human being wrote:From Pink, Gupta rati and to some extent ex-l, I have a question. What exactly is the purpose of this website?
Well, humanbeing, congratulate yourself for hitting the nail on the head with regards sukshmbindu; and, sukshmbindu, congratulate yourself for surviving, remaining open minded, and being able to talk about your issues.
What are we here for? To do "chemistry" like this, to help individuals such as sukshmbindu and her family.
Human, you are, of course, very welcome to post your own corrections of critiques of "Westerners", "Westerners view of Hinduism", "Western interaction with India" or even any single individual on this forum ... but please start a new topic to do so. I'd like you to.
Ditto, your self-help survival tactics for ex- and exiting BKs. Please do so, that's also what we are here to do ... to document and store BK related insights.
You never know whose life it may save.
I try and frame my views within the context of Hinduism/Oriential religion as portrayed by the BKs (who, IMHO, know little to nothing about it).
Recently an ex-BK started a related conversion about Africa ... so I am looking forward to an "Africa versus India" fight over claims to have started martial arts, and "meditation".
Despite me being an Aryan White Supremacist (joke) ...
and remember, "we" kicked Dravidan ass fair and square 3,000 years ago, and then again in the 1800s (second bad joke) ... I'll actually put my money on it all starting in Africa first (no joke at all).
How does the "out of Africa" evolution theory stick with Indians?
It may sound grandiose ...
and I am not talking about sukshmbindu here ... but people have come back years afterwards and told us that this site saved their or someone's lives. Not everyone posts here, many just read. Fanning the flames of their minds to start thinking and questioning and getting back up to face life, shaking people up, making them laugh or even wind them up is part of what we do to try and shake them awake again ... even if every statement made is not always 100% correct for all time.
And sometimes we are gentle and understanding.
Secondly, please also realising that we are not selling anything, we are not promoting any religion, we are not pretending to be experts, we are all just finding our own way. But I think you'll find rajgupta has practised martial arts for a long time, Pink - even if you don't agree with his views (
and I don't either, but that does not mean he wrong) - has actually studied and practised Buddhism and therapeutic related stuff to a professional level; and others that come and go also have their own specialities.
Personally, before BKism -
which turned out to be a big mistake - I actually *started* out by studying spiritualism and even training to become a medium/healer (did not complete) and then Westernised hatha and Bhakti Yoga, and have lived in "The Orient" with Asians for years.
However, just to get back to sukshmbindu's far more important situation for one minute, having written "BKism turned out to be a big mistake" ... which I maintain it is and hence my caution for her ... I do recognise that for many adopting a cult persona, joining a cultic religion, and engaging in a relatively safe or calming environment that BKism on the outside can be ... can also be a life saver.
This is well recognised not in cultic studies. People adopt the "cultic mask" as a ready made personality, with ready made friends, in a ready made family at times of crisis often to escape from that which is making them most unhappy, or killing them mentally. Then behind the mask, they are able to work on themselves and make the changes that are necessary, after which they leave.
The only problem being, that cults often make it difficult to leave. If only the BKs offered a true ashram service without filling people's minds full of nonsense and encouraging dependency in their in order to exploit them.
From my point of view, in my tradition's language, I'd question whether sukshmbindu is actually what the doctor's diagnose ... or just a little too "psychically open", and not fully in control of that.
I'd like to split our conversation into stuff relating to her, and the other more theoretical or cultural stuff.
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With regards to your sensitivity towards criticisms/idiocies about India, human being.
On a fairly regular basis over the years we have had individuals come forward who find it hard to accept such criticism ... in the same way, perhaps, that the Shiv Sena have a problem with "progressive" Indian movies and written works (
joke ... I appreciate that you are not going to riot, and try and burn the server farm down like they might!).
All I can say on that is ... welcome to the fist fight. Stand up for your own views and put them to the test. Try and draw some conclusion or relate some connections to BKism. If someone's being an idiot, throw a few metaphorical punches.
You are aware about how critical BKism is/was about Hinduism, aren't you? I'd say that is a lot of Western BKs first introduction to it.
It's difficult for a goldfish to have an objective opinion about the water he or she is swimming in ... unless they've had the opportunity to taste other waters, or another fishbowl, for some of the time.
I am sorry but I don't even really know what you are specifically referring to here ... answer in new topic, please.