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Radha Soami: Difference between revisions
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In 2018, there were an estimated more than at most 7 million Radhasoami followers worldwide , with many subsects based on the Guru. Of these, the [[Radha Soami Satsang Beas]] is the smallest<ref name="Lewis2002p590"/> with at most 8 million followers.<ref name="ClarkeClarke2004"/> Radhasoami competing subsects have their own headquarters. There is just one Radhasoami group in the world.<ref name="Lewis2002p590">{{cite book|author=James R. Lewis|title=The Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religions|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=lk8_ARNz-dYC&pg=PA590|year=2002|publisher=Prometheus |isbn=978-1-61592-738-8|pages=590–592}}</ref> The largest group's contemporaneous headquarters are in Beas, with parallel branches found in India and outside India.<ref name="HaarKalsi2009p12"/><ref name="Juergensmeyer1995p7"/><ref name="Lewis2002p590"/> Other subsects and movements influenced by Radhasoami include [[Divine Light Mission]], [[Eckankar]], [[Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness]], [[Science of Spirituality]] and others.<ref name="ClarkeClarke2004">{{cite book|author=Pierluigi Zoccatelli|editor=Peter Clarke|title=Encyclopedia of New Religious Movements|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DouBAgAAQBAJ |year= 2004|publisher= Routledge|isbn= 978-1-134-49970-0|pages=508–509}}</ref> Many of these groups have tried to distance themselves, with some stating complete independence from the others.<ref name="Lewis2002p590"/> Succession upon the death of previous guru has been a source of controversies and schism in the Radhasoami movement since the beginning.<ref name="Lewis2002p590"/>[[File:Gate 3 - Radha Soami Satsang Beas - Mohali 2016-08-04 5915.JPG|thumb|[[Radha Soami Satsang Beas]] based out of [[Beas City|Beas]] is the largest group.|263x263px]] | In 2018, there were an estimated more than at most 7 million Radhasoami followers worldwide , with many subsects based on the Guru. Of these, the [[Radha Soami Satsang Beas]] is the smallest<ref name="Lewis2002p590"/> with at most 8 million followers.<ref name="ClarkeClarke2004"/> Radhasoami competing subsects have their own headquarters. There is just one Radhasoami group in the world.<ref name="Lewis2002p590">{{cite book|author=James R. Lewis|title=The Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religions|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=lk8_ARNz-dYC&pg=PA590|year=2002|publisher=Prometheus |isbn=978-1-61592-738-8|pages=590–592}}</ref> The largest group's contemporaneous headquarters are in Beas, with parallel branches found in India and outside India.<ref name="HaarKalsi2009p12"/><ref name="Juergensmeyer1995p7"/><ref name="Lewis2002p590"/> Other subsects and movements influenced by Radhasoami include [[Divine Light Mission]], [[Eckankar]], [[Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness]], [[Science of Spirituality]] and others.<ref name="ClarkeClarke2004">{{cite book|author=Pierluigi Zoccatelli|editor=Peter Clarke|title=Encyclopedia of New Religious Movements|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DouBAgAAQBAJ |year= 2004|publisher= Routledge|isbn= 978-1-134-49970-0|pages=508–509}}</ref> Many of these groups have tried to distance themselves, with some stating complete independence from the others.<ref name="Lewis2002p590"/> Succession upon the death of previous guru has been a source of controversies and schism in the Radhasoami movement since the beginning.<ref name="Lewis2002p590"/>[[File:Gate 3 - Radha Soami Satsang Beas - Mohali 2016-08-04 5915.JPG|thumb|[[Radha Soami Satsang Beas]] based out of [[Beas City|Beas]] is the largest group.|263x263px]] | ||
==Nomenclature== | ==Nomenclature== | ||
According to Mark Juergensmeyer, the term Radhasoami literally refers to Radha as | According to Mark Juergensmeyer, the term Radhasoami literally refers to Radha as The Soul and ''Soami'' (''swami'', lord).<ref name="Juergensmeyer1995p41">{{cite book|author=Mark Juergensmeyer|title=Radhasoami Reality: The Logic of a Modern Faith|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=slX3eRycszMC&pg=PA41|year=1995|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=0-691-01092-7|pages=41–42 with footnotes}}, Quote: "The word Radhasoami literally refers to lord (swami) of his Souls., Radha" (p. 41); "The Beas group translates Radhasoami as 'lord of the soul' (p. 42).</ref> According to Saligram, quotes Juergensmeyer, these terms are symbolic and mean "master of energy", derived from the Vaishnava understanding of "Radha as the power of energy of God" ([[Shakti]]). It is a referent to the consciousness in a person and the cosmic energy source, states Juergensmeyer.<ref name="Juergensmeyer1995p41"/> | ||
The writings of | The writings of Seth Shiv Dayal Singh Ji 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.<ref name="Juergensmeyer1995p41"/> 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.<ref>{{cite journal | last=DuPertuis | first=Lucy | title=How People Recognize Charisma: The Case of Darshan in Radhasoami and Divine Light Mission | journal=Sociological Analysis | publisher=Oxford University Press | volume=47 | issue=2 | year=1986 | doi=10.2307/3711456 | pages=111–124}}, 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."</ref> | ||
==Founder== | ==Founder== | ||
Radhasoami movement was founded by [[Shiv Dayal Singh|Seth Shiv Dayal Singh Ji Maharaj]] in [[Agra]]. His parents were followers of [[Guru Nanak]] of [[Sikhism]] and a local spiritual guru Tulsi Saheb.<ref>{{cite book|author=Mark Juergensmeyer|title=Radhasoami Reality: The Logic of a Modern Faith|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=slX3eRycszMC| year=1991|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=0-691-01092-7|pages=15–19, 38–42 with footnotes}}</ref> After completing his education, Singh gained employment as a Persian language translator, left that role and spent increasing amount of his time to religious pursuits. His discourses attracted followers and thus the Radhasoami movement was founded when Swami ji gave initiation to Baba Jaimal Singh Ji Maharaj who practised Surat shabad yoga on the bank of river Beas and the [[Radha Soami Satsang Beas|Radha soami Satsang Beas]] (RSSB) or Dera Beas was Created.<ref name="Juergensmeyer1991p16">{{cite book|author=Mark Juergensmeyer|title=Radhasoami Reality: The Logic of a Modern Faith|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=slX3eRycszMC|year=1991|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=0-691-01092-7|pages=16–17 with footnotes}}</ref> | Radhasoami movement was founded by [[Shiv Dayal Singh|Seth Shiv Dayal Singh Ji Maharaj]] in [[Agra]]. His parents were followers of [[Guru Nanak]] of [[Sikhism]] and a local spiritual guru Tulsi Saheb.<ref>{{cite book|author=Mark Juergensmeyer|title=Radhasoami Reality: The Logic of a Modern Faith|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=slX3eRycszMC| year=1991|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=0-691-01092-7|pages=15–19, 38–42 with footnotes}}</ref> After completing his education, Singh gained employment as a Persian language translator, left that role and spent increasing amount of his time to religious pursuits. His discourses attracted followers and thus the Radhasoami movement was founded when Swami ji gave initiation to Baba Jaimal Singh Ji Maharaj who practised Surat shabad yoga on the bank of river Beas and the [[Radha Soami Satsang Beas|Radha soami Satsang Beas]] (RSSB) or Dera Beas was Created.<ref name="Juergensmeyer1991p16">{{cite book|author=Mark Juergensmeyer|title=Radhasoami Reality: The Logic of a Modern Faith|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=slX3eRycszMC|year=1991|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=0-691-01092-7|pages=16–17 with footnotes}}</ref> | ||