Q.1 Is the Swaminarayan Sampraday a part of Hinduism?
A. Yes, the Swaminarayan Sampraday is most definitely a part of Hinduism. The doctrine given by Bhagwan Swaminarayan is firmly rooted in the traditional Hindu scriptures.
Hinduism is a religion that encompasses many beliefs and deities, and allows for diversity of thought. Nevertheless, there are certain universal principles that bind all of the various branches of Hinduism. The Swaminarayan Sampraday, a branch of Hinduism, firmly adheres to these universal principles. Bhagwan Swaminarayan has advocated the common aspects, namely:

Parabrahma:	Belief in one Supreme, all-powerful God. He is the creator and has a divine form. He is immanent, transcendent and the giver of moksha (see below).
Avtarvad:	The manifestation of God on earth. God Himself incarnates on earth in various forms to revive dharma and grant moksha.
Karmavad:	The law of action. The soul reaps fruits, good or bad, according to its past and present actions; these fruits are experienced either in this life or in future lives. God is the giver of the fruits of everyone's actions.
Punarjanma:	Reincarnation. The immortal soul is continuously born and reborn in any one of 8,400,000 species until it attains moksha.
Moksha:	Ultimate liberation. This is the goal of human life. Moksha is the liberation of the soul from the cycle of births and deaths; thereafter, it remains eternally in the service of God in His abode.
Guru-Shishya relationship:	Master-disciple relationship. The guidance and grace of a spiritually perfect master, revered as the embodiment of God, is essential for an aspirant seeking moksha.
Dharma:	That which sustains the universe. An all-encompassing term representing: divine law, law of being, path of righteousness, religion, duty, responsibility, virtue, justice, goodness and truth.
Ved praman:	The scriptural authority of the Vedas. All Hindu Sampradays are based on the teachings of the Vedas.
Murti-puja:	Idol worship. Consecrated images, which represent the presence of God, are worshipped. The image is a medium to help devotees offer their devotion to God.

Q.3 What are the basic practices of the followers of the Swaminarayan Sampraday?
A. Summary
The five most basic practices of the followers are practices that express the Hindu ideals of satya (truth), daya (compassion), ahimsa (non-violence), brahmacharya (celibacy) and asteya (non-stealing). Followers do not consume alcohol or meat. They do not steal or engage in sex outside of marriage. Followers also maintain purity of conduct and practice customs that express the higher ideals of dharma (righteous conduct as prescribed by the scriptures), gnan (knowledge of God and one's true self), vairagya (detachment from worldly pleasures), and bhakti (devotion to God).

Detailed Answer
Every religion has its own set of fundamental ideals. The followers of the religion strive to attain those ideals by imbibing a variety of practices into their daily living. As the Swaminarayan Sampraday is a branch of Hinduism, the basic practices of its followers have their roots in the fundamental principles of Hinduism.
Hindu Ideals
Hindus believe that a person is no different from an animal until he imbibes the four basic ideals of satya (truth), daya (compassion), ahimsa (non-violence), and brahmacharya (celibacy). Only then does he truly become human. Furthermore, in Hinduism, an ordinary human being becomes a devotee of God as he or she strives to imbibe the four higher ideals of dharma (righteous conduct as prescribed by the scriptures), gnan (knowledge of God and one's true self), vairagya (detachment from worldly pleasures), and bhakti (devotion to God). The basic practices of the Swaminarayan Sampraday are based on these fundamental ideals of Hinduism.
Practices that express these ideals
The five most basic practices of the followers of the Swaminarayan Sampraday are practices that express the Hindu ideals of satya, daya, ahimsa, brahmacharya and asteya. These practices, which are said to elevate a person to the level of a human being, are as follows: Followers do not

(1) consume alcohol
(2) eat meat
(3) steal
(4) engage in sex outside of marriage
(5) and they maintain purity of conduct.

In order to progress spiritually, the devotees also practice spiritual endeavours that express the higher ideals of dharma, gnan, vairagya and bhakti.
Basic practices which express dharma

Basic practices that express gnan

Basic practices that express vairagya

Basic practices that express bhakti

Other common practices of the Swaminarayan Sampraday include:

A more comprehensive list of the basic practices of Swaminarayan followers is found within the 212 shlokas of the Shikshapatri, a scripture written by Bhagwan Swaminarayan as a code of conduct for His followers.
Practices in the context of sadhana
In accordance with the basic philosophy of the Swaminarayan Sampraday, the core of all sadhanas (spiritual endeavors) to one's salvation is striving to please and receive the grace of the guru. Only by the grace of the guru can one attain salvation. Therefore, all of the aforementioned basic practices and all of the advanced practices of the followers of the Swaminarayan Sampraday are done with the intention of receiving the grace of the guru.
 

Q.5 When and by whom was the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha established?
A.  The Swaminarayan Sampraday came into existence with the incarnation of Bhagwan Swaminarayan on Earth on April 2, 1781 (Chaitra sud 9, Samvat 1837). Throughout His life, Bhagwan Swaminarayan initiated aspirants into the fold and inspired them to live moral and pious lives. He created a legion of sadhus (renunciants) who worked selflessly for God and society. He also promised to remain ever-present on Earth through a continuous lineage of spiritual successors. After Bhagwan Swaminarayan reverted to His eternal abode, Gunatitanand Swami became the head of Satsang (synonymous with the Swaminarayan Sampraday), followed by Pragji Bhakta and then by Shastri Yagnapurushdas (better known as Shastriji Maharaj). Shastriji Maharaj formalised the organisation by registering it and establishing five mandirs (Hindu mandirs) in his time, the first being in Bochasan, a small town near Anand in the state of Gujarat in India. The inauguration of the Bochasan mandir took place on June 5, 1907 (Vaishakh vad 10, Samvat 1963). This day marked the formal establishment of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS).
 

Q.7 What are the main aims and objectives of BAPS today?

A.
Inspire:	one and all towards a better way of life through the humanitarian values of service, purity, discipline, love, tolerance, harmony and the realization of oneself as atma and experience the eternal joy of God.
Energize:	the on-going efforts against dowry, smoking, drugs, alcohol and other destructive addictions.
Promote:	harmony and peaceful coexistence among all communities through understanding and co-operation.
Develop:	constructive and creative youth and children's activities to channel their energy, promoting education and social services.
Sustain:	the roots of Indian and Hindu culture and all the good that it represents.

Q.8 What is the basic philosophy of BAPS?
A. Summary
Within the Hindu religion, the Swaminarayan Sampraday is a Navya-Vishishtadvait Bhakti Sampraday which advocates the worship of God within the disciplines of dharma. The Swaminarayan Sampraday believes that there are five entities which are eternal - they have never been created nor can they ever be destroyed. The entities are jiva, ishwar, maya, Brahma, and Parabrahma. In the philosophy propagated by Bhagwan Swaminarayan, Parabrahma, the Supreme God, has a divine form, is the all-doer and is always present on earth in person or through the God-realised sadhu (the Satpurush), the manifestation of Aksharbrahma. The soul, the jiva, never merges or dissolves into God, nor is it a part of God, but it is always subservient to God. The jiva, through absolute surrender and attachment to the Satpurush, attains the realised state and becomes eligible to offer pure worship to God.

Detailed Answer
As BAPS is a Hindu organization, the most basic tenets of its philosophy are consonant with the fundamental beliefs universal to all Hindus. For a review of these basic beliefs see the question: Is the Swaminarayan Sampraday a part of Hinduism? [Hyperlink the text in bold to the question Is the Swaminarayan Sampraday a part of Hinduism?]
Within the Hindu religion, the Swaminarayan Sampraday is a Navya-Vishishtadvait Bhakti Sampraday which advocates the worship of God within the disciplines of dharma. In the philosophy propagated by Bhagwan Swaminarayan, God is Supreme, has a divine form, is the all-doer and is always present on earth. He states that the soul, the jiva, never merges or dissolves into God, nor is it a part of God, but it is always subservient to God. The jiva, through absolute surrender and attachment to the Satpurush, the manifestation of Aksharbrahma, attains the realised state and becomes eligible to offer pure worship to God.
One attains redemption through the realization of Ekantik Dharma, which comprises dharma (righteousness), gnan (spiritual understanding), vairagya (detachment) and bhakti (devotion to God). The goal of redemption is to be pursued and attained under the guidance of the Ekantik Sadhu (the Satpurush), the manifest form of Aksharbrahma, who is in constant rapport with God. The divine experience of this highest state is possible, here and now, in one's embodied state of worldly existence (jivan mukti).
The Swaminarayan Sampraday believes that there are five entities which are eternal - they have never been created nor can they ever be destroyed. The entities are jiva, ishwar, maya, Brahma, and Parabrahma. A detailed description of each follows.

Jiva:
Jiva, or soul, is the individual self, conscious spirit, knower, enjoyer and doer of actions. The jiva is eternal, not created at anytime, by anybody. They are innumerable, each distinct from the other. Each jiva pervades the whole organism, and is different from the three bodies - gross, subtle and causal. Weapons cannot cut it, nor can fire burn it; water cannot wet it, nor can wind dry it. Yet, it is bound by worldly desires that are formed according to its karma. Though conditioned by maya, jivas can be eternally released by the grace of a God-realised guru or God.
Ishwar:
Ishwar is the cosmic self, a conscious, spiritual being conditioned by the adjuncts of mahamaya (greater maya). There are innumerable ishwars, each of which is assigned the duty of taking care of a universe, or at least a particular aspect of it. Brahma, Vishnu, Shiv and all entities greater then them upwards to Prakriti Purush, are considered ishwars.
Maya:
Maya or Prakriti is the inert primordial matter from which the universe of names and forms comes into being. Maya is trigunatmik, constituted of three gunas - sattvagun, rajogun and tamogun, and is the cause of bondage for the jiva and ishwar. It is difficult to transgress and is the cause of identification of the jivas and ishwars with their bodies and relations thereof. But with the grace of the God-realised guru or God, one can attain atyantik moksha - ultimate liberation from maya and remain in the eternal service of God.
Brahma:
Brahma or Aksharbrahma or Akshardham is transcendent to the jivas, ishwars and maya, but subservient to Parabrahma. He is effulgent, all-pervading and divine. He serves the supreme Lord in a two-fold manner. In his personal aspect, he serves the God or Parabrahma both in His abode and wherever He incarnates Himself. Aksharbrahma is thus the ideal devotee and the most appropriate mediator for the aspirant striving to reach the supreme God. On the other hand, in his impersonal aspect, he serves the God by being His divine abode which is effulgent, infinite and all-pervading and in which innumerable redeemed jivas serve Parabrahma. He is also the substratum of all that is subservient to him. That Aksharbrahma incarnated on Earth in the form of Gunatitanand Swami to serve Bhagwan Swaminarayan. Through a lineage of God-realised sadhus, Aksharbrahma remains incarnated on the earth. At present His Divine Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj is the manifest form of Aksharbrahma.
Parabrahma:
Parabrahma or Purushottam is the highest reality, the supreme Godhead, one and unique. He is, at once, transcendent to everything and immanent in everything. He is the concrete, flawless Reality with a divine form who is the controller and supporter of everything. Bhagwan Swaminarayan Himself is Parabrahma or Purushottam. Even after Bhagwan Swaminarayan left his mortal body, He has remained continually present on Earth through a lineage of God-realised sadhus who are the incarnations of Aksharbrahma. Today, Bhagwan Swaminarayan is present through His Divine Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the present incarnation of Aksharbrahma.

In summary, the philosophy of the Swaminarayan Sampraday states that the jiva is entangled in the web of ignorance, maya. However, through the guidance and grace of Brahma and Parabrahma, the jiva transcends maya to dwell forever in the divine abode of God, Akshardham. The jiva is able to attain the grace of Brahma and Parabrahma by continually endeavoring to follow their agna or holy commands. This philosophy is put into practice by the followers of BAPS by actively participating in various socio-spiritual activities of BAPS. All of these activities are performed with the objective of receiving the grace of God and the guru, or Parabrahma and Brahma, respectively.
 

Q.12 What does BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha do to promote family values?
A. Summary
The ideal family is one that cherishes the values that strengthen family bonds and keep the family happy and united. BAPS conducts Parent Forums, Family Seminars, Child-Rearing Seminars, Marriage Counseling, Character-Building Forums, Anti-Addiction Drives, Morality Seminars, Weekly Assemblies, Summer Camps, Children and Youth Forums, Career and Vocational Seminars, Educational Seminars, Newsletters, Magazines, Books, Brochures, other publications, and a myriad of other humanitarian activities. The message of family values pervades all of these activities. All who come to or come in contact with BAPS are inspired to imbibe them.

Detailed Answer
Hinduism and Family values
One may be curious as to why a Hindu organization, which should be primarily concerned with the salvation of the soul, cares to promote family values? But the emphasis on the family has long been a core value of Hinduism. From ancient times, Hindu scriptures have outlined four objectives of a person's life: dharma, artha, kam, and moksha.
Moksha, liberation from the cycle of births and deaths, is the ultimate objective of human existence. However, for one who is not a renunciant, moksha is to be attained while abiding by social conventions of marriage and family life. Therefore, one who is to live in society must pursue a livelihood for sustenance; this being the principle of artha. To fulfill one's desires, the objective of kam, Hinduism has prescribed the framework of the family. Both the accumulation of wealth, artha, and the fulfillment of one's desires, kam, are to be done according to the injunctions of dharma, the codes of conduct sanctioned by the scriptures.
In order to sustain happiness in one's life and one's life hereafter, one must maintain a balance among each of these four objectives. Thus, according to Hinduism, a healthy, productive, and vital family life is a necessary ingredient of this balance. It is this principle that motivates BAPS to undertake a sustained and far-reaching campaign to strengthen family values in society.

Family values
The ideal family is one that cherishes the values that strengthen family bonds and keep the family happy and together. An ideal family is one in which each member understands the perspectives and hardships of the other and strives to meet each other's social, physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. This mutual understanding creates a much needed bridge across the gap of genders and generations. In this ideal family, the parents fulfill their role as caregivers, breadwinners, and role models while the children fulfill their various roles such as acquiring an adept education, offering assistance in the affairs of the family, as well as respecting their elders and caring for them in their old age. The ideal family understands that the bond of marriage and the gift of progeny are sacred. The ideal family realizes that the sustained cultivation of mutual understanding, acceptance, respect, and love will prevent or resolve any difficulties between partners.

BAPS and family values
BAPS promotes all of the aforementioned values which shape the ideal family.
At home, followers are encouraged to perform ghar sabha daily. Ghar sabha is a family assembly, inspired by Pramukh swami Maharaj, wherein all of the family members daily sit together for approximately half an hour to pray to God, engage in scriptural reading, discuss their day and understand each other. Through this daily ritual they develop a better understanding of each other's social, physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Just as BAPS promotes these values in the home, it also promotes these values through its various activities.
Through Parent Forums, Family Seminars and Child-Rearing Seminars followers gain a clearer idea of how to successfully fulfill their roles as parents. Through these events, they gain valuable insight and inspiration from other families. They share experiences and exchange insight regarding the challenges of balancing their career lives with their family lives, as well as other parental issues. As parents, they discuss how to overcome pitfalls on the path to becoming successful caregivers, breadwinners, and role models.
Through Marriage Counseling, Character-Building Forums, Anti-Addiction Drives and Morality Seminars, parents also learn the value of the bond of marriage and the gift of progeny. They are inspired to cultivate mutual understanding, acceptance, respect and love for each other and develop a stable relationship as parental partners.
Likewise, through various activities, the youth followers also gain valuable insight on how to fulfill their roles in the family unit. The youth following is divided into three main age groups: children, teenagers, and young adults.

For Children
Through Weekly Assemblies, Summer Camps, and Children's Forums, the children learn the importance of education, respecting their elders, and assisting in domestic chores from a very young age. As these values are deeply rooted from a young age, they help children in helping their families become stronger.

For Teenagers
Through Weekly Assemblies, Summer Camps, Teenage Forums, Career and Vocational Seminars and Educational Seminars, teenagers are inspired and guided towards academic excellence. Through sharing experiences and exchanging insight with their own age group, they are able to cope with family tension and peer pressure. Through Anti-Addiction Campaigns, Morality Forums and Discourses they receive guidance that helps them live a purer life, thus, preventing or easing tensions within their respective families. As a result they are better able to fulfill their roles in the family unit.

For Young Adults
Through Weekly Assemblies, Vocational & Career seminars and Anti-Addiction Drives, young adults learn to successfully fulfill their roles in their respective families. While allowing them to share experiences and learn from their own age group, these activities provide guidance on effectively integrating new spouses into the family and on learning to become future parents while also inspiring them to care for their parents in their old age.
Through the medium of international festivals and celebrations, BAPS extends the message of family values and ideals to its followers as well as to mass audiences in the form of Discourses, Exhibitions and Cultural Programs.
Through Newsletters, Magazines, Books, Brochures and its Website, BAPS promotes family values.
The message of family values pervades all of these activities. All who come to or come in contact with BAPS are inspired to imbibe them.