Founded on the pillars of practical spirituality, BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) strives to strengthen society by fostering spiritual values, developing personal skills, rendering humanitarian services, and celebrating cultural traditions. It was revealed by Bhagwan Swaminarayan (1781-1830) in 1801 and formally established by Shastriji Maharaj (1865-1951) in 1907. Under the current leadership of
Mahant Swami Maharaj, BAPS engages in over 160 activities through its worldwide network of about 3850 centers, 1100 temples, 1000 sadhus, and 55,000 volunteers. Through these not-for-profit humanitarian activities, BAPS reaches out far and wide to address contemporary moral, social, cultural, and personal issues at the societal, familial, and individual levels. With five lifetime vows of no alcohol and addictions, no non-vegetarian food, no adultery, no stealing, and no impurity of conduct, about a million members of BAPS begin their day with meditation and devotions (nitya-puja), try to lead morally upright, spiritually oriented lives, and donate their time and money for serving others. They actively participate in devotional, sociocultural, educational, medical, environmental, rural, disaster relief and other activities of BAPS. These humanitarian services help the organization serve society by developing individuals and foster Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s motto:
“In the joy of others lies our own;
In the progress of others rests our own;
In the good of others abides our own.”
