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.

Question: Dialogue with ShivBaba?

“It is about talking with Shiv Baba in paramdham, we have done that .. I mean I had done that while I was on that path. We go there by converting ourselves into a point form of soul and visualize baba in front of us and then we both start talking:
Soul: Good morning Baba
Supreme Soul: Good morning my sweet child
Soul: Baba I am not feeling good today
Supreme soul: Why what happened?
Soul: Someone said something really hurtful in office, and I am a little angry on that guy.
Supreme soul: Oh sweetheart, that guy was just playing a role in the drama of your life and in the cosmic drama too. And that too according to his own sanskars. Forgive that soul and move on child.
Soul: Oh baba, you are so great you freed me from anger I had on that guy by giving this answer. Thank you baba, now I have a lot of work, going down on stage back and will see you soon, love you baba.

Well that was my personal example in my own way. But my question is “Are all the replies from Baba are from my own mind and not from Baba, because we feel that when we do? That we are talking with our own mind and not with any supreme being.” 

Thank you for your question.
In Brahma Kumaris a relationship with God is emphasized.
It is a relationship what brings love. It is through love, how a BK is able to follow their ascetic Lifestyle.

Nevertheless, most of the BK followers only know about this God through Murlis or through a BapDada Milan. It is quite impersonal. Very few have actually had a relationship with subtle Brahma.

Could you fall in love with someone who you only know through writings? Could you fall in love with the picture or video of that someone?

Apparently, some have been conditioned to believe that this “feeling” is love.

Therefore, the mind needs to believe that this relationship is in fact going on. That is why, the dialogue that you bring between “you” and “ShivBaba/Brahma Baba” is necessary, otherwise; where is the relationship?

Your mind is making that up, but at the same time; it is believed that you are “connecting with God” through a “feeling” that you get afterwards: You feel more peaceful, calm, happy…. Because you had a conversation with God. You are truly talking to yourself, but it is nice to believe that God is speaking to you and listening to you.

Most individuals cannot recognize what is their minds and what is not, so it is safe to have a structured “chit chat” where you know what God will tell you (good things) and you know your role of a complainer (bad things). That is the arrangement. It works!

Observe that this same procedure is used nowadays through the impersonal use of technology.
For example, someone may call me “their guru” because she likes the stuff that I write here and she likes my picture.
In reality, what comes through  these writings is not me. My picture is not me. 
A relationship is needed for “love” to appear. Something personal, to be around that person to get to know the person… this will certainly unmask the fantasy.

This “relationship” is all mental as for most; Brahma Baba and ShivBaba are only beliefs, pictures, writings, a collection of stories told by someone else higher up in the hierarchy.

That is the level of honesty that needs to be accepted before moving on… but the attachment to the idea: “I have found God, I cannot be wrong” is so profound; that it is best to live with the fantasy created by the unobserved mind rather than to acknowledge “what is.”

Nevertheless, The Brahma Kumaris method of a “relationship with God” is necessary for those who need to feel assured that they are in the “right path.”  The power of “yoga” then, is understood as needed baby formula that is given to a baby in his process of growth. You think God, you feel God… you believe God… but most important;  YOU are “special and safe” for you know God.  A time proven way to develop ego, which is necessary to dilute it.

 

For the common good.

The danger of extremes

Balance, harmony, vitality. Those labels are more than words, indescribable states of being.
There are no formulas, not methods to “get there,” for no one but yourself could find that state.

Harmony, vitality and balance are never found in extremes.
If there is a suggestion that I’d like to convey to BK brothers and sisters out of my experience in the Brahma Kumaris movement; is the above.

Brahma Kumaris is an ascetic path meant to reform an individual. Every individual has different needs, different timing. Once the timing is over, “zeal and enthusiasm” will be lacking. At that point, many will DO things to continue on, to force things. The rationale goes something like this: It is the “right thing to DO,” “I should be doing this,” “I am an example,” “what the senior/God may think about me?” etc.
The outcome is the feeling of duty. It is a burden that many are willing to live with as “martyrs” for the rest of their lives.
That is when we reach the extreme. However, the conditioning of the mind and all the learned fears imbibed through continuous hammering of beliefs, could be very resilient.

Life “now” is no longer an enjoyable experience, but a thing to fear for we have to be careful not to miss our “opportunity” to be someone in the  future,  the “Golden age.”
The belief is that we know exactly what to DO but, that DOING does not change BEING in the most minimum.
Why?
For when there is fear to Life there cannot be love. Love changes, transforms. Fear stagnates.

That is how a BK brother or sister could be proud to be X number of “years in gyan,” but that doesn’t tell the full story.
There may be fear underneath which is covered up so we can look “good” now and to convince ourselves that this will take us to a happy “Golden age” in the future, with a “good status,” a veeman and a Life of artistic endeavors in debonair style.
Make your life miserable now. Suck it up in the name of God. Repress yourself but label it as being virtuous. Tomorrow, “you” will be a happy camper!

That is a self-inflicted lie.

Reformation ends when we discover inner honesty.
That is what we have lost by living under the conditioning of a society. 
Rather than observing that from a different perspective, the one offered by Brahma Kumaris; and use that time to heal our traumas; we use the time to become self-righteous by being oblivious of our own feelings and observations and many times become obsessed with an ideal, which we will always fall short on reaching. It is the pie in the sky syndrome.

 The extreme has been reached and we are not aware of it.

This is how many followers have lost their own lives. It is not because of the BK path, for their mission is to entice the follower to follow until the “end,” as otherwise it will not take the effect of a reforming path.

There is no glory in reaching the extreme, but to experience it can only take someone sooner or later, into the other extreme. Paradoxically, the extreme that is avoided, will be embraced. That may be the Life teaching; therefore, there is nothing wrong with reaching the extreme, it is neither good nor bad; just “is.” Don’t worry. Whether you get there or not, you will be alright…   Enjoy the game. Be aware of it.  🙂

 For the common good.

Happy Holidays! Until January 3rd! 🙂

Karma and Drama

In the physical plane we could observe that any manifestation of Life will express itself. In the case of human beings, we express through words, emotions, feelings, actions.

The word Karma as understood in Brahma Kumaris, is without depth. It is good for “beginners,” but depth is necessary to understand beyond the surface.

In Brahma Kumaris the emphasis is on the ACTION the DOING. Karma means ACTION. ACTIONS are conveniently classified in “good, bad and neutral” which consequently will give as a result a “good, bad or neutral” karma in the future.

That understanding although “easy” it is for neophytes, thus;  it has overall value.

As it was explained in many articles in this blog and in “Exploring the Depth of Living,” ACTIONS are the cover up of BEING in “spirituality” for the masses.

For example, someone with a killer instinct is told to DO “good actions,” that means rather than killing others, to “love” others.
The killer now will be a lover by ACTING his love. But he IS not Love yet. He IS anger.
The Killer IS still a killer. His BEING IS killing. Although, he will not get in trouble, he will be frustrated, repressed. To tell him that his karma in the future will be “good” is not accurate, for karma is intimately related with who we ARE, with BEING.

Although the example above is extreme, it is meant to make a point.

Brahma Kumaris also teaches that by “practicing” “good actions,” we will be “good,” as our sanskaras will change.
That is not accurate for BEING does not change by DOING. This little phrase has been used plenty of times now.

Therefore, what is that karma that “I am” DOING?
It is the Drama manifesting through you. Yes, you can “change” that by thinking your actions, by “thinking before you DO,” however, what YOU ARE will not change.

It is very important to understand the following: When we are beginning our “spiritual journey,” we are full of emotions. Our emotions will run our Life. That is why, Brahma Kumaris method is highly positive for those who need to THINK before getting in trouble out of their emotions. That THINKING it is just a break. As the “spiritual person” is able to be AWARE of his emotions, then to dissipate them, to clear them, will be the next step that Life will bring.

It comes to a point, when to integrate with Life or the Drama, becomes important to be one with Life. That is another level of consciousness not known by many.

YOUR karma is your DRAMA… your Life; or more accurately; it is what will be manifested through you. It is pointless to call something as “good, bad or neutral” for what it is, is the consequence of many threads of many lives coming from different people, environment, etc. Thus, acknowledge what is. Be Honest. 
To simplistically say that “I can change my karma” is utterly infantile, for “you” is not something separate from Life. There are many threads making up “you” and our mind only “chooses” a particular thread to call that “Me.” The key is not to change things, but to be AWARE and acknowledge what is, not as an intellectual idea but in your heart.

When we observe everything that we experience, without labeling it, without putting emotional twists to it, we are “watching the movie,” as a “detached observer.”
Of course, for that we will need to clear our conditioning, beliefs and emotional traumas.
That is necessary for the spiritual Life walker to integrate his BEING into Life, without this step; there may not be self-realization. Of course, this will arrive when “you” are ready.

For the common good.

The word is “God.”

Why accept the Sakar Murlis as the “word of God”?
That is a good question.
A writing which “officially” has been changed many times to make an attempt to fit it into the changing world, is without a doubt; a writing away from its source.

The “avyakt” Murli is completely different in content and intention, it is the “current” word of “God” without changes but yet is not used as much as Sakar Murlis.
Why?

There may be many explanations, but the core of the religion with the “Do’s and Don’ts” is in the sakar murli.

There are many BKs brothers and sisters still wondering if “God” is truly part of the BK religion.
Their own experiences is all they have as “proof.”
For many, that is enough to promise to themselves “never to leave that God.” After all it is “stupid to leave God.”

Many fail to realize that however wonderful your experience may have been, it is just your experience and there may be other experiences which we may be denying to ourselves to keep a static belief “current.”

Everyone else has a belief in their own “God,” what makes you so sure that yours and not theirs, is the “true and only God”?
Your experience?
What about theirs?
Your knowledge? Even though most BKs do not understand it?
Let me suggest to start the search with the word “God.”
Please observe all the conditioning behind that word, all the expectations behind that word and how much ego celebrates to be the only one, the chosen one by a particular “God.”

Even though BK knowledge doesn’t need a God… there is the belief in God.
Why BK knowledge does not need a God?
Because everything is already in the Drama… and it is predestined. Correct?
God doesn’t create the Drama. God cannot modify the Drama.
Is that your “definition” of “God”?   🙂

You are in “love” with Baba because “he is God.”
No. You are in love with the word “God.”
That “word” is important for you and to know that you have found the “true” God only makes you self-righteous. It is about your ego.

Every religion will bring different aspects of “knowledge” that others lack. Brahma Kumaris is not an exception.
The deepest point in BK knowledge which is to know about the Drama is looked at so superficially… but you don’t need to go deeper for you have “God” there to “save you.” All you have to DO is “love him.” How can you love someone who you don’t relate with?  Is your need for touch and closeness being met? Is your relationship based on sharing the same experiences in Life? or it is just you going through an experience and his words of wisdom?  The extent and depth of LOVE is meant to be experienced with human beings… a human with a human, not a human with a spirit. Why? Because to be a human being means to experience the fullness of it. Love is in that fullness. To deny your own body is to deny Life.

For the common good.

Love to Baba

When we learn to distinguish love from sacrifice; new doors will open.
Ask yourself if you LOVE Baba (ShivBaba, Brahma Baba, etc.) or if you are willing to SACRIFICE to love them.

LOVE is not something that we learn, for that is conditioning.
LOVE is not something that we “work on” for that is mental.
LOVE arrives in relationship: With ourselves, with someone else, with the world.
LOVE is not meant to have barriers as in: “Love me alone and not one else.”

LOVE is inevitable. You are in Love.
LOVE is timeless. You are in love today, it will be there always although with different intensities.
LOVE does not need a reward like Paradise or God or some other idea. LOVE is its own reward.

If you have not experienced the above and you believe to be in Love, then perhaps your love is different than mine.
Perhaps your love to Baba is “real,” and therefore, happiness should be radiating in your face… for that is the signature of LOVE.
Not always? Just sometimes?
That is the signature of the mind.

The Love of your mind is not the same as the love of your heart…. to recognize one from the other, may be a Life time journey. Every step of it is worthwhile.

For the common good.

Teachings from the BK system

Thank you for your interesting question.
Let me say that the ego trip is everything. The teaching and the lesson to learn.
The bottom line is always ego, and it must increase before it dissolves.
When ego is not recognized, many “spiritual beliefs” appear according to our experiences. For example, in BK knowledge there are 5 main “vices” to “conquer.”
Many BKs “will work on” a particular vice as if this was a task to “DO.” “This is lust. I will work on conquering it, then; I will go onto attachment and then ego…” We may feel good when we  say that “plan,” but there is no inner observation in those words.
Those so-called “vices” are but the manifestation of the ego in different degrees according to where an individual is in his path.

I learned from the BK system many things.
For instance, I never had an experience with Subtle entities before my BK experience. That experience changed my Life. An entity who knows about you, inside and out better than you and also your past, present and future… That must be God! With that belief, I started my journey through the BK system.

However, the knowledge of the “Cycle of Time,” was the most important aspect that I have learned in the BK system. It wasn’t just second hand knowledge, but I had an experience, which allowed me to understand beyond words. That is why Avyakt7’s “specialty” was the cycle of time. The cycle truly shows that we are all ONE.

I am also thankful to the BK system for teaching me to rely on myself for my own needs. Of course, the next step for me was not to rely on the BK support at all, as a child grows and does not depend on his parents anymore. That is the way of Life.

The BK system teaches discipline. Discipline is good for your spiritual evolution. Discipline is not supposed to be a tyrant by imposing practices in your Life, but rather discipline is helpful as long as it allows you to enjoy Life to the fullest. Otherwise, we become “renunciates,” which is a form of rejection towards Life. Discipline goes along with flexibility, as love with detachment.

Looking back, the BK system gave me all the basic tools that I needed to explore my spiritual path and gain insight through an experience: Food, meditation (I had enjoyable experiences,) to enjoy silence, celibacy, to wake up early, to go to bed early, to enjoy my own company, etc.
Also, I learned about the mind, although in theory. It was after the BK life, when I was able to experience the mind fully and to know feelings from mind/thoughts.

To put it in a nutshell; if you look at the sky and see a rainbow; BK knowledge allowed me to separate the different colors and to match those colors to the knowledge the BK system gave me. The rainbow must match in my mind, the picture given by the BK system.

Now, I see a rainbow. There are colors but those are not separate. The meaning of the rainbow is not in mental “knowing,” but in enjoying the moment.
However, I also know about the different colors of the rainbow and that truly those colors are one (white light.)

Both perspectives are “good,” but none the “ only true one.”
My experience in the BK system was of great help for my spiritual development.

For the common good.