newly formed devotional community. The original doctrine taught by Swaminarayan continued to be conveyed in less public fora, but with the passage of time, Shastriji Maharaj sought to publicly reveal this doctrine, which asserted that Swaminarayan and his choicest devotee, Gunatitanand Swami, were ontologically, Purushottam and Akshar, respectively.
|
|
As part of their dharma, swamis additionally endeavor to perfect the five virtues of non-lust (nishkam/niṣkāma), non-greed (nirlobh/nirlobha), non-attachment (nissneh/nissneha), non-taste (niswad/nissvada), and non-ego (nirman/nirmāna). Another aspect of the practice of dharma is the Swaminarayan diet, a type of vegetarianism, similar to that practiced generally by Vaishnava sampradayas, that entails abstaining from animal flesh, eggs, onions, and garlic. Gnan is knowledge of Parabrahman and realizing oneself as the atman. Basic practices of gnan include the daily study of scriptures like the Vachanamrut and Shikshapatri and weekly participation in congregational worship services (sabha/sabhā) at the mandir (temple), in which scriptural discourses geared towards personal and spiritual growth occur. In the Vachanamrut, Swaminarayan explains that adhering to the Aksharbrahman Guru’s commands is commensurate to perfectly embodying gnan—that is, realizing oneself as the atman.
|
|
When the Cold War Fifties gave way to the New Age Sixties, the many years of Tyberg's avant-garde efforts burst into bloom. With her "My Search for Universality" talks, she was hailed as "one of the South-land's great women leaders and lecturers". The East-West Cultural Center became known as the focal point for Southern California's spiritual activity and its auditorium on Sunday afternoons was the first US launching pad for yogis who went on to have "a huge impact on modern Yoga": Swamis Muktananda, Satchidananda, Chidananda, Ramdas and Mother Mirabai, Sikh, Sufi, and Buddhist masters from Sri Lanka, Japan, and Cambodia, as well as Indian cultural and political leaders. Tyberg invited noted Western mystics, occultists and astrologers such as Dane Rudhyar and Marie de Vrahnes from Lourdes as well as early health food proponents such as Bernard Jensen.
|
|
During her second term, Luce was instrumental in the creation of the Atomic Energy Commission and, during the course of two tours of Allied battlefronts in Europe, she campaigned for more support of what she considered to be America's forgotten army in Italy. She was present at the liberation of several Nazi concentration camps in April 1945, and after V-E Day, she began warning against the rise of international Communism as another form of totalitarianism, likely to lead to World War III. In 1946, she was the co-author of the Luce–Celler Act of 1946, which permitted Indians and Filipinos permission to immigrate to the US, introducing a quota of 100 immigrants from each country, and allowed them ultimately to become naturalized citizens.Harold A. Gould, Sikhs, Swamis, Students and Spies: The India Lobby in the United States, 1900-1946, Sage Publications, 2006, pp. 393-431.
|
|
In addition to his efforts in social reform, Swaminarayan was instrumental in providing humanitarian aid to the people of Gujarat during turbulent times of famine. When given the opportunity to receive two boons from his guru, Swaminarayan asked to receive any miseries destined for followers and to bear any scarcities of food or clothing in place of any followers. In the initial years of the sampradaya, Swaminaryan maintained almshouses throughout Gujarat and directed swamis to maintain the almshouses even under the threat of physical injury by opponents. During a particularly harsh famine in 1813-14, Swaminarayan himself collected and distributed grains to those who were suffering, and he had step wells and water reservoirs dug in various villages. He codified devotees’ engagement with humanitarian service in the Shikshapatri, instructing followers to help the poor and those in need during natural disasters, to establish schools, and to serve the ill, according to their ability.
|
|
In December 1970 Christopher Hills, his son John, and Kevin Kingsland organized the world's first World Conference on Scientific Yoga (WCSY)"World Yoga Conference" – Times of India, Nov. 30, 1970 in New Delhi, bringing 50 Western scientists together with 800 of India's leading swamis, yogis and lamas to discuss their research and establish a network for the creation of a World Yoga University. John Hills discusses the World Conference on Scientific Yoga program with Dhirendra Brahmachari and Amrit Desai in New Delhi The conference generated some controversy"Masters of Emotions – Yogis Wind Up Parley By Losing Tempers", Los Angeles Times, Dec 24, 1970 when Indian politics intersected with religion,"Yogis Act Unyogalike", The Daily Herald, Dec 24, 1970 particularly the concept of Christ Yoga, a book Hills had written linking Christ's teachings to those of Buddha and the Vedas. But the conclave nevertheless emerged as a milestone in the soon-to-be-booming migration of Indian yogis to the West.
|
|