User:Joshua Jonathan/Swaminarayan Sampradaya

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Anxiety about scholarly status and authority[edit]

Brahmbhatt (2016b):

Sahajanand Swami's sacred biofraphies and key texts thus indicate that he had developed a sophisticated system of Vedanta. However, when one of his disciples, Atmananda, was challenged to a Vedanta debate in the town of Jamngar, he was unable to satisfactorily respond to his opponent's questions (Shrutiprakashdas 2006, 4). From this, the larger scholastic community questioned the Shastriya or scholastic authenticity of the sampradaya. It is said that Sahajanand Swami was troubled by this course of events, and instructed some of the most senior in his order of ascetics to train in Sanskrit, and to subsequently author commentaries on the Vedanta canon.[1]

Brahmbhatt (2018), p.18, 20:

[p.18] Early accounts of the tradition—both external and internal—address the fact that the scholastic credentials of the sampradāy were consistently challenged. [...] [p.20] The repeated presentation of these characteristics of a true ācārya and a true sampradāya belie an underlying concern and deep anxiety felt on the part of the author. Though the text explicitly rejects the need of an ācārya to complete a scholastic conquest of the quarters (digvijaya), the entire text itself is an account of Sahajānand Svāmī’s scholastic conquests. The text’s author, Nityānand Svāmī, is thus implicitly accepting the opponents’ characteristics; though relegating them to a lesser importance, he is nonetheless arguing that Sahajānand Svāmī and his sampradāy are still in the process of attaining these qualifications. The perceived necessity of Vedānta commentaries is attested in other contexts, as well.[2]

Kim (2014), p.259 note 20:

Recent research by by Swaminarayan sadhus, including Paramtattvadas's dissertation, argues that BAPS Swaminarayan theology exemplifies Brahma-Parabrahma-Darsana, or more simply Svaminarayan Darsana. I thank Saddu Mangalnidhidas who shared this insight through a male BAPS volunteer (March 8, 2012). This perspective is in contrast to earlier research that characterized BAPS bhakti as Navya Visitadvaita or neo-modiefied nondualism in the Vaisnana tradition (see Dave, 2000).[3]

Succession[edit]

BAPS, Bhagwan Swaminarayan's Spiritual Lineage:

  • "Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) has its roots in the Swaminarayan Sampradaya and continues the bhakti tradition and philosophy propagated by Bhagwan Swaminarayan through a succession of Gunatit gurus. Each guru declared his successor to the Satsang Fellowship prior to his earthly departure."
  • "...of all the various aspects of Bhagwan Swaminarayan’s legacy, the most important was his promise to remain ever-present on earth through the manifest form of Akshar, the God-realized Sadhu. He declared the greatness of Gunatitanand Swami as his divine abode and ideal devotee on many occasions."
  • "Through their association with Gunatitanand Swami, many sadhus and householders attained the state of brahmarup and experienced the bliss of God. His foremost disciple was Bhagatji Maharaj"
  • "Bhagatji Maharaj [...] Although he was a householder, sadhus and other householder devotees revered him as their guru. Foremost among his disciples was Shastriji Maharaj, whom he revealed as his successor."
  • "In 1950, Shastriji Maharaj appointed Pramukh Swami Maharaj as the administrative President of BAPS, instructing him to serve under Yogiji Maharaj, whom he proclaimed as his successor."

Only from Shastriji Maharaj onwards are the successors appointed. "He declared the greatness of Gunatitanand Swami as his divine abode [...] His foremost disciple was Bhagatji Maharaj [...] Shastriji Maharaj, whom he revealed as his successor [...] Yogiji Maharaj, whom he proclaimed as his successor."

Swami Paramtattvadas: p.323.

Gopalananda[edit]

Brahmbhatt (2016b):

Gopalananda had studied Sanskrit and received training in classical Vedanta as a young boy (Adarshjivandas 2007, 50). Later, he became one of the foremost disciples of Sahajanand Swami; before passing away, Sahajanand swami charged hin with looking after the temples of of Vdtal and Ahmedabad, and all of the ascetics in the sampradaya (Nishkulananda Swami 1998, 650; Sadhu Ishwarcharandas 2009, 7). All Vedanta commentarial literature in Sanskrit written in the early stages of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya is attributed to these two figures [Muktananda and Gopalananda].[1]

Correction needed[edit]

Swaminarayan Sampradaya[edit]

Swaminarayan Sampradaya#Major branches says:

In the 20th century, due to "different interpretations of authentic successorship,"[4] the sampradaya split-up into various denominations.[5]

Kim (2005) states:

As it happened, the greatest schism in the Swaminarayan movement was prompted not by outsiders but came from within. In 1906 a sādhu, Swami Yagnapurushdas, left the Vadtal temple. In 1907 he established the first new Swaminarayan sect, the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) [...] In addition to BAPS's break from the original Swaminarayan satsaṅg, other schisms have occurred.

More apt would be:

In the 20th century, due to "different interpretations of authentic successorship,"[4] new Swaminarayan sects broke away from "the original Swaminarayan satsang."[5]

BAPS[edit]

Main article: Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha

Shastriji Maharaj's and sadhu's beliefs presented as Swaminarayan's teachings[edit]

Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha#Formation says:

The history of BAPS as an organization begins with Shastriji Maharaj's desire to propagate the mode of worship from Swaminarayan's teachings.[6]

Jonathan D. James, who refers to Kim (2009)(2010), states:

BAPS began when Shastriji Maharaj (born in 1865 as Dungar Patel) felt a strong leaning to promote a mode worship that was based on the teachings of swaminarayan [...] Maharaj's early efforts to propagate his interpretation of the faith...

Kim p. 363-364 states

Shastri Maharaj set out to construct a mandir that would literally house the devotional representations of Bhagwan and Guru and inspire others to embrace this understanding of Swaminarayan bhakti [...] For BAPS devotees, the dual murtis in the original Swaminarayan temples imply that Sahajanand Swami did install a murti of himself alongside the murti of his ideal bhakta or Guru. This, however, is not a view accepted by the followers of the original Swaminarayan sampradaya.

Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha#Formation:

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. (Kim 2009, p.364)

Kim (2009 p.364) refers to the belief of sadhus and lay followers in Swaminarayan's time, not Swaminarayan's doctrine. They believed that he was Purushottam, but this belief was concealed. Kim does not refer to Gunatitanand Swami or Akshar:

Considering the opposition Sahajanand Swami faced from those who did not agree with his teachings or who found him and his growing popularity to be unacceptable, historical evidence suggests that early sadhus and devotees during the lifetime of Sahajanand Swami decided to suppress or minimize the knowledge of Sahajanand Swami as Bhagwan despite their own convictions that he was indeed such.

Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha#Formation:

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. (Dave 1974, p.186).

Dave (1974, p.186) does not mention Shastriji Maharaj, nor Gunatitanand Swami.

Gunatitanand swami[edit]

Main article: Gunatitanand Swami

Gunatitanand Swami#Legacy:

"Gunatitanand Swami established a line of spiritual authorities ... who have continued in a line of succession from Gunatitanand Swami" himself. (Willimas 200, p.86)

Williams (2001) p.54:

Members of the Akshar Purushottam Sanstha do not believe that it was an innovation. They believe that Gunatitanand Swami was appointed by Swaminarayan, and that the early acharyas looked to Gunatitanand Swami for advice and help in the administration of the fellowship. Gunatitanand swami established a line of spiritual authorities who are believed to have the right to administer the affairs. They indicate that Swaminarayan gave authority to devout ascetics to initiate ascetics and install images in the temples. The theory is that Swaminarayan is always manifest in the perfect disciples who have continued in a line of succession from Gunatitanand.[7]

The correct quote would be:

Members of the Akshar Purushottam Sanstha [...] believe that Gunatitanand Swami was appointed by Swaminarayan [and that] Gunatitanand swami established a line of spiritual authorities [...] The theory is that Swaminarayan is always manifest in the perfect disciples who have continued in a line of succession from Gunatitanand.[7]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Brahmbhatt 2016b.
  2. ^ Brahmbhatt 2018, p. 18,20.
  3. ^ Kim 2014, p. 259, note 20.
  4. ^ a b Patel 2018. sfn error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFPatel2018 (help)
  5. ^ a b Kim 2005.
  6. ^ James, Jonathan D. (28 August 2017). Transnational religious movements : faith's flows. Thousand Oaks. ISBN 9789386446565. OCLC 1002848637.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. ^ a b Willimas 2001, p. 54.

Sources[edit]

Article: Swaminarayan Sampradaya#References

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