Om Shanti mantra

Om Shanti?

So unfortunate that the BK has abused this beautiful mantra.

I feel that as well. It saddens and upsets me. I cannot hear it now without thinking of the BKWSU, its leaders and all the stink.

Like most of the Brahma Kumari marketing, it is about taking something familiar and already in people's minds, placing their own meaning on top of it and then ... the final audacity ... claiming that theirs is the real, original and ancient meaning (because they invented it last Cycle of Time 5,000 years), and all others copied them and have an impure understand.

As with any marketing campaign, the idea is to 'land grab', or own, a bit of individuals' and societies' "mental real estate" and implant yourself, your corporation in it; so when you think of it, you think of them. They and their product are familiarized.

Om Shanti is, of course, an ancient and fairly universally used mantra or blessing in Hinduism and Buddhism. Usually stated, "Om Shanti ... Shanti ... Shanti". Shanti is chanted three times in reference to a Vedic theory that disturbances are of three distinct categories and to 'bless', pacify or ask for protection in each realm. A "magic spell", in a sense.

adhi-daivikam; disturbances that are utterly beynd our control ('Acts of God' in Christian terms, eg floods, earthquakes etc),
adhi-bhautikam: disturbances from the world which we have some control over (from people and surroundings),
adhyatmikam: disturbances stemming from the self (ego, attachment or aversions, the vices).

Now it has suffered a "corporate workover" courtesy of our ladies in white who 'own' it. Especially in the West where there is little competition. It is as if it is their jingle (marketing tune), in the same way that, say, ISKCON has grabbed "Hare Krishna". I am sure there are white people who think Om Shanti is the Brahma Kumaris' product.

Yes, perhaps ... Om Shanti ®©™. Of course, it does not mean what they say it does. Om means 'everything', the oneness, the absolute, the primordial vibration, whatever you might call it.

I wish they would leave things alone and if they want to invent a new religion, pay respect to others and invent their own gods and language.

Thanks for elaborating on that ex-l.

I completely agree that the BKWSO has tried to "brand" "Om Shanti" as their own and like you said, some may even believe they created it.

But, let's clear it up for those of you who think the BK invented "Om Shanti". They did not. It is not theirs and it has nothing to do with their organisation other than stealing yet one more thing to pump up their egos. They really need to seriously churn "asteya" the principle of "non-stealing."

I wish they would leave things alone and if they want to invent a new religion, pay respect to others and invent their own gods and language.

Clearly they cannot. If you don't have what it takes to make your own creation, you steal from others. Especially if you dream of hobnobbing with the rich and famous. Ruthless ambition has always stunk of selfishness where people will walk all over each other to get to the top. And those who follow are just riding on their coattails trying to get a piece of the action.

Spirituality has nothing to do with any of this. And neither does purity.

Om Shanti is the first step into the indoctrination from the BKs. Lesson 1: how to greet. No "Hi!". No smiles, hugs or kisses. We are souls and have to give drishti (stare firmly into each others' eyes for few seconds), and exchange peaceful brotherly vibrations.

Good intentions but, in the end, we all know that the vibes are not always peaceful the drishti is not always pure and that often OS means, "I do not give a damn about ... you, him, that situation, who cares, it is "drama", destiny, I am allowed to wash my hands like Pontius Pilate". Usually most SS are champions in adopting this detached facet of it and teach other little monkeys how to do it.

Funny enough, OS is a superficial, mechanical codeword through which members of the "spiritual family" recognize and identify each other. It can, and should, mean something very deep or nothing depending on the person but it certainly is part of the gear of the masquerade like the white sarees, white clothes, white cars, handbags, shoes or matching hairpins, plaited hair, badges, rings, etc ...

Baba's children having forgotten their useless past, have to learn everything from scratch. How to think, dress, eat, walk, sleep. wash and. in this case, speak like people who have been victims of traumas; an ictus, or one that has woke up from a coma. (Thank) God comes to rescue, resurrects them and part of the life giving herbal therapy are the numerous rituals, and formulas the BKs recite. As a form of gratitude, one the starts paying back doing service ...

The paradox is that they dare to talk about the paraphernalia of Bhakti "others" performed, or we performed, before becoming liberated by the BKs ...

As BKs, we were in really good hands, man!