Sadhu Paramtattvadas, There is one supreme entity. And that entity can take many forms. So for me, as a monk, that would be Bhagwan Swaminarayan. For me he is the supreme, ultimate entity. For me, he is God

This is a quick introduction for those like myself who haven’t being acquainted with the Hindu God Bhagwan Swaminarayan, born 3 April 1781 – 1 June 1830, also known as Sahajanand Swami. The Swami was a yogi, and an ascetic whose life and teachings brought a revival of central Hindu practices of dharma, ahimsa and brahmacharya. His followers believed he was the manifestation of God. Bhagwan Swaminarayan’s life and work have not only influenced communities in Gujarat, India but has affected change throughout the world.  He reestablished Hindu Sanatan Dharma, cleansing traditions and rituals of the impurities that had seeped in overtime.  His contributions have been hailed by Hindus and dignitaries of other faiths as truly transforming the lives of millions of individuals, improving societal standards and, most importantly, the innate nature of people, eradicating them of lust, anger, greed, and envy.  Bhagwan Swaminarayan was not a mere social worker; He was God incarnate. Bhagwan Swaminarayan did not simply reform society; He spiritually charged it with faith, virtue, and integrity. His life and work speak for themselves.

After watching the well-documented documentary “The Story of God" with Mr. Morgan Freeman, I was compelled to introduce Jesus Christ to the Hindu community, so they can compare their God, Brahman Swaminarayan, with Jesus Christ the one and the only savior of mankind, as indicated in 1Ti. 2:5-6, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.”

And as indicated in John 14:6, “Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Which means, no Jesus, no God, no life, but hell yes.

This is the transcript of Season 3 “The Story of God" with Mr. Morgan Freeman, 40:00 minutes into Episode 2, titled “God Among Us” 

Mr. Freeman have been granted an audience with one of the senior spiritual leaders of the group Sadhu Paramtattvadas. Thank you for having this conversation with me. Sadhu Paramtattvadas and millions of his fellow devotees believe that the supreme God of Hinduism, Brahman Swaminarayan came to Earth as a human just over 200 years ago. 

Mr. Freeman, tell me the story of God on Earth, the Hindu God on Earth.

Sadhu Paramtattvadas, for me, I mean there are many Gods.

Mr. Freeman, I thought there was one.

Sadhu Paramtattvadas, there is one supreme entity. And that entity can take many forms. So for me, as a monk, that would be Bhagwan Swaminarayan. For me he is the supreme, ultimate entity. For me, he is God 

Mr. Freeman, Swaminarayan Hindus believe that God was born in human form in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in 1781.

Sadhu Paramtattvadas, He manifested on Earth, as a normal human being, through a mother and a father, to dispel the darkness of ignorance, to help elevate human kind to a higher moral level. At the age of 11, after his parents passed away, alone, barefooted, open-chested, with nothing except a utensil to drink from, a small scripture and a loincloth. Chose this journey of journey of traveling across India, and he travel 12,000 kilometers including spending three years across the Himalayas, alone through jungles, across mountains, treacherous climates, and conditions.

Henry Asta, When we parallel Jesus Christ's life with the life of Bhagwan Swaminarayan the God of the Hindus, we discover that unlike Bhagwan Swaminarayan, Jesus Christ was born of a woman also, but He was conceived by the Holy Spirit of God or by the third person of the Trinity of the Godhead, composed of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Although Jesus Christ had an earthly mother, Jesus didn’t have an earthly father, His Father is God Himself, making Jesus Christ God in the flesh, the creator of Heaven and Earth and everything in it, as indicated in John 1:1-4, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.”

 

Besides dispelling the darkness of ignorance, and helping to elevate mankind to a higher moral level, Jesus Christ come to fulfill a higher purpose, to set prisoners free, to forgive sin, and to save His people from the coming wrath of God.

As indicated in John 8:12, “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

As indicated in John 11:25-26, Jesus says to you, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though he die; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

And as indicated in John 6:41-51, “At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?” “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. “No-one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: `They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

Mr. Freeman, as he travel, stories of his power and divinity began to spread. In one such tale, he arrived at a village that was being terrorized by a lion. The village priest warned him away, but Swaminarayan refused to go. That night, he faced down the lion. When the village awoke, the lion looked more like a lamb. Calmly lying at the Swami’s feet. The villagers knew then that this young man was no ordinary human.

Henry Asta, Jesus did many miracles and many things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. Here are listed a few of Jesus miracles. “Before Jesus began his public ministry, he attended a wedding in Cana with his mother Mary and some of his disciples. During the wedding banquet, Jesus performed His first recorded miracle, at His mother Mary's request by changing water into wine.” 

As indicated in John 2:1-10, “On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee.

Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you. ”Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”

Jesus performed another miracle in Bethany, as indicated in John 11:38-45, “Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days. ”Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

 

The greatest miracle Jesus performed was His own resurrection from the dead, as indicated in Luke 24:1-8, “On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ”Then they remembered his words.

Sadhu Paramtattvadas, he spend seven years along this journey, to see the religious landscape of India, and see where he could find those souls that he wanted to bring to perfection.

Mr. Freeman, the 11-year old who walked the length and breadth of India, and became supreme?

Sadhu Paramtattvadas, no. 

Mr. Freeman, no?

Sadhu Paramtattvadas, he was eternally supreme. He is God. He doesn’t become God. He was God. And is God and always will be God.

Mr. Freeman, always was?

Sadhu Paramtattvadas, always was and always will be. That is very essence of having an eternal supreme entity. Just as Jesus was God on Earth, Bhagwan Swaminarayan was God on Earth. Because he grew up as a normal child, but there were still miracles happening all around him. He was bringing things to life; he was protecting people saving people. Throughout his life, there were lots of miracles. But in our traditions, the miracles don’t have as much spiritual importance. They don't prove him as God. He is.

Henry Asta, Jesus is not only God on Earth, but Jesus is the creator of Heaven and Earth as indicated Colossians 2:9, “for in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.     

As indicated in John 1:18, “No one has ever seen God, but God the one and only begotten son, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.”  

As indicated in John 10:30, “I and the Father are one.”   

And as indicated in John 8:36, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Mr. Freeman, How is the human condition helped by a God being among us?

Sadhu Paramtattvadas, Is God not powerful enough to exact his power from heaven? Bhagwan Swaminarayan explain what his manifestation, taking on a human form, was to help countless souls eradicate their ignorance, and elevate them to spiritual perfection.

Mr. Freeman, I’m trying my best to absorb. So what you are saying, basically, it is a way of leading by example

Sadhu Paramtattvadas, Yes, I think it is immensely powerful. What if Jesus was present on Earth now? Among us, rather than interpreting scriptures in different ways, we have a person who is speaking to us. It is a much more direct relationship. What more powerful and direct form of revelation could there be than God himself appearing on earth and saying, “Here I am.”

Henry Asta, However Jesus went a step farther, instead of living among us Jesus lives in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, as promised by Jesus Christ in John 14:26, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

Today, God does not dwell in a Temple or in a Building, today God dwells in our hearts. We do not have to meet in a special building or perform certain rituals to worship God because God lives in our spirit, and He walks with us, so we have 24/7 direct access to the Father. In Jesus and through faith in him we can approach God with freedom and confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need, and this is the confidence we have in approaching God, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 

As indicated in 1Co 3:16-17, "Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple"

As indicated in Acts 17:24-25, “The God who made the world and everything in it is the

Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.

As indicated in Acts 2:1-41, “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”  Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

“‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’  “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.  But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. David said about him: “‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’ “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, “‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’ “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do? ”Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”  Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 

Mr. Freeman, It seems to me we yearn for God to walk among us because we need a living example of what it means to be divine. A God in human form can show us the way through hard times. Help us make tough choices. Show us how to love and respect one another, when it seems the hardest thing to do. Just because we are mortal doesn’t mean we can’t strive to live as God would!

Henry Asta, We will never achieve Nirvana in this world, which is a transcendent state in which there is neither suffering, desire, nor sense of self, and the subject is released from the effects of karma and the cycle of death and rebirth. Neither, we will ever achieve Enlightenment, which is the action or state of attaining or having attained spiritual knowledge or insight, which frees a person from the cycle of rebirth. However, we have the reassuring words of our Lord Jesus Christ who tell us in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”   

Walking with the Holy Spirit is walking with God. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the godhead composed of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, which guides us, teaches us, instructs us, and directs us through life’s perils. The Holy Spirit also provides us with gifts that are primarily to be used in the service to others, and also provide us with the ability to become more like Jesus Christ our Lord. Among supernatural abilities, we also benefit from the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord. As indicated by Jesus Christ in John 8:36, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

And as indicated in Romans 8:1-4, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.”

And as the song indicates, “And He walks with me, and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own, And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other has ever known!

                                                                                                                

                                                             Amen