NRM out of Hindustani Traditions

The Rajneesh movement, though it has simmered down, was largely successful in its prime. This is the case for many other new religious movements. I think all New Religious Movements face the similar issues, more or less, which is probably why it was kind of difficult for me to choose a fellow New Religious Movement to compare and contrast it to. The fact of the matter is that I could see connections, in at least one aspect, with each and every one of the groups we examined over the course of the semester. That is ultimately why I chose to do a Movement we have not covered.  

Arya Samaj is a Hindu Reform Movement that was founded in the late 1800s. It was founded by a man named Dayananada Saraswati. Both Rajneesh and Dayananada  can be considered charismatic in their own way. In addition, the two leaders both started the spread of their movements close to home before expanding to places like the United States of America. In terms of theology, I did find a couple of similarities, but it was mostly a stark opposite that caught my attention. Rajneesh studies many other religions which is why the Rajneesh Movement literally encompasses several aspects of other religions. What is odd to me is that Dayananada also studied other religions, but instead of embracing any part of them, he gave only critical analyses of them. It is really interesting how two very intelligent individuals can study the same thing and interpret it in completely opposite ways.  

Another polar opposite issue that the Arya Samaj Movement faced was violence and the media. Both movements are, for the most part, poorly represented in the media. When it comes to violence, the Rajneesh Movement was at the forefront. Granted, the acts were sometimes provoked. Nevertheless, Rajneeshees were not afraid to fight. Aryans, on the other hand, faced the opposite side of the violence and they did not really fight back. In fact, Dayananada experienced death threats and assassination attempts on a regular basis, until one of them was successful. 

Unfortunately, the Rajneesh Movement started to fall when Rajneesh was deported from the United States. The fall dissipation was imminent and the movement seemingly died with Rajneesh. The movement that came out of Arya Samaj, from what I can tell, was pretty successful. In fact, it is still around today. When you search the terms "Arya Samaj" many current things pop up in the news. In addition, there is even a  official website for the religion that is constantly being updated. There are several tabs including news, magazines, and activities to help you grow in the religion. Unfortunately, much of the articles available, though current, were written in a different language. On a personal note, I have actually become very close with someone who follows these traditions. In fact, she is my sister-in-law, so I was able to experience a Hindustani-Arya Samaj fusion wedding. It was truly beautiful and it just goes to show how active the movement still is.  
Natasha Young

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