Satya Dharma

Satya Dharma is a way of Hindu devotional doctrine, the essence of which concerns the ways of salvation and the relationship of the jivatma, literally the living soul, with the Supreme Being. According to Satya Dharma, human beings enjoy salvation or punishment through their own actions. When the body dies, the human soul lives on in eternity. Some souls are born again, while the rest remain in the other world. The followers of this religion do not believe in praying to images of gods and goddesses or in idol worship. Satya Dharma does not recognize the caste system. According to it, all human beings are children of the Supreme Being and they are like brothers and sisters. This sense of brotherhood extends to all living things. Satya Dharma does not speak of Nirvana.

The Supreme Being is eternal. Though human beings may attain great heights through devotion, they can never become the Supreme Being nor can their souls be equal to the Supreme Soul. The Supreme Being possesses innumerable virtues. A devotee can possess only a few of these virtues and therefore can never be the Eternal Being. A human being must pray for the welfare of the world and its people. Worshipping God and attempting to emulate His virtues are a part of this effort.

True prayer means making what one is worshipping part of one's own soul. Prayer is of two types: reciting the virtues of the Supreme Being and confessing one's sins. A true worshipper must pray three times a day. Praying includes eulogising the Supreme Being, followed by a confession of one's sins. Consequent upon this the worshipper prays for release from the sins committed.

There are quite a few followers of this religion in Bangladesh who live in different parts of the country, including gopalganj. They assemble from time to time for religious purposes. [Paresh Chandra Mandal]