07 Jan 2011
Hi there Elemental. Welcome to the forum.
3.45am ... no, of course not. Logically, what difference would a clock make to an "eternal and blissful spirit being" in Nirvana (if we are to accept what the BKs tell us). You are a grown adult. Do you not have the right to moderate your own sleep and know best when your body is tired or not? It dangerous because they push you past and block out your own intuitions about what is best, or even necessary, for yourself.
Yes, I think in my more benign moments I could accept that "an advanced spirit being" (or beings) was being channelled by the Brahma Kumari psychics. Of course, there is a difference between "more" advanced and "most" advanced. Yes, we have unearthed far too much evidence, over far too long a period, to suggest for one moment that it was actually the one and only "God Father" of all humanity.
By that I mean that I could easily admit that in many way Lekhraj Kirpalani was a far more accomplished human being than I am. Big house, big family, successful business, local politics, dealings with powerful people ... there is no doubt that in worldly terms he was a much bigger person that you or I are. But that certainly does not make him God as the early BKs believed until after 1950! It also makes me wonder what kind of people could believe he was god for the best part of 20 years. He and they were trapped by their culture baggage. Why voluntarily become so?
If we accept the spiritualistic model, the other element to add into the equation is that there is Lekhraj Kirpalani and other spook or spooks involved. If so, what is their nature? They may well be "powerful". They may well be able to do all sorts of cool tricks. Actually, I don't disagree with that. I know that strange and wonderful things do happen around the Brahma Kumaris ... BUT ... where has it taken them, what have they become, does the logic, integrity and conduct all add up?
For me, that is where the whole BKWSU thing fell apart. When I looked at the behind the doors conduct and the level their minds were at, I just could not believe in it any more. I could accept it is "a god" ... but I could not accept that god as my god any more.
I was willing to "suspend my disbelief" and experiment with the practise and lifestyle, I gave it a good shot, but at the end I just could not accept that "God", and his exclusive top 108 human representatives on earth, were so mediocre and crappy. That was YEARS before I ever started to hear about all the financial corruption, sex controversies and abuse. I was totally innocent to it all when I stop going. I just did not understand why the best "God" could get up to was social climbing ... pointlessly chasing royalty and lowly VIPs, spending all its money doing PR and conning people into or believing or change rather than real good and solid logic.
In my days, we had very good direct access to the Seniors, and as sweet and as fun it could be, I was always left with a feeling that they really had no answers to the difficult questions and the game was just all about chasing the money and status. If you were useful, they used you; if not, they REALLY used you (you were servant material). I like Indian culture and communities. It is a relative safe community to take rest and repair oneself in ... but then leave when the time is right.
If I was to be strict, I would have to ask, would "God" use subtle chains of human friendship, guilt and shame to bind people in? Would truth and maturity not come first? Like the frog in the pot, you are being slowly cooked. Would a real spiritual master/teacher/guide ... not spending sometime finding out what you need and encourage you to find your own path rather than fit you into their mould on their conveyor belt?
Speaking from the BK point of view, you have experienced what their god spirit and Seniors instruct BKs to do. The slow sell, the warm bath, the extra care and nurturing in your "spiritual infancy and childhood" ... grooming is I think what they call it in the lokik sense.
New BKs are the life blood and refreshment of a BK center as the old ones drop away or relationships go sour and dry. They are nice, you get do extra attention. It is not as obvious as "love bombing" but that is what they do until they want back from you. Don't mistake it for the reality of what is there after committing. It sounds like they are starting to pressurising you and demand more back off you.
If Shiva is your God, then enjoy your personal relationship with him by all means. Ask for the Murlis to be sent to you and read them at home in your own time. Ask for some space to experiment with that approach and see how it feels. Be mature and adult about it. Don't give yourself away to someone else that may well be at a lower spiritual level.