Soham Swami: A Biography
Soham Swami was originally named as Shyamakanta Bandopaddhyaya. He was born in a Brahmin family in the village of Dubrajpur in Birbhum district of West Bengal. He was a brilliant student and excelled in Sanskrit, Bengali, and English. He also had a keen interest in physical culture and martial arts. He became a disciple of Tibbetibaba, a great yogi and guru of India, who was born in Autsahi in Dhaka district (now in Munshiganj district) in Bangladesh. Tibbetibaba was one of the pioneers of physical prowess of modern Bengal. He had so much physical strength that he could wrestle even tigers.
Soham Swami followed his guru to various places in India and abroad, learning the secrets of yoga and spirituality. He also practiced celibacy, vegetarianism, and meditation. He attained the state of soham, which means "I am He" or "I am That", referring to the identity of the individual self with the supreme self. He changed his name to Soham Swami to reflect his realization. He wrote several books on yoga, Vedanta, and spirituality, such as Soham Samhita, Soham Gita, Tiger Swami, Common Sense, etc. He also established ashrams in Nainital and Haridwar, where he taught his disciples.
Common Sense: A Critique of Religions
Common Sense was the last book written by Soham Swami before his death. It was published in 1923 by his disciple Nolini Kanta Gupta, who later became a prominent leader of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. The book is a scathing critique of all religions of the world, especially Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam. Soham Swami argues that religions are based on blind faith, superstition, dogma, ritualism, fanaticism, and violence. He exposes the contradictions and fallacies of various religious doctrines, such as reincarnation, karma, heaven and hell, sin and salvation, God and prophets, etc. He also denounces the caste system, idolatry, priesthood, polygamy, circumcision, etc.
Soham Swami claims that religions are not only irrational but also harmful to humanity. He writes that religions divide people into sects and factions, create hatred and intolerance among them, and lead to wars and bloodshed. He says that religions are obstacles to the progress and happiness of mankind. He advocates for a rational and scientific approach to life, based on common sense and reason. He says that common sense is the only true religion, which teaches us to love all beings as ourselves, to respect nature as our mother, to seek truth within ourselves, and to realize our oneness with the supreme spirit.
Conclusion
Soham Swami was a remarkable personality who combined physical strength with spiritual wisdom. He was a master of yoga and Vedanta who attained the highest state of consciousness. He was also a fearless critic of religions who challenged their authority and validity. His book Common Sense is a masterpiece of rationalism and humanism that exposes the flaws and dangers of religions. It is a book that appeals to our common sense and invites us to free ourselves from the bondage of ignorance and superstition.
References:
[Soham Swami - Wikipedia]
[Soham Swami - Google Books]
[Common Sense Soham Swami 42]
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