The Members
A member of the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University cult would fit a fairly typical profile – intelligent, thoughtful, passionate, concerned by the injustices and prejudices of the world, and also concerned by their own inadequacies or shortcomings and a perception that they need to be better than they are.
They tend to be people of integrity, capable of self control, sacrifice and commitment. They are so committed that they volunteer their time and energy without material reward or even compensation. These characteristics may not have been obvious before they ‘found their faith’ because typically a degree of confusion, anger, resentment or depression, insecurity or negativity may have compromised their emotional state.
The majority of westerners who became members in the 1970′s and 1980′s were in their twenties although with the new style of recruitment this has changed. Many of those who are older are educated and professional. But there is a common denominator – childhood discontent. Cult members are often the product of less than functional childhoods and see the world as an unhappy place – for example they may have come from dysfunctional families, or single parent families, or negligent (although possibly wealthy) families.
Almost inevitably cult members have reached adulthood emotionally compromised. And they are aware of it. And they want to do something about it. That is the trap.
If it all sounds too corny, or pathetic (like it wouldn’t happen to you) don’t be fooled – it is not just in the packaging, nor is it about gullibility. It is about being human and our need and ability to believe. Hitler, Mao Tse Dong, Pol Pot all convinced their followers of the truth of their ideology. Those same followers then went on to murder millions of people on their behalf. So how hard is it then for some of us to be convinced by a spiritual ideology that we should make an effort to be better people and to contribute to a collective that is trying to uplift the world and make it a better place to live? How hard is it to believe that renunciation and dedication would be necessary to achieve this? Who doesn’t want to be better than they are and to make a difference?
When you meet the members you will be impressed by their ‘niceness’ – they are very dedicated to being pleasant people. This is very disarming and is a primary reason they have developed such great influence as a group. It is obviously a different story when they are falling apart – but you won’t get to meet ex-members.
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By laura, January 3, 2009 @ 1:09 pm
Your description of BK life and a typical bk member is very accurate. I fit your profile exactly and was a BK member for five years following principles and attending class every day without fail. BK members do tend to be the loveliest people you could hope to meet. The teachings have been very well thought out and are very appealing to intelligent but wounded souls looking for an explanation.
It is devastatingly hard to deal with finding hope and purpose in life, finding a place to belong with a huge loving family, yet at the same time the whole family is somehow inhibited and distorted by the expectation of detachment from each other. I am sure the vast majority of BKs I came into contact with were operating with the very best of intentions. Well intentioned lovely deep thinking individuals with big hearts attract others who are the same until it has snowballed in to a large organization.
The desire to be among kindred spirits is so strong that you really want to believe. I gave myself up to bk life entirely willingly and consciously because I wanted to be part of this lovely family. I wanted to better myself and separate myself from my past unhappy life. BKs call coming in to BK knowledge and embracing it your spiritual rebirth or brahmin birth. It was an answer to my prayers to have a fresh start in life.
I agree with you it is so hard for those of us who have chosen to walk away from that life. To leave is a painful and scary decision and the teachings do mean we become alienated from the spiritual family we loved so much and gave up so much for. Personally, I cant place the blame on my center head or any brahmin that I met as they all seem to be in the same boat. The man who started it all is long dead and his creation was so cleverly designed as to self perpetuate itself without anyone really seaming to be in charge.
I did not know Dadi Janki or Jayanti well enough to say if there is any darkness in their intentions, I never saw any darkness in their intentions in the five years of hearing classes and having meetings with them. Certainly I witnessed BKs behaving badly and upsetting people but i always put it down to them being human and being under huge pressure to be these perfect angelic beings 24/7.
I never thought badly of them, but it was very sad all members, seniors especially expect so much from themselves and give themselves such a hard time. Constantly examining your thoughts words and actions in case some vice slips in is exhausting work. The inner conflict and turmoil of all this self examination while also one of the main teachings being positive thinking is a very demanding balance.
They berate other religions for their blind faith but if you question the bk teachings too deeply you will soon find you are expected to have that same blind faith. They have an answer for everything while never really giving you an answer.
When all else fails the standard response is to have yoga, improve dharna, keep being soul conscious and remember one Baba. Failure to understand a teaching or feel it as truth in your heart is said to be down to some lack of effort on your part. Maybe if you had better amrit vielas or kept your thoughts more in order then you would see clearly the blinding light of divine truth.
Whichever way the brahmin student turns all responsibility is piled back on them and we end up disheartend, our all important self respect begins to dwindle away. It seems crazy to think that while making huge efforts and living near angelic lives we could think so badly about ourselves and feel so lowly and unworthy.
BKs do seem to attract people with inferiorty complexes. We need to prove ourselves so much. We renounce our old lives, we give our wealth our time and our energy. We use all our talents to benefit the organization and still, we feel inferior and keep looking for ways to be better and give more. But of course that is just our sanskaras of many births of being devotees in Hindu temples. There is always an answer which is why we continue to feel inadequate and that we are to blame, also why it is so hard to leave.
I finally left after I started teaching new students the seven day course. In the core of my being I knew I was doing something wrong. I am a lovely, well-intentioned, intelligent strong person and students were inspired by me and trusted me then they would struggle and I knew I was partly responsible. I knew I would never be comfortable being an instrument to bring others in to the organization.
Something about the organization just would not sit right within me and being fully aware of this I was unwilling to be responsible for bringing others in to something I was not 100% certain about. Once realizing I could not advocate this path for others I had to finally question if I could continue with it myself.
After five years being a model student I just stopped going to class and of course had to deal with the family’s disappointment as good students and teachers are hard to come by, specially young enthusiastic ones such as I was. I still have so much love for the BK family and many of their ideals and do feel sad I can no longer belong with them.
Leaving was indeed traumatic. I never doubted leaving was the right decision but having joined as a troubled teenager and followed the principles so well, I did find myself a bit lost in the world. I did find five years of repressed hormones were very messy when finally after leaving they rebelled and flooded out. Going from a very pure extreme lifestyle then (being an all or nothing sort of person) allowing myself to drown in lust and worldly pleasures was a big emotional shock.
I was left very confused about my own duality and identity. I did a lot of damage to myself while discovering my limits. I was always a loner a non-conformist. I came from a broken, dysfunctional family and had no friends. Then I cut myself off even more from the world in Brahmin life.
I lived and worked appearing relatively normal but internally more cut off from the world than ever but as a Brahmin that was desirable and praised. I had the Brahmin family and I did a huge amount of healing and growing with them. My time as a Brahmin was the happiest time of my life and most forfiling time of my life, again making it so painful to leave.
I, personally, had to leave because I do not trust the entity which they channel and call “God ShivBaba”. When I had the privilege to stand in front of that being and look in to those eyes I did not see or feel God. That being is certainly powerful, and has huge energy, but I do not believe it to be God.
The Murlis to me never seemed quite right. I am sure editing and translation played a part in them not feeling right, but also I always had the notion that the best way to hide a lie is to wrap it up really beautifuly in layer upon layer of truth. That is always what I felt about the Murli. There was so much beauty and truth in them, some great teachings and inspirations but within a sence of something dark that I never trusted.
It was very frowned upon to speak of the Murli that way so I tended to just put it aside and not mention it too much. I would listen and pick out the pearls from amongst the mud being careful how I chose my words when sharing points so as not to offend or alarm more believing members. I thought maybe I could do some good and maybe save my lovely spiritual family from within but they did not want to be saved, I could no longer pass myself off as a believer so I left.
I was fortunate that for as long as I can remember I have been in love with God and trusted completely in God’s total unconditional and most gentle love for me. MY family as a child were never religious. My connection with God has always been very personal and beautiful. God is the one being who I have always felt with me loving me through all my heartaches and troubles. I have a very clear understanding of my relationship with God and not even the bks could touch that.
I agreed completely with the loving God they presented, but listening to the Murlis it was clear a lot of the content was not from the God I knew and trusted. Sometimes I would think it must be Brahma Baba’s words I am not happy with but we were always told they spoke in combined form and every word must be taken as the true word of God. Even if it were only Brahma Baba whose words i objected to, I still could not accept that my loving God would allow those wrong words and teachings to pass uncorrected. Therefore I became certain the Murli was not the word of God and as a Brahmin it is best not to say such things aloud as other students would become offended, defensive and most likely scared that I was right.
I think many brahmins just keep going because that seems easier than confronting the thought they may be following a lie and have struggled so much unnecessarily and led others towards a lie. It is nice to feel you are special and superior in some way, that you have lifted yourself out of the dirt and are becoming an angel worthy of heaven. It is lovely to think that by bringing others on to the path you are saving them and helping them claim their eternal fortune.
How wonderful to be working side by side with God and a fleet of angels transforming hell in to heaven. What higher purpose could there be for your life than to reach your own perfection and help others do the same in a supportive loving family headed by God himself who constantly sustains you with divine power and guidance. Then imagine the idea that it is all a lie that some unknown being is manipulating you in God’s name that you are not, in fact, following Gods holy directions but are working on behalf of a dead man’s delusions or unknown spirit.
You certainly don’t want to believe that could be true. Such a painful and tragic realization could not be entertained and is not welcomed from anyone especially a BK.
In conclusion, I am so happy that I had those five years with such lovely people and made so much progress within myself. I had some lovely magical experinces and am so grateful for my time in BK life. I dont regret being a BK for five years at all (quite the opposite). I do feel very sad about what I feel are some misguided beliefs and systems and I so wish the organization could exist in a slightly changed form without the darkness of the unknown teacher claiming to be God. That being is the only one I am angry with, but being a bodiless spirit, it is difficult to discuss the matter with that one.
I would very much like it if Dadi Janki would turn and confront it on one of its channeled visits but maybe she knows better than to upset it. Maybe it is Brahma Baba, or maybe he also was a victim, believing the spirit he channeled to be God. It is hard really to point the finger of blame at anyone within Brahmin family as the whole lot of them are blindly following some ghost or disembodied spirit that is invited to take possession of first Brahma Baba, then to bring his spirit along for the ride and take possession of Dadi Gulzar.
Who knows who is really behind it all and what they seek to gain, maybe this spirit believes itself to be God, maybe it believes its own teachings? Maybe it is inspired in some way by God but has mixed in its own ideas not knowing them to be wrong or harmful.
Maybe I am too kind in looking to excuse brahmin family of any fault or blame. I do think these are all questions that Brahmins should ask themselves and thoroughly discuss with an open mind and sharp intellect. I do think they should show some of that Shiv-shakti courage and really really look in the mirror of their hearts individually and as an organization.
Realization leads to transformation and it would be nice if they applied that to the very core of their structured system and were honest about what is wrong. It takes courage to admit mistakes and move on with greater wisdom. It takes courage to admit your investments are misplaced, but all is not lost. They as an organization could be so much greater than they are now if they shook it all up and threw out the rubbish to make room for newness.
There is nothing wrong with not knowing all the answers, nothing wrong with not being specially chosen, we are all equal and that is OK. We may not have an instruction book from GOD all neatly delivered in a class every day but we can each find God in our own hearts and work on uplifting mankind, cleaning up the world without the help of a disembodied spirit that certainly is not God, or at least not the complete God.
We may well all be parts of God, I don’t have all the answers but I can live with that.
Best wishes to all.
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Bali Islander Reply:
January 21st, 2011 at 12:11 am
I loved the way you put your exposure to the Brahmin Family. I am a brother who spent about the same amount of time but did not live in a center. I relate completely with what you said. I have still fond memories of many of the sisters who helped me and assisted me. I guess the one thing I could never get my arms to embrace was celebacy, I noticed some of the middle aged sisters also had trouble with that and could not really help me. Well I eventually moved on but took a lot of the life lessons with me. I wish the best to all exBKs as they strike out on a new life. It was good while it lasted.
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By laura, January 3, 2009 @ 3:57 pm
I find it hard to believe that any bk member is deliberately causing anyone harm. After looking at this whole site it does paint a harsh picture of brahma kumaris. I have to say all members and teachers I have met and known, including Mike George and Lee James, have come across to me as genuine and caring people.
I think they believe in what they teach and want to help people by sharing what they believe to be true. God knows if it actually is true or not. I would advise anyone considering membership to be cautious and remember that even the most lovely best intentioned people can be wrong sometimes.
There is a lot of good stuff in the teachings and I know many people who regularly attend talks and programs without becoming full members and take a lot of benefit. Most members and teachers are friendly warm hearted people who happily accept those who do not want to be full members.
BK members are all human beings and do mostly want to help people. I agree that any organization should take extra care when dealing with particularly vulnerable individuals and am sure teachers would benefit from some additional training as to how best to identify an individual in need of outside help or medication. Most members come from backgrounds where they probably would not have had such training.
All the BKs I have known have done their best to help others. I am sure there are a few bad ones in it for there own gain as in any large organization. Thankfully all the bks I met were lovely. I do disagree with some teachings but as far as i know the teachings were not written by any bks, they are all followers.
After leaving the family I did feel a bit excluded but it was my choice to leave and BK family still treat me nicely when I meet them. They would prefer I came back, that would make them more comfortable, but they are still loving towards me even when I choose not to follow all teachings or come to classes.
I would not call them dangerous, perhaps just unqualified to deal with mentally unstable people, such people need specialist care. I hope they do implement a duty of care plan as the organization has clearly reached a point where one is needed. The suicides you described are very sad cases of people who clearly needed more support than they got.
London is a large place where individuals perhaps are too easily neglected. Maybe the sister you write about was not understood to be feeling so desperate as to take her own life. I am sure many BKs were deeply affected and hopefully learnt some strong lessons to prevent such a tragedy happening again.
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By editor, January 6, 2009 @ 2:09 am
Hi Laura. Thanks for your comprehensive postings.
I would like to address this point you raised:
“After looking at this whole site it does paint a harsh picture of brahma kumaris. I have to say all members and teachers i have met and known including Mike George and Lee James have come across to me as genuine and caring people”.
I have to agree. I know both Mike and Lee quite well. They are sincere and well intended. But, as the old proverb states, the path to hell is paved with good intentions.
The problem I have with Mike is his dishonesty. As you state in your posting, the questions or doubts that first arose for you stemmed from bringing others ‘into the fold’. Mike has not even questioned this – as you will note on the page dedicated to him on this site, he deliberately deceives people into thinking that they are getting relaxation techniques when what they are really getting is diverted to the BKWSU.
Typical of the BKWSU, nowhere in their public presence, advertising or marketing material, is there ANY mention of what they truly believe. Doesn’t it strike you as odd that whilst they believe that God has descended and that Heaven is coming after global destruction all they publicly state is that they teach positive thinking and relaxation techniques?
Mike George is simply a front for the BKs who simply don’t want people to know what they truly believe. And Mike is okay with it because he thinks he is doing ‘service’ whilst at the same time turning a profit.
As for Lee, it is sad but necessary to point out that he has lost the plot and has been pushed into therapy. 20 something years in gyan and he is now in the very hands of the shudras the BKs have historically denounced as impure and ignorant.
There is also an interesting page on Lee from Rick Ross:
http://www.rickross.com/reference/general/general924.html
I think it is important to note there is a big difference between the sweet souls who make up the BK family in general, and the egocentric power players like Jayanti and dadi Janki.
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By laura, January 6, 2009 @ 1:23 pm
I am sorry to hear Lee James is unwell. He certainly seemed to me to be very much the lovable eccentric type. lovely as he is i agree it is probably best not to take what he says too seriously.
I also agree with you completely that BKs do very much deliberately deceive the unsuspecting public with their courses. All courses are promoted with the hope of bringing people in to organization and improving public image of organization.
Bks are fully aware that were they honest and upfront about their beliefs 99.99% of people would run a mile in opposite direction.
The deliberate deception is done under instruction from the top in order to gain peoples trust. Once trust is gained and defenses are down then people are drip fed the true beliefs of the organization.
All of this is done in the name of giving people the chance to claim a divine inheritance, purify souls so that they can claim a good place in heaven.
Many religious fanatics try to covert others in order to save souls. I think it is great that people want to save souls but who is qualified to save other souls? It is courteous to at least make it clear to someone that you are trying to save their soul. The dishonesty Bks practice in this area very much goes against what they say they stand for. Dishonesty is not a virtue.
I think it is important to look at things from different perspectives. This site is helpful for anyone who wishes to get a fuller picture about BK. You are doing a good job in my opinion. People deserve to know what they are getting involved in and to be able to make informed decisions. When your eyes are fully open then you can choose where you want to go and what you want to take.
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By Peter Daley, April 12, 2009 @ 10:07 pm
Lee James is in therapy? I’d love to know more about that.
I wrote the above mentioned piece on Rick Rosss site.
Yeah, he seemed like a nice guy, but that doesn’t excuse the astounding lies he told during that lecture and others.
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By Ken Johnson, July 30, 2009 @ 5:32 am
Not all BKs are from broken homes. What is their belief in direct family when encouraged to abandon this. Are they aware that the duty of care may also be to those damaged such as frail old parents who are condemmed to a life of grief and abandonment. I understand new laws in europe relating to mental kidnap may also apply to people indirectly damaged.
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By editor, October 25, 2009 @ 4:49 pm
The Bks are the nicest people you will meet. They are genuine and sincere and believe deeply in what they are doing. Conversely many have abandoned their families and other responsibilities to commit themselves to the BKWSU and its expansionary objectives.
But we would like to highlight that our real complaint remains with BK leadership and their long demonstrated practise of abandoning these sincere and dedicated followers when they find it too difficult to follow “the path” any more. There are many tragic stories as a result of this practise.
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Bali Islander Reply:
January 21st, 2011 at 12:23 am
Good point. It brought back a memory. I was with the BKs but went home to Canada for a vacation. I was going through seperation and eventually amiable divorce. Maybe part of the problem with the ex was that we both went to the BK center in Jakarta and I stayed with them and she eventually stayed back in Canada. The point it that I accepted the fatality of life. I was so comfortable with that acceptance that on occasion when I took the 3 hour drive through the Rocky Mountains to my vacation home (I got to keep it, she go the house in town)and started thinking about the divorce I said that I have settled everything here on earth and maybe I should end it on a high and just go over one of those cliffs. Those thoughts of acceptance of death were ingrained in me in just a couple years. Happily 15 years later, I am married to a beautiful lady and have started another family and love life to its fullest. I guess you can love the people you meet in the BKs but the brainwashing is subtle. They do seperate you from family and before you know it. I am not a nut case or anything like it but they do let you know if you are not feeling 100% it is your fault and your responsiblity. Luckily I moved on and besides who wants to drive a beautiful new corvette over a mountain cliff.
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By TS, November 5, 2009 @ 2:35 pm
the tragic stories are the most heart-breaking..
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By Una catalana, November 14, 2011 @ 11:43 am
Hola quiero compartir con vosotros mi experiencia llevo más o menos 30 años asistiendo a meditaciones y los domingos a compartir la murli y a ver a un hombre que comparte su filosofia que lo llaman brami.
Mi experiencia es que yo soy yo mi ser se ha fortalecido y se ha llenado con la vida y que he buscado en todas las partes en todos los grupos y conozco la energia autencia de luz y corazon y felicidad pués a mi el universo y la vida me ha regalado autenticas experiencias de amor y lo demás……
No comparto la energia que expresan y transmiten los brama kumaris no conectar con el ALMA UNIVERSAL Y DIOS TIENE MUCHAS FORMAS Y COLORES EN EL DIAMANTE A MAYOR NIVEL MÁS DIAMANTES .
SI CONOCIERAN Y SINTIERAN QUE EL AMOR Y LAS VIRTUDES ESTAN EN TODOS LOS SERES VIVOS Y SE ACERCARAN Y SE FUNDIERAN COMO IGUALES AL PADRE Y A LA MADRE Y HICIERAN UNA UNION EN SUS CUERPOS COMO TEMPLOS DEL ALMA Y COMPARTIERAN CON OTRA ALMA Y EL CUERPO LLENO DE LA BELLEZA DE LA CREACION SUS CARAS Y SUS CUERPOS ESTARIAN LLENOS SALUD.BELLEZA Y ARMONIA DEBERIAN CREAR FAMILIAS NIÑOS LLENOS DE JUEGO Y VIDA, SOY UNA CATALANA ENAMORADA DE UNO DE ELLOS, QUE LA ENERGIA DEL AMOR LUZ SIEMPRE TRIUNFA ESA ES LA VERDAD LA UNICA VERDAD.
NO CREO EN SUS PALABRAS POR QUE POR SUS HECHOS LOS CONOCEREIS
BRAMA KUMARIS ES UN REFUGIO PERÓ NO ES EL CAMINO DEL CORAZON.
ESPERO QUE DESPIERTEN DE SU LETARGO …
QUE EL AMOR QUE SIENTO POR ESE SER ESE HOMBRE DESPIERTE Y BUSQUE SU VERDAD QUE ME ENCUENTRE Y COMPARTAMOS UNA VIDA EN COMUN EN LIBERTAD DE MENTE Y CORAZON CON UNA SEXUALIDAD SAGRADA COMO LO QUE ES LA DANZA DE LA VIDA.
PARA TODOS LOS QUE SE CREEN TAN ELEVADOS LIDERES Y ALMAS COMO MUY PURAS Y COMPLETAS LA DIRECTORA MARTA TAMARIN Y OTRAS CON UNAS FORMAS Y ENERGIAS QUE NO TRANSMITEN LO QUE PREDICAN.
YO SOY YO MISMA EN LA LUZ VIDA.
AMOR DEL HOMBRE QUE ES.
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By BUSCADORA DE LA LUZ, November 14, 2011 @ 11:54 am
BUENAS TARDES,
debo expresarme en estos momentos de la vida.
No LOS BRAMA KUMARIS no son lo que predican.
HAY SESIONES VALE .. PERO LO SUTIL DE TU SERVICIO Y CONOCIMIENTO ENCIERRA SER POSEIDOS POR UNA LUZ QUE NO ESTAN EN ESTE MUNDO Y SU FELICIDAD NO ESTAN EN SUS CORAZONES.
SUS MENTES CREAN Y UNA PARTE ESTA MUY BIEN.
LA LIBERTAD DEL SER NO ES COHERENTE Y LOS BLOQUEOS QUE CREAN SON MUY FUERTES NO HAY UNA ALINIACION.
LOS TRAUMAS Y CERRADURAS SON MUROS Y DEBEN DESPERTAD.
UN SALUDO UNA QUE ESTA EN LA LUZ
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By jack, November 27, 2011 @ 1:21 pm
Hi guys, i typed in the name of this relgious group after my friend told me about some lady on youtube called Sister Shivani and happiness unlimited.
he seems to be really into this and I am a bit worried that he is gonna get taken in ect. I am very new to this website, so i will have a look around and read up. But in the mean time does anyone know much on this lady called: Sister Shivani?
He was singing her praises about happiness ect. I wanted to read up first and check things out.
any help would be great.
God bless.
Jack.
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filthy shudra Reply:
December 13th, 2011 at 11:23 pm
Hi Jack
If the BKs were exactly as “advertised” you should not worry. But they are not. They are, however, very sincere and this is the basis of their success. They sincerely believe that only those who’ve been “prepared’ can receive the full knowledge that has been imparted exclusively to them by GOD herself/himself/itself channeled through a medium.
Now God can be whatever you want God to be, that is the ‘wonder’ of faith and abstractions – and the teachings can be of benefit. The problem arises in that the teachings, if believed, become a trap which holds the believer psychologically. It teaches a very closed system of spiritual hierarchy – that the BKs are the “chosen” or the “fortunate” ones, and those who decide to leave are cursed to repeat forever their mistake in denying “God” and fail forever. Of course they will not describe it in these terms…
The intoxication of “belonging” can be very seductive and is a big motivator for any self-created change people experience. They’ll let you think that all positive change and benefit is from what their “God” teaches and they’ll say that leaving that path will lead to all kinds of problems – it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy for many.
Fortunately, any of the benefits to be had via the BKs through meditation and lifestyle change can be had in many other ways. Keep clear.
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