The utility of the Brahma Kumaris experience

There are plenty of “reasons” to join the BK movement.
Many are happy with the idea that “they have found God and God is teaching them.” Others are happy with the “reassuring spiritual experiences,” that they experience. Yet others find in the BK movement a source of support from “good people,” the “family,” or perhaps they have a good position within the organization.

Any time there is a difficulty in their chosen path, it is considered as a “test,” and to remain in the path despite the difficulty, is considered a sign of being “worthy” of whatever label someone appreciates: Son of God, victorious soul, worship worthy, golden aged soul, etc.   Nice labels.
Most followers will be happily repressing their feelings by following their “will power,” to take them to a mental place that remains only as an idea; fulfilled by hearing a nice label or a pad in the back from someone deemed to be an “elevated soul.”

That is the “modus operandi” of a typical follower. It is about staying there, no matter what.
A great opportunity to look at the self has been missed through that stubbornness labeled as “loyalty.”

Followers who label themselves as being “pukka” or “firm may have many interests other than knowing themselves. There will be lots of things to put up with to reach the “goal.” The sensation that they have “arrived to the ultimate place on Earth,” will be the mental push that will allow them to stay, even though; their bodies and faces will show the reality of their unhappiness.
Followers will miss that opportunity to OBSERVE themselves.
Those who decided to leave the movement after an ego clash with someone or by being able to sense the difficulties of this path, but at the same time; looking for a way to save “face,” will use an opportunity to leave the movement without seeing what is truly inside themselves.
They wanted “name and fame.” It did not come that easy. Time to leave.
The “choice” to leave or not to leave is there, but what is missing is inner observation. We will convince ourselves mentally, when our gut feelings will tell us otherwise. We will fear repercussions in our “next life,” or some other conditioning learned in the BK movement. The struggle may appear, but as long as we are living wrapped up with the mind, we will not be able to feel what is coming from our inner core. We will not be able to look at the reality of the mirror in front of us, for that is easily dismissed with the label “body consciousness.”

Will power is a great energy, capable of moving us through a direction. However; love, generosity and easiness are not offspring of will power. Without those “ingredients,” there is no fulfillment in a path.
If love for yourself blossoms, there will be no struggle with the path followed. However, for many beginners in their spiritual path, self-love is not understood. It may even be labeled as egotistical. Nevertheless, to know Will power as a necessary energy, is important. There has to be a balance.
How do I know if my so called “love” is not coming from my mind and it is “real”?
Look at the physical mirror and then listen to your gut feeling. There cannot be love for someone else, even God, if we destroy ourselves.

The BK promise: To BE someone

From my perspective now, the BK path in my experience was interesting. I learned a lot which in turn allowed me to evolve.

What I understood back then, as the things that I needed to “achieve” in Life, such as “truth,” “liberation in life,” “ a high status,” and to be “God’s helper,” are no longer necessary. In fact, to be “number 1” or “like the Father,” has no meaning for me.

Someone who is on the verge of leaving the BK movement, may take the words above as the “insurance” they need to make the “right decision.” Those individuals are not capable of understanding that this is not about “making the right choice,” or having the “right answer.”
For them, those words will be merely the “escape goat” they require to escape the BK life style, when they are fed up.

We cannot fool our consciousness. That is why it is utmost important for a “spiritual” person to DO as our consciousness, our BEING is.
I wouldn’t tell that to a criminal. For them, to stop their aggressive behavior is a necessity to live in society. They may need methods to keep their aggressivity in check. They may need a dose of guilt so they could feel contrition AND the promise that if they BEHAVE “good” there will be a REWARD for them in the FUTURE.

Do we see the difference?
The world has many people with many types of consciousness. We cannot treat everyone like criminals. Avyakt7-NG, does not share with the idea that everyone reading these things fall into the “criminal” mind set. (I am using the word “criminal” only to make a distinction, a point. I am not labeling a BK as a criminal. That is not my intention or the meaning. )

However, the BK path is meant to reform the “criminal” behavior.
Therefore, the methods to reform will be there. The promise of “salvation” as a reward will be plentiful.
Basically, rise from the “lower” criminal behavior into the “higher” angelic one. If you are going to BE someone, BE that. Achieve that. Make that your objective, your aim. Devote your Life to that goal. You will have help. Stick around.
That is the purpose of the BK path. That is why, it is needed as it is.
Yes, there may be “issues” inside which are the natural consequence of that type of mentality. It needs to flush out, just as what we do in the “Office World,” we put all “criminals” in the same place. There, what they ARE will come out until they give up, until their rage gets expelled from them, by going through its natural course. Old age brings that benefit in itself. That aggressivity which is typical in younger people, will diminish without DOING a thing.

The promise to be SOMEONE is important, for in the process of “criminal reformation,” we may lose everything we possess, every title we earned, every respect there was for us; however, that “I” will remain and “self-respect” (A word used in BK parlance but hardly understood) is what will get that person out of that suffering as it will make their life worth living it, with hope in a “better future.”     “I” will be SOMEONE .

However, it is not the end of the path. SOMEONE brings no-one.
That is not about intellectual understanding. It is not a concept to “churn.” It is an experience in itself.

For the common good.

Deconditioning through Brahma Kumaris

Our consciousness will change once there is experiential awareness. Consciousness does not change by mere regurgitation of “Knowledge/ Gyan.”

For this to happen, there is a need for a space away from the elements of conditioning. In most cases, society is the biggest source of conditioning, thus anything that will keep us away from society will give us the space needed for awareness to appear.

In my time as a Brahma Kumaris follower, I can now see; how the above explanation was present.
To hang out only with BK followers, to only eat the food prepared by them, to follow their codes of conduct and to spend most of my time with Brahma Kumaris “business,” was the way to create that space of separation from mainstream society.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to see at that time how deconditioning was operating: I wasn’t watching TV or going to the movies, for that was considered a waste of time and a source of “tamopradhan” vibes. I wasn’t around my family members. Work was “better” if it did not take much of my time after the requirements to sustain myself were fulfilled. Sexuality was shut down as a way to avoid further mingling and attachment with others and my body. In a nutshell, most ways of conditioning that society values, were taken away. At that time, my mind was “black or white,” as the knowledge/Gyan appeared to me: “I am becoming satopradhan (good) while society’s way was corrupted, tamopradhan. A rejection to mainstream society arrived, which was largely supported by hearing the daily Sakar Murlis.

Observe how deconditioning takes place, although; a new conditioning was placed in my mind instead. This conditioning is the one that becomes hard for a “firm” follower to get rid of, once the person leaves the Brahma Kumaris movement.
Why?
The feeling of guilt is unavoidable. The Brahma Kumaris movement is an extraordinary deconditioning path, which leaves no way to “escape” for a follower who is preoccupied in gaining Godly favors in heaven or in this Life, or for a follower who has this idea that to be “good” is to follow a script given by someone else. Usually this follower is an achiever, who is trading mainstream ways into what he may think are “spiritual” ways.  This follower has fear of failure and not to comply with the teachings of “god.”  That fear will manifest eventually in anger.

An ex-follower will use scientific evidence to prove the BK teachings “wrong,” to be at peace with his guilt. Science is one of the greatest conditioning paths that mainstream society has. To believe in scientific research is for the BEING, at the same level of believing in some deep rooted traditional belief system. Both conditioning paths, will take away the ability of the individual to discover his own truth, to observe himself, to become AWARE.

Nevertheless, conditionings paths are not “bad.” They are necessary to live in society, in groups. But, for someone who is walking the path of self-realization, these props of conditioning will need to be left aside, to discover our own self. This event has a timing and it is different for every individual.

For the common good.