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spirituality wanes, as a lamp goes out when the oil is exhausted. As soon as a religion becomes fixed, static, crystallized, upon that foundation a corrupt priesthood is established, and at once the whole thing begins to decline into an insipid formalism. This is history. It is no theory.28
No one can possibly gain spiritual freedom except by and through the Shabd-dhun, and no one can possibly get that Shabd-dhun without first placing his life in the hands of a Satguru. On the other hand, if you get a Satgutu, you cannot fail to get jivanmukti, redemption from all ills of this or any other life. And this is because the Satguru never fails to connect his discipline with the Shaba-dhun. And so, having both Satguru and Shabd-dhun, one cannot fail to get spiritual freedom, which is called jivanmukti.29
In the Swaminarayan tradition, the founder of the sect, Sahajanand Swami known popularly as Bhagavān Svāminārāyaṇa became the object of worship and mediation as the perfect manifestation of God in human form. In its new tradition of the Akshar Purushottam Sanstha, the distinctive belief of its members is that contact with the manifestation of Aksara on earth is essential for one to reach Puruşottama, God Almighty. Only after the devotee has reached Swāmi who is Aksara can he reach Nārāyaṇa who is Puruşottama. The Akşara, as one of the succession of 'God-realized' saints, is the representative of God on earth; he gives the perfect example, speaks with the authority of God, and receives reverence and worship of the devotees. All spiritual aspirants accept him as perfect ideal for emulation. Members of this new school believe that Bhagavān Svāminārāyana has been keeping Himself primarily present in the person of the successive Gurus, viz., Svāmi Guņātitānanda, Bhagatji Mahārāja, Šāstriji Mahārāja, Yogiji Mahārāja and Pramukha-svāmi Mahārāja, as also in the images and sacred scriptures. The
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