Part of what we have been doing here for years is speaking out openly in public, saying the unsayable for BKs, to inspire and encourage sense in and sensible BKs to be able to speak out also.
To a large extent, the strategy is working.
Many elements within Brahma Kumarism disliked this intensely. In the first place they colluded - right up to Madhuban - to try and suppress or destroy us via unlawful legal action - which failed. And since them the Kirpalani has just pulled up their drawbridge and sat behind their walls ignoring us, our letters, the issues we raise, presumably in the hope that we will just exhaust ourselves, shut up, or die off. Like caste Brahmins we are treated like Untouchables whose very touch makes something impure and intolerable, and when I say "touch" I mean mentally or intellectually ... the mere fact that were are the source of some stimulus or discovery is enough for the caste-mentality BK mock Brahmins to consider it "untouchable", the lowest filth, worthy only of ignoring and avoided, impure - whether it is absolutely right or wrong.
But it's all for the common good and some "progressive" or reforming BKs are speaking out. Sadly, this has happened before over the years and generally experience has taught us they are ignored by the BK elite caste. Sincere, reforming BKs lack the power and wealth the BK elite caste crave and respond to. Ethics or true enlightenment, I would argue, is alien to them. They have usurped the family business and are exploiting to it maximum ... one has to wonder why? Is it merely one big ego trip for them ... playing at the royalty Lekhraj Kirpalani was fixated with, entertaining their own courtiers and employing their own servants? Do they think they are in the Golden - or even Copper Age now with their own kingdoms established?
BKWSU Australia has always enjoy a remoteness from BK India and expressed more of Australia's own culture of informality, independence and self-reliability. Perhaps BKism has developed in a different way there as it has been more free of the domination of hide bound Sindi and Indian culture?
Recently, we have received reports or rubblings in BK King Charles the Hogg's empire, including allegations of an illegal incarceration of an Australian native in Madhuban which you may read more of later ...
In the meanwhile, let's look at long term BK Sam McNally on culture clashes within Brahma Kumarism, in a paper he wrote entitled, A clash of cultures? May 2014. Sam's has copyrighted his work and so we will respect that but you are free to quote from it to critique it. However, we will keep a copy of it in case it is "made to disappear" like so much other analytical discussion. It is, he says, a private and personal account of experiences had in the 1980’s, predominantly in Sydney, Australia and in Rajasthan, India.
I include a short excerpt to promote it. Sam, however, has never contacted or spoken to us nor did the BKs draw it to our attention. I would say that many conservatives within the system would see it as "defamation of Baba" and "disservice" to discuss such things openly.
The Kirpalani Klan like to keep their dirty linen hidden.
Sam raises the issue of how "it escaped discussion that getting up that early, every day, might not be a fabulous idea if you also needed to function in day-light hours" and mentions the possibility of "serious car accidents". This is a reference to the actual death of some BKs by a car accident, back in the 1980s, which is widely considered to have happened to the overtiredness of the BK driver by BKs.
He talks about "impure prides" within BKs, subtle competitions to "out bliss other BKs", the nature of the hierarchy, the power of "bragging rights" of those who followed the disciplines most despite whether they might be the most spiritual, compassionate or intelligent not - the BKs' God wold obviously favour the Marine Corps over any treehugging hippies who stayed up all night and got up late in the morning, and his questions his unwillingness to question.
He likens the environment to Mao “Cultural Revolution” and how the environment actually exaggerated difficult behaviour, a common phenomenon found in "intentional communities", and how having to think about everything created an unnatural, not instinctual way of being.
Sexuality within the Brahma Kumaris, he writes, "was demonized and then trivialized, to make it disappear" and how the requirement was hidden from as he was being enculturated.
Obviously not entirely when we read of the recent alleged male rape and pay off episode in Shantivan.
He admits how, "Sexual and/or intimate relationships happened anyway, on the quiet. For some, at least". It's known that a number of male and female BKs in Australia hooked up with each other; either "having a holiday", as it is euphemistically called in BK, or leaving. Some returning or remaining but living together.
However, it is important to note, this is not truly representative of the whole of BK by any means ... but that it was tolerated or accommodated by Dadi Nirmala ... as long as it did not interfere with her demands of people's times and energies.
He admits, as we have raised for many years, that "curiously, homo-sexuality was never spoken of" making me think that our ripples are spreading out into the BK meme pool and how
He recommends a 1996 Indian movie called "Fire" was ferociously banned in India and how cinemas were fire-bombed, big protests happened against it - similar to those against the movie "Water" which dealt with Brahmin child prostitution - because it told the story of a lesbian romance between two repressed and suppressed Mumbai women.
I agree with him. It's a good movie and very brave for India.
Sam talks about the "toxic level of shame" involved in the subject and the ridiculousness of talking to a senior about a problem who had very little experience of precisely the issues you needed help with. "Their purity, by way of NOT having experience of what you wanted help with, would give you what you needed to go beyond your issues. Not expert advice based on actual experience ... It’s not hard to understand how many may have had problems with this. ... They were trivialised ... any aspect of sexuality was regarded as sinful. No greater sin ... no forgiveness in this.
He hints at the "profound shock-waves" caused by There were, during this period, a few examples of high visibility relationships that had developed between BKs and the "banishment from the kingdom" and how although apologies were issued years later, "the damage done" (by BKs). He likens it to Sharia Law.
I will leave it there to leave open discussion for others if anyone cares to read it. Sam is still a "BK", or a "serviceable" supportive individual however he voices many of the concerns and ratifies many of the observations we have been making - often to the denial of neo-BKs - for years. I'd say it was all very fair commentary. He even goes as far as to ask, "Was there, is there a relationship with God?" and answers, "This is so profoundly personal, private and inhouse, I can only offer: 'for many, yes; for some, not really, for others, in theory only'."
To a large extent, the strategy is working.
Many elements within Brahma Kumarism disliked this intensely. In the first place they colluded - right up to Madhuban - to try and suppress or destroy us via unlawful legal action - which failed. And since them the Kirpalani has just pulled up their drawbridge and sat behind their walls ignoring us, our letters, the issues we raise, presumably in the hope that we will just exhaust ourselves, shut up, or die off. Like caste Brahmins we are treated like Untouchables whose very touch makes something impure and intolerable, and when I say "touch" I mean mentally or intellectually ... the mere fact that were are the source of some stimulus or discovery is enough for the caste-mentality BK mock Brahmins to consider it "untouchable", the lowest filth, worthy only of ignoring and avoided, impure - whether it is absolutely right or wrong.
But it's all for the common good and some "progressive" or reforming BKs are speaking out. Sadly, this has happened before over the years and generally experience has taught us they are ignored by the BK elite caste. Sincere, reforming BKs lack the power and wealth the BK elite caste crave and respond to. Ethics or true enlightenment, I would argue, is alien to them. They have usurped the family business and are exploiting to it maximum ... one has to wonder why? Is it merely one big ego trip for them ... playing at the royalty Lekhraj Kirpalani was fixated with, entertaining their own courtiers and employing their own servants? Do they think they are in the Golden - or even Copper Age now with their own kingdoms established?
BKWSU Australia has always enjoy a remoteness from BK India and expressed more of Australia's own culture of informality, independence and self-reliability. Perhaps BKism has developed in a different way there as it has been more free of the domination of hide bound Sindi and Indian culture?
Recently, we have received reports or rubblings in BK King Charles the Hogg's empire, including allegations of an illegal incarceration of an Australian native in Madhuban which you may read more of later ...
In the meanwhile, let's look at long term BK Sam McNally on culture clashes within Brahma Kumarism, in a paper he wrote entitled, A clash of cultures? May 2014. Sam's has copyrighted his work and so we will respect that but you are free to quote from it to critique it. However, we will keep a copy of it in case it is "made to disappear" like so much other analytical discussion. It is, he says, a private and personal account of experiences had in the 1980’s, predominantly in Sydney, Australia and in Rajasthan, India.
I include a short excerpt to promote it. Sam, however, has never contacted or spoken to us nor did the BKs draw it to our attention. I would say that many conservatives within the system would see it as "defamation of Baba" and "disservice" to discuss such things openly.
The Kirpalani Klan like to keep their dirty linen hidden.
There was a large group of us. Early 20's, 30's mainly. Some a little younger, some older. Many of the core group of my own closest friends were of the performing arts persuasion - actors, singers, musicians. Not all, though. Most of us did not know each other before we joined the group, but we certainly felt as though we'd been close for a long time. Some of us did know each other previously.
We joined the meditation group individually. We learnt how to silence the mind, and we learnt most elevated spiritual teachings from India. We believed, and experienced, that those teachings were from God Himself, and there was no doubt about that in our minds. Virtually all of us travelled to the group’s headquarters in India, over many years. Not once or twice but a dozen or more times each. In some cases, many more than that. We met God there, via a human medium (an elderly Indian lady - one of the many senior teachers there).
Faith was a difficult matter. Just as in the world’s official religions, if you had faith, i.e. if you were able to state “yes, I believe” in relation to the fundamental tenets of the philosophy and practices in question, you were in. You were one of the faithful. All good. Trouble would happen, though, if faith wavered or wasn’t stable and strong. The group of people in question here, were all ‘of the faith’. Just where they might be individually situated in that regard today, many years later, I cannot say.
Back then, ones faith was demonstrated by ones willingness to play ball, behaviourally and culturally. See, it’s very attractive to belong to a group of people you like very much, feel good with. It’s natural and normal. One might be of a questioning mind but unwilling to follow up on any doubts, due to the overwhelming desire to belong. So, faith can be a convenient faith, sometimes. Better to belong and go quietly. My faith will come right if I stay on track. Won’t it?
Many of us were selected to be in the "centres", where the meditation and teachings were given to the public. And where we had our own classes. These were mostly live-in places: the meditation teachers would also live there. Economy was one of the many practices. Each centre was autonomous and needed to pay its own way. To be asked to be a live-in centre resident was a very big deal. It carried weighty responsibilities and you were automatically part of an elite group. So, there was often a subtle, very powerful arrogance involved in that role.
The disciplines of the life were rigorous. Separating the men from the boys, that’s for sure. 5.30/6.00 a.m. knowledge class was not an option, if you were serious. But the big one was FOUR a.m. meditation, either alone or collectively. Then, the 5.30 or 6 a.m. class as well. So, by 7 a.m., you'd been active for more than three hours. Every day. No-one ever dared to suggest “this is really hard work!” Or “I can’t do this”.
In India, you’d be upright from 4 until 8.30 a.m. before breakfast, typically. Meditating, and studying knowledge. Vegetarian diet was compulsory, and so was celibacy. No alcohol, no drugs; no smoking was obvious. Fine by me. For some, bathing became a three-times-a-day obsession. 'Cleanliness is next to Godliness' sure got a workout. There were many other, very subtle life- style and behaviour things which would be considered quite extreme by normal people. “How can I possibly fit all these things into my normal day?” I remember asking myself.
This extra-ordinary daily time-table was actually a source of spiritual intoxication, happiness. However, it was incredibly easy to ignore ones physical needs whilst reaching for the stars. Needs like sleep. In recent years, it’s become recognized how deeply important quality sleep is, for health and sanity. It’s not optional, it’s not something you can play with, trivialise.
The zeal and, in most cases, genuine spiritual happiness of those years masked many things, like fear of failure, and shame from things like not waking up, or from "making mistakes", or "causing sorrow". Let alone, the shame of my past life. Imagine living your days trying to not cause sorrow! Nice aspiration. But easy to become obsessed about. It was a matter of shame to be "missing" from gatherings. Were you not serious about this? The pressure to perform was enormous.
Sam raises the issue of how "it escaped discussion that getting up that early, every day, might not be a fabulous idea if you also needed to function in day-light hours" and mentions the possibility of "serious car accidents". This is a reference to the actual death of some BKs by a car accident, back in the 1980s, which is widely considered to have happened to the overtiredness of the BK driver by BKs.
He talks about "impure prides" within BKs, subtle competitions to "out bliss other BKs", the nature of the hierarchy, the power of "bragging rights" of those who followed the disciplines most despite whether they might be the most spiritual, compassionate or intelligent not - the BKs' God wold obviously favour the Marine Corps over any treehugging hippies who stayed up all night and got up late in the morning, and his questions his unwillingness to question.
He likens the environment to Mao “Cultural Revolution” and how the environment actually exaggerated difficult behaviour, a common phenomenon found in "intentional communities", and how having to think about everything created an unnatural, not instinctual way of being.
Sexuality within the Brahma Kumaris, he writes, "was demonized and then trivialized, to make it disappear" and how the requirement was hidden from as he was being enculturated.
Obviously not entirely when we read of the recent alleged male rape and pay off episode in Shantivan.
He admits how, "Sexual and/or intimate relationships happened anyway, on the quiet. For some, at least". It's known that a number of male and female BKs in Australia hooked up with each other; either "having a holiday", as it is euphemistically called in BK, or leaving. Some returning or remaining but living together.
However, it is important to note, this is not truly representative of the whole of BK by any means ... but that it was tolerated or accommodated by Dadi Nirmala ... as long as it did not interfere with her demands of people's times and energies.
He admits, as we have raised for many years, that "curiously, homo-sexuality was never spoken of" making me think that our ripples are spreading out into the BK meme pool and how
One most senior teacher (Indian) barely knew that homo-sexuality existed in the human condition, and so would have had no clue that certain males or females living together (in close quarters, usually) who happened to be gay, or ‘have gay tendencies’, may just fail to find things any easier just because of a same gender policy.
He recommends a 1996 Indian movie called "Fire" was ferociously banned in India and how cinemas were fire-bombed, big protests happened against it - similar to those against the movie "Water" which dealt with Brahmin child prostitution - because it told the story of a lesbian romance between two repressed and suppressed Mumbai women.
I agree with him. It's a good movie and very brave for India.
Sam McNally wrote:Nothing scares priests and politicians more than womens’ sexuality.
ex-l wrote:Nothing scares and envies Brahma Kumaris more than male and especially female sexuality.
Sam talks about the "toxic level of shame" involved in the subject and the ridiculousness of talking to a senior about a problem who had very little experience of precisely the issues you needed help with. "Their purity, by way of NOT having experience of what you wanted help with, would give you what you needed to go beyond your issues. Not expert advice based on actual experience ... It’s not hard to understand how many may have had problems with this. ... They were trivialised ... any aspect of sexuality was regarded as sinful. No greater sin ... no forgiveness in this.
Suicide of the soul. With that kind of noose around your neck, you had little chance of redemption.
He hints at the "profound shock-waves" caused by There were, during this period, a few examples of high visibility relationships that had developed between BKs and the "banishment from the kingdom" and how although apologies were issued years later, "the damage done" (by BKs). He likens it to Sharia Law.
These people were considered impure. They had committed the gravest of errors. "Falling in love" was an unforgivable sin. (Better to fall into hate?!). This stuff made Watergate look small. The real kicker though, was the bad example they had set, for others, which was unspeakably evil. A hundred-fold, a thousand-fold.
To fail in this, was to fail for all time. Game over.
The really big dilemma here is: one might be better off never having come to the spiritual life, than to have done so and failed in this way.
I will leave it there to leave open discussion for others if anyone cares to read it. Sam is still a "BK", or a "serviceable" supportive individual however he voices many of the concerns and ratifies many of the observations we have been making - often to the denial of neo-BKs - for years. I'd say it was all very fair commentary. He even goes as far as to ask, "Was there, is there a relationship with God?" and answers, "This is so profoundly personal, private and inhouse, I can only offer: 'for many, yes; for some, not really, for others, in theory only'."