To the Vaishnavites, I think the peacock feather is a symbol of romantic love; hence Krishna wearing them in his turban. In the ancient myths of Egypt, Greece, and Rome; the peacock's feather was a symbol of the ‘evil eye’ and foretold death.
starchild wrote:ex-l, you say that you all have been through that stage re: fraudsters as opposed to deluded, so I hope my comments are not tedious. You see, that would suggest to me that they do not believe the teachings. And, if they do not, what would be their motive?
No, I meant the stage of not wishing to look at, or believe, the preponderance of evidence which suggests that the leadership are knowingly rolling a cart of manure down the high street of life liberally recycling it through the mouths and minds of their followers, modifying the recipe to suit circumstance in their interest ... which appear, to me, to be increasingly blatantly orientated towards the sustenance of money and power and you state.
Believe it or not, independent observers often questioned me for my rose tinted view of the BKWSU and its leadership. I used to defend them and wanted "to see the good" in them. Amazingly, the position I now take has been arrived at through years of slowly, persistent work documenting and researching the history, major and minor incidents and many people's experiences. Mine's is not the kneejerk position of a "religious apostate" as certain elements like to put down ex-cult members.
One of the most difficult hurdles a number people (of) had to overcome, was excepting that we were suckered into a "cult". The C-Word has been one of hot debate on this forum. Of course, we remember how written into "The Knowledge" was that the Brahma Kumaris were not a cult or -ism as "cults and -ism" were only tiny little minor twigs at the very top or end of The Tree. The Brahma Kumaris proudly announced THEY were not a cult, THEY were the roots of The Tree. You will remember.
It has taken me, and probably others, a long time to accept that the Brahma Kumaris are just another -ism ... Brahma Kumarism. Partly because they ARE, and partly because Brahma Kumarism has diverged in many ways from its original path. This is one of its paradoxes. Brahma Kumarism is no longer Brahma Kumarism, so what it is and where has it diverged? Dadi Jankism, Brian Baconism (only a couple of years ago, he was thought to be The One "to reveal Baba to the World"), PBKism ...? You tell me.
It would actually be quite a possible and interesting project to sit down and document it all ... IF ... you have the time or someone would pay you to do it. My guess they wont because they want to cover it all up and not distract from the tidy business at hand.
That business has moved on from the 70 or so unskilled and uneducated (but well connected), Sindi women having to ponce for some money to life off when Lekhraj Kirpalani's cash finally ran out in the 1950s/60s. Its now a multi-national corporation sucking property and funds out of rich sponsors (and an unpaid serf caste); selling "products", and looking to governments and business for co-sponsorship deals.