The son of an attorney, Mozumdar was born in a small village about twenty miles north of Calcutta, India. He was the youngest child, with eight older brothers and one sister. The Mozumdars were a well-established, high caste family.[citation needed] Mozumdar's mother was very devout and seemed to foresee her youngest child's career as a spiritual teacher when she named him Akhay Kumar, meaning "Son of God." Mozumdar was a dynamic teacher, lecturer, and writer of the New Thought Movement in the United States during the first half of 20th century. He exhibited a deep knowledge of God and taught what he called, the "Cosmic Creative Principle."[citation needed] After leaving his family home, he spent time traveling throughout India, then traveled to Bethlehem in search of enlightenment about Christianity. He spent several years in China and Japan but realizing that his destiny was to teach in America.[citation needed]
Mozumdar immigrated to the United States, arriving in Seattle, Washington, in 1904. He began attracting the interest of Americans who wanted to hear his message. In 1905 Jennie and Charles Clark, leaders in Seattle's Queen City Theosophical Society, reported in the Theosophical Quarterly Magazine that Mozumdar, 'a Hindu Brother ... has spoken for us for several weeks to full houses.' The Clarks wrote that Mozumdar "calls his teachings 'universal truth.[2]
In 1910, Mozumdar had just begun to present a lecture on The Bhagavad Gita in Spokane, Washington, when suddenly he left his podium and raced down the aisle stopping in front of a man exclaiming, "Where have you been? What has kept you? I have been waiting for you." Mozumdar had come to America at the mandate of his own renowned guru, the Master Arumda, with whom he had studied since the age of eight. After 25 years Arumda had informed his devoted disciple that his real dharma was to serve the 'Great Plan' in America.
When Mozumdar arrived in the United States he had immediately began looking for the one waiting for his teachings. He had known immediately where Ralph M. de Bit was located as he explained to him later: ""I found you very soon. But it was two years before I could bring you out of your forests." According to DeBit's biographer, Richard Satriano, Forest Ranger DeBit had just left his job in the Bitterroot Mountains in Montana after being told by an unseen voice "Come out of the woods to the city. Come out and begin your work." Mozumdar and deBit remained together as student and teacher for nearly seven years. During that time Mozumdar bestowed upon the student he had traveled to the United States to find, the name of "Vitvan", Sanskrit for "one who knows." DeBit studied with his teacher, A K Mozumdar until 1918 when he began his own career as a lecturer and writer. Whenever Vitvan recalled his first meeting with Mozumdar, he always laughed, saying "When I saw that little Hindu vault into the aisle and come running towards me I was certain he was a madman. I was preparing in my mind how I would deal with him. He pulled up just short of where I was sitting. He hit me hard on the shins with his cane and shouted at me. Before I could respond the most extraordinary thing happened. He smiled at me with great warmth and affection and laid the open palm of his hand over the lapel of my coat. My surroundings blurred and everyone and everything disappeared."[3][4]
Teachings
If man thinks and acts, is not the thinker ... and actor ... God? ... If God is All-Life ... then all lives are God ... The Creative-power is the very nature of the Being of the Creator; hence the Creative-power is God ... Life is the Creator, and It will never be reduced to the level of Its own creation. The creature will forever be ensouled with the Creative-activity, and move and act according to the inner impulse of the Creator ... By thinking with the mind of the One Life, you become conscious of being the Thinker ... At the back of your every action you should find Yourself ... You are spirit and therefore spiritual ... The Permanent Substance is underneath all forms. The forms are made of the Everlasting Substance. This knowledge sets a man free.[5]
Critique of Mozumdar's writings
Mozumdar's teaching is popular ... it shows us what happens when a thinker immersed in Hindu lore completely accepts a world-affirming position. What happens is an identification of the Hindu conception of a divine universal Self with the Hebrew conception of a divine creative Power. To Mozumdar the ultimate God is not uncreative Bliss, as in the view of Sankara, but creative Power, as in the Hebrew tradition. Yet this creative Power, he declares, is the same as the universal Self. Here the universal Self, we should note, is not a finite Ideal, as in Greek philosophy, but the infinite Substance of the world.[6]
U.S. immigration law
In 1913, Mozumdar became a U.S. citizen after having convinced the Spokane district judge that he was in fact Caucasian and thereby met the requirements of naturalization law then restricting citizenship to "free white persons."[7] On February 5, 1917, the United States Congress passed the Immigration Act of 1917 also known as the Asiatic Barred Zone Act. Along with many other undesirables it banned Asians from immigrating to the United States.
Ten years after being granted citizenship, however, as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind, stipulating that no person of East Indian origin could become a naturalized United States citizen, Mozumdar's citizenship was revoked. A decision on his appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the revocation.[8] The Luce–Celler Act of 1946 provided a quota of 100 East Indians to immigrate into the US and permitted East Indians to apply for and be granted citizenship. A. K. Mozumdar reapplied under the new statute and was granted U.S. citizenship in 1950. He remained in the United States until his death in San Diego in 1953,[9] he was buried[10] at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. Mozumdar was very close to several leaders in the International New Thought Alliance. Reverend Ernest Holmes, an American spiritual writer, teacher and founder of a Spiritual movement known as Religious Science, and author of "Science of Mind" was a close friend and admirer. Holmes officiated at Mozumdar's large and well attended memorial service.[11]
Major works
This section lacks ISBNs for the books listed in it. Please make it easier to conduct research by listing ISBNs. If the {{Cite book}} or {{Citation}} templates are in use, you may add ISBNs automatically, or discuss this issue on the talk page.(September 2010)
The Triumphant Spirit
The Conquering Man (also translated into Swedish by Eric O.G. Olson, Den segrande människan)
^Lal, Vinay (2012). "VI: Exile in the New Canaan". The Other Indians. Harper Collins. ISBN9789350292617. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
^Howard, David H. . mozumdar.org. The Universal Message. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
^Satriano, Richard (1977). Vitvan An American Master (First ed.). Baker Nevada: School of Natural Order. p. 20.
^Satriano, Richard (1977). Vitvan An American Master. School of The Natural Order. p. 25.
^Mozumdar's The Life of Man, pp. 1, 3, 7, 27, and The Conquering Man, p. 41, as synthesized by: Wendell Thomas (1930). Hinduism Invades America. The Beacon Press. p. 254. OCLC 537159.
^Wendell Thomas (1930). Hinduism Invades America. The Beacon Press. p. 253. OCLC 537159.
^"Hindu of High Caste Eligible for Citizenship". San Francisco Call. May 4, 1913.
^In re Mozumdar, 207 F. 115 (E.D. Wash. 1913); United States v. Akhay Kumar Mozumdar, 296 F. 173 (1923); and Akhay Kumar Mozumdar v. United States, 299 F. 240 (1924)
^Martell, Francesca (1981), "A New Mozumdar Chapter" (PDF), Valley Wide Resorter, 22 (45)
^"Akhoy Kumar Mozumdar (1881-1953) - Find a Grave". Find a Grave.
School of the Natural Order founded by Ralph deBit, one of Mozumdar's students/acolytes
January 08, 2023
mozumdar, akhay, kumar, mozumdar, july, 1881, march, 1953, indian, american, spiritual, writer, teacher, associated, with, thought, movement, united, states, became, naturalized, american, 1913, however, 1923, following, united, states, bhagat, singh, thind, m. Akhay Kumar Mozumdar July 15 1881 March 9 1953 was an Indian American spiritual writer and teacher associated with the New Thought Movement in the United States He became a naturalized American in 1913 However in 1923 following United States v Bhagat Singh Thind Mozumdar was the first Indian after Bhagat Singh Thind himself to have his United States citizenship taken away 1 A K MozumdarPortrait of A K Mozumdar in 1908BornJuly 15 1881Kolkata IndiaDiedMarch 9 1953San Diego CAOccupation s minister and authorKnown forUniversal Truth Teachings Contents 1 Biography 2 Teachings 3 Critique of Mozumdar s writings 4 U S immigration law 5 Major works 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksBiography EditThe son of an attorney Mozumdar was born in a small village about twenty miles north of Calcutta India He was the youngest child with eight older brothers and one sister The Mozumdars were a well established high caste family citation needed Mozumdar s mother was very devout and seemed to foresee her youngest child s career as a spiritual teacher when she named him Akhay Kumar meaning Son of God Mozumdar was a dynamic teacher lecturer and writer of the New Thought Movement in the United States during the first half of 20th century He exhibited a deep knowledge of God and taught what he called the Cosmic Creative Principle citation needed After leaving his family home he spent time traveling throughout India then traveled to Bethlehem in search of enlightenment about Christianity He spent several years in China and Japan but realizing that his destiny was to teach in America citation needed Mozumdar immigrated to the United States arriving in Seattle Washington in 1904 He began attracting the interest of Americans who wanted to hear his message In 1905 Jennie and Charles Clark leaders in Seattle s Queen City Theosophical Society reported in the Theosophical Quarterly Magazine that Mozumdar a Hindu Brother has spoken for us for several weeks to full houses The Clarks wrote that Mozumdar calls his teachings universal truth 2 In 1910 Mozumdar had just begun to present a lecture on The Bhagavad Gita in Spokane Washington when suddenly he left his podium and raced down the aisle stopping in front of a man exclaiming Where have you been What has kept you I have been waiting for you Mozumdar had come to America at the mandate of his own renowned guru the Master Arumda with whom he had studied since the age of eight After 25 years Arumda had informed his devoted disciple that his real dharma was to serve the Great Plan in America When Mozumdar arrived in the United States he had immediately began looking for the one waiting for his teachings He had known immediately where Ralph M de Bit was located as he explained to him later I found you very soon But it was two years before I could bring you out of your forests According to DeBit s biographer Richard Satriano Forest Ranger DeBit had just left his job in the Bitterroot Mountains in Montana after being told by an unseen voice Come out of the woods to the city Come out and begin your work Mozumdar and deBit remained together as student and teacher for nearly seven years During that time Mozumdar bestowed upon the student he had traveled to the United States to find the name of Vitvan Sanskrit for one who knows DeBit studied with his teacher A K Mozumdar until 1918 when he began his own career as a lecturer and writer Whenever Vitvan recalled his first meeting with Mozumdar he always laughed saying When I saw that little Hindu vault into the aisle and come running towards me I was certain he was a madman I was preparing in my mind how I would deal with him He pulled up just short of where I was sitting He hit me hard on the shins with his cane and shouted at me Before I could respond the most extraordinary thing happened He smiled at me with great warmth and affection and laid the open palm of his hand over the lapel of my coat My surroundings blurred and everyone and everything disappeared 3 4 Teachings EditIf man thinks and acts is not the thinker and actor God If God is All Life then all lives are God The Creative power is the very nature of the Being of the Creator hence the Creative power is God Life is the Creator and It will never be reduced to the level of Its own creation The creature will forever be ensouled with the Creative activity and move and act according to the inner impulse of the Creator By thinking with the mind of the One Life you become conscious of being the Thinker At the back of your every action you should find Yourself You are spirit and therefore spiritual The Permanent Substance is underneath all forms The forms are made of the Everlasting Substance This knowledge sets a man free 5 Critique of Mozumdar s writings EditMozumdar s teaching is popular it shows us what happens when a thinker immersed in Hindu lore completely accepts a world affirming position What happens is an identification of the Hindu conception of a divine universal Self with the Hebrew conception of a divine creative Power To Mozumdar the ultimate God is not uncreative Bliss as in the view of Sankara but creative Power as in the Hebrew tradition Yet this creative Power he declares is the same as the universal Self Here the universal Self we should note is not a finite Ideal as in Greek philosophy but the infinite Substance of the world 6 U S immigration law EditIn 1913 Mozumdar became a U S citizen after having convinced the Spokane district judge that he was in fact Caucasian and thereby met the requirements of naturalization law then restricting citizenship to free white persons 7 On February 5 1917 the United States Congress passed the Immigration Act of 1917 also known as the Asiatic Barred Zone Act Along with many other undesirables it banned Asians from immigrating to the United States Ten years after being granted citizenship however as a result of the U S Supreme Court decision in United States v Bhagat Singh Thind stipulating that no person of East Indian origin could become a naturalized United States citizen Mozumdar s citizenship was revoked A decision on his appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the revocation 8 The Luce Celler Act of 1946 provided a quota of 100 East Indians to immigrate into the US and permitted East Indians to apply for and be granted citizenship A K Mozumdar reapplied under the new statute and was granted U S citizenship in 1950 He remained in the United States until his death in San Diego in 1953 9 he was buried 10 at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale California Mozumdar was very close to several leaders in the International New Thought Alliance Reverend Ernest Holmes an American spiritual writer teacher and founder of a Spiritual movement known as Religious Science and author of Science of Mind was a close friend and admirer Holmes officiated at Mozumdar s large and well attended memorial service 11 Major works EditThis section lacks ISBNs for the books listed in it Please make it easier to conduct research by listing ISBNs If the Cite book or Citation templates are in use you may add ISBNs automatically or discuss this issue on the talk page September 2010 The Triumphant Spirit The Conquering Man also translated into Swedish by Eric O G Olson Den segrande manniskan The Mystery of the Kingdom The Commanding Life Christ on the Road of Today Key to the New Messianic World Message Christ Speaketh Today and Tomorrow Open Door to Heaven The Life and the WaySee also EditChurch of Divine Science Ernest Holmes Religious ScienceReferences Edit Lal Vinay 2012 VI Exile in the New Canaan The Other Indians Harper Collins ISBN 9789350292617 Retrieved 9 April 2016 Howard David H Yesterday s Evangelist From India mozumdar org The Universal Message Archived from the original on 18 October 2014 Retrieved 14 October 2014 Satriano Richard 1977 Vitvan An American Master First ed Baker Nevada School of Natural Order p 20 Satriano Richard 1977 Vitvan An American Master School of The Natural Order p 25 Mozumdar s The Life of Man pp 1 3 7 27 and The Conquering Man p 41 as synthesized by Wendell Thomas 1930 Hinduism Invades America The Beacon Press p 254 OCLC 537159 Wendell Thomas 1930 Hinduism Invades America The Beacon Press p 253 OCLC 537159 Hindu of High Caste Eligible for Citizenship San Francisco Call May 4 1913 In re Mozumdar 207 F 115 E D Wash 1913 United States v Akhay Kumar Mozumdar 296 F 173 1923 and Akhay Kumar Mozumdar v United States 299 F 240 1924 Martell Francesca 1981 A New Mozumdar Chapter PDF Valley Wide Resorter 22 45 Akhoy Kumar Mozumdar 1881 1953 Find a Grave Find a Grave A k Mozumdar External links EditA K Mozumdar biography and online books website School of the Natural Order founded by Ralph deBit one of Mozumdar s students acolytes A contemporary approach to Vitvan Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title A K Mozumdar amp oldid 1128557986, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
