Dera Beas

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Babaji, 1993
Personal
Born1 August 1954 (age 64)
Moga, Punjab, India
Senior posting
Based inBeas, Punjab, India
Period in office1990 to Present
PredecessorMaharaj Charan Singh

Gurinder Singh, also known as Baba Ji to his followers, is the current spiritual head of Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB). He succeeded Maharaj Charan Singh Ji, his uncle, as spiritual head, or guru, of RSSB in 1990.[1] The headquarters of the society, called Dera Baba Jaimal Singh, are located beside the river Beas near the town of Beas, Punjab, in northern India, and have been a center for satsang since 1891. RSSB has centers located worldwide.

Personal history[edit]

210 people became Amritdhari during the Gurmat Samagam on 30 March 2016 held at Dhilwan, a town very closely neighbouring the headquarters of the ‘Radha Soami Satsang Beas’ Dera.

Baba Gurinder Singh was born 1 August 1954, into a family of the Dhillon clan who were followers of the Radha Soami Satsang Beas.

He was educated at the Lawrence School, Sanawar, in the Shimla Hills of Himachal Pradesh,[2] and obtained his bachelor's degree in Commerce from Punjab University, Chandigarh. He was in Spain working before coming back to India to accept his nomination as the next spiritual head of RSSB in 1990. He lives off his own income and in keeping with the policy for all volunteers (sevadars), he does not receive any money or honorarium from the society. He has two sons Gurpreet Singh Dhillon and Gurkirat Singh Dhillon. Gurpreet is the CEO of Religare Health Trust RHT[3]

Philosophy and teachings[edit]

RSSB is a philosophical organization based on the spiritual teachings and dedicated to a process of inner development under the guidance of a spiritual teacher.

There is a spiritual purpose to human life is a central belief – to experience the divinity of God within all of us. In the Indian language, Radha Soami means ‘lord of the soul’ (radha = soul; swami = lord,) satsang describes a group that seeks truth, and Beas refers to the town near which the main center is located in northern India. There are a number of other contemporary movements that use the name ‘Radha Soami’ but Radha Soami Satsang Beas is not associated with any of them.

RSSB was established in India in 1891 and gradually began spreading to other countries in the mid 20th century. Today RSSB holds meetings in more than 90 countries worldwide. It is a registered non-profit society with no affiliation to any political or commercial organizations.[4]

The philosophy teaches a personal path of spiritual development which includes a lacto-vegetarian diet, abstinence from intoxicants, tobacco, alcohol and mind-altering drugs, a moral way of life and the practice of daily meditation. There are no rituals, ceremonies, hierarchies or mandatory contributions, nor are there compulsory gatherings. Star plus mahabharat online. Members need not give up their cultural identity or religious preference to follow this path.

The meditation method imparted at the time of initiation is known as Surat Shabd Yoga and is practiced according to the living master instructions. It is a solitary practice where the disciple concentrates within with eyes closed, usually sitting cross-legged or any other comfortable position, and performs simran: repeating the five holy names (which may be looked upon as a 'mantra'). This is followed by bhajan: an attempt by the disciple to listen to the divine Sound or 'Word' (also known as Shabd) within. Both these practices form the complete method of meditation as prescribed by Surat Shabd Yoga within Sant Mat.

Spiritual discourses[edit]

RSSB’s main centre, Dera Baba Jaimal Singh (or simply the ‘Dera’), is named after its founder who settled there in the late 1800s, and is located in Beas, Punjab. Since the Dera is the home of the spiritual leader of the organization, large crowds visit on specially designated weekends to hear Baba Ji's discourses. He also gives satsang[5] at other major centers of RSSB in India. He goes on tour to the various RSSB centers outside of India during the months of April–August. This is for the benefit of the disciples that do not have the opportunity to travel to India.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^The encyclopedia of cults, sects, and new religions James R. Lewis - 1998 - Page 395
  2. ^Sardar Gurinder Singh at radhasoamiji.in, accessed 14 March 2012
  3. ^'RSSB.org'. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  4. ^'RSSB.org'. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
  5. ^'Satsang Programme'. Education Bhaskar. Retrieved 1 May 2017.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gurinder_Singh&oldid=896167312'
(Redirected from Dera Beas)
Shiv Dayal Singh founded the Radha Soami movement.[1]
Radha Soami Satsang Beas based out of Beas is the largest group.

Radha Soami, or Radhasoami Satsang, is a religious organization founded by Shiv Dayal Singh in 1861 on Basant Panchami Day in the Indian subcontinent.[1][2] The nameless God beyond the gods is given a name: it is Radhasoami, according to those who follow the Agra branches of the movement. Repetition of the name (or names) enables the seeker to gain access to their energy to lift his/her own internal energy currents to the higher levels of God-consciousness, the realm of ethereal light and sound.[3] The Radhasoami conception of the interior realm alluded to by the sants is articulated in considerably greater than it was by the sants themselves: it has multiple tiers, the discovery of which involves a journey through increasingly rarefied strata of consciousness.[3], states Mark Juergensmeyer in his book 'Radhasoami Reality: The logic of a modern faith'.

The Radhasoami's, states Mark Juergensmeyer, shows that RS is not an offshoot of Sikhism--despite the common misconception--since it is not directly related; the two traditions, however, share some common roots and can also be considered a part of Hinduism because they share their cultural outlook, some practices and theological concepts such as karma, yoga (shabd) and guru. However, they are also different from Hindus and Sikhs because they reject the concept of a sacred scripture, rituals such as Karah Parshad and pilgrimage gatherings and ceremonies. The Radhasoamis are a religious fellowship that accepts saints and living gurus from anywhere.[4]National anthem of india lyrics.

Param Guru Huzur Dr. Prem Saran Satsangi Sahab is the present sant satguru of Radhasoami Faith, Dayalbagh, Agra

The movement started in Agra, its contemporaneous headquarters are in Beas, with parallel branches found in India and outside India.[1][4][5] There are over 30 different Radhasoami groups in the world.[5] Competing Radhasoami groups have headquarters elsewhere such as in Dayalbagh, Agra.

Dera

According to Pierluigi Zoccatelli, there were an estimated 3 million Radhasoami followers worldwide in 2004, with many subsects based on the Guru. Of these, the Radha Soami Satsang Beas is the largest[5] and it had 2 million followers.[6] Other subsects and movements influenced by Radhasoami include Divine Light Mission, Eckankar, Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness, Science of Spirituality and others.[6] Some of these groups have tried to distance themselves from the other.[5] Succession upon the death of previous guru has been a source of controversies and schism in the Radhasoami movement since the beginning.[5]

Nomenclature[edit]

According to Mark Juergensmeyer, the term 'Radha Soami' is a vaishnava phrase for God (lit. 'the lord [Swami or Soami] of Radha, the concert of Krishna') despite the movement does not believe in an anthropomorphic God; however, so the term 'Radhasoami' mean the master of spiritual energy.[7] Whereas the Agra branches viz. Dayalbagh, Soamibagh believe that Radhasoami is neither a phrase nor a derivative, but the supreme being itself in the form of sound (Dhwanyatmak) and light(Chaitanyam).

The writings of Swami Dayal use the term Sat Nam, rather than Radhasoami. The gurus and the tradition that followed him used the term Radhasoami during the initiation rites, meditation practices and as mutual greeting. This has led to the fellowship being commonly called Radha Soami.[8] In some subtraditions of Radhasoami, states Lucy DuPertuis, the guru's charisma is considered as the 'formless absolute', being in his presence is equivalent to experiencing the incarnation of the Satguru, the guru is identified as the Radhasoami.[9]

Beliefs and practices[edit]

Radha Soami fellowships have featured gurus from many parts of the world.

To the Radhsoamis, six elements form the framework of their faith:[10]

  • a living guru (someone as locus of trust and truth),
  • bhajan (remembering Sat Nam, other practices believed to be transformative),
  • satsang (fellowship, community),
  • seva (serve others without expecting anything in return),
  • dera (community organization, shrine), and
  • bhandara (large community gathering).

The Radha Soami Satsang believes that living gurus are necessary for a guided spiritual life.[1] They do not install the Guru Granth Sahib or any other scriptures in their sanctum, as they consider it ritualistic. Instead, the guru sits in the sanctum with the satsang (group of Sikh faithfuls) and they listen to preachings from the Adi Granth and sing hymns together.[1] They believe in social equality, forbid caste distinctions and have attracted Dalits to their tradition. They are active outside India, and attracted converts to their movement.[1]

The Radhasoami are strict vegetarians. They are active in charitable work such as providing free medical services and help to the needy. They do believe in some orthodox Sikh ritual practices such as covering one's head inside the temple or removing shoes, and they serve karah prasad (offering) at the end of prayers.[1] Their basic practices include Surat Shabd Yoga (sound assisted meditation), initiation of disciple into the path by a living guru, obedience to the guru, a moral life that is defined by abstinence from meat, drugs, alcohol and sex outside marriage. They also believe that jivanmukti or inner liberation is possible during one's lifetime with guidance of the living guru.[5]

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See also[edit]

  • Radha Soami Satsang Sabha, Dayalbagh
Gurus

References[edit]

  1. ^ abcdefgKristen Haar; Sewa Singh Kalsi (2009). Sikhism. Infobase Publishing. pp. 12–13. ISBN978-1-4381-0647-2.
  2. ^Mark Juergensmeyer (1995). Radhasoami Reality: The Logic of a Modern Faith. Princeton University Press. p. 90 note 5. ISBN0-691-01092-7., Quote: 'The date of Swami Shiv Dayal Ji's first public discourse is Basant Panchami Day, February 15 1861'
  3. ^ abJuergensmeyer, Mark (1995-12-31). Radhasoami Reality: The Logic of a Modern Faith. Princeton University Press. ISBN0691010927.
  4. ^ abMark Juergensmeyer (1995). Radhasoami Reality: The Logic of a Modern Faith. Princeton University Press. pp. 7–8, 14–18, 23, 55–57. ISBN0-691-01092-7.
  5. ^ abcdefJames R. Lewis (2002). The Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religions. Prometheus. pp. 590–592. ISBN978-1-61592-738-8.
  6. ^ abPierluigi Zoccatelli (2004). Peter Clarke (ed.). Encyclopedia of New Religious Movements. Routledge. pp. 508–509. ISBN978-1-134-49970-0.
  7. ^Juergensmeyer, Mark; Roof, Wade Clark (2012). Encyclopedia of Global Religion. SAGE. ISBN9780761927297.
  8. ^Mark Juergensmeyer (1995). Radhasoami Reality: The Logic of a Modern Faith. Princeton University Press. pp. 41–42 with footnotes. ISBN0-691-01092-7., Quote: 'The word Radhasoami literally refers to Krishna as lord (swami) of his consort, Radha' (p. 41); 'The Beas group translates Radhasoami as 'lord of the soul' (p. 42).
  9. ^DuPertuis, Lucy (1986). 'How People Recognize Charisma: The Case of Darshan in Radhasoami and Divine Light Mission'. Sociological Analysis. Oxford University Press. 47 (2): 111–124. doi:10.2307/3711456., Quote: 'Various branches of Radhasoami have argued about the incarnationalism of Satguru (Lane, 1981). Guru Maharaj Ji has accepted it and identifies with Krishna and other incarnations of Vishnu.'
  10. ^Mark Juergensmeyer (1995). Radhasoami Reality: The Logic of a Modern Faith. Princeton University Press. pp. 11–12, 40–42. ISBN0-691-01092-7.
  • ^ Larson, Gerald J. India's Agony Over Religion (1995). p. 136. SUNY Press (State University of New York) ISBN0-7914-2411-1

Further reading[edit]

Dera Beas Satsang Schedule 2017

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Radha Soami.

Radha Soami Beas

  • Juergensmeyer, Mark (1991). Radhasoami Reality: The Logic of a Modern Faith, Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. ISBN0-691-07378-3
  • Lane, David C (1992). The Radhasoami Tradition, New York. Garland Publishing. ISBN978-0-8240-5247-8
  • Schomer, Karine & William Hewat McLeod, eds (1987).The Sants: Studies in a Devotional Tradition of India, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1987. Academic papers from a 1978 Berkeley conference on the Sants organised by the Graduate Theological Union and the University of California Center for South Asia Studies. ISBN81-208-0277-2

External links[edit]

Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Radha_Soami&oldid=897229024'