Brahma Kumaris Info - the Truth about BK Meditation

Movie :

• Testament by Lynne Littman

Nuclear war is portrayed in a realistic and believable manner. The story is told through the eyes of a woman who is struggling to take care of her family. The entire movie takes place in a small suburban town outside San Francisco. After the nuclear attack, contact with the outside world is pretty much cut off.

Considering this movie was made in 1983, and Rotten Tomatoes review board also give it a 100% rating.

There was another similar movie "On The Beach" I watched several years back that was set in Australia and the pending end of the world. Another sombre story because the ending is also "the end of the world" literally. There is a 1959 version and a 2000 version of On the Beach with famous actors. However, Testament is a more realistic movie about what can go on during the last few days and weeks of a worldly disaster and is more down to earth.

Roll on Destruction.

Website animations:

• Imperial History of the Middle East
• 5,000 years of religion in 90 seconds

I freaked for a moment as I thought this must be BK ... the birth of Krishna is set as 5,000 years ago! Interesting animations showing the expansion of empires and religions etc.

There are a few notable religions missing, especially "pre" or indigenous tribal religions that existed before the monolithic religions but it is good to see.

In this map, Abraham came 2000 BC which is different from BK teaching of 500 BC based on 2500 years of Copper and Iron Ages. So this looks less time in heaven, only 1000 years.

And right off the bat, Lekhraj Kirpalani's estimates were way off!

This website is full of nice videos and clips.

Have a look at this for the scientist sanskars amongst you :

• Powers of Ten

Try to last to the end, approx 10 minutes, a journey into energy unknown.

PS: Whilst watching and if you wonder where the Subtle Region is, don't

ex-l wrote:Website animations:

• Imperial History of the Middle East
• 5,000 years of religion in 90 seconds

Great little map animations, anyone clever enough or interested enough to do a BK one?

In the Maps of Religions they leave out Zoroastrianism, Taoism, Confucianism, just like Brahmins. Why? Is it Indian arrogance with Brahmins? Chinese and Persian prophets are too close to home, so leave them out?

Karen Armstrong is very good author who explores the historical side of religion.

She speaks about mythos and logos.

"Mythos" is to base your religious and ethical conduct on belief in religious stories, i.e. the original man lived a pure life, so we learn from that and follow the example. "Logos" is intellectualism, i.e. we need to find proof that the original man existed before we will follow the example. This logos leads to religious fundamentalism and religion as a game of logic.

The Great Transformation: The Beginning of Our Religious Traditions (2006)
A Short History of Myth (2005)
A History of God: The 4000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam (1993)

Link: Karen Armstrong.

Movie :

• A Man for All Seasons by Fred Zinnemann

A Man for All Seasons struggles with ideas of identity and conscience. Sir Thomas More argues repeatedly that a person is defined by his conscience.

Some quotes :
1. "Norfolk: Look, I am not a scholar, and frankly I don't know whether the marriage was lawful or not — but Thomas, look at these names! You know these men! cannot you do as I did and come along with us for fellowship?

More: And when we stand before God, and you are sent to Heaven for doing according to your conscience, and I am sent to hell for not doing according to mine, will you come along with me — for fellowship?"

2. More : " God made the angels to show Him splendor, as He made animals for innocence and plants for their simplicity. But Man He made to serve Him wittily, in the tangle of his mind. If He suffers us to come to such a case that there is no escaping, then we may stand to our tackle as best we can, and, yes, Meg, then we can clamor like champions, if we have the spittle for it. But it's God's part, not our own, to bring ourselves to such a pass. Our natural business lies in escaping. "

3. Sir Thomas More: Why not be a teacher? You'd be a fine teacher; perhaps a great one.
Richard Rich: If I was, who would know it?
Sir Thomas More: You; your pupils; your friends; God. Not a bad public, that.


Truly excellent.

Movie :

• Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2006) by Stanley Nelson and Marcia Smith

A documentary video of Jim Jones, the "Peoples Temple" and the Jonestown mass suicide in the 1970s including never-before-seen footage. Events that along with Wacco, and some of the Scientology's worst excesses, have unfortunately distorted any simple and easy discussion on new religious movements. A journey from admirable idealism to utter confusion and atrocity. A worthy DVD documenting a leader whose use of language and rhetoric has uncomfortable similarities to many of the things we were told. I defy any member or ex-member of a new religious movement to watch it and not be choked by it; "Father ... family ... home ... bringing light ... making a difference " ... etc.

There is a copy of the final audio tape documenting the actual mass suicide and murders are here.

A feature article on the site http://www.skeptic.com entitled A New Mythology Ancient Astronauts, Lost Civilizations & the New Age Paradigm by Tim Callahan. A bit of a long read but the within the general drift of the article was the following section:

The creator has been given many shapes and names in the diverse cultures throughout the world. He has been called Jehovah, Brahma, Allah, Father in Heaven, God, in different religions, but the underlying concept has been the same. The general belief that is common to all religions is that the Universe, particularly the world of life, was created by a being of incomprehensibly magnified human-type intelligence. It would be fair to say that the overwhelming majority of humans who have ever lived on this planet, would have instinctly (sister in charge) accepted this point of view in some form, totally and without reservation. In view of the thesis of this book, it would seem to be almost in the nature of our genes to be able to evolve a consciousness of precisely this kind, almost as if we are creatures destined to perceive the truth relating to our origins in an instinctive way.23

A few movies about westerners who go to India for the first time. There are a few of these in recent times but the following are so far the more interesting ones.

Movie :

• Outsourced

Todd just lost his job. Now he has to find his life. After his entire department is outsourced, he heads to India to train his replacement.

Movie :

• The Darjeeling Limited

Three American Brothers who have not spoken to each other in a year set off on a train voyage across India with a plan to find themselves and bond with each other -- to become Brothers again like they used to be. Their "spiritual quest".

The following movie is quite hard to explain without revealing the plot. It is metaphysical and spiritual, at times intelligent, psychological and thought provoking, and so very suited for spiritual seekers using this forum.

If anyone does see this movie, please add your comment if possible. I don't want to spoil it for you, but as a small hint, numbers are used to categorise people and God.

Movie :

• The Nines

http://lookforthenines.com/forums/

Two movies I enjoyed, made by women directors: Caramel and Persepolis

Here's a couple of movies that have English :

TV series :

• Mahabharat

Movie :

• The Mahabharata

The TV series has more details as there are 94 episodes of 45mins each! The movie is over 5 hours long!

Here's a couple of movies that have English : TV series : • Mahabharat, Movie : • The Mahabharata

Can one watch this or is there only information about the movies. There is also Ramayana.

Documentary :

• Zeitgeist the Movie

"Religious myth is the psychological soil upon which other myths can flourish" ... from the Christ myth to 9/11, New World Order and world banking system. Downloadable.

Note the examples given of the "transference principle"; how religions transfer myths, almost identically, from one individual/character to another in the same way they did to Lekhraj Kirpalani.

David Ray Griffith wrote:A myth is an idea while widely believed, is false ... In a deeper sense, in a religious sense, a myth serves as orienting and mobilising story for a people, the focus not on the story's relation to reality but on its function. A story cannot function unless it is believed to be true in the community or nation. It is not a matter of debate.

If some people have the bad taste to raise the question of the truth of the sacred story, the keepers of the faith do not enter into debate with them. They ignore them or denounce them as blasphemers.