Question about Arya Samaj

King Porus · Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2006 11:45 am Post subject: Question about Arya Samaj

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सत्यमेव जयते॥ सर्वे जनाः सुखिनो भवन्तु॥

PtAnand · Joined: 13 Nov 2005 Posts: 188

Shavaun · Age: 102 Joined: 17 Nov 2005 Posts: 247

PtAnand · Joined: 13 Nov 2005 Posts: 188

King Porus · Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2006 3:05 pm Post subject: (No subject)

anyone quite honestly...i am just curious on their viewpoints.

Devo · Age: 24 Joined: 23 Jan 2006 Posts: 440

By "mainstream" Hindus, i'm assuming you mean 'pauraniks' or 'Hinduism' in general.

Let me being by saying, in my p.o.v. the Arya Samaj is not a part of 'Hinduism'. Many Arya Samajist(s) like to fondly associate our organisation with Hinduism, hence the many misconceptions as to what the Arya Samaj really stands for.

To differentiate:

> In my p.o.v. 'Hinduism' is another term for Sanaatan Dharma, the term used to describe the Pauranik way of life.

> The Arya Samaj is a medium through which the tenets and principles of the true and original Vedic way of life is being preserved and promoted.

The Aryan way of life is based primarily on truth and logical reasoning.

For example:

From a Pauranik viewpoint, when someone dies, it is required that a living relative preforms the necessary ritual and provide that aatma with food and whatever else is required for the time the aatma is left suspended in space until its moment of judgement ( If I am correct, it is one year after the time of death)

From an Aryan perspective, as soon as the aatma exits it physical body, it instantly reaps the fruit of it's past actions by assuming it's role in a different environment and/or body to serve it's purpose. We believe that for ever individual, before that time of death, our karma is already predetermined.

Rishi Dayanand appealed to us, saying that we must choose for ourselves, but we must choose truthfully and logically.

Also, we are told that there is no sense in giving to the dead after death, because the dead cannot take anything with them, receive anything, or have anything with it's past life. Hence, it makes absolutely no sense, in offering food and whatnot during that year or at the end of that year.

We should offer the food and whatnot when our relatives are alive, not when they are dead and gone.

From the above examples, I would like to say personally, that I don't find mainstream hindus to be backward or call them stupid for what they believe, because you and I both don't know what the truth really is.

We can only believe in something we can associate with and find to be truth in our own preconceptions.

However, from a Aryan viewpoint, we feel that 'Mainstream' Hindus, are missinformed when it comes to logic and truth, and what the Vedas correctly translates to. Many of the rituals are only derived out of one's devotion for God, and have been passed down from one generation to the next.

You are correct when you say that Swamiji said Hinduism was corrupted, and each sect within Hinduism is just 'a chip off the ole block'.

I will continue later, running out of time at the moment....

PtAnand · Joined: 13 Nov 2005 Posts: 188

Arya · Age: 28 Joined: 03 Feb 2006 Posts: 690

Devo · Age: 24 Joined: 23 Jan 2006 Posts: 440

The Arya Samaj is not a school of Hinduism, never was, and will never be. It is a reform movement that strives to correct, preserve and promote the Vedic/Dharmic way of life.

At one point in history, the Vedic way of life , as prescribed by the Vedas and our ancient Rishis, became polluted, from which "Hinduism" is the end result.

Arya · Age: 28 Joined: 03 Feb 2006 Posts: 690

Trefot · Age: 33 Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 265

(Source)

On the basis of the first definition, Aryas are Hindus.

On the basis of the second, Aryas are not Hindus.

On the third and fourth, they are.

On the fifth, they might be, depending on how you define 'motherland'.

On the sixth, who knows?

On the seventh, they are not.

On the eighth, they are, if 'Vaidik Dharm' is taken literally.

On the ninth, they are not.

On the tenth (and, in Sivananda's eyes, most correct and complete) definition, Aryas are not Hindus, for they do not believe in Avatara, ancestor worship, etc.

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One thing worth mentioning in this context is the difference between inclusive and exclusive identification strategies.

Hindus are generally inclusive in their identification as a group. The basic formula for this strategy is, "If you believe in a, b and c, then you are a Hindu, regardless of whatever else you believe."

Aryas, on the contrary, are an exclusive group. Here, the formula is, "If you believe in a, b and c, but do not believe in d, e or f, only then can you be called an Arya."

With this in mind, it should be clear that Hindus will always tend to consider Aryas as Hindus, for they share certain beliefs (the sanctity of the Vedas, the Law of Karma, the Doctrine of Reincarnation, etc.). Aryas, however, will always tend to consider themselves Non-Hindus, for Hindus typically believe in things which Aryas find misguided and/or false (ancestor worship, Avatars, astrology, magic, ghosts, etc.).

Arya:

Devo · Age: 24 Joined: 23 Jan 2006 Posts: 440

You are getting funnier by the minute, Arya.

The above comment falls into a description of yourself, and not I, nor the Arya Samaj I am a part of.

However, let us not make this discussion about you and your obsessive compulsive superiority complex, you so very often display on this forum.

Devo · Age: 24 Joined: 23 Jan 2006 Posts: 440

We are not concerned with Catholicism and Christianity in this discussion. Their's is a whole different story, which will only bring about another debate, and which doesn't relate directly to what we are talking about here.

Arya · Age: 28 Joined: 03 Feb 2006 Posts: 690

yes it does, because its entire belief system is based off of what scholars classify as Hindu texts.

Devo · Age: 24 Joined: 23 Jan 2006 Posts: 440

What academic and scholarly standpoint(s), and whose?

Are we quoting wikipedia, again?...