Texas guru faces exposure over sex charges

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ex-l

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Texas guru faces exposure over sex charges

Post25 Oct 2008

Texas law includes a provision in which a religious leader can be charged for having sex with someone by "exploiting the other person's emotional dependency on the religious leader and the religious leader's professional character as spiritual adviser".

An article in the Texas newspaper, the 'Austin American Statesman' documents yet another guru to fall to accusations by followers of their guru making sexual advances on them. The followers have since quit the organization which refused to make the guru available for comment. Representatives denied the accusations, suggesting they were part of an "orchestrated plan to disparage the organization by disgruntled ex-devotees".

In another explicit article, which should be reading for all about the nature of such groups, the newspaper documents how the sect, the International Society of Divine Love, developed its highly financially rewarding commercial interests, under the guidance of business executives, to build buildings in order to draw in followers and exploit them. Exploitation of a nature the Brahma Kumaris are not entirely free ... e.g. exploiting the Hindu superstition of donating to temples or temple leaders in order to receive boons.

The victims who spoke to the American-Statesman requested anonymity because they feared reprisal from the Hindu organization. All the followers say the incidents they recall are troubling because of the gurus' influential positions as teacher, spiritual guide and ashram leader. They compare the power imbalance in their relationships with that found in teacher/student or counselor/client liaisons.

    The guru "was supposed to be their guru," said one of the victims. "Not my boyfriend."
Just as within the Brahma Kumaris, such intimate relationships also appear to violate the religion's own dogma. The cult stresses abstinence for single adults. The guru warns that sex can cause a worshipper to "fall from his devotions." Followers who questioned the advances, however, said they were told that the gurus were "gracing" them, or preparing them to realize God, by agreeing to be intimate with them.
Sounds familiar ... what with BK followers who are reported to pay to have special Bhog offered to them on the stage at Madhuban etc ... not quite as gross perhaps but do the rich and famous and potentially financially beneficial (if not Maryadas following), like the Beegee Robin Gibb and his wife or big businessmen, not get a better deal out of guru Janki Kripalani and others? The more seva you do, the better a Brahma Kumari you are.
statesman.com wrote:Generally speaking, devotees pay for a connection to the guru: from $20 to bow to him in the morning, $200 to push him on a swing, $220 to share a cookie, $600 to wash his feet and $2,500 to celebrate a birthday with him, according to a written list provided by a former resident.

"The pressure to give was intense," recalled Anastasia Blaschke of Austin, a 10-year devotee who lived on the ashram for almost three years. "The more seva you did, the better a devotee you were."

One question, would a Brahma Kumari carrying out the same not be equally guilty?

mbbhat

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Re: Texas guru faces exposure over sex charges

Post26 Oct 2008

ex-l wrote:One question, would a Brahma Kumari carrying out the same not be equally guilty?

If a BK commits sexual crime, it would be the highest.

But giving higher status to some VIPs is need not be wrong from service point of view. [Baba has said in Murli that "now sometimes Baba meets newcomers also. But one day rules will become strict. Impure souls will not be permitted inside"].
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paulkershaw

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Re: Texas guru faces exposure over sex charges

Post27 Oct 2008

The pressure to give was intense," recalled Anastasia Blaschke of Austin, a 10-year devotee who lived on the ashram for almost three years. "The more seva you did, the better a devotee you were."

Thank God we saw sense eventually. We must have been severely lacking in some department or the other to have gone into this like we did ... and thank God too that we recovered. (Mostly recovered that is ...). Hey folks, I am having a real big VIP party soon, anyone wish to contribute so you can boogie in my esteemed royal presence? - Please note the dress-code of G-string and Army boots with pink feather boa will be enforced ...
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ex-l

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Re: Texas guru faces exposure over sex charges

Post27 Oct 2008

mbbhat wrote:If a BK commits sexual crime, it would be the highest.

Two questions,

    a) if a BK center in charge did commit such a crime, what should be her punishment within the BKWSU?
    b) does anyone know of any such cases where Brahma Kumaris have been censored or punished?
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arjun

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Re: Texas guru faces exposure over sex charges

Post27 Oct 2008

ex-l wrote:a) if a BK center in charge did commit such a crime, what should be her punishment within the BKWSU?
b) does anyone know of any such cases where Brahma Kumaris have been censored or punished?

I am aware of at least two kinds of treatments in such cases:

    1. If the concerned person or persons accept their mistake and repent having done so, the concerned teacher is transferred to an undisclosed location or to Madhuban.
    2. If the concerned person is does not repent on his/her act, they are asked to leave and get married.
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ex-l

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Re: Texas guru faces exposure over sex charges

Post28 Oct 2008

I know a case where they stayed ...

I guess, either they never told the Seniors or their money power and investment into the center was so great that the Seniors ... APPARENTLY ... allowed them to stay on.

mbbhat

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Re: Texas guru faces exposure over sex charges

Post02 Dec 2008

ex-l wrote:a) if a BK center in charge did commit such a crime, what should be her punishment within the BKWSU?
b) does anyone know of any such cases where Brahma Kumaris have been censored or punished?

Sorry for late reply. (I do not have net connection at present). Now the question is, who is demanding punisment to such BKs? If he is a
a) non-Bk:- Then he does not believe in BK philosophy and hence cannot say that the crime done by BKs is highest. He should see BKs as normal people and demand justice. There are many criminals in the world. Even in spiritual organizations (e.g. Church priests or many Jagadgurs in India) highest responsible people have committed the great sexual crimes. So it becomes his responsibility to demand justice in other cases also in the same way.
b) a BK:- Murli says, do not take law into your hands. Do your purusharthah (because you also have sins of half a Kalpa) and become complete first. I have already said, nobody can complain about a BK and a BK cannot complain about anybody. Finding faut in others from (selfish point of view) is a great sin.

The strange thing in drama is, BKs do maximum sins but get less punishment. God gives excuses till the end. There is also a Murli point; "agr koyi vikaar may gaye. phir bhee purushaarth kiyaa to oonch pad mil saktaa hai" = Even if some (BKs) do sexual sin, if they do purushaarthah, they can get high status. All depends on what is your account before going to Paramdham.
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ex-l

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Re: Texas guru faces exposure over sex charges

Post02 Dec 2008

mbbhat wrote:I have already said, nobody can complain about a BK and a BK cannot complain about anybody.

Well, I guess you just have explained the logic of why the leadership finally accepted the Brahma Kumari child sex abuse incidents, they did nothing about it and the individual was never charged ... Thank you for demonstrating to the world, the uncensored BK mentality.
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tom

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Re: Texas guru faces exposure over sex charges

Post02 Dec 2008

Dear ex-l,

I must say, that the previous BK supporter poster's opinion, that - BKs get the least punishment even when they commit sins - and "nobody can complain about BKs and BKs can not complain about anybody" is only based on his own interpretation and is inadequate.

Yes, as you mentioned, the Leadership is multiple guilty in child sex abuse cases.

Because they violated children's rights, human rights, spiritual laws and also their own BK code of conduct.

During our BK life, all BKs and ex-BKs will remember also well from their own experiences - we have been warned non-stop from the Seniors and from the Murlis not to commit any sins even in our dreams. Because Dharamraj is waiting for us and there will be no mercy for any of us in front of Dharamraj. Baba's role in Dharamraj will not be any more the Merciful One and The Ocean of Love. There will be no excuse and begging for forgiveness any more.

In many small group sessions we had in Oxford and in Madhuban with the top Seniors, we asked them about worldly problems and what to do when we witness somebody is committing a sin towards us or towards others, shall we not go to the court and to the police or what?

We were told from the best of them that we should act accordingly whatever the laws and the regulations in our countries are. Of course, they mentioned the usual sending good wishes and having Yoga etc. blah blah ... but it is very clearly explained to us that if we witness in our social life or work crimes which we can not handle with goodwill, we should go to the court or police to take the necessary legal preventions. And in our places we all took the legal steps with the agreement of our Seniors when necessary. The Murlis are full of metaphors mentioning barristers and lawyers. How can we forget that BKWSU opened an unrighteous case against this forum from USA with the full support and agreement of the BK Leadership in India and in UK.

Only Dadi Janki's personal opinion is different. I heard her several times telling us as an example, that if she would hear a neighbor having a severe fight with his wife (maybe he was trying to kill his wife) or see other people fighting or doing bad things to each other, she would shut her eyes and walk away. If they would ask her what she had seen, she would say, "Nothing" because she believes this is their karma. She does not want to take any bad karma involving in it. "Why should I take their karma on me?", she said.

So ex-l, as you always said in your posts, in the child abuse cases, the BK Leaders were obliged to go to the police and deliver the criminal person or persons to the law.

According to their own belief because of not having done their duty as responsible BK Seniors, they are going to be judged by Dharamraj with severe punishment. And, from worldly point of view, we have lost our trust and respect from them because they are cold-blooded, merciless, careless and criminal persons themselves tolerating child sex abuse crimes.
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ex-l

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Re: Texas guru faces exposure over sex charges

Post03 Dec 2008

tom wrote:The previous BK supporter poster's opinion, that BKs get the less punishment even when they commit sins and "nobody can complain about BKs and BKs can not complain about anybody" is only based on his own interpretation and is inadequate.

Of course.

I would go further. Its either mental illness that individuals like him within the BK following suffer from or its Indian class based rather than "Knowledgeful", as in "I am corrupt but you are corrupt too and so we say nothing about each others corruptness". It is certainly contradictory to other BK teaching. Fantasy.

So is he saying that a BK center-in-charge can carry on a sexual affair whilst teaching celibacy, giving "dhristi" and advertising themselves as a BK, that the BK following at their center should say nothing about it and that the Seniors will do nothing about it when it is finally discovered?

    I am talking about actual scenario here, not a theoretical one.
Of course, in the scenario I am thinking about, the center-in-charge has money and a title - and the BK center in their name - so that makes all the difference to the leadership ... they backed her.

So what happens about the Shrimat about not accepting money from people not following the principles? The whole thing is an ugly joke.
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yogi108

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Re: Texas guru faces exposure over sex charges

Post03 Dec 2008

To be fair to the BK leadership they do try and mete out some kind of punishment if eventually they find out about the Sister or Brother. But I have also seen that one such Sister's mom was very influential with the Sindhi community and hence she was shifted to another country from India ...

But like all of us have heard "These sanskars are deep rooted" they come up again and again ...

So ex-l is correct in saying that power play does help in the BK world ... but they are not given the usual BK status worldwide ...

Yogi
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Mr Green

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Re: Texas guru faces exposure over sex charges

Post03 Dec 2008

yogi108 wrote:To be fair to the BK leadership they do try and mete out some kind of punishment if eventually they find out about the Sister or Brother. But I have also seen that one such Sister's mom was very influential with the Sindhi community and hence she was shifted to another country from India ... But like all of us have heard "These sanskars are deep rooted" they come up again and again ... So ex-l is correct in saying that power play does help in the BK world ... but they are not given the usual BK status worldwide ...

To be fair to the victims of abuse, they also turn a blind eye many times
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yogi108

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Re: Texas guru faces exposure over sex charges

Post03 Dec 2008

Sorry Mr.green, the incident I refer to was not about any individual being victimised. It was, say, consenting adults doing the act ... but in the eyes of the BK world it was considered shocking ...

So it was not a case of child abuse or any other form of abuse ... a surrendered Sister was seen quite close with another Brother ... that's all!!!

Yogi
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Mr Green

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Re: Texas guru faces exposure over sex charges

Post03 Dec 2008

No, I am sorry Yogi108. I have been known to fly orf the 'andle ... peace.

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