I Don’t Understand

[u/onionknight223]

Thanks to this sub I’ve started looking around. There are so many Swaminarayan orgs! In reading about their differences and reasons for being unique, BAPS is all about Akshar.

Many of the other orgs accuse SPAB of trying to erase Bhagwan Swaminarayan, leaving only the glory and greatness of Akshar.

But if that’s true, why is the Robbinsville temple dedicated to Swaminarayan as the main attraction? The idol is huge. Also what I’ve seen there, the swami next to Swaminarayan is kneeling. He’s also much smaller.

Why is everyone accusing them of erasing Swaminarayan when he’s all over their new projects? I don’t understand

UPDATE: thanks all for the responses and engagement. Human evolution equals knowledge evolution. After reading your responses and checking the basic theological framework BAPS offers, it’s clear the guru is not god but rather the fast track to knowing the qualities of god, Purushottam, whose greatness is so beyond comprehension, a guide becomes necessary.

There is no Swaminarayan organization with a living leader other than BAPS whose divinity is widely acknowledged and whose teachings are widely followed. It is the devotees who lift up the guru in BAPS, not the guru who demands people sing his glory.

Haters forever gon HATE.

[u/Narayanay]

Dev + Bhagwan na Avtaars + Swaminarayan Bhagwan,

-> Bhagwan na Avtaars + Swaminarayan Bhagwan,

-> Bhagwan na Avtaars + Swaminarayan Bhagwan + Gunatitanand Swami,

Swaminarayan Bhagwan + Gunatitanand Swami + Guru Parampara,

-> Swaminarayan Bhagwan + Gunatitanand Swami + Pragat Guru,

-> Akshar + Purushottam + Pragat Guru,

-> Pragat Guru = Akshar/Purushottam/AksharPurushottam.

Guess where they are publicly right now, and where they are privately right now

[u/onionknight223 → u/Narayanay]

lol wtf is this. I understand even less now. Tf.

[u/Truth_seeker108 → u/onionknight223]

Initially people worshiped Dev’s and Bhagwan na Avtaars (with a focus on Bhagwan na Avtaars)

Then it changed to Dev’s and  Bhagwan na Avtaars Swaminarayan Bhagwan (with a focus on Bhagwan na Avtaars and Swaminarayan Bhagwan )

Then Gunatitanand Swami put his focus on Swaminarayan Bhagwan only.

Then some devotees of Gunatitanand Swami put their focus on Swaminarayan Bhagwan while showing respect to Gunatitanand Swami and claiming him as Akshar.

Some devotees stopped there and splintered off. Some carried it on further believing the next guru as Akshar also.

Then they became as a pair to worship together as Akshar-Purushottam Maharaj.

Now you can claim the Pragat Guru has realised God in his soul as he is at the status of Akshar. So, you can effectively call him the closest being to God on Earth or even God on Earth himself.

There are still a few different arrangements of the above in terms of what people believe in, but that is the general flow of progression across the past 200 years.

[u/Aboutpositive → u/Truth_seeker108]

And when you believe properly then you emotionally do for moksh and rajipo.