Reports from Europe, America and Australia of heartbreak and more broken families due to individual members joining the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University have been registered on the support forum. In a common theme, the issue of money rears its head again, with followers being encourage to donate family wealth to the cult-like Yoga group.
Husbands, wives and mothers are leaving their families to ’surrender’ to the group, under the pressure of an imminent ‘End of the World’, making a farce of the Brahma-kumaris claim to being “The Household Path”.
The Brahma Kumaris, a group run by mainly virgin renunciates who left their own families 60 to 70 years ago amidst similar circumstances and controversy. In one notable case Chief Administrator Dadi Janki, who initially parted from the teachings of the so-called ‘Godly Spiritual University’ to become married, ran away and left her family after the death of a child.
Where money is not available, the group encourages followers to invest their time and energy, working for nothing, in order to earn an high status in the future ‘heaven on earth’ reserved for Brahma-kumari followers only. The 108 members of the royalty of this “Golden Age” are said to be the leaders of the BKWSU alone amongst which Dadi Janki, said to be one of the 8 top souls in the world, is to become a king or emperor.
In at least one case, a young woman joining the celibate religion whilst already pregnant was encouraged to have an abortion as child rearing would be too much of a distraction to her practise and result in a lower future status. Leading BK Charlie Hogg, Director of BKSU centers in Australia said, “To be truly loving, I must be detached”.
marla says: September 7th, 2007
Just found it interesting that having come accross the BK lot 3 years ago. i was told the end of the world was very imminent and I had to really work to make sure my status in the new Golden Age would not be that of a servant.
I was told one of the main indicators of the end was that Baba, the founder, had specified that the three Dadis or elder sisters who ran the organisation would be together right till “The End”. Bummer that one of them just died then. Bit like the repeated assurances from the founder that the world would end some time ago!
Underneath all the white smiles and saris there is, unfortunately, a load of old recycled spiritual philosophy (nothing really new in their teachings that has not been stated elsewhere - not that they will tell you that!) - except, of course, that they believe God only has a direct relationship with them, everyone else is quite deluded and they are practising to rule the new world, reclaiming the kingdom they lost 2500 years ago. Original sin, Adam and Eve, corruption and dissolution - apparently must be down to them, seeing as they ruled the world for 2500 years before any of the rest of us second graders (including Buddha, Christ etc ) all turned up.
My advice - stay away!