10-12-2005, 03:36 AM
While I have no specific quarrel with the Arya Samaj and welcome the Samaj in the propagation of vedic culture and scriptures, it is the restrictive nature of the views of the Samaj, which are the key reasons for its decline.
<!--QuoteBegin-Mudy+Sep 24 2005, 06:54 PM-->QUOTE(Mudy @ Sep 24 2005, 06:54 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Excellent site.
Ved Mandir
<b>A Brief Introduction to Arya Samaj </b>
<b>10 Principles of Arya Samaj</b>
1. God is the efficient cause of all true knowledge and all that is known through knowledge.
2. God is existent, intelligent and blissful. He is <b>formless</b>, omniscient, just, merciful, unborn, endless, unchangeable, beginning-less, unequalled, the support of all, the master of all, omnipresent, immanent, un-aging, immortal, fearless, eternal and holy, and the maker of all. He alone is worthy of being worshiped.
<b>Formless: A key divergence from main stream Hindu culture. Instead of God is everywhere, where there is dharma and it is OK to invoke God in an Idol as a means of concentration - AS rejects all notions of worship of God in a form.
</b>
3. The Vedas are the scriptures of all true knowledge. It is the paramount duty of all Aryas to read them, teach them , recite them and to hear them being read.
<b>Another key divergence. AS treats ONLY the vedas as the scriptures of true knowledge. It rejects the upanishads, puranas, brahmanas and to a degree locks scriptural knowledge down to the vedas only. Main stream hindu culture has no such locks.
</b>
4. One should always be ready to accept truth and to renounce untruth.
5. All acts should be performed in accordance with Dharma that is, after deliberating what is right and wrong.
6. The prime object of the Arya Samaj is to do good to the world, that is, to promote physical, spiritual and social good of everyone.
7. Our conduct towards all should be guided by love, righteousness and justice.
8. We should dispel Avidya (ignorance) and promote Vidya (knowledge).
9. No one should be content with promoting his/her good only; on the contrary, one should look for his/her good in promoting the good of all.
10. One should regard oneself under restriction to follow the rules of society calculated to promote the well being of all, while in following the rules of individual welfare all should be free.
[right][snapback]38792[/snapback][/right]
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I also believe AS bans meat eating and prohibits alcohol and smoking (not sure). DS was also reacting to the prevailing state of hindu society in the late 19th and early 20th century with rampant misinformation about hinduism and as a response to the challenge of the favourite ridicule of the British that Hindus worship idols et al. We do not live under that cloud any more and hence the reaction deemed appropriate at the time is no longer needed.
So in summary it promotes Vedic knowledge and culture, which is a good thing but the rejection of non-vedic sources of our culture are the main reasons, why it is on the decline.
To make a personal point:
I knew all this and still did not object to my sister's wish to hold AS based marriage ceremony. What is needed is for AS to accept idol worshippers like me instead of ridiculing me.
<!--QuoteBegin-Mudy+Sep 24 2005, 06:54 PM-->QUOTE(Mudy @ Sep 24 2005, 06:54 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Excellent site.
Ved Mandir
<b>A Brief Introduction to Arya Samaj </b>
<b>10 Principles of Arya Samaj</b>
1. God is the efficient cause of all true knowledge and all that is known through knowledge.
2. God is existent, intelligent and blissful. He is <b>formless</b>, omniscient, just, merciful, unborn, endless, unchangeable, beginning-less, unequalled, the support of all, the master of all, omnipresent, immanent, un-aging, immortal, fearless, eternal and holy, and the maker of all. He alone is worthy of being worshiped.
<b>Formless: A key divergence from main stream Hindu culture. Instead of God is everywhere, where there is dharma and it is OK to invoke God in an Idol as a means of concentration - AS rejects all notions of worship of God in a form.
</b>
3. The Vedas are the scriptures of all true knowledge. It is the paramount duty of all Aryas to read them, teach them , recite them and to hear them being read.
<b>Another key divergence. AS treats ONLY the vedas as the scriptures of true knowledge. It rejects the upanishads, puranas, brahmanas and to a degree locks scriptural knowledge down to the vedas only. Main stream hindu culture has no such locks.
</b>
4. One should always be ready to accept truth and to renounce untruth.
5. All acts should be performed in accordance with Dharma that is, after deliberating what is right and wrong.
6. The prime object of the Arya Samaj is to do good to the world, that is, to promote physical, spiritual and social good of everyone.
7. Our conduct towards all should be guided by love, righteousness and justice.
8. We should dispel Avidya (ignorance) and promote Vidya (knowledge).
9. No one should be content with promoting his/her good only; on the contrary, one should look for his/her good in promoting the good of all.
10. One should regard oneself under restriction to follow the rules of society calculated to promote the well being of all, while in following the rules of individual welfare all should be free.
[right][snapback]38792[/snapback][/right]
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I also believe AS bans meat eating and prohibits alcohol and smoking (not sure). DS was also reacting to the prevailing state of hindu society in the late 19th and early 20th century with rampant misinformation about hinduism and as a response to the challenge of the favourite ridicule of the British that Hindus worship idols et al. We do not live under that cloud any more and hence the reaction deemed appropriate at the time is no longer needed.
So in summary it promotes Vedic knowledge and culture, which is a good thing but the rejection of non-vedic sources of our culture are the main reasons, why it is on the decline.
To make a personal point:
I knew all this and still did not object to my sister's wish to hold AS based marriage ceremony. What is needed is for AS to accept idol worshippers like me instead of ridiculing me.