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Brahma Kumaris

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Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual Organisation, or " Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya ".

The Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University (BKWSU) has been providing educational programmes for over 60 years to promote the understanding and development of human values in life. Around the world the Brahma Kumaris are actively involved in working with local communities and helping to develop the spiritual dimension within the key issues which currently face youth, women, interfaith, business, prison life, education, the environment, science and health care. With more than 4000 branches in over 80 countries, the University’s courses focus on meditation, spiritual and values development, self-managing leadership, positive thinking, stress free living and self-esteem. All courses, seminars and workshops are offered free of charge as a service to the community. The Brahma Kumaris are an international NGO in general consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council and in consultative status with UNICEF.


Origins

Formed in Sindh, now Pakistan, during 1937 by diamond merchant Lekhraj Kripalani.

Global Expansion

Claims to have more than 3,200 meditation centres in 70 countries with over 450,000 students.

Fundamental Beliefs

Although borrowing much symbolism from tradition Hinduism, Brahma Kumari Raja Yoga sees itself entirely as unique. Central to its faith are the beliefs that ;

  • the human being is an eternal soul living within a physical body
  • reincarnation happens from one human body to another only
  • existence is limited to an eternally repeating 5,000 year cycle of creation and destruction
  • each repeating cycle is exactly the same as the previous one
  • humanity is currently at the end of the cycle of creation and is about to be destroyed
  • God incarnates personally onto the Earth and speaks only through their founder Lekhraj Kripalani
  • all other religious founders must come to them to receive knowledge prior to future incarnations

Practice

The Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga practice involves;

  • complete celibacy
  • strict vegetarianism excluding onions, garlic and food cooked by non-B.K.s
  • avoidance of alcohol, tobacco and drugs
  • ritual cleanliness
  • regular daily meditation.

7 Day Course

Central to the Brahma Kumaris practice is the teaching of all their core beliefs in 7 one hour long lessons called "The 7 Day Course". Once indoctrined by these 7 lessons, students are then introduced to unpublished "scriptures" considered to be the direct teachings of God called "Murlis"

The seven lessons are:

  • The Soul
  • The Supreme Soul
  • The Law of Karma
  • The Cycle
  • The Tree of Religions
  • The Founder Brahma Baba
  • Brahma Kumari Lifestyle and Principles

The Soul

The Supreme Soul

The Law of Karma

The Cycle

The Tree of Religions

The Founder Brahma Baba

Brahma Kumari Lifestyle and Principles

Controversy

  • questionable relationship with United Nations
  • name change from University to Organisation
  • social and psychological problems faced by ex-followers

Sub-sects

Believing himself to be a reincarnation of Lekhraj Kripalani's business partner, Virendra Dev Dikşi splits away from main body of the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual Organisation to form the Adhyatmik Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya or " P.B.K. movement " after being barred from B.K. Raja Yoga centres.

German psychologist and ex-B.K. Heidi Fittkau-Garthe was charged in the Canary Islands with a plot of murder-suicide in which 31 cult followers, including five children, were to ingest poison. After the suicides they were to be picked up by spaceship for an unspecified destination


External links

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