XBK Chat (unofficial archive)

Sam · Joined: 18 Feb 2006 Posts: 47

Published Knowledge

I have seen that a number of people come to this web site looking for answers to questions about basic Brahma Kumari (BK) Knowledge (Gyan). I think that they should continue to visit this site and to ask questions, because it is only here that they will find unbiased, or at least differently biased, answers to their questions. However, I have seen one or two posts on this site which ask why the Brahma Kumaris themselves do not openly publish their “knowledge”. In fact they do publish it openly. You just have to know where to look. You do not even have to go in to a BK center, it is all on the internet and in books.

It is the Murlis that they are secretive about, I will come back to those at the end of this post.

The easiest place to find the course is on the Brahma Kumaris Indian web site. All the knowledge taught in the centers is on that site under the same headings as it is taught in the BK course at any center worldwide. i.e. World Cycle, Tree of Humanity, etc.

This is the address for that site –

http://www.brahmakumaris.org/

The same classes are also published on the PBK web site in their beginners (for non-BKs) section. There is a link to the PBK web site on the links page of this site.

In book form there are two online book stores. The first one is on the main site. Again, there is a link to that site on the links page of this site. The prices are in dollars, but the shop is not the best.
The best shop is at this web address –

http://www.bkpublications.com/

The prices are in pounds sterling but that is no problem. You can pay by credit card. The prices are very reasonable. The trick is to know which books to get. For the basic Knowledge course and brief description of the BK lifestyle and history try these recommendations –

1 New Beginnings. No author is credited but I believe it is written by brother Ken. It gives the course in everyday language.

2 In the Light of Meditation. Book including CD Author : Mike George. Similar to the above but with a meditation CD enclosed.

3 Adi Dev. Author Brahma Kumaris. A history of the Brahma Kumaris including all the “knowledge” towards the end.

If you are happy to go in to a center then there is a “Hindi – English Glossary” by BK Peter from London that is still on sale in bigger centers. If not then they can get it for you from the shop in Pound Lane in London, England. Maybe Pound Lane will mail it to you if you ask them. It is like the BK dictionary on this site but much bigger and more comprehensive. However, the BK dictionary on this site is good because it gives a non orthodox explanation sometimes.

There have also been several versions of a correspondence course published. This was all the eight lessons written in individual booklets, then in one complete softback book, then in several small pamphlet versions. I do not know if these are still available, but you can ask. The whole course was also published in “Retreat” magazine by the Brahma Kumaris. Again I do not know if these back issues are still available, but you can try.

Now to the Murlis. There are two types. Sakar murlis are the teachings that Brahma Baba, aka Dada Lekraj, the founder of the BKs, spoke while he was alive. The BKs are very precious about these and you would probably have to take the course and go to morning classes to hear one. In my opinion they are pretty boring and very Indian in bias, but they do contain all the knowledge, if you can bear to listen to all the repetition and telling off for being bad. The PBKs say they have all the original sakar murlis before they were edited by the BKs. The PBKs say they should be openly published and that they will pass them on to anyone who is interested. However, they only have them in Hindi, so if you do not know Hindi or have access to a translator then they will not be of much use to you.
Then there are the avyakt murlis which are those spoken through the trance medium Dadi Gulzar, aka Kumarka. The BKs are more open with these and they are much more interesting and up to date, also less patronising and gloomy than the sakar murlis. If you are on reasonably friendly terms with the BKs in a center they may be willing to show you these murlis, but they do not contain much of the traditional knowledge as such.

I hope this is helpful and will be happy for any more contributions or suggestions. I hope to eventually compile a list of sources of information that are non BK in their origin. The first of these that has been suggested to me is –

Peace and Purity : The Story of the Brahma Kumaris, A Spiritual Revolution by Liz Hodgkinson and Brahma Kumaris.

I am also looking for sources that take an objective or critical view of the BKs. But that may be a post or section of its own, like the BK dictionary that is on this site.

bluewing · Joined: 24 Feb 2006 Posts: 21

Hi, Sam,
Nice post, helpful...I have 1 question, maybe this is not the right place(topic): about the PBKs, since when they have been around? I was in 'gyan' in 1983 and on and off for many years and never heard of such group, I know they are in Delhi, right? Are they friends with BKs at all? If anyone could tell me ..Tks..
Bluewing

Tete · Joined: 26 Jan 2005 Posts: 169

Sam,

Joel · Joined: 09 Nov 2004 Posts: 102

John · Joined: 26 Sep 2005 Posts: 157 Location: UK

In answer to Bluewings question.

PBKs were first revealed in 1976, though virenda dev diksit actually started in 1969 as a BK months after Brahma left his corporeal body.
They have centres throughout India.
The PBK advanced course is based on indepth realisations of the original pictures of trimurti,cycle, ladder, kalpa tree, lakshmi Narayan first revealed by the BKs.

howiemac · Joined: 18 May 2005 Posts: 142 Location: Scotland