deccani wrote:I hope to bring the perspective of a small town Indian who made it to the other side.
What ... made it to the other side of the small Indian Town!?! Sweet soul ... the world is much bigger than that!
Yes, it would be very interesting to me at least. Although I often rant on about the BKWSU in the West, I have in the back of my mind that the Western BKWSU world is really just the tip of the iceberg, the icing on the Brahma-Kumari cake, and I am both interested and concerned about what is goes on in.
For example, we read of the habit of the 'so-called feminist' Brahma-kumaris demanding familes hand over their young virgin daughters' dowries in India ... signing over their lives to servitude. I also read both Tamasin and Robin Ramsay, write or be reported, talking romantically about how (
I paraphrase both together here but can provide sources) "3 poor Brahma Kumaris Sisters live, sleep, eat and teach Brahma Kumarism in a single room (of a Gita patshala) ... but how they are the happiest people they have ever met".
Sometimes I wonder if it would not be better that the likes were helped to get an education, find proper employment, live in their own apartment ... and not have to go through the initiation of wearing second-hand hand me down saris from the center-in-charge etc.
What I am drawing attention to here is that the BK experience in the West is very often one of privilege born of wealth ... and, of course, such BKs from the West experience even more privileges when they then go to BK India. I don't even mean great inherited wealth here, I just mean to be get to the point of being interested and then able to pursue Brahma Kumarism, WASP BKs generally have to come a more middle class or professional background and, in my opinion, the trend in the West (
outside of the chapati rolling caste of Hindi BK Sisters) is upmarket. Look at all the spin around executive coaching etc.
It is as if you have had to have had "everything" ... or the potential of it by birth ... in order to then renounce it and give it away. From the literature on the subject, in the old days, up until say the 1970s, the Brahma-kumaris were thought of in India as a middle class or wealthy religion. That case must have changed to some degree as they have been reaching their target "subject status" or "devotee souls". We have also read on this forum of the abuse or exploitation of lower caste or poorer BKs in India.
Of course, that is all theory. Sure, on the other hand, BKism must appear modern and rational in comparison to other sects and cults ... especially as it is peppered by Westerners and corporate consultants. I do though wonder what the hell is going on when I heard of them paying for laser shows, state of the art production facilities and business class airfares from a religion in a country that still has open sewers and people's whose lives are to shovel over people's sh*t.
I still cant correlate all that with "The Lord of the Poor". Over to you, please ... do not be afraid to insult us or them.
Best wishes ...