El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-04-15
On the Modern PhiIo-
sophy OF India


I final authority in religion.
The Souls Existence.
According to the Arya Samaj, the
human soul has a substantial exist
ence, and is life is beginningless and
endless.
The highest ideal is the redemption
of the inward spirit, mukti of freedom
from sin and not a material or social
self-seeking beyond the grave, in a
distant heaven.
To realize this ideal, the individual
depends upon his own effort. The Arya
Samej does not believe in vicarious
atonement or salvation through a me-
diator. The Arya Samaj lays stress
on the five daily duties, known. as the
five yajnas or great sacrifices
The Arya Samaj lays stress. upon
the individual rights and responsibility
ties It opens its doors TO all, advo-
eating the readmfssion into the We
die church Of those who have left that
field and the admission into it of born
Moslems and Christians. 1t advocated
the cause of the depressed classes.
The Arya Samaj looks with dlsfavor
upon the present complex caste system
and works to bring back the simple
arrangement of the past four Varnas
only, and these determined by worth
and not by birth.
It inculcates spirit of altruism and
elf-abnegation, but condemns indis-
criminate charity. 1t inculcates the
disciplining of the altruistic instinct
as emphatically. as of the egotistic one.
According to the Arya Samaj mans
highest aim should be true spiritual
self-seeking. This is somewhat differ
ent from the mere material self-seek-
ing beyond the grave, the company of
,iy7Tc ho iOI-
est ideal Of the Arya is Mukti, free
dom from sin, the inward redemption
of the spirit.
Stern Discipline.
The task is arduous and requires
stern discipline Of the spirit. One Of
the cardinal points of the faith is that
this inward redemption of the spirit,
this sinlessness, this true spiritual
self-seeking, can be attained only by
self-effort. The law of Karma holds
sway in the normal as well as the
physical world. To be strong and
healthy in body, 1 must myself assimi-
late and grow No other mans stom-
ach can do it for me. Again, 1 must
myself throw away the worthless mat
ter. No other mans excretory system
can do it for me- Others can change
conditions; further than this the task
is mine only. Similarly it is noS al
lowed that any man come between US
and our proper business"
According to the Arya Samaj our
virtue and our vice are our inalienable
property. No ones virtue can save me.
No ones vice can damn me. The Arya
Sanaj denies that there can be any
thing like vicarious atonement, or sal
walton through a mediator
To realize the ideal we must de-
pend upon our own effort. What di-
rectien should that effort take The
Arya Samaj prescribes q discipline for
the individual In the first place we
must be in daily communication with
God The company of the holy sane
titles US. The performance of Sandhya,
morning and evening, is the first duty
OF an Arya Samajist. I cannot here |
give an exposition of the Sandhya !
Mantras. I can only say that the Sand
hya begins with q general prayer for /
prosperous life-prosperous not in the |
narrow materialistic sense Further !
on the worshiper prays for healthy and |
strong constitution. Vigorous intellect, /
purity of heart and a long, active, !
well spent life. The worshiper medi- /
tates upon the nature of the Brah-
man and finally ends with prayer !
that he may be able to surrender him
self into. the hands Of the Lord. The
second daily duty of the Arya is the
performance of Havan, which, besides
to the spiritual needs of
the sacrif1cer, also improves hygienfc
conditions Of life. Other daily duties
are reverence for elders, kindness to
over animals, hospitality to strangers.
treatment of the waits and
;trays.
Child Marriage.
It is interesting to know that all |
members Of the new sect are deeply
concerned in freeing indian women
from the evils Of child marriage and
n giving widows the privilege OF re-
marriage.
The Arya Samaj teaches that the hu-
nan soul has always been in exist
snce; its rife is beginningless and end
ess- 1t does not come into being with
his birth, nor does it dissolve with
he dissolution or disintegration of
is present bodily frame. Our present
lie is but a span; il is a meeting
place Of two immensities, an infnitesf-
nal fraction of our total life The soul
1nds temporal manifestation; but
/ is not the child of time it hath
or ever"
And it believes in self-development,
building, and usefulness and
inselnshness as preparations for livesl
u coine. IL is IN India, the whole
ome antidote to orthodox Brahman-
SIN and degenerate Buddhism which
Jew Thought is in America TO old
fashioned orthodox Christianity with
is gloom and. terrors. May it spread
nd prosper in India as New Thought
'rospers here.-(Copyright 1911, by
american Journal Examiner. Great
Britain rights reserved.)