Foundation #1 - Happenstance or Intellegent Design
This foundation module ask if the universe of matter is an arbitrary fluke or whether it is the…See More
The mixing of religious and non-religious beliefs in an individual.
Meeting the BKs - 1986
I met the BKs at a point in my life (2 kids, wife and mortgage) when I was looking for nothing. I saw a poster in the subway that said:
Golden Sunrise, Golden Morning
A Program in Celebration of UN - International Year of Youth
- Convocation Hall - University of Toronto -
Having done community youth work for a number of years, I was interested, so used my lunch break to attend the event. I entered the Hall at the appointed hour and to my surprise found no one there. I walked around until someone pointed and said, "They're just finishing lunch", and would I like to join them?
So I walked behind the stage and entered a small room were I was greeted by 5 or 6 women all dressed in white. To my surprise, they welcomed me to join them - which I did and sat at the table. We conversed and after the meal was finished, the sisters returned to the Hall and I with them to enjoy the program which was quite impressive considering there was almost no one there - high caliber artists performed. Very talented people.
A sat about 15 rows back but recall there were no more than a 25 people in the audience and almost all of these were program organizers and associates. I became laughingly known as the "Expensive Child", for I was the only one to attend the event. Strange.
After the presentation, I approached one of the sisters and asked, "Who are you people?" This was my introduction to the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual Organization. I inquired, "Are you a religion?". The girl said, "No, we don't actually believe in religion." "We believe that man's true religion is that of peace, she said. I asked, "What do you believe in? Do you believe in God?" The girl quietly responded, "Yes, first we understand that you are a soul - an infinitesimal point of luminescent light that is seated in the centre of the forehead above and behind the eyebrows and that God is your father." I told her of a recurring experience I was having and she said I should met the senior sister - Sister Sudesh. After a brief encounter she asked if I had taken the 7 Day Course. I asked what it was and was told is was 7 one hour sessions that explained the essence of the knowledge embodies by this organization. I asked how much it cost and was told it was free. Sudesh turned to one of her colleagues and asked how long until they returned to London then turned to me and said she could give the course if I came to the Raja Yoga Meditation Centre every day fro the next week. For the week, I went an took the class. Most were actually given by Sister Joy from the London Centre.
During these days following he course and for several weeks after, I experienced a state of what could not be called less than spiritual intoxication. I called it grace.
Although I was never a swift learner, this knowledge seemed to come easily. Even the meditation came easy. I remember on the final class being invited by Joy to sit for my first meditation - done with eyes open. She explained I should sit comfortably and direct my sight across the room to the centre of her forehead. After a period of what seemed like 10 or 12 minutes 3 circular, smoke-ring like, waves of energy emerged from the centre of her forehead and drifted across the room until they enveloped me, 1 - 2 - 3, and then, much to my surprise, a single ring of this energy wave emerged from my forehead and floated across the room to her. No sooner did it reach her than she slowly closed her eyes and concluded the meditation. I said nothing.
We then went back downstairs where I met for a few intimate minutes with Sister Sudesh. This was my initial introduction to the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual Organization - September 1985. By February 1986, I on my way to attend 2 events at the BK Headquarters - Mount Abu, India. The first was an the 50th Golden Jubilee Celebration of the Organization. Following this I attended an International Peace Conference.
Views: 1165
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by doug on -
Kernel,
Thank you for sharing this post. It very much mirrors and reminds me of an experience that I had in 1972 with the Divine Light Mission. My experience ended much differently however, in that several years later, the head of that mission was lead to faith in Jesus Christ. And I experienced, as you did, what I thought at the time was divine knowledge...and so much more (divine light, divine music, and the divine word).
-
Permalink Reply by James Germiquet on -
Doug
It's a shame when people have to spoil it with religion. Make it into a money making scheme. Just one more way of sucking dollars our of sheep and into the "divine messengers" pockets, As if God needs people to impart His divine knowledge into us.
Taxes for the non religious, Taxes and Tithes for the religious, someone has a great business model going on.
-
Permalink Reply by James Germiquet on
-
Talk:Brahma Kumaris Beliefs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Brahma Kumaris is a religion and many who have knowledge of it believe it to be a cult. This is the wrong type of entry for a controversial group.
-
Permalink Reply by James Germiquet on
-
Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University (BKWSU) or Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya is a monastic, renunciate[2] Millenarian[3][4] new religious movement (NRM) of Indian origin. It teaches a form of meditation[2] adherents called Raja Yoga, but which differs from the classical Raja Yoga described by Patanjali.[2][5]
A neo-Hindu religious movement, the Brahma Kumaris (Hindi: ब्रह्माकुमारी, pron. [ˈbrəɦmaː kʊˈmaːriː], abbrv. BK) pre-date the New Age movement but have developed characteristics that link them to its thinking.[6] It advocates a lifestyle which includes a vegetarian diet, celibacy, and avoidance of alcohol, drugs and tobacco.[4][7]
Historically, the Brahma Kumaris have not been without controversy and a range of accusations against them have been made – see the section on controversies below for details. The controversies have involved researchers, previous members, government agency reports and the press.[8][9][10][11][12]
If it walks like a duck , and squawks like a duck........,
-
Permalink Reply by James Germiquet on
-
Anyway, based on the gathered materials we deal with the person who in 1936 was between 41 and 60 years old!
All right, it may happen that an institution doesn't know the date of birth of the so-called founder. Documents get lost, wars, conflicts, calamities and so on and so on...human memory fails. It does happen; it is not a crime. However, the institution BKIVV haven't said in public ever 'we do not know exactly how old he was....' This institution claims various things in various places, without any reference and if it has been done on purpose, it is a crime committed on the human mind and a crime of deliberate misinformation. To make things more curious in 'Is This Justice?' by Om Radhe, the closest helper of Dada Lekhraj his age in 1938 is given as 54, so his year of birth must have been 1884, he must have been 52 years old in 1936. From this point of view he couldn’t be the founder of the school and the first medium of Shiva. Moreover, the same book mentions the age of Dada Lekhraj’s elder siste, Haki Hatiramani. She was 56 at that time.
For a religion so new with all our modern day records, it is weird that the religion cannot even establish the birth of its founder anywhere close to the accuracy of the christian religion. But to be fair the christian religion as had thousands of years to rewrite their history. Maybe in another 2 thousand years the BK can get that part right.
-
Permalink Reply by James Germiquet on
-
For a group that says it is not a religion, it sure preaches a lot, and it also like all religions seem to have its fair share of fallacies if not phallicies, that give it the usual lack of credibility associated with all religions.
maybe I should start my own spiritual group... one that really is NOT a religion.... In the mean time I will look around and check our some other spiritual sources that say they are not a religion, maybe there is one out there somewhere....
Dada Lekhraj preached Bhagavad Gita to his followers
It is revealed scripture in the views of Hindus, the scripture for Hindus represents the words and message of god, the book is considered among the most important texts in the history of literature and philosophy.[1] The teacher of the Bhagavad Gita is Lord Krishna, who is revered by Hindus as a manifestation of God (Parabrahman) Himself,[1] and is referred to within as Bhagavan, the Divine One.[2]
-
Permalink Reply by doug on
-
James,
Thank you for your info and research into this. As I have written previously, (Lord) Krshna was hardly a model person (from a Christian moral perspective) since he spent a fair amount of time cavorting about with women.
Your comment about "making it into a money making scheme" is so true...and even worse than sucking tax money out of people, it sucks the spriitual and emotional life out of people also...as a much greater cost.
I learned from my experience with the Divine Light Mission, that things are not usually as they appear to be...and that is a thread I have observed in most things (religious or otherwise). One must be very cautious to what you open your heart and mind to...and most people find out in retrospect. I have "dipped my toe" into several things and found out fairly quickly what the true colours were without being burned. It surely is an adventure to navigate these things.
-
Permalink Reply by James Germiquet on
-
doug
I was referring to taxes , not in terms of religion ,but in terms of the secular way of controlling people and ripping them of (global warming scam-carbon tax).
There are conspiracy theorists who believe that all the main religions and especially the RC are puppets of the true global rulers, just as the political leaders around the world dance to the same piper (bildebeerg group).
And there are those who would go so far as to say these leaders worship the god of this material world Lucifer.
We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness in high places, and this physical perception of reality is the battleground for this holy \ unholy war between Satan trying to prove us unworthy of our unique blessing from God and God showing Lucfer that we as His children are capable of rising above our ignorance and coming home to our heavenly father.......
or something like that :-)
-
Permalink Reply by James Germiquet on
-
Yes people do tend to rewrite history when they take on a spiritual leader. I was say most people do have at least some good qualities and those who become spiritual leaders, more so than most. But whether through adoration and idolation or through deceit and manipulation those who decide to use these "saints" as the "cormerstone" for their money making tax exempt business endeavors based on religion and fleecing their sheep of their weekly tithes and misplaced trust of their charitable donations (going on lavish llifestyles and religious palaces) to the leaders of these religious organizations.
-
Permalink Reply by Kernel John on -
doug, you seem to be comparing your experience to mine. I have no way to assess your estimation because you have access to what my experience in relative detail over a short period of time while I have no information of your actual experience or your reaction to it.
You see, I am telling a 25 year old story about an organization that was at that time only 50 years old. It is now 75 years old and more dynamic than ever. BTW, this organization not only recognizes your organization (religion) but makes an effort to put it in a context that spans a cycle of 5000 year.
I do not wish to belabour this discussion nor defend the BKs but I think you and others here have a predefined agenda and do not approach this with an open heart but with one of fear and trepidation - to one degree or another.
I don't know how to relate my experience to what you are saying. I don't know what happened to you or how you reacted to it. It sounds like you made good decisions thought. Do you imply I have not?
-
Permalink Reply by Kernel John on
-
Hey, James you are so full of spin I sometimes think you no longer know which end is up or down. On top of this, you must think that "MOST" of us are far more stupid than yourself to think we would ingest your statements - like the one below. Who do you think you are really kidding? Others or your-self.
" . . . . . . many who have knowledge of it believe it to be a cult."
Come on James, how "many" is "many" - 12, 120, 120000, a million? More?
Tell us James, how 'many" is "many" and maybe you can convince more than yourself that you really know what your're talking about.
I'm serious. How "many" is "many"? Do you know?
I'm listening.
My experience is entirely different than yours. From what I know, there is a minute fraction of the population that is familiar with the BKs who think they are a cult. You describe many as thinking the BKs are a cult.
From what I know, I don't think you have a clue who the BKs are. And, in the future, I might ask you if you have ever even spoken with an adherent. Do your homework else I might ask you if you really know who you are talking about.
So take a minute, if you can, and explain what you mean by saying that a lot of people think the BKs are a cult. We agree that there is a fringe element who think this way, but can you identify "many" others who also think this organization is a cult? James, how about you. Where do you stand on this issue? Do you know that the BKs are a cult or are you arguing the points of view of others?
This otta be good James. My assumption is that you don't have a clue what you're talking about after three months of discussing this matter. But I am honestly interested in still listening to what you have to say. So say it with well reasoned logic and argument - but many would like that you forget the ignorant spin.
Go for it brother. Show what you mean when you say that "MANY" think they're a cult.
OK?
-
Permalink Reply by Kernel John on
-
James, and definitely you squawk like a duck.
After serious consideration, that's all I can seriously say in response to your well reasoned cut and paste.
Just mention Open Source Religion, Proprietary Religion, Belief Genome, Belief Modules, or Prerequisite Beliefs in a tweet to appear in this twitter feed.
Latest Activity
Sidian M.S. Jones replied to Sidian M.S. Jones's discussion Belief Genome Update"You'll be the first Kernel."
Kernel John replied to Sidian M.S. Jones's discussion Belief Genome Update"Looking forward to it Sid. Let me know when testing begins."
Khem the Is Real-ite replied to Sidian M.S. Jones's discussion It Matters Whether You Believe in Will Power"ibid.
"
Khem the Is Real-ite replied to Sidian M.S. Jones's discussion It Matters Whether You Believe in Will Power"ibid.
"
Sidian M.S. Jones's discussion was featuredBelief Genome Update
Just a short message here to let everyone know that code work on the Belief Genome is coming right…See More
Kernel John replied to Sidian M.S. Jones's discussion It Matters Whether You Believe in Will Power"Sid, I read the article. Thanks for sharing it.
Yes, willpower is the name that we give…"
Kernel John replied to Sidian M.S. Jones's discussion It Matters Whether You Believe in Will Power"Khem,
Ibid? An lame way to deepen or expand discussion. . . or perhaps that's as deep as…"
Khem the Is Real-ite replied to Sidian M.S. Jones's discussion It Matters Whether You Believe in Will Power"ibid.
"
Kernel John replied to Sidian M.S. Jones's discussion It Matters Whether You Believe in Will Power"The Occult Law of Gravity that you refer to sounds like it is based on myth and superstition. …"
Khem the Is Real-ite replied to Sidian M.S. Jones's discussion It Matters Whether You Believe in Will Power"The non-entity who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool; shun him.
"
© 2012 Created by Sidian M.S. Jones.
