Arya Samaj

Shishya

Namaste,

The question posted above is one that has been on my mind quite a bit these past few days. I would like to share what I see to be a very relevant passage from J. T. F. Jorden's book, Dayananda Sarasvati: His Life and Ideas. After reading it, please take some time to comment. I would like very much to discuss this with others.

..........................................................................

What, then, did Dayananda have in mind when he encouraged and assisted the establishment of the Arya Samaj? He wanted to bring together all Hindus who agreed on a couple of very broad issues: a dedication to religious and social reform, and a conviction that this reformation had to come through a revival of Vedic religion. Being organized in a body, these people would be more effective in helping one another and in influencing the whole of society. The Swami had no intention of creating a body of 'followers' to propogate his ideas. Reform had to come from the people themselves, who had to take their personal improvement and uplift of society into their own hands. Dayananda himself would always be available to them for advice, either in person or through his publications, but he would not be their leader. He had a horror of gurudom and sectarianism. He recognized the limitations of his own knowledge, and refused to become the guru of a group of devotees, and even of one single individual. When Thakur Umrao Singh implored the Swami to be his guru and give him a mantra, Dayananda replied, “I do not make anyone my pupil. Those are my pupils who believe in my ideas, and those who help me in my work are my brothers.“. His one great fear for the Samaj was that it might evolve into a sect, a process he had already detected in the Brahmo Samaj: that is why he saw to it that the constitution of the Arya Samaj avoided those dangers. Overall authority would reside with no man, but only with the Vedas, and direct authority would be democratically shared by the people involved. Just as Dayananda‘s own goal lay far beyond the establishment of the Samaj, similarly the ultimate goal of the Aryas should lie far beyond their own group, beyond narrow credal inhibitions: they should aim at the final establishment of the unity of dharma by striving to persuade all groups and sects to accept the Vedas. Indeed, the overall reform of society, which was the Swami‘s own aspiration, could not be realized by the Samaj, but only by the collaboration of everyone.

All this was made very clear by the Swami in an important speech to those admirers in Bombay who had ressed him for the establishment of the Arya Samaj:

Shyena · Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 5:55 pm Post subject:

Namaste,

Hmm...... A thought-provoking passage. Shuns off all the ideas I had against swamiji. The few lines that resonate within strong thought-waves would be...

Shishya · Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 7:29 pm Post subject:

Namaste PD,

Thank you for your comments. I appreciate the exchange of ideas and hope we can continue the discussion.

I have recently realized that this is probably the most central issues facing the Arya Samaj as it heads into the next centry. I have been completely re-evaluating my position on Swamiji, and - perhaps paradoxically - my opinion of him has raised even more. Yet this newfound appreciation is based - rather than on the somewhat one-sided, traditional view - on a more complex and differentiated understanding of him as an individual who served (and continues to serve) multiple roles in the revival of Vaidik Dharm. Three major aspects stand out most to me:

Swami Dayanand the Inspired Visionary: This is Swamiji as a dedicated Sannyasi, indeed, as a Maharishi, a 'Great Seer of Eternal Truth'. This is the man who proclaimed to the world, 'There is no religion higher than the Truth'. He enjoined us to cast away all that was in conflict with the Truth, and to hold nothing beside it as worthy of attention. To this end, he propounded the universal application of the Five Tests of Truth, which can be summarized as: "Only that which conforms with (1) the Revelation of God, (2) the Laws of Nature, (3) the Laws of Reason, (4) the Laws of Conscience, and (5) the Faithful Testimony of Reliable Individuals should be considered true. Everything which fails these five tests should be discarded." In this, he is a figure equal to or even greater than the founders of the various cults around the world. For, rather than enjoining his followers to blindly believe his interpretation of Truth, he asked them to follow Truth and Truth alone. This is what gives Swami Dayanand the Inspired Visionary truly universal appeal.

Swami Dayanand the Humanitarian Reformer: This is Swamiji as the founder of the Arya Samaj - a society of individuals working towards the upliftment of the world. The 10 Principles are an extremely catholic expression of the main work of this society, and they are capable of being held by nearly every Hindu. And Swamiji the Reformer had exactly this in mind. That is why, when potential members began to complain about what they perceived to be a degree of narrowness in the original 28 Principles (drafted in Bombay), he quickly and without hesitation revised and reduced them to include only those views which would accomodate the greatest number of people without leading to sectarian strife. He envisioned the Arya Samaj as a vehicle for the complete renewal of both India and the world - a work which needs to be undertaken regardless of the minor sectarian disputes which are predestined to arise on the path to dharma. He saw the Arya Samaj as being capable of encompassing a wide range of theological positions. The only requirements for membership are drafted in the 10 Principles themselves. Everything beyond this was to be left up to the individual to decide for him- or herself according to the Five Tests of Truth.

Swami Dayananda the Analytical Theologian: This is Swamiji as the author of the Satyarth Prakash and his summarial A Statement of My Belief. Here, Swami Dayanand does not hesitate to put forth his personal views on a great number of issues. And, as should be noted, he published two versions of the Satyarth Prakash - two version which, as I have recently discovered, vary greatly in terms of certain points of theology and social philosophy. Indeed, his views in regards to particular matters changed greatly over time, and we can only assume that they would have continued to change had his life not been cut short. We may ask, "Why did he change his views? Does this not betray an inconsistency in his person?" I say 'no'. For we must remember that Dayanand the Theologian was born of Dayanand the Reformer, which is to say that, though the particular details changed over time, the underlying foundation - the universal principles - continued to guide his mind. He was always searching for Truth, and was not hesitant to discard a view of his own if the contrary could be proven to his satisfaction. This is not a weakness, but rather one of his greatest strengths. Like all great men of wisdom, Dayanand did not assume a defensive position once being proved wrong, but instead took up whatever he saw to be the Truth.

And that is a very important matter that is continually overlooked. Swamiji was, above all else, a man of principled action. The particulars might have changed, but he always and unswervingly remained dedicated to his highest principle: absolute honesty in the search for truth. He stated in several places that his literary works were not to be taken dogmatically, that he was not all-knowing, that 'to err is human', and that it would not surprise him if there were to be found errors in his books. He himself had discovered several over the course of the 8 years between the two edition of the Satyarth Prakash. And he was too honest a man to try and cover them up, but instead admitted quite plainly that some of his former views were wrong and that he had corrected them according to the best of his knowledge at the time.

In light of these points, I think the Arya Samaj at present is on the wrong track. For example, Swami Dayanand’s principle work, the Satyarth Prakash, is often touted as the 'Bible of the Aryas'. One may perhaps argue that this is done mostly by outsiders who do not understand or have little sympathy with the Arya Samaj. However, one need only look around to see a great many Arya Samajists - intentional or not - practically venerating the book as though it were itself holy writ. (The recent spat regarding the possibility of an edit or ammendment proved this beyond a doubt.) The problem here is that we seem to have lost sight of the whole reason for the appearance of the book in the first place: to get people to return to the Vedas and Vedic Literature. (We should remind ourselves of the edict of Swami Virjananda Ji in regards to the two types of guru.) The Satyarth Prakash is a finger pointing at the sun - it is not the sun itself.

Or again, look at what we have done to him as a religious figure. Swami Dayanand - despite his express wishes to the contrary - has been elevated to the status of guru to the whole of the Samaj. Arya Samajists typically celebrate events in his life such as his birth and the day of his nirvana divas. His portrait adorns virtually every place of worship, and is even given as a gift to dignitaries and ambassadors. Bhajans are sung full of limitless praise for him, and his auspicious qualities are continually extolled. His personal articles have been lovingly preserved, including his eating utensils and his books. Even his place of birth, Tankara, has become a place of pilgrimage. Of course, Arya Samajists have nothing but good intentions in the performance of such acts. They are justifiably proud of Swamiji, and wish to show their gratitude through celebration and commemoration. And these are positive traits that are not to be ignored or ridiculed. Yet, how can such things be justified to the rest of the world, especially when Swamiji himself called upon mankind to abandon such practices entirely? No one can say in good faith that this is what Swamiji desired for the future of the Samaj. In some way, however, he must have known that he was not entirely successful in eliminating the idolizing tendency in his followers - something which displays itself most clearly in his command to be cremated upon death. For if his body had been buried or set out in a forest - as is the Hindu custom for men of his standing - there can be little doubt that today there would stand a sizeable monument marking the spot with thousands of loyal devotees flocking to it each year.

Arya Samajists need to recognize the distinction between Swami Dayanand the Reformer and Swami Dayanand the Theologian. That is to say, we can disagree with Swamiji on certain points - we may even criticise his views, provided we can do so with reasoned argumentation following the Five Tests of Truth - yet this should in no way deminish our respect for him. Instead, it should increase it ten-fold, for who besides Swamiji has been as honest and as forthright in his dealing with those who would be his followers? I can think of none else.

Therefore, let us become true disciples of Swamiji the Inspired Visionary and return wholeheartedly to the Vedas, examining everything in the 'Light of Truth'. I feel this is the greatest admiration that one can show to the person of Maharishi Swami Dayananda Saraswati.
_________________
Namaste,

Shishya
ॐ

ॐ सह नावतु । सह तौ भुनक्तु । सह वीर्यं करवावहै । तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै ॥
"Together may we be protected. Together may we be profited. Together may we do a hero's work. May we learn intelligently. May we never hate one another."
-Brihadaranyaka & Taittiriya Upanishads

Shyena · Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 8:27 pm Post subject:

Shishya · Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 9:41 pm Post subject:

Namaste PD,

Below I have put together a list of the most striking differences between the two editions of the Satyarth Prakash, the first appearing in 1875, the second in 1883.

Differences between the two editions of the Satyarth Prakash:

Please note that the following is only gleaned from a third-hand source. I have not seen a copy of the first edition of the Satyarth Prakash, so I cannot verify all of these points objectively. However, I see little reason to doubt the honesty of the source. Also, I only mention those points which I see as being of most interest to a wide audience. There are several minor points regarding statecraft, politics, etc. which I omit.

In the first edition, Swamiji mentions only three rishis (Agni, Vaayu and Aaditya) as being the ones who were chosen to reveal the Vedas. In the second edition, it is four.
In the first edition, Shuudras were excluded from the list of those allowed to study the Vedas. In the second edition, Swamiji was very clear that even Shuudras should be allowed to study, and that they should even attend the same schools as others and be treated the same in respect to their education.
In the first edition, Swamiji taught the doctrine of atyant pralaya or 'total re-absorption' in God at the end of each major cycle of creation. He is quoted as having written: “…even prakriti, the subtlest form of of the cosmos will be dissolved, and only the Lord will remain”. In the second edition, this was dropped in favor of the theory of traitavada. (See below)

In the first edition, God is, technically speaking, the material cause of the universe as well as the efficient. His metaphysical position at this time resembles a mixture of advaita (non-dualism) and bheda-abheda (distinction in non-distinction) philosophy. He is quoted as having written:

Quote:

“He who is omnipotent possesses infinite potential and material. This material is natural to Him, just like a natural quality has connection with its possesor; it is not a different thing yet it is not the same… That potentiality is extremely subtle and because it is natural, it is not opposed to the Lord, but it exists within Him. From it the Lord created the whole cosmos. It follows that the Lord, because He used no distinct thing, has become, by making the world, the material cause of that world, because there exists no other material distinct from Him which he could have used to make it. So, He created the world from his natural potential (saamarthya) which has the form of a quality. Therefore, the Lord himself is the material cause of the universe, but He did not Himself take the form of the universe.”

Swamiji dropped this position in the second edition in favor of traidavada, in which God, the soul and matter are seen as three eternally distinct noumena or beings. Even during cosmic dissolution, they remain distinct from one another.

In the first edition, the jiva is eventually perfectly united with God. In the second edition, this is not the case. (See above)
In the first edition, moksha is permanent and irreversible. In the second edition, it is only a temporary state of being, and the jiva eventually returns to earthly existence.
In the first edition, Swamiji praises Shankaracharya unreservedly. (We must remember his lineage here.) In the second edition, he added the caveat that Shankara’s doctrine was only good if it’s main intent was to thwart atheistic Buddhism and pave the way for a return to Vaidik Dharm (which, by all accounts, it did). If, however, he truly believed in what he was teaching, i.e., that the soul (atman) is ultimately identical with Brahman, then it must be rejected as contradicting the Vedas.
In the first edition, Swamiji praises the British Raj, for he saw it as an advance over Muslim rule and an opportunity for India to reform and modernize itself. There was true law and order in the land, the institutions of education were reinstated, and Vedic books could once again be distributed freely without fear of persecution. In the second edition, Swamiji was much more nationalistic and patriotic - hence much more critical of the role of the British in India. Everything positive about the British was removed from the second edition.
In the first edition, Swamiji recommended the study of the Bhrigusamhita, a work on astronomy. In the second edition, he discarded it as false and too contaminated with astrology.
In the first edition, Swamiji did not openly condemn offerings made to the ancestors. In the second, anything past the first two weeks following death was said to be unnecessary and/or idolatrous.
In the first edition, Swamiji enjoins the eating of meat if and only if prepared in the context of sacrifice (homa). He is reported to have criticised the Jains and their doctrine of ahimsa by saying they do not realize that “the benefit of sacrifice is that in the killing of animals there is a little sorrow, but in it there is also enormous benefit for all beings.” In the second edition, he took up a position much closer to that of the Jains, and preached vegetarianism. Blood sacrifice is declared wrong.
In the first edition, Swamiji taught that only those without knowledge of the true significance of yajna should be taught to perform the external rituals. He is said to have written: “…all these rites are for people without knowledge and whose hearts and souls are not pure, whereas those who have aquired wisdom need not perform them outwardly, but inwardly, by knowledge only.” In the second edition, this is only true of the sannyasi - everyone else is enjoined to perform yajna outwardly.
In the first edition, Swamiji advocated the ashvamedha yajna and it’s being performed by the king. The second edition is silent on the subject.
In the first edition, sannyasa is open to members of all three upper castes. In the second edition, it is only allowed for Brahmanas.

I will type up the original 28 Principles when time permits. But don't let that stop you from commenting. Wink

_________________
Namaste,

Shishya
ॐ

ॐ सह नावतु । सह तौ भुनक्तु । सह वीर्यं करवावहै । तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै ॥
"Together may we be protected. Together may we be profited. Together may we do a hero's work. May we learn intelligently. May we never hate one another."
-Brihadaranyaka & Taittiriya Upanishads

Devo · Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 10:30 pm Post subject:

Shishya

Namaste Devo,

Thank you very much for you words. I am glad to see that you, too, agree in regards to the significance of this issue.

Below, I give a copy of the 28 Rules of the Bombay Samaj:

The Bombay Rules of the Arya Samaj

1. The Arya Samaj is necessary for the good of all people.

2. In this Samaj the Vedas shall be considered as the primary and self-evident authority. For the purpose of testimony and of understanding the Vedas and Aryan history, the following works shall have secondary authority: the 4 Brahmanas including the Shatapatha, the 6 Vedangas, the 4 Upavedas, the 6 Darshanas and the 1127 Shakhas (expositions of the Vedas) because they are recognized ancients works of the rishis and are in accordance with the Vedas.

3. In this Samaj there shall be in the center of each province a Principal Samaj, of which the others shall be branches.

4. The branch Samajes shall be managed according to the model of the Principal Samaj.

5. In the Principal Samaj books in Sanskrit and Hindi that are in conformity with the Vedas shall be kept for the propagation of truth; and a weekly periodical called Aryaprakash shall be published. The books and the periodical shall be disseminated amongst all branches.

6. In every Samaj there shall be a president and a secretary. Others, men and women, shall be members of the committee.

7. The president shall properly look after the affairs of the Samaj, and the secretary shall take care of the members’ register and of the official correspondence.

8. Those people shall be enrolled as members of this Samaj who are truthful, upright, of good conduct, and concerned with the welfare of mankind.

9. The householder shall devote the leisure time his household duties leave to the uplift of this Samaj, with even more determination than he applies to his household duties; he who is free from household duties shall be ever at work for the progress of the Samaj.

10. Every eighth day the president, the secretary, and the members shall gather in the Samaj hall, and they shall give this function precedence over all other work.

11. At that gathering they shall all be composed in their minds. They shall first converse with one another with mutual affection and without prejudice. Then there shall be songs from the Samaveda, etc., with instrumental accompaniment; these songs shall be about God, true dharma, true morality, and the teachings of truth. Then there shall be a discourse upon the meaning of the mantras and a lecture. Then there shall again be songs, explanation of mantras, lecture, songs, and so on in succession.

12. Each member shall contribute to the Samaj fund 1/100 part of what he earns from an honest living, for the running and progress of the Samaj, the schools, and the periodical. The more someone gives proportional to his earnings, the greater shall be his merit. That money shall be spent exclusively for the purposes specified.

13. Whoever does his utmost for the promotion of these causes shall be encouraged by the proper recognition of his efforts.

14. In this Samaj there shall be praise, invocation, and adoration of the one and only God according to the Vedas; that Lord is bodiless, almighty, just, unborn, unending, immutable, unbeginning, incomparable, merciful, father and mother of the whole world, supporter of the world and Lord of all, possessor-in-full of the qualities of being (sat), intelligence (chitta), and bliss (ananda), all-pervading and dwelling in the heart of all beings, immortal, fearless, all-pure and all wise, always totally free, infinite, giver of happiness, and bestower of the boons of dharma, artha, kama and moksha. The members shall praise him by lauding his qualities; they shall contemplate him by becoming absorbed in his bliss; they shall give him their love. None other but the one Lord shall be venerated in this way.

15. In this Samaj all sacraments including funeral rites shall be performed according to the Vedas.

16. In the Aryan school there shall be instruction in the Vedas and the other ancient works of the rishis; thus all men and women shall acquire the knowledge of the truth in the proper Vedic way.

17. In this Samaj efforts shall be made for the reformation of this country, both spiritual and material. Reform along those two lines shall lead to the purification and uplift of the whole world.

18. This Samaj shall recognize only what is right and just, that is, the true Vedic Dharma which is free from bias and established by the authoritative sources of knowledge. This Samaj shall not admit anything that does not agree with it, as far as is possible.

19. From this Samaj excellent and learned men shall from time to time be sent out to preach the truth everywhere.

20. Aryan schools shall be founded everywhere, as much as is possible; there will be separate schools for the training in wisdom of men and women. In the schools for women the teaching and the services shall be managed by women only; in the schools for men, by men only. Not otherwise.

21. The running of these schools shall be organized according to the directive of the Principal Samaj.

22. For the sake of mutual affection, the president and all other members shall shed all pride, stubbornness, hatred, anger, etc.; they shall practice friendliness and helpfulness without any animosity; thus they shall love each other as much as they love themselves.

23. At times of deliberation decisions shall be made with justice and with careful consideration of the well-being of all. The decisions shall be made known to all members, who shall hold on to them as the right ones, and in no other way. Only such a procedure can be called rejection of all prejudice.

24. The person who behaves according to these rules, who is religious and virtuous, shall be made a member of the superior order of the Samaj; the others shall be ordinary members. He who is wicked in an excessive and public manner shall be expelled from the Samaj; but this shall not be done in haste, but only after due deliberation on the part of the best members. Not otherwise.

25. The president and the other committee members shall do their utmost to promote the Arya Samaj, the schools, the periodical, and the Arya Samaj fund.

26. Whenever a member of the Arya Samaj is available for a job, that job shall not be given by a member to an outsider. The two concerned shall afterwards act in the proper relationship of master and servant.

27. Whenever there shall be an occasion for making a donation, such as a wedding, the birth of a son, good fortune, a death in the family, or any other reason, then that gift should be directed to the Arya Samaj. There is no greater source of merit. Let this be known and never forgotten.

28. Any addition to, deletion or alteration of, these rules, shall be done in the proper way: all the best members shall be notified beforehand, and the change shall be done according to the outcome of their deliberations.

Note: It should be remarked that at Lahore, it was decided to distinguish between the Principles of the Arya Samaj (which now numbered 10) and it's Bylaws (which now numbered 34).
_________________
Namaste,

Shishya
ॐ

ॐ सह नावतु । सह तौ भुनक्तु । सह वीर्यं करवावहै । तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै ॥
"Together may we be protected. Together may we be profited. Together may we do a hero's work. May we learn intelligently. May we never hate one another."
-Brihadaranyaka & Taittiriya Upanishads

Shyena · Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 1:29 pm Post subject:

Namaste,
I feel as if swamiji's humility[if there's a better word then fill it in] is simply too much for me to cope up with. His flexibility of views to reject his former views completely to dictate the infallibility of vedas is certainly worth appraisal.

Shishya · Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2006 8:40 pm Post subject:

Namaste,

Here is an additional excerpt from the book by Mr. Jordens regarding a document published by Swamiji to announce his participation at Kumbh Melaa:

__________________________________

"The attraction of the Pushkar annual fair, which Dayananda had visited in March 1866, and of the Hardwar Kumbh Melaa, was that, however much the Swami despised the type of Hinduism they flaunted, they were still the only occasions when anything resembling a great council of Hinduism gathered. For that reason they kept attracting the Swami. He has visited Hardwar twice before at the time of the Kumbh Melaa: in 1855, when as a yogi in search of great teachers he avoided the melaa, and again in 1867, when he went on his first great preaching expedition, but fled in despair. Now, as the successful founder of the Arya Samaj and a public figure, he went up again to face the great throngs of sannyasis, pundits and the faithful. On his arrival thousands of copies of a special announcement were distributed, in which he clearly set out the purpose of his visit. The dominant theme of this document was the need for unity and friendship among all Hindus for the sake of the well-being of the whole country, the need for collaboration among those Hindus who were permeated with a sense of truth and morality, concerned about the good of all, and ready to cooperate in harmony:

Prabhat · Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 1:41 am Post subject:

Differences between the two editions of the Satyarth Prakash:

Please note that the following is only gleaned from a third-hand source. I have not seen a copy of the first edition of the Satyarth Prakash, so I cannot verify all of these points objectively. However, I see little reason to doubt the honesty of the source. Also, I only mention those points which I see as being of most interest to a wide audience. There are several minor points regarding statecraft, politics, etc. which I omit.

Namaste bro,
hope you are feeling better.
did you find the source???
_________________
Namaste,
Prabhat

arunk · Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 11:47 am Post subject: