BK PBK Funerals

funerals of Bholi Dadi and Vishwa Ratan Dada. Maybe Admin can put them in an album within bkinfo.

Whilst there are photos of these events for senior BKs, does anyone know the funeral procedures for other Madhuban or surrendered BKs in India? Does the BKWSU take care of it or does the BKs' own lokik family take care of proceedings?

Similar query to PBKs. What are the funeral proceedings when a PBK leaves their body? Is it the same for the Seniors (nimit Sisters) as it is for all PBKs, and the AIVV take care of it or the individual's family?

does anyone know the funeral procedures for other Madhuban or surrendered BKs in India? Does the BKWSU take care of it or does the BKs' own lokik family take care of proceedings?

Yes, indeed! Let's get down and analyse the BK pecking order. It would not take an sociologist or anthropologist to define the different castes that exist within the BKWSU based upon the level of funeral service they are given.

And who is to say which BK was genuinely the highest or not?

For example, some sweet, honest and truly humble little old unknown senior might be many times more spiritual than some power and PR obsessed senior that has caused as much degradation of The Knowledge and Yoga by introducing actions not in accordance to Shrimat.

I suggest a pecking order something like this, following the death of a;

1) Dadi and Didi ... full 'State Funeral' in Madhuban with extra sandalwood.
2) Nameless elder BK ... ordinary funeral in Madhuban, sandalwood incense.
3) VIP contact soul ... Dadi, Didis and high flying Western BKs attend "for the sake of service" travelling 1,000s of miles First Class and to name drop in a morning class after. Gift of sandalwood paid for by BK followers.
4) Center-in-charge ... BK Seniors attend local funeral paid for by lokik family for the sake of service. No sandalwood as it might offend Christian family. Tense atmosphere due to unconfortable and resentful non-BK relatives.
5) Ordinary BK ... "Oh, I wondered why they stopped coming to do service!"
6) PBK ... Madhubanwasis cheer and get an extra helping of halwa.
7) ex-BK ... unknown corpse found in bedsit flat 6 months later after neighbours start to complain about the smell and flies. Address of Lokik's relatives unknown.

Tons of recent Dadiji photographs here. Check them out before they're gone. Also of funerals of Bholi Dadi and Vishwa Ratan Dada.
Maybe Admin can put them in an album within bkinfo.

http://picasaweb.google.com/bksvideo

Similar query to PBKs. What are the funeral proceedings when a PBK leaves their body? Is it the same for the Seniors (nimit Sisters) as it is for all PBKs, and the AIVV take care of it or the individual's family?

Ever since I have been a PBK, I have not heard of any surrendered PBK leaving his/her body. But, some other PBKs have definitely left their bodies and were probably cremated according to Hindu rites (depending on whether their family was also following the path of knowledge or not).

I have, personally, attended the funeral of only one PBK, an elderly mother, who died after a brief illness and hospitalization. She was living with her son, an unmarried PBK. Since they did not have any other relative in the city where we live, the PBK Brother decided to directly take her from the hospital mortuary to the cremation grounds. Initially he was interested in performing the last rites according to Hindu rites, but after mutual consultations he agreed to taking his mother's body to the electric crematorium. Some PBKs had gathered there by then. We all meditated for a few minutes and then the cremation was over in a few minutes.

Actually, all Gyani souls, whether BKs or PBKs should prefer electric crematorium. It is most environment friendly and the cheapest way. Although people do not generally discuss their own death, but I remember my Father having told us many years ago that in case he leaves his body, we should cremate his dead body in an electric crematorium. But, I understand that in such situations it is not easy to follow one's ideas and one has to respect the feelings of the relatives and friends also. Moreover, electric crematoriums are not available in small cities/towns/villages.

In such cases, cremation by Hindu rites is the next best method. With the graveyards being overcrowded and very little land available for such purposes in big cities, the issue of burial/cremation of the dead ones is becoming a serious issue.

Regards,
OGS,
Arjun

Another case of 'control' perhaps?

Surely if each had a will or a written 'chosen funeral requirements' in place the answer would be easier at the time of need? I do remember, however, that in many cases one may have 'willed' everything over to the BKWSU so I s'pose that it was left up to Seniors to decide how one's funeral was arranged ... and it would only be the lokiks who would have challenged the arrangements if they did not agree ...

I made my satire up above but there was a seriousness to it.

What I am seeing, as I considered this and other big or mega service events, is that there is a large and increasing proportion of BKWSU activity that is really external and ritualistic and intent on impressing and reinforcing the position and authority of the leadership TO THE BK FOLLOWERS rather than promoting the Gyan to the world. Many individuals have commented on the atmosphere of such big events as being lokik in nature, e.g. not very spiritual at all.

The more we see a handful of individuals on a stage, the more it is affirmed in our minds of their importance, the more we are shown them next to IPs or VIPs, status by association is being used to achieve the same result, by instituting 'State-type Funerals' for certain but not all BKs, again even exploiting them with IP and VIP invitations, they are saying, "look we are/this one was important". In short, they have lost the plot and turned things outside in and become the outside world.

Strictly speaking, according to Gyan,

why should there be any sentiment or need for sentiment?
why should there be any efforts and expense for the soul's "old shoe" as is called?
where have a handful of BKs been given the authority to judge who is numberwise and important?
how and where as all the false sanctimony, the Bhakti element as BKs call it, entered to become the formal or "acceptable" activities of BKs?

In short, whose religion is it?

In my own experience as a BK, I can remember clearly the big buzz at attempting to go join in one of those events and get near the front, near the Dadis, what difference is that from the big buzz of trying to be near a movie actor, popstar or politician? We are not allowed to be thrilled by stars but we are increasingly encouraged by the Seniors to be thrilled by them ...

In such cases, cremation by Hindu rites is the next best method.

I wish to clarify my above statement. By "Hindu rites" I do not mean the Bhakti rituals associated with the cremation of the dead bodies of Hindus, but simply the process of disposal of the dead body by cremating/burning it, instead of burying it. Of course, there are some sects within Hinduism which follow the system of Samadhi, but even that is only after cremation.

I remember having attended the cremation of Didi Manmohini at Mt. Abu where loads of precious sandalwood was used. That was way back in 1983; so, I don't know by what proportion the budget of VIP surrendered BK cremations has increased.

Regards,
OGS,
Arjun