tom wrote:Without taking the beliefs of individuals, and if they wanted to be photographed into consideration, these persons with high positions are visited by the BKs and photographed, not for spiritual reasons but definitely for publicity and for PR work, in case, "these persons could be useful for BKWSU one day".
Its sort of like PR mugging.
I would like to add a second level to this. The purpose of PR is raise one's public awareness and status. In my opinion, the purpose of these photos of "senior" BKs with "famous" or "important" people is not so much for gaining 'public status' but sustaining the senior BKs status within the minds of the BK followers and donors. It is a game of "
status by association" to convince and encourage the Brahma-Kumari followers that they do ... by association ... have status and importance. "
Look ... Sonia Gandhi ... very famous ... Brij Mohan must be important too ... let me keep giving" etc
The technique works very well, especially when one's following is fearful or and impressed by the VIPs and unable of having such an experience themselves.
Rakhi is normally tied by physical Sisters on their Brother's wrist. By accepting a Rakhi from a Sister, a Brother takes on the responsibility of protecting her Sister. Some Indians I have spoken to feel very uncomfortable at a non-physical Sister, a strange women, requesting to do so. One husband I spoke to was cut to the heart when his neophyte BK wife attempted to do so. On one hand, there was the implicit rejection of the marital relationship, on the other hand, he thought she had gone mad. In a sense it is disrespectful to take another cultural or religion, change its meaning and, especially, turn it into a PR stunt or financial operation.
Having said that, non-relatives tying Rakhi is also neither new nor unique. Rahki was tied by non-relatives during the Independence Movement in India, when individuals were literally risking their lives to free India from the British, and at other times in history. I do not know when rahki was introduced into BKism.
Om Mandli and Lekhraj Kirpalani might have been influenced by the above, or it might have started in the 80s when other such appropriations of other's ritual (like the Jewish lighting of candles) started as "decoration" for public events, entertainment to keep BKs interested and out of a lack of creativity to think of anything else. It might also have been that other trend of confused Westerner BKs having Bhakti beaten into them by the Seniors, so that they could beat it out of them later with "the Baba" and the Murlis ... thereby REALLY confusing them
. I wonder if today's National Congress Party know what the BKs used to call them?
So does anyone know when rakhi service started in BKism?
What rakhi means to an Italian ... I don't know but someone in the family must have tied one on Ottavio Quattrocchi! Sonia Gandhi (born Edvige Maino in Italy), is currently listed at the 6th Most Powerful Women in the World by Forbes Magazine. Karma, or the miracle of choosing the right bed to climb into?