Q: What is Arya Samaj?
A: Arya Samaj is the association (Samaj) of noble persons (Arya).
Q: Who is an Arya?
A: An Arya is a noble person. An Arya is recognized by his noble qualities. He/She Continuously strives to improve his/her external (physical) and internal (moral / spiritual) status as well as human advancement.
Is truthful to himself/herself and to others.
One who upholds Dharma (righteousness) as an all-time compass in life to attain the goals of human life… dharma, artha, kāma & moksha.
One who Maintains perfect harmony between thoughts, words and deeds (manasaa, vaachaa & karmanaa) are; purity of mind, body and spirit which leads to spirituality, as he is mindful that divergence of thoughts, words, and deeds is the make-up of the wicked.
One who nurtures the nobility through his/her efforts to uplift his/her character, deeds and innate aptitudes (guna, karma & svabhaava) to the highest order, as such nobility is not hereditary or pedigree based.
Q: Is the Arya Samaj another religion or sect?
A: NO. The word Arya is found in the Veda and means a person who is noble in thoughts, words and deeds. The foundations of the Arya Samaj rest on the evergreen, eternal and universal values of the Sat Sanatan Vedic Dharma as spelt out in the Vedas.
Q: What is Dharma?
A: Dharma is righteous living. It sharpens the discriminative power of one’s intellect; To differentiate between right and wrong, proper and improper, good and bad, virtue and evil, duties/ responsibilities and carelessness, and act accordingly. In simple terms, dharma is: “Treat others as you would like to be treated; and Do not treat others as you would not like to be treated.” Ultimately, righteous living (dharma), righteous earnings (Artha), righteous use of the righteous earnings for pleasure (Kaama) leads to the liberation from the cycle of birth and death (moksha).
Q: Why Dharma?
A: The source of Dharma is the Veda. It is the code of conduct, to transform man into human being (Manurbhava). It empowers us to keep to the right track (shreya maarga) and not to err on the quick-fix track (preya maarga) filled with easy temporary remedies or solutions, which fails to address underlying problems. It inculcates the spirit of universal brotherhood, the world as but one family (vasudhaiva kutumbakam) thereby creating a society where people live and let live.
Q: What do we achieve on the path of Dharma?
A: Dharma prompts towards the uplift of (i) the physical, (ii) mental, moral and spiritual and (iii) social betterment of all; indeed, a holistic approach to progress in all fields of life – personal, family, social, economic and political. Applied in day-to-day life, dharma leads one and all to prioritize on fulfilling needs rather than greed …a world free from hunger, suffering, penury, overindulgence, reckless consumption, hatred, jealousy, exploitation of man by man, etc.
Q: Where is the starting point?
A: The self, working out on the path of ethical living! Humans learn best by copying others, and as role models we shall motivate relative and friends to be virtuous. We shall see eye to eye with the aims, objectives and endeavors of Arya Samaj to create a noble society.
Q: What is the Satya Sanatan Vedic Dharma?
A: It means the true, pristine (Satya), and most ancient (Sanatan) path for righteous living (dharma), as per the teachings of the Veda.
Q: Why uphold the Veda?
A: The Veda is the one-and-only revelation of God to four Rishis (sages) at the creation of the human form of life in this universe. Veda is a Sanskrit word, derived from the root word ‘Vid’ which means knowledge. The Veda is the source of all true knowledge, (both paraa vidyaa or spiritual knowledge & aparaa vidyaa or material knowledge). All logical and scientific, that knowledge is in seed form (spiritual, natural, physical, applied, social & other sciences).
Q: When was Arya Samaj founded
A: Arya Samaj was founded on April 7th, 1875 at Bombay, India, by Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati.
Q: What is the primary goal of Arya Samaj?
A: The goal of the Arya Samaj has always been, Krinvanto Vishvam Aryam– Make This World Noble.
Q: On what principles is Arya Samaj based?
A: Arya Samaj is based on the basic teachings of Vedas. These teachings are summarized in 10 basic principles.
Q: What is the role of Arya Samaj in the 1990s and beyond?
A: The role of Arya Samaj in the 1990s and beyond is very important. Arya Samaj today strives to promote, preserve, and realize the Vedic heritage.
Q: Is Arya Samaj active outside India?
A: The Arya Samaj organization is live and sound in all parts of the world. Arya Samaj has branches in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and in Australia.