The Lifestyle of a Dedicated BK Follower
A member of the Brahma Kumaris – a ‘BK’ – adopts a highly regulated and controlled lifestyle. Based on the belief that the burden of karma is either decreased or increased with every thought, word and action, every moment and every aspect of ones’ behavior should be governed. One must be very careful to ensure that one is inculcating purity at every step. Any mistake must be confessed in order to be empowered to not repeat that mistake. (This confession would be to one of the seniors and is an essential part of mind control). “Obedience is freedom” is key to a BKs’ thinking and living.
The concept of becoming a completely pure soul free from the burden of past sin dominates a members thinking. Whilst many people would see this as an impossible expectation it is the basis of a BKs’ lifestyle. Thus the members day starts with meditation at 4.00am for 45 minutes . This is known as “Amrit Vela” and is one of the “Maryadas” – the basic rules for living a pure life. This may be done alone or in a group. Amrit vela is followed by general class.
Having completed the ‘7 day course’ one is entitled to start attending the general class. Starting time varies from around 5.00 am to 6.30 am depending on the demographic.The general class starts with a short meditation, then a class from the head teacher followed by the reading of a murli. Good students will takes notes and study them with vigour trying to imbibe as much of the thinking from the murli as they can. They are effectively engaging in an active process of self indoctrination.
The rest of the day will take on an appearance of normality for ordinary students. They will go to work or to take care of home duties – but their personal agenda is now completely at odds with a normal environment.They will be practising detachment, internally separating themselves from those around them in preparation for their deaths in the impending global destruction. They will be practising “traffic control” – a timetable of short meditations in which the member practises thinking “correctly”.
Another of the “Maryadas” is a strict vegetarian diet that incorporates no alcohol or tobacco. The BKs’ also require that the food they eat be prepared with “pure vibrations” – and such pure food can only be prepared by a conscientious BK. This means that a BK cannot eat the impure food cooked by their mother or wife and restaurants are not an option. The ramifications of this can be very serious in certain cultures. It certainly separates a BK from family and friends as food is integral to ongoing family and social relations.
If a member is “surrendered” then from morning class they will continue to do service throughout the day. It is normally fairly relaxed agenda of office work, preparation for planned events, dealing with day to day issues, all hopefully accomplished in a meditative state of consciousness. This changes when they are busy on a major program and this is when the seniors are most likely to reveal their dark side – something for which the faithful will forgive them too easily.
A new member will ordinarily continue to live in the same environment as they were when they came across the BKWSU. After attending morning class and following all the maryadas for six months a member is considered pukka. However their new beliefs will inevitably bring changes. Diet is one example. Conflict often occurs in the case of celibacy when both partners are not members. This has lead to a common accusation against the Brahma Kumaris as home breakers. There has been many a divorce as a result of this “Maryada”. As celibacy is one of the “Maryadas” it is an absolute requirement for any member to be taken seriously by the group or to be allowed to travel to Madhuban.
At the end of the working day a BK will normally attend evening class. This will include meditation and a lecture. It is not compulsory as morning class is but a BK will demonstrate his worth as a BK by attending. Such pukka students will be rewarded with opportunities in service and by implication a higher status in the BK family. A member who has trouble attending morning or evening class due to protests from husbands, wives, other family members, or due to sickness, would be considered to be in “bondage” – this means that the soul has a severe karmic burden as a result of past bad actions. They are, by implication, very impure.
A BK will spend their spare time in study and meditation, or be at the centre helping in service projects, giving courses or even just cleaning or doing handiwork. At the end of a day that started before 4.00 am they will go to bed exhausted – only to wake up a few hours later to sit in meditation to cement their beliefs and do it all over again – day after day, 7 days a week.
Once a year a BK will go to the BKWSU headquarters in Mt. Abu, India for about 3 weeks. There they will immerse themselves in all things BK surrounded by other BKs and actively engaging in the indoctrination process.
A member who has been a BK for some time will have removed themselves from family and friends and will now move only in BK circles. They will have cut back on work commitments, careers, old interests and hobbies. They will not watch television, go to the movies or any form of public entertainment.
For a pukka BK, there is nothing for them outside of the life and work of the BKWSU. They live in a very small world engaging in a very limited and reductionist belief system. After many years of living in this tiny bubble their lives are shattered when that bubble bursts. They find themselves in an alien world unable to grasp the social codes of a world that has changed so much in the time they were out of it. Many find this traumatic because they are unable to cope. Some will take their own lives.
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By subatra, February 12, 2009 @ 2:38 am
AUM SHANTI
I HAVE A QUESTION HERE. I’M A CHILD OF BK AND I’M ATTENDING THE SEVEN CLASSES. WHAT IS CONFUSING ME IS WHY I CANT CHANGE MY MIND TO BECOME A VEGETARIAN AND I CANT RELAX MY MIND. I WANT TO PEACE MY MIND AND WANT TO BE A GOOD CHILD FOR SHIVA BABA.PLEASE HELP ME TO BECOME A GOOD PERSON LIKE OTHERS BK CHILDS. REPLY ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE/THANK YOU VERY MUCH
AUM SHANTI
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By editor, March 4, 2009 @ 9:16 pm
sorry for the delay in replying. I think the answer to your question is simple – you are in the wrong place. The BKWSU is a cult and does not have the divine authority that they claim. We recommend that you look into Buddhism – most of the BK practises that work have been plagiarised from Buddhist texts.
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By pooja patel, March 6, 2009 @ 7:55 am
Subatra,
I pray that you never join this cult. My mother has been in this cult at the Tampa branch for over 8 years, they have taken over her life and ruined my family to the last bits … I feel really bad that your son/daughter is a part of this cult and I hope that as a mother you can take him/her out of this cult ASAP!!!!
I recommend that you stop attending all these classes because sooner or later they will brainwash you … read through this entire website.
It’s an amazing website that depicts all the truth of this cult!
- pooja
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TS Reply:
October 31st, 2009 at 1:43 pm
actually i have been one of the victims.. who has been brainwashed.. and i can’t wait to get to normal life..!!
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By pooja patel, March 6, 2009 @ 7:56 am
Subatra,
sorry … I mistakenly read that your child is in this cult … but I see that you yourself are joining this cult … all I can say is “get out” ASAP before they take over your life. If you’re married or have children, I promise you will lose them all if you join this cult … it is worse than a terrorist group.
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By lisa, August 6, 2009 @ 6:17 pm
My mother in law has been in the BK for 20 years and is struggling still, doesn’t seem to be “at peace” and works all the time for the BK. She is alienated and doesn’t even know it. BK’s expect everyone to compromise for them but not the other way around. It’s nuts.
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By sarika, March 6, 2010 @ 8:40 am
OM SHANTI… i feal pity for those people who are against such a beautiful BK family.i feal very lucky to be a part of gods family(ishwareeya parivar).here i have learnt how to lead a life full of happiness,peace and love all away from tensions,stress etc…………. this is the only organisation in the world which can fill peace in us ,this is not any organisation which does for money, if anyone wants to have peaceful life and gain gods blessings at any point of time,if anyone wants to know about themself in true sense then this is the only organisation which can help you……OM SHANTI
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Sharma Reply:
March 12th, 2010 at 11:31 am
Sarikaji
Once u know the selfish agenda of BKs all your peace and happiness will spin out.Most people do feel at peace and Happiness inside the centre,this because for a moment within the centre they feel shielded and protected!This is nothing due to some divine vibration,freudian pshychology terms these mental condition as ESCAPISM,escapist tendencies fro the real life situation.The BKs are very smart to exhibit this tendencies,because given in a difficult scenario they always act irresponsibly.Bk are in the hunt of filling their ranks with 900000souls,this agenda is always foremost in their minds.They can go for rank filling to any extent deceptively,coersion or sheer manipulation.But most people get fooled by their dresses badges and the small booklet in the pocket which they smartingly produce at the slightes enquiry.Go to any of their programs they are adept at giving a lecture on any topic on the current programs,and if they find some scapegoats they easily coaxed them for the 7day course.The individual get lost in all the hype and drama along with nurturing and false love for sometime,but once he gets older the problem for which he joined the organisation surfaces and compounding with the new way of life he faces the dilemma of what way to go about.This is the beginning of his struggle for identity!
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By Neelam, March 30, 2010 @ 7:45 pm
I am not a BK and also i do not discriminate your way of preaching. My mother in law in law and father in law are BK’s and they dont eat food or drink which i prepare saying that it is impure because i am a meat eater.But her daughter is also a meat eater and she eats whatever her daughter prepares. She even eats at relatives house who are meat eaters and my father in law drinks alcohol.
She says i am impure and she is gods child. What type of preaching is this? When someone wants peace why then she has to destroy my peace. Is that the teaching is? She quarrels with me to leave meat. She is living with us. what should i do? I hope you have a answer for this beacuse u are a gods child and god doesnt want any human being to deprive of their rights.
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The Truth Reply:
April 5th, 2010 at 11:33 pm
Not eating the food you prepare with love is the greatest insult.
Being a hypocrite and a parasite on others is not “divine”, it is a controlling mechanism … a kind of “divine and rule” in your own home.
Ask her to leave. If they are BKs, they are no longer your husband’s nor his responsibility. Tell them to go to the BKs and let the BKs look after them.
Good luck to you.
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Neelam Reply:
April 6th, 2010 at 2:43 am
If I say her to leave she will complain to my husband(her son)and change the atmosphere with her use of spiritual words and my family will tell me to leave. I hope you can put this in the “Mulris” so that they read and understand.
I really need help because my life is slowly getting destroyed. Now she is chick-passing everyday that she wishes if she had a vegetarian daughter in law. whereas she pities her daughter that she is getting weak and need to eat meat.I’m undergoing depression and sometimes feel like suiciding.I will never forget my BKs mother and father in law!I need the daddies to help me and my famliy from getting destroyed from misinterpreting the word of god!
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By editor, April 7, 2010 @ 1:06 am
Dear Neelam, sorry to hear about your difficult position. Your in-laws are a nightmare BK or not I think. It is also sad to hear that your husband hits you. I know this is a very difficult position to be in. I imagine you would just like to get out of there but that is not possible. Your mother in law is very controlling. You will have to be clever to deal with them. You might consider being vegetarian when you are with them – they are vegetarians by convenience, so you might be as well. That would take away a big reason for her to attack you. I expect she will find some new way to insult you, but you will have to become like a politician and move cleverly in these relationships. There is no point in being depressed. Instead think about how you can be clever and careful and take back control of your own dignity.
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By Xie, June 18, 2010 @ 9:24 pm
Hi Neelam, I feel sory for you. I joined BK, but not member, and come to the meeting and meditation few times. I feel a lot of strange things and control there, and I just think that their teaching is wierd and make no sense in many ways. Anyway… I dont think your parents in law are spiritual enough to understand the spirituality itself. Tell them that if they are really pure and spiritual as they think they are, why would they attached over you being not vegetarian. Why would they wory about what is coming into their mouth (food) than worrying more about what is coming out from their mouth (their saying) and hurting people (in this case: you)? Don’t they think that hurting people is NOT SPIRITUAL as they are thinking?
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By Filthy Shudra, June 18, 2010 @ 11:31 pm
HI Neelam
if you are still reading these posts……
Why not be the reasonable one and propose to purchase & use separate utensils for veg or non-veg foods? That you are willing to do that in respect for them? Then offer to sit quietly before eating, each can remember their own form of God before eating…….
if they refuse that, there s no changing them….. eat at their house only and be free of cooking for them!
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By om1, August 21, 2011 @ 7:22 am
Dear editor and readers, I am not a BK. I am confused by this religion altogether. I have been in this knowledge for 12 years. I wanted to surrender to the BKs and Baba, but I have not done it yet, I nearly did, but then I changed my mind. The reason for this is because murli’s say different things, and there are so many different views on this site. Also, what is the outcome of this website? How comes centres keep opening up? Is there a way of banishing the centres and bks altogether, once and for all. I am confused about this murli:
In 17th August 2011′s murli, it said this:
Question: At the confluence age what is the greatest charity that you children perform?
Answer: You completely surrender yourself to the Father. that you completely sacrifice yourself, this is the greatest act of charity. You are now ending your attachment. You are making effort to forget your children, home and family.
This is your vow, when you die, the world is dead for you.
You are now becoming liberated from vicious relationships.
Why should the moth not burn and sacrifice itself to the flame?
Blessing: may you be loving and co-operative, and attain success in service, with renunciation and the power of love.
in the beginning there was not so much power of knowledge.
but success was received on the basis of renunciation and love. Day and night there was only love for Baba and yagya in the intellect.
“Baba and the yagya” would emerge from deep within their hearts this love made everyone cooperative.
Centres was opened with this power. They became “manmanabhav” with the love experienced by sakar baba. It was this love that made them co-operative. So now surrender everyone with renunciation and the power of love and you will receive success.
SLOGAN: In order to become a peaceful angel free yourself from wasteful words, and words that disturb you.
FOR SERVICE THROUGH THE MIND: Constantly maintain the stage of having pure and positive thoughts for everyone. Feed toli to souls who are sitting on the pyre of worry and disheartened souls. Your stage of having pure and positive thoughts will give burning souls the experience of cool water.
In another murli that I recently listened to the sister (no name of the sister given) said that you can go to weddings, and wear jewellery.
I have found out that another sister’s son is getting married? I thought marriage was forbidden in this religion.
Please correct me if my thinking is wrong?
I defintately heard right.
But something is definately not right within the bks teachings. The only thing i agree on is peace, trust, purity, love, and happiness, but that’s the only thing that I have taken out of the Bks. Honesty should be spreaded out too all people on the planet.
All comments welcome.
T.
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David Reply:
August 28th, 2011 at 2:34 pm
Dear om1
Your intuition tells you there is something not right with bk teachings.Listen to it and follow it.I ,for one,hated the talk of children and parents and relationships being vicious or impure.I think its a terrible way to describe anyone,not divine or spiritual..and this is supposed to be from god? No one needs to surrender to an institution to be spiritual.Your spirituality is your path,whatever that may be.
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By Vinayak, October 7, 2011 @ 12:52 am
Please.. BKs have issues within them.. BKs, PBKs have questions about god’s incarnation between them. Why go to them to learn godly things ?? Heard there is a Vishnu Party also !!!!
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