BKWSU, the business, money and selling Gyan

Since the address given is a London Address, I suppose the Company was registered with the Government of UK's appropriate Ministry/Department/Office. Can the London based members please extract any more information, when this Godly Company was set up and with what aims and objectives? What is its turnover, etc. etc.?

You can acces the company details online for a couple of Pounds;

http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/

Sure, its a limited company. I have no idea what the practical reason is ... probably because the BKWSU charity can charge itself a "management fee" of £25,000 a year or vice versa, (the principle is correct but will will have to check the details, so don't quote me right now) to manage the Information Service.

I suppose it is accountant-style skullduggery to earn more money off the Government. One charges one's self to manage one's own PR and propaganda. I wonder if the BKs that work for it are paid or surrendered? The accounts might tell.

What's this?
I thought BKs were not supposed to take part in paid for events.
We saw the advertisement in the Salisbury Centre Brochure.

The Salisbury Centre
2 Salisbury Road
Edinburgh
EH16 5AB
tel: 0131 667 5438
email: office@saliburycentre.org
http://www.salisburycentre.org

The BKs are not even mentioned in the Salisbury Centre Brochure advert, we guessed that it was them, it just said, "Sister Maureen". I had to dig deep on the http://www.eicws.org web site to find that it is indeed the Sister Maureen we all know so well.

SPIRITUALITY AND THE SACREDNESS OF THE DIVINE FEMININE CONFERENCE
Events, Venues, Cost and Booking:

Thursday, May 24, 2007 - Friday, May 25, 2007, 9.30am-5.30pm.

Event: Two-Day Spirituality and the Sacredness of the Divine Feminine Conference.
Venue: St George’s West Church, 58 Shandwick Place, Edinburgh.
Cost: £20/£15 (Concessions) per day, £40/£30 (Concessions) for two days.
For a Registration Form:
Contact: Neill Walker, njwalk5300@hotmail.co.uk, 0131 331 4469.

Thursday, May 24, 2007, 7.30pm onwards.

Event: Public Multi Faith and Spiritual Forum:
Spirituality and the Sacredness of the Divine Feminine.
Chair: Dr MaryCatherine Burgess.
Speakers: Her Holiness Sai Maa Lakshmi Devi, Sister Maureen, Dr Arzina Lalani, Sheelah Hidden, Miranda, Samani Prasanna Pragyaji and Samani Sambodh Pragyaji and Ajahn Candasiri.
Venue: St George’s West Church, 58 Shandwick Place, Edinburgh.
Cost: £5, on the door on the night.

Friday, May 25, 2007, 7.30pm.

Event: Celebrating the Feminine with Chloë Goodchild:
An Evening of Shared Sacred Sound Voice, Love Song and Poetry,
Celebrating the Divine Feminine in Music and Movement with Chloë Goodchild.
Venue: St George’s West Church, 58 Shandwick Place, Edinburgh.
Cost: £10/£8 (Concessions), on the door, on the night.

Saturday, May 26, 2007.

11am-3pm: Alchemy and Spirit: Revealing the Passionate Soul.
Day Intensive with Her Holiness Sai Maa Lakshmi Devi.

6pm-9pm: Alchemy and Spirit: Revealing the Passionate Soul.
Evening Public Programme with Her Holiness Sai Maa Lakshmi Devi.
Venue: Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh.
Cost: £50/£30 (Concessions) for the Day Intensive and Evening Public Programme.
£10/£7 (Concessions) for the Evening Public Programme on its own.
For a Registration Form:
Contact: Neill Walker, njwalk5300@hotmail.co.uk, 0131 331 4469.

Confirmed Themes for Talks, each 40 minutes:

1. Releasing the Shakti – the power of the Divine Feminine
2. Divine Feminine - global family of men and women who embody the consciousness of reverence for one another. The weaving of the feminine and the masculine is essential.
3. Wisdom Returns from Exile: the Re-emergence of the Divine Feminine.
4.
5. Liberating the Divine Feminine.
6. The Divine Feminine in Shi`i Ismaili Tradition.
7. The Sacred Feminine - seeking balance and peace on our planet. The missing piece in addition to The Sacred Male.
8. Padmavati Devi, who is a Yakshini of Lord Parshvanathha, 23rd Tirthankara in Jainism.
9. Feminine - The path to the Divine in the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sacred Sikh Scriptures.
10. Shamanic Spirituality and the Divine Feminine

Confirmed Contributors for Talks:

1. Sister Maureen
2. Her Holiness Sai Maa
3. Sheelah Hidden
4. Miranda
5. Ajahn Candasiri
6. Dr Arzina Lalani
7. Her Holiness Sai Maa
8. Samani Prasanna Pragyaji and Samani Manan Pragya
9. Ravinder Kaur Nijjar
10. Dr MaryCatherine Burgess

Brahma Kumaris: Sister Maureen: 1 talk, 1 workshop

Personally, I do not think that God needs to, or should advertise. Next thing you know, he will be employing a PR agent or marketing man ... oh, He already has.

About a year after doing the Advance Course, myself and one other PBK (mata ji) thought we'd hatched and executed a killer service plan. We'd researched various publications of a 'spiritual' nature and placed a small advert in the classifieds. Along the lines of " For unlimited thoughts, words, and attitude go to www. (one of the PBK websites).. It was cheap and we'd circulated the ad in about 120,000 copies worldwide.

I showed a copy of the ad to Baba/Virendra Dev Dixit.

He asked, "Did you pay".
"Yes". I replied.
"No need to pay money, the newspapers will come to us and publish for free".

I kind of resisted mentally for a few seconds thinking how many ads had been placed worldwide at such low cost. But I guess Baba is true to his word. He wont allow His children to waste money on advertisng, or any other unnessesary expense.

It's allways better to ask first and then do.

"Simple living, high thinking" is a slogan I heard one PBK mention a few times.

"Did you pay?"

I believe that is according to Gyan. The Beakies have a big adsense campaign going on right now through Google pushing the product, e.g.;

I believe that is according to Gyan. The Beakies have a big adsense campaign going on right now through Google pushing the product.

I once had a former web site which comes free if you accept the Google ads on it. The web site was for people who wanted to get out of cults like the BKWSU. Sometimes the above ad appeared on the site. Presumably because it had BK material and references to them on it, and Google thought it would be good ad placement.

So the BKWSU paid for my web site which was about exposing their own shortcomings. I have not stopped laughing since that happened.

"Find Brahma Kumaris and Compare prices at ..."(web site)

I think this just about sums it up. Are you people sure about all this. I have lived a slightly sheltered existence BK wise and am not sure what is going on . Can we expect to see more of this second hand car sales approach as time goes on? The BK brand name being high-jacked to make money?

So, if things continue to escalate, we can expect God's organisation on planet earth to be floated on the stock exchange. Of course, there are some big religious players there already.

So, where are they/we going with all this commercial spirituality? And, "they would never do that". Well, they are. Though if the world is to be destroyed, why bother?

More government funding for the BKWSU for "Teacher training Programmes" from Government of India, Higher Education Department. Now, bearing in mind that we presume the BK teachers involved are unpaid and the centers/properties either privately own or paid for by donations ... where does the money go to do what?

And what was that Murli quote about "never asking for money". Oh, forget it ... just "remember Baba" and man the cash registers Sisters!

Funding received is Rs. in lakhs, i.e. 1 lakh equal 100,000 rupees.

500,000 rupees equals $ 12,200 USD.

I am ABSOLUTELY SURE that I am only scraping the surface here but I calculate this lot to be, 5,147,000 rupees or $ 125,659 USD. Any leads of further information, which I am sure are scattered around different Departments and States or corrections would be welcome.

The average household income in India is around $550 USD per year. However around 25-30% of the population earning close to only $1 per day. Now, how much did we say the BKWSU gave to the Tsunami relief fund? Oh, that is right. They never said or would not tell us.

B. K. Nirmala Devi Secretary, Rajayoga Education & Research Foundation Brahma Kumaris Tapovan Yella pur – 581359 Karnataka.

1998-1999 - 5.00 lakh rupees
1999-2000 - 5.00 lakh rupees
2000-2001 - 5.00 lakh rupees
2001-2002 - 5.00 lakh rupees

The Secretary Raja Yoga Edn. & Research foundation Mysore

2000-2001 - 1.00 lakh rupees
2001-2002 - 2.00 lakh rupees

Rajayoga Edn. & Research Foundation New Delhi.

2001-2002 - 6.13 lakh rupees

Brahma kumaries Education Society, E-38 Raja Garden, N. Delhi

2003-2004 - 2.49 lakh rupees

Brahma Kumari Education Society, Rajouri Garden, New Delhi.

2003-2004 - 0.87 lakh rupees

Brahma Kumaries Education Society, E-38 Raja Garden, N. Delhi - Training of principals and teachers

2003-2004 - 3.36 lakh rupees

Rajayoga Education & Research Foundation, New Delhi - For conducting value education training

2002-2003 - 7.32 lakh rupees
2003-2004 - 3.30 lakh rupees
2004-2005 - 2.50 lakh rupees
2005-2006 - 2.50 lakh rupees

SCHEME OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR STRENGTHENING EDUCATION IN HUMAN VALUES

NATURE OF ACTIVITIES TO BE ASSISTED:

12. Financial assistance may be provided for any activity, which is considered by the Govt. to be in furtherance of and in fulfilment of the objectives of the scheme directly or indirectly i.e. implementation of the value education component of NPE, 1986 and its POA, 1992 and values inherent in the Indian constitution. An illustrative list, but not exhaustive one, regarding the nature of activities for which assistance may be given is as under:-

(i) Development of teaching/learning material and audio-visual aids.
(ii) Training of Teachers including Art, Craft, Music and Dance teachers.
(iii) Meetings, Conferences, Workshops and Seminars for parents/ community/students or teachers.
(iv) Activities to secure participation of community, parents-teachers, students interaction aimed at inculcation of human values among children.
(v) Motivating children to participate in meaningful creative activities.
(vi) Cultural Exchange Programmes among students at school and college/institution levels.
(vii) School children theatre movement.
(viii) Comparative study of common basic values inherent in all religions by students at senior levels.
(ix) Documentation of strategies and experiences from the innovative projects.
(x) Production of audio-visual materials and harnessing media to give vide publicity to the EHV.
(xi) Research project in Education in Human Values.

Eligibility

22. Ordinarily, Central Government agencies, educational institutions, Panchayati Raj Institutions, registered societies, public trusts and non-profit making companies will be eligible for assistance under this scheme. Agencies which are not legal entities will not ordinarily be eligible.

i) In exceptional cases of production of films, audio-visualprogrammes a special procedure and eligibility may be evolved on the lines of the procedures prevailing in Doordarshan, Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET), IGNOU etc.
ii) As far as the voluntary agencies, public trusts and non-profit making companies are concerned, in order to be eligible for financial assistance under this scheme they should:

a) have a proper constitution of articles of association;
b) have a properly constituted managing body with its powers and duties clearly defined in the constitution;
c) be in a position to secure the involvement, on voluntary basis of knowledgeable persons for furtherance of their programme;
d) not be run for the profit of any individual or a body of individuals;
e) not discriminate against any person or group of persons on the ground of sex, religion, caste or creed;
f) not directly function for the furtherance of the interests of any political party;
g) not proselytise;
h) not in any manner incite communal disharmony.

iii) Only those eligible agencies which have been in existence for three years would be considered for assistance under this scheme.
iv) Credibility and capacity of an organisation will be primary criterion for grant of assistance under the scheme.

More funds from a different India Government Department. This time;

"SCHEME OF PROMOTION OF NATIONAL INTEGRATION" from the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports

2004-2005 - The Coordinator, RajYoga Education & Research Foundation - 810,000 rupees or USD $ 19,531

Not sure if this is BY BKs of OF BKs. Interesting definition of Raja Yoga suggest they are adherents.

(A Govt. of India Aided Project) BPKIHS, Nepal

A Study On The Effect of Easy RajYoga Meditation (ERYM) On Stress in Eastern Region of Nepal

Budget: 973500 or USD $ 23,767

Investigators: Principal investigator: Professor Nita Pokharel (nita_shiva@yahoo.com) College of nursing BPKIHS Co investigators: Dr. Ishwar Prasad Niroula Medical officer Department of Biochemistry BPKIHS Dr Krishna Pokharel Senior resident Department of Anaesthesiology BPKIHS Ms Hari Kumari Rai Incharge CCU/ICU BPKIHS Ms Kalpana Pokharel Incharge Surgery ward BPKIHS Ms Babita Singh Incharge Medicine ward BPKIHS

Project Summary: Objectives: Assessment of the level of stress in volunteers. Educating the Easy RajYoga Meditation. Studying the effect of Easy RajYoga Meditation on stress.

Introduction: Stress is the nonspecific response of the body to any demand made upon it. The "demand" can be a threat, a challenge or any kind of change/stimulus which requires the body to adapt. Chronic stress can predispose to a number of diseases like depression, angina, hypertension, irritable bowel syndrome, peptic ulcer, obesity, eating disorders, sleep disorders, sexual dysfunction etc. Relaation is one of the best way of coping up with chronic stress. Easy RajYoga Meditation (ERYM) is a method of autogenic relation with spiritual link, realization of the true self, contemplating on divine Supreme Being and making a mental link with divine supreme there by attaining peace, love and purity, joy, happiness, inner strength from Him. ERYM uses the mind rather than the body. It shows an interaction between the physiological and psychological processes.

ERYM is one of the training courses in RajYoga Education and Research foundation of Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University (NGO body on consultative status with UNO, UNICEF and WHO).

Subjects and Methods: Subjects: About 600 subjects (twenty volunteers from each centre) who have completed the introductory class and are willing for RajYoga meditation at thirty centres of Brahma Kumaris Spiritual University will be taken as a subject from each centre of eastern developmental regions of Nepal.

Methodology: It will be a prospective randomized controlled study. Subjects will be eplained about the study with more emphasis on the need for regular follow up. After an informed consent, they will be randomly allocated to two groups by sealed envelope technique. Level of stress will be assessed in each subject by asking them to fill up the questionnaire of a standardized rating scale (Interactive Health Resiliency Quiz for Stress Lifestyles). The study group of subjects will be given relaation therapy in the form of ERYM as guided by RajYoga eperts with the help of pictures, diagrams and audio cassettes and practiced in a silent dimly lit room. A total of 12 lessons each of 60 minutes will be given of which last 20 minutes will be devoted to a guided commentary on the meditation. They will be instructed to perform meditation for at least 20 minutes each day at their respective home in morning and evening. The subjects will continue meditation for three month. The control group of subject will not be intervened. After three month, the level of stress will be assessed in both the groups. Now the control group of subjects will be intervened. Data analysis: Student t test or z-test will be used depending on nature of the variable and their distribution using SPSS programme.

Budget Justification: Budget Breakdown (Raj Yoga)

Activity 1 Tool translation, pretesting and updating Person 6 2 Days Rs. 500 6000
Pretesting of learning materials 1000 Transportation 1 day Rs. 1000 1000
Activity 2 Data collection at 32 centres of eastern Nepal
Tools 400 pages 600 participants 2 times Rs. 2 48000
Pre intervention data collection 2 person 32 centers one day Rs 500 32000
Transport - 32 centres Rs. 2000 64000
Daily allowance 2 person 32 centres Rs. 500 32000
Activity 3 Intervention - Raj Yoga Training 2 person 32 centers 2days Rs 500 64000
Transportation 32 centres Rs. 2000 64000
Blood Pressure Instruments and Stethoscope 32 centers RS 2000 34000
Lap top one 60000
Projector one 60000
Teaching learning materials 700 copies Rs20 14000
Lunch + Refreshment 30 person 32 centers Rs. 200 192000
Post training data collection 2 person 32 centers one day Rs 500 32000
Transport - 32 centres Rs. 2000 64000
Daily allowance 2 person 32 centres Rs. 500 32000
Activity 4 Data management & report 5 person 10 days Rs. 1000 50000
Activity 5 Report printing 10000
Supporting staff 10000
Stationaries 5000
Communications 10000
Miscellaneous 88500

Total 973500 rupees

Proposed Funding by: We request your office for funding

Project Status: No fund till now

Copyright © 2008 Institute Advisory Authority, BPKIHS, Dharan

Just for those that do not know, believe or remember how it used to be ... from 1995.

May 1995 - Brahma Kumaris: Conquering A Callous World with Purity

The BK estimate having 230,000 members, defined as "students," emphasizing the need to put the spiritual knowledge into practice-an important BK doctrine.

They have a unique policy of not asking for or accepting any money from anyone who is not "benefiting from the teachings." They receive no grants from governments or any other organizations. All funds come from students' voluntary donations.

In New Zealand, the Wellington Government Grants Subcommittee declined a funding request from the BKWSU for the Government to sponsor the BKs "Just a Minute" publicity gig on Wednesday 30 May 2007.

This suggests that increasingly seeking external non-BK funding it is an internationally sanctioned and encouraged policy. Its fine to say you "don't charge for courses" but a little bit deceptive IF you are pulling in the funding elsewhere.

Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya, Maharashtra

Towards training for personality development and English speaking for rural/semi urban youth.
2006-2007 - 75,000 rupees

BKWSU "pay for" GSM thought for the day service with a nice front page plug for the BK(?) business that is running it?

Welcome to the Website of Brahma Kumaris' Godly Service on Mobiles

Brahma Kumaris' Aim to Extend its Spiritual Teachings to Every Being in Order to
Enable People Experience & Embody Peace of Mind and Long-lasting Happiness.

...and as per the demand of the present times, Brahma Kumaris' have started using
the Powerful Media of SMS Service for its World-Benefiting Activities.

More than 35,000 Mobile Users have been taking benefit of Brahma Kumaris'
Daily SMS Service.

The SMS Service of Brahma Kumaris is being managed by Ultimate Solutions, Ahmedabad.

Please visit http://www.SMSE - brokenlink - mpower.com for latest details of SMS Service.

For International Daily SMS Service, please click here.

Only the surrendered BKs can have it for free!

Business as usual!

DAILY SPIRITUAL SMS SERVICE :

This service is specially started for the member of a worldwide Spiritual Organisation, Brahma Kumaris !

Members of Brahma Kumaris organisation can subscribe to the following topics of Daily Spiritual SMS Service:

* Aaj ka Vardan (Hindi) - "V" example
* Aaj ka Slogan (Hindi) - "Sh" example
* Today's Blessing (English) - "B" example
* Today's Slogan (English) - "S" example

How to Subscribe / Register for Daily SMS Service :

For Surrendered (Samarpit) BK Brothers/Sisters:

* Fill up the Online Registration Form or follow the below method:
* If you are a Surrendered (Samarpit) B.K., you can register for the Daily SMS Service by sending an SMS as follows to 09427607707:
FreeReg <your Name> <Centre> <City> <Zone> <your PAD No.> <your Mobile No.> <SMS Topics>
* If you don't have your PAD No., then you can send a SMS Service Subscription Letter on letterhead of your centre with the sign of your centre in-charge with all details to Karuna Bhai, Shantivan, Abu Road.

For Other Members of Brahma Kumaris :

* Fill up the Online Registration Form or follow the below method:
* Pay your Daily SMS Service Subscription Fee either offline or online along with your details.
* The Subscription Fee for 1 Mobile No. of India for every daily sms topic is as follows:
Period Amount
3 months (a Quarter) Rs.20/-
6 months (Half Year) Rs.40/-
12 months (1 Year) Rs.75/-
Life-time Rs.750/-

I did hear about this a while back.

If you can get the blessing and the slogan, then why not the rest of the Murli ? If it gets too long to scroll, it can simply be edited (oops am I allowed to say that ).