sparkal wrote:Inner space is being skinned alive here ... The other shop on the other hand, is a butcher shop.
So, are you saying that the slaughterhouse is the one on the right?
It would be funny if it were not true. I know of one family that was killed after the wife became involved via an Inner Space Shop, hit "the Honeymoon Period" without really knowing what it was all about, and having the principles to protect herself and others. Sparing the details, that included breaking major Maryadas and marriage vows, she went a little bit mad basically, destroyed the family and was supported/defended by the BK center in doing so.
Mr Green wrote:Yes, they are really just Raj Yoga centres but with a public shop face open and trade hours so any member of the public can walk in and take 'benefit'.
It would be interesting to look at the financial accounts for them. They cannot make enough money to pay their rent and rates and so must be supported out of the donations. One could calculate the financial cost of each soul they bring in. From a lokik point of view, I wonder too if there is any ambiguity between being a shop and being a "place of worship". From an alokik point of view, I wonder where the dividing line between the business and the service is. What the connection between them and the BK Information Service company whose products they sell is? What the ethics of having to make some money to make a center survive? I suppose they use free labour to run them too?
Of course, it is all very clever and tasteful marketing. Stick with me on this one ...
The "
Dead Yogi" Sketch - from the original and famous (again)
Monty Python Dead Parrot Sketch
The sketch: A customer enters an
Inner Space Shop.
Mr. Praline: 'Ello, I wish to register a complaint.
(The Senior Sister does not respond.)
Mr. Praline: 'Ello, Miss?
Sister-in-charge: What do you mean "miss"?
Mr. Praline: I am sorry, I have a cold. I wish to make a complaint!
Sister-in-charge: We're closin' to eat Bhog.
Mr. Praline: Never mind that. I wish to complain about this yogi what I purchased not half an hour ago from this very Inner Space boutique.
Sister-in-charge: Oh yes, the, uh, the Michaelus Georgicus ... What's, uh ... What's wrong with him?
Mr. Praline: I'll tell you what's wrong with him, my lad. 'E's dead, that's what's wrong with it!
Sister-in-charge: No, no, 'e's uh ... he's resting.
Mr. Praline: Look, sissy, I know a dead yogi when I see one, and I am looking at one right now.
Sister-in-charge: No no he's not dead, he's, he's restin'! Remarkable yogi, the Michaelus Georgicus, idn'it, ay? Beautiful level of conscious!
Mr. Praline: The level of conscious don't enter into it. He's stone dead.
Sister-in-charge: Nononono, no, no! 'E's resting!
Mr. Praline: All right then, if he's restin', I'll wake him up!
'Ello, Mickey Bhai! I've got a lovely fresh Murli for you if you show ...
(Sister-in-charge hits the guddhi)
Sister-in-charge: There, he moved!
Mr. Praline: No, he did not, that was you hitting the guddhi!
Sister-in-charge: I never!!
Mr. Praline: Yes, you did!
Sister-in-charge: I never, never did anything ...
Mr. Praline: (yelling and hitting the guddhi repeatedly) 'ELLO MICKEY!!!!! Yogiiii!!! Yogiiii!!!!! Testing! Testing! Testing! Testing! This is your four o'clock alarm call!
(Takes yogi off of the guddhi and thumps its head on the counter. Throws him up in the air and watches him plummet to the floor.)
Mr. Praline: Now that's what I call a dead yogi.
Sister-in-charge: No, no ... No, 'e's stunned!
Mr. Praline: STUNNED?!?
Sister-in-charge: Yeah! You stunned him, just as he was wakin' up! Michaelus Georgicuss stun easily, major.
Mr. Praline: Um ... now look ... now look, mate, I've definitely 'ad enough of this. That yogi is definitely deceased, and when I purchased it not 'alf an hour ago, you assured me that his total lack of movement was due to it bein' tired and shagged out following a prolonged bhutti.
Sister-in-charge: Well, he's ... he's, ah ... probably pining for the Madhban.
Mr. Praline: PININ' for Madhuban?!?!?!? What kind of talk is that? Look, why did he fall flat on his back the moment I got 'im home?
Sister-in-charge: The Michaelus Georgicus prefers keepin' on his back! Remarkable yogi, id'nit, squire? Lovely level of conscious!
Mr. Praline: Look, I took the liberty of examining that yogi when I got him home, and I discovered the only reason that he had been sitting on his guddhi in the first place was that it had been NAILED there
Sister-in-charge: Well, o'course he was nailed there! If I hadn't nailed that yogi down, he would have nuzzled up to those VIP, serving them Gyan and with his stage, VOOM! Feeweeweewee!
Mr. Praline: "VOOM"?!? Mate, this yogi wouldn't "voom" if you put four million volts through it! 'E's bleedin' demised!
Sister-in-charge: No no! 'E's pining!
Mr. Praline: 'E's not pinin'! 'E's passed on! This yogi is no more! He has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker! This is a late yogi. 'E's a stiff! Bereft of life, 'e rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed 'im to the guddhi 'e'd be pushing up the daisies! 'Is metabolic processes are now 'istory! 'E's off the twig! 'E's kicked the bucket, 'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisibile!! THIS IS AN EX-YOGI!!
Sister-in-charge: Well, I'd better replace him, then.
(She takes a quick peek behind the counter)
Mr. Praline:If you want to get anything done in this center, you have to complain until you are blue in the mouth.
Sister-in-charge: Sorry squire, I've had a look 'round the back of the shop, and uh, we're right out of yogis.
Mr. Praline: I see. I see, I get the picture.
Sister-in-charge: I got a serviceable VIP soul.
Mr. Praline: Does it know any Gyan?
Sister-in-charge: Nnnnot really.
Mr. Praline: WELL IT'S HARDLY A BLOODY REPLACEMENT, IS IT?!!???!!?
Sister-in-charge: N-no, I guess not. (Gets ashamed, looks at her feet). Look if you go to my Sister's Inner Space shop in Covent Garden, she will replace your yogi for you.
Mr. Praline: Well.
(He does later at the Covent Garden Inner Space shop)
Mr. Praline: Is this a Raja Yoga Center?
(Sister-in-charge with different clothes on)
Sister-in-charge:No, its an Inner Space Center.
Mr. Praline: (looking at the camera) That's the Brahma Kumaris for you!
Mr. Praline: I wish to make a complaint.
Sister-in-charge: I don't have to do this, you know!
Mr. Praline: I beg your pardon ...?
Sister-in-charge: I am a qualified Self Management Leader executive coach consultant! I only do this 'cause I like being my own boss!
Mr. Praline:Well, I wish to complain! I went to an Inner Space Shop but now I discover it is a Raja Yoga Center.
Sister-in-charge: No, it is an Inner Space Shop.
Mr. Praline: I see. I see, somebody is lying.
Sister-in-charge: Well, you cannot blame the Brahma Kumaris for that.
Mr. Praline: If this is an Inner Space Shop, I shall return to the Raja Yoga Center.
(Zoom in on the bewildered sister-in-charge. Mr. Praline returns to the Inner Space Shop.)
Mr. Praline: I understand that this IS a Raja Yoga Center.
Sister-in-charge: (still in disguise) Yeah?
Mr. Praline: But you told me it was an Inner Space Shop!
Sister-in-charge: (a bit meekly) It was a pun.
Mr. Praline: A pun??
Sister-in-charge: No, no ... not a pun ... What's the other thing where it reads the same backwards as forwards?
Mr. Praline: A palindrome ...?
Sister-in-charge: Yeah, yeah.
Mr. Praline: It's not a palindrome! The palindrome of "Raja Yoga Center" would be "Retnec a goy ajar!" It don't work!!
Sister-in-charge: Well, what do you want?
Mr. Praline: No, I am sorry! I am not prepared to pursue my line of inquiry any longer as I think this is getting too silly!
Sister-in-charge: Silly, sir?
Mr. Praline: And take off that disguise!
Sister-in-charge: (taking off disguise) Silly, sir?
Mr. Praline: Yes, silly! I've come in here with a perfectly legitimate complaint and you have done everything in your power to turn my life into a comedy of errors! This, therefore, is silly!
(He slams his dead yogi down on the counter to illustrate the point.)
Sister-in-charge: Y-yeah. Silly.
(Gets ashamed, looks at his feet)
Mr. Praline: Well.
(Excruciatingly long pause.)
Mr. Praline: D'you ... d'you want to leave Gyan and come and marry me?
Sister-in-charge: (quietly) Yeah, all right.
(They leave quickly, arm in arm.)