Predicting your own demise

Brahma Kumaris is meant to expose followers to basic spirituality. That is the value of it.
Meditation, physical silence, a firm will to “improve” through the “practice” of values, an introduction to the processes of the mind, all of that is there.

However, there is an infantile part; which is catered to a child mentality which is unconscious in most adults: That is the conditioning of reward and punishment. Most “infantile” religions have that feature as part of their teachings.
What is the purpose?
To maintain the attention, the motivation of the follower through an already known conditioning, the reward/punishment system, personified in the “relationship” father/mother/child.

The promise of heaven. The promise of a high status. The promise of an upgrade state of being through the denial of the physicality of life, is the teaching. That is, become less of a human being to be an angel, a deity, etc.
To “improve” through self-denial is the main characteristic of a yogi life.

As a counterpart, there is “punishment.” There is the promise of “failure” of not “saving yourself,” if the teachings are not followed strictly as explained.
There is the “low status.” The fear of losing the experience of “heaven.” Moreover, the stigma of being a traitor to God/ Father, which will repeat every cycle.
That is enough to inflict fear in the follower, to keep the “motivation” going.
The above is a description which any follower will need to consider.

Nevertheless, the solidity of this system is challenged through their own predictions of ending times.
Christianity has “armagedon.” The “second coming of Christ,” pointing to the end of times but without being specific by giving dates; but Brahma Kumaris is bold in giving dates for those end times.

Although, I could imagine that many followers were trying their best to meet the “deadline” given by Brahma Kumaris at a particular time, once the date arrives and things are “normal,” then; there is lack of trust, there will be doubts appearing in the follower.
Brahma Kumaris have cleverly turned the significance of those failed predictions as ”tests” for the followers. The followers are not ready yet. They need to “make more effort.” God is giving another chance. The “motivational tool” used by the Brahma Kumaris may be abused at this point; but tell the child that the “cookie monster” is showing up and he doesn’t; pretty soon; the child will no longer believe.
That is the end of such method.

Forty years ago, these predictions could have been hidden for future followers; however, that is not the case now. The internet and Globalization have changed the rules of the game.

The game of predictions for ending times, may backfire and end the BK methodology.
Christianity has survived all these years through ongoing changes by being vague in that respect (millenarianism,) and so all the other mainstream religions.

The Brahma Kumaris may need to follow this trend, unless they predict their own extinction.

Every aware individual in this planet knows that human mass destruction is unavoidable as we, the people; are DOING our share to destroy this beautiful planet; thus the game of predictions is not needed anymore. However, what is left to sell, although on-going; is the game of “salvation.” That is the shift. Even to “save the planet” is the game of mainstream society.
Although, what is being sold by “new age” movements, and Brahma Kumaris is moving into that realm of “Transformation.”

“New Age” movements believe that current people will transform their consciousness miraculously as the Earth changes. That “transformation” happens due to some “cosmic shift.” They do not realize that gifted children are being born (known as crystal children, golden children, rainbow children, etc.) It is through their consciousness, how “effortless” transformation of human consciousness will occur; however; these children now will need to survive the misunderstanding of unprepared parents and society.

As always, Life will bring its own players at the right time, despite the human need to control.

Reversing gender roles

In the “spiritual” communities, we hear that we need to embrace the feminine, the “shakti energy” to distance our world from the masculine. We hear that the problems of our society are dealing with the patriarchal model, the archetype ruling our society. The issue is not whether someone is male or female but in the make up of the type of mind.

For those living in the mind (which is the majority of people) this new “solution” was embraced as a revolutionary way, that is moved into an extreme.
In Brahma Kumaris it is said that Brahma Baba gave support to women so they can take leading roles. The whole structure of the BK system is based on this: Women have leadership roles. Men have supporting roles.

This type of “body conscious” structure has its consequences when it is taken in a radical way.

For instance, women may turn their psychological make up to be similar to that of a traditional man. Also, there may be mistreatment of men out of the belief that women are better fit to “rule.” Finally, women’s thinking may become more in tune with male “traditional” (analytical) thinking.
Many women BK teachers have the “male sanskar” which is portrayed in their intellectual way to teach “gyan.” Note that I am not generalizing.

However, there is no worthwhile spirituality in my current view, dealing with intellectual understanding.

The female energy, the “shakti” is not embodied necessarily by a woman. That energy is passive, absorbing, disciple like energy, which lacks the virus of “knowing.” It is a continuous learning for them. Thus, a person who is a male could embody that as well.

A woman back in the times of Brahma Baba, in India/Pakistan; is not in the same condition as traditional women nowadays (East and West differences may not matter anymore, as everything is pretty much a global culture now.) At that time, the “intellectual understanding” obtained by “book learning,” and “education,” wasn’t there, thus; the “push” for uneducated women was necessary; but those women had the “disciple like” energy for their minds weren’t spoiled with intellectual things known as “education” now. It was easy for them to develop the shakti/female energy.

As a consequence, there is quite a bit of “unlearning” that a seeker will need to go through now, for a new consciousness to arrive.
A woman back then, is not the same as a woman now. That is something to keep in mind when trying to maintain old values in the BK system.
A modern “thinking woman” now, is unlikely to hold the values of shakti energy without previous “unlearning.”

The Maryadas or BK code of conduct

Back in my BK days, I had the poster with the 16 “Brahmin principles.” The practice of those principles were important to be considered a “pukka (firm) BK.”
Looking back, those principles helped me to shape a different individual out of me, from mainstream society. In other words, most of the BK conditioning is spelled out in those codes.

Out of those 16 codes of conduct, I recall hearing 7 from the Sakar Murlis; the rest of them were probably added by someone in the BK hierarchy.
Amrit vela, morning class, celibacy, eating “pure” food, keeping good company, doing “Godly” service and noting the chart; those are the ones from the SM.
As the BK world expanded, things were changed, more codes of conduct added, etc. Nevertheless, those 7 codes remain the core of the BK “moral” code.

There are many benefits on following those 7 codes of conduct, many things to learn; however, such daily “practice” may offer certain limits.
A what time do we wake up for amrit vela? It was suggested 4am. However, “Mama” use to wake up at 2am and Brahma Baba at 1 am. Somehow, it was encouraged to wake up as early as possible and to sleep little. That is how a practice, becomes a burden. There may be people capable of sleeping 3 hours or less a day, some may need at least 6 hours, etc. It doesn’t mean that sleeping little is a sign of being “spiritual” or “awaken.” The bottom line is that without a good sleep, we cannot be aware.

Morning class includes at least 1.5 hours ( 6 to 7:30 AM) if we add the time to wake up for Amrit Vela, that comes to about 4 hours in the morning every day, devoted to your BK “practice.” If we consider “eating pure food,” that most often means to prepare your own, to obtain the “best vibrations” for you. All of these “practices” will add up in clock time.

In the present day and age, there will be very few capable of keeping up with that pace unless “surrendered” and living in a center, especially if they need to work for a living or if they have family. Now, the Murlis are heard through the internet when before it was mandatory to go to the centers. Change is unavoidable.

“Keeping good company” means to be around “pukka” BKs and so is “Godly service.” That could happen right after work. At night, do not forget to write your chart.
If we add the suggested 7:00 PM meditation and before bed time another meditation, which is practiced by serious Bks, then the realization that we are living most of the day under those codes of conduct, is evident. It is sort of like a monastic life style.

The rigidity of such life style, could be evident.

Once a follower is out of the conditioning of society, he will enter into the BK conditioning through these codes of conduct. We move from one structure (society) into another (BK.) That sort of structure is alright to mold someone in the beginning; but it becomes restrictive and will not allow someone to grow and explore different realities to expand consciousness.

Whoever strives to practice the Maryadas, finds not the truth beyond that practice.
In other words, there is a world beyond every structure which we will not be aware of; but yet we may believe to “have found the truth” within a structure, which is only a part of the whole.

It is my experience now, that any structure is meant to make a duality. The follower is to “choose” or align with one side of it, potentially creating inner conflict, as a duality swings within its (perceived) opposite sides.

Celibacy creates sex, and sex, celibacy. That is a duality. Choose to experience one side, we will call the other side as well. Reject one side and that one will persist.
That simplicity of understanding is not observed or understood by many who prefer to struggle and fight within themselves.
Thus, we may learn to cut distinctions (duality) and remain at ease.
This is a different “reality” not explored by structures such as the Maryadas or even society and its moral standards. Nevertheless, eventually those will be explored by those who are ready in consciousness.
The world of “choosing” what is “good” or “bad” it is a very elementary world; as “reality” changes and many times we cannot identify by merely following a paragraph of some “moral” code. Life requires greater sensibility from us, an every day response rather than some learned reaction.

Is to listen to the Murli outside a BK center, “good” or “bad”?
It used to be “bad,” now it is “good.” How can we make a code of conduct out of that “reality”?
We cannot.

Here is what I learned:
It is not what you DO, but who you ARE.
What you ARE is not changed by what you DO.
But, what you DO has the quality of who you ARE.
Want to change who you ARE? Become AWARE of it.

Remembrance, sin and virtues…

This writing will take some points made by “Rosemary” (Rosem777333) in the comments below. The topic is remembrance and the meaning of sin and vice. Remembrance is a practice used in Brahma Kumaris to “absolve our sins” by being in union (yoga) with “God”.
“Rosemary’s” writings are in red. My comments in blue.

“Remembrance is of two types. This is better explained through a road accident you caused by your carelessness. When you see/hear about road accidents, you remember the accident you caused. This is the remembrance of the mind.
Second type is the remembrance is of being accident-conscious which rules your whole life in such a way that you do everything (not only driving) with adequate care so that it hurts none—you or others.”

– According to the Sakar Murli quoted from November 13, 2018 in fact it shows 2 types of remembrance, those are:
1) Remember God and 2) to be Manmanabhav (Throughout the day, after you have done everything for the livelihood of your body, sit down at night and remember how this drama rotates. This is “Manmanabhav”. ) One deals with the mind remembering “God” (that was the topic of the last article) the other type deals with Knowledge (gyan) by “churning it.” That is it. Both types are coming from the mind.
To be careful not to hurt anyone, is not remembrance according to Sakar Murlis that I am aware of, but that may be according to someone’s experience.

“In the West, to sin means to “miss the target.” In the East sin is viewed as absence of virtue just like darkness is absence of light. This presupposes various degrees by which one can be virtuous and sinful just like degree of light and degree of darkness can vary.“

There is a pretty good explanation of the complexity of the word “sin”, here. Christianity has a concise meaning (which applies to Christians in the East and West) as other religions may have their own spin on it. Thus, the opposite of virtues, are vices according to BK knowledge. Is a vice also a sin? Not necessarily. It all depends according to who you ask. Is smoking a vice or a sin? Is sex a vice, a virtue or a sin? Are the “5 vices” (in BK gyan) also “sins”?
We may believe that we are talking about the same thing while using the same words, but we may not.
However, what we may need to understand is that BK philosophy concentrates solely on ACTIONS and labels them as sinful or virtuous. That is why, their whole philosophy to be “good” is to perform “virtuous actions” rather than “sinful actions.” Thus, DOING is more important for Bks.
However, this brings dishonesty in the follower for I could be DOING something “good” but deep inside I AM NOT congruent with that ACTION, for I feel compelled to act in a certain way.
For instance in BK; sex is a sin, a vice (interchangeable words in the BK world) a follower may support this idea by rejecting sex in his life even though, deep inside he is sexual. That creates an inner struggle.
Therefore, that follower IS not “good” although, he ACTS as if he was. Dishonesty.
Thus, it is important to realize that the whole point of spirituality is not to create dishonest individuals in constant inner struggle, but to realize that if we ARE “good”, then ACTIONS will be “good” as well. However, to perform so called “good” ACTIONS (according to some philosophy or religion) doesn’t mean necessarily that we ARE “good”. That distinction is tremendously important to understand.

“I could see clearly that everything that has happened in my life is according to my sanskar. This explains what sin is and what virtue is—sin and virtue are both a condition which will manifest as act(s) of sin/virtue if opportune time is given.”

… and that sanskar is predestined. That sanskar is “right” according to time, and it will manifest if opportunity is given which is out of your own hands. BK knowledge will teach us to “resist sin” as many other dualistic religions do; showing that there is little understanding of the depth of BK knowledge (paradoxically, for “everything in the Drama is beneficial” but we are caught up with labels- good, bad, right, wrong, sin, virtue, etc.- without seeing the predestined transition of dualities from one side to another happening in a person’s experience, even across lifetimes .)
We may not DO the “sinful” ACTION but the sanskar is still there. We cannot pick which sanskars to “erase” for there is nothing that could be erased or destroyed when we understand duality. That is why BK knowledge created “remembrance of God” aka “yoga”. Through yoga it is said, we can remove those “bad” sanskars. However, as we can see after 70 plus years of BK existence; that, practically is not the case among followers. The “answer” is easy to say: There is no enough yoga.
What is the “solution” for not to sin, then? In the BK world it may be to live in fear of making a mistake. To be “careful” not to get closer to temptations…

A virtue is the complement of a vice. Both come together. Duality. The manifestation of one side means that the other side will manifest at some time, which we do not decide. That is why awareness, observation of what IS, that is way more important than trying to change what we do not fully understand but only have learned to repress in us.

Therefore, I am not saying that it is best to DO whatever we feel like. I am saying that it is best to learn to OBSERVE our tendencies and the INTENTION behind them. For intentions drive the quality of actions, and behind every intention, there is BEING what we truly ARE.

BEING –> INTENTION -> ACTION.
The BK philosophy only concentrates on ACTIONS leaving unresolved the intention and the quality of BEING. Performing what a philosophy labels as “good” actions does not make someone “good,” no matter how long someone performs a particular action dubbed as “good”.

Finally, there are a couple of articles already written here which complement what I am trying to explain:

https://avyakt7.wordpress.com/2018/09/19/learning-virtues-through-the-mind/
https://avyakt7.wordpress.com/2016/06/01/vices-and-virtues-in-bk-gyan/