john wrote:Worldpeace is sounds like you can be a valuble source of information for us westerner ex-BK regarding Indian spiritual life.
It would be my pleasure share my experience and whatever I know and can and it is fascinating to learn the experience of westerner BK/PBK/ex-BK experience. Rather than posting a big essay I would restrict myself small postings with the flow of the thread as I am a bad writer.
john wrote:It would be interesting to find out what is unique to BK and what is just a general practise amongst Indian spiritual organisations.
There are so many spiritual organisations/cults/persons/leaders/gods in India, from the big cities to the remotest villages. Most them have crazy ideas/concepts (to me, would be to any thinking person) and real crazy actions like; breaking the cocunut over the head for washing your sins, dancing in front of the idol to invoke/please God for a favour, piercing bodies, and just to whatever the so called guru/priest/divine-being asks to (they exploit people financially/sexually). As I said its part of the national psyche ... we need to fed upon something religious/spiritual.
Even if I speak Gyan to them, I too would be a guru one day. Market analysis says there lots of demands for gurus.
There are some niche groups serving the rich (they too need to be fed) like Jaggi Vasudev. And every major group has a dedicated team to market to/serve the rich and the influential. More the money, more the access to the gurus. There are some genuine Sanyasins too, wanderers, I must say that I myself would like to study them. Never did get any chance.
I would like to mention something very relevant, there is a tribe which just does Yoga on the light form of Shiva and nothing else, at a Shiv temple in South India. There might be such tribes at other places too. One BK Brother explianed that there will be so many people who will be export-ready to Satyug when they come to Gyan. These tribes might belong to them. BKs differ from most others in the concept of God and Drama cycle. Everybody speaks of soul. In this perspective, for the laymen who keep coming and going out, BK is just another spiritual organisation
john wrote:Is BK generally known throughout India?
Not exactly. I know there is lot of work being done for Prathyakshatha. But with so many organisations around, the recall value is almost lost. BKs are quite popular in the cities. Towns/villages, definitely not as far as I know except for a few.
john wrote:How common is the usage of the word Baba?
Baba is a Hindi word. In North India, where Hindi is predominant, it is very common to refer to a fatherly figure, elders and even the priests. In South India, Baba is popularised by the siritual Gurus (Sai Baba) and it has come to refer to only spiritual gurus and lately attained a negative view with so many calling themselves Baba found to be culprits of exploitation and cheating, especially in the South.
Same can be seen within the BKs, North Indians immediately accept the word Baba to refer God. South Indians (including me) are initially reluctant to accept the word for God but later get used to and it becomes natural.
Disclaimer : All stated views are entirely mine and doesn't reflect any of the persons/organisations mentioned above.
(nobody cares for this in India)
Peace