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Spiritual Commandments
Bhagwan Swaminarayan has given His sants and devotees special rules to adhere to and to live by after becoming His disciples. For sants, it involves detachment from worldly life and following five vows that ensure cleanliness in daily life. For devotees, the rules are such that they can live happily even though they are in worldly life. These commandments are their ideals and boundaries.
- Saints
- Devotees
Nishkam : Abandonment of (opposite gender) in all eight ways (celibacy).
Nirlobh : Free of greed and the abandonment of money. Not even the smallest monetary amount may be kept or even touched.
Nirman :No kind of pride and abandonment of the ego. Whether praise or insult is received, a sant should remain unaffected in both situations.
Nihsneh : No affection for family members, whether parents, siblings, or relatives, or for one’s birthplace. Only one affection for God, His sants and devotees.
Nihswad : Abandonment of all taste in food. Eat whatever is given in a wooden bowl by mixing it all together and adding water.
Daru (Addictions) : Avoiding anything that by being consumed, watched, eaten, or believed causes the senses to become wild or ruined. Ex. alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, drugs, tobacco, tea, coffee.
Mati (Meat) : All things that contain or are living organisms should not be consumed. It entails all foods that are prohibited in the scriptures. Also, food not created via the prescribed methods or restaurant food should be abandoned.
Chori (Thievery) :No kind of stealing is allowed. Stealing from another house is prohibited, but so is taking anything without asking its rightful owner.
Averi (Adultery) :No promiscuous contact or relation should be kept with a person of the opposite gender except for one’s married partner or relatives. Also, one should live within constraints when associating with family members.
Vatalvu nahi, Vatalavu Nahi (Firmness in Commandments) :We should follow the described rules strictly and never force anyone to break their religious rules.
