Brahma Kumaris Research Articles

The Concept of the Supreme Soul in Shrimad Bhagawad Geeta and in the View of Brahma Kumaris

The identity of God, in the mind of most theists and believers is vague. Most people consider the mystery about God as insoluble. Even the sages in the ancient past, who spent most of their time in the search of metaphysical truth, have said that God is beyond the reach of human understanding. beyond human perception, unknowable Not this Not this. These are some of the words they have been using to express the inability of human mind to comprehend God. God cannot be subjected to investigation by human senses or the scientific instruments as the material objects of the phenomenal world, it is not beyond the ability of a human being to get a reasonably accurate idea and an enjoyable and fair experience of divine virtues, attributes and acts of God. It would be proper to add here that the metaphysical habit of considering God to be infinite in size is in itself based on misconception and yet, those, who theorise that God is beyond human comprehension, are not prepared to accept their this corollary when they are told that they too have not properly comprehended. The word ‘God’ is now-a-days used in several meanings but we consider it etymologically, it means: One who is extremely good. In the word ‘God’, ‘G’, for the Greatest, ‘O’ for ‘Only One’ and ‘D’, for Dazzling Divinity’, in other words ‘G’ stands for one who is Self-Existent, ‘O’ signifies the Perfect One and ‘D’ denotes its brilliancy or its self-luminous nature. Hence, the word ‘God’ means a Person who is Self-existent and is Eternal and of the nature of Light. So This article helps to realize the real identity of Supreme Soul, the real truth abut the Supreme Soul which is in Shrimad Bhagawad Gita and The Brahma Kumaris used for Meditation which is real one.

What contributes to wellbeing gains – proficiency or duration of meditation related practices?

Several studies have shown physical and mental health benefits associated with different schools of meditation. However, reviews have recommended interpretation of study outcomes in the context of school specific traditional practices. In the literature, practice proficiency is often conflated with hours or years of meditation practice and it is difficult to attribute wellbeing gains directly to the proficiency of practice. We carried out two studies to examine wellbeing, practice proficiency, and duration of practice amongst Brahma Kumaris Rajayoga (BKRY) practitioners from India. In Study 1, we surveyed participants (n = 1009) to record the socio-demographics, spiritual lifestyle components, and wellbeing enhancement attributed to their spiritual practice. We developed new measures for evaluating proficiency of BKRY practice and for assessment of progress in wellbeing attributed to BKRY practice. Both measures had high internal consistency scores (alphas 0.95, 0.93). Block-wise hierarchical linear regression analysis showed that after accounting for demographic variables, BKRY practice proficiency strongly predicted progress in wellbeing, explaining over 51.6% of the total variance. In Study 2, we took three well-matched groups ( n = 86) that were distinct on the basis of duration of practice (long term, short term and zero term). We examined wellbeing differences in these three groups and the extent of correlation of wellbeing with practice proficiency, progress in wellbeing and duration of practice. We conclude that meditation practice does improve wellbeing and that proficiency of practice is better correlated with most aspects of wellbeing than duration of practice but there are a few aspects of wellbeing that increase with sustained practice over a long time. We recommend that studies involving other schools of spiritual/religious practice incorporate tradition-specific proficiency assessment (instead of using years of practice as a proxy) and also use the Progress in Wellbeing scale for assessing practice-aided improvements in wellbeing.

HINDU SPIRITUAL GROUPS IN INDONESIA AND THEIR ACTIVE ROLES IN MAINTAINING HARMONY

Hinduism in Indonesia has been embraced in various ways. In addition to individual adoption, the conversion to Hinduism has also be performed through religious groups, which later develop by adjusting the local customs. The distinction between one adherent to another is essentially unified by the same theology. Panca Sraddha is one of the binders of Buddhis’ belief to Brahman, Atman, Karmaphala, Punarbhawa or Samsara, and Moksa. By utilizing this similarity, people who belong to Hinduism in Indonesia can live in harmony with other fellow Hindus as well as other religious communities, including Indonesian "indigenous religion" followers. Taking the fact into account; however, there are some Sampradaya or spiritual groups which aim to study the religion deeply by making the Vedic scriptures as the only source of the teachings which might lead them into certain challenging situations in terms of living in harmonious life. The problematic situations were addressed through this qualitative research, which employed interviews, observations, as well as document analysis as source of data. This study concludes that the three religious spiritual groups in Hinduism described in this article are now well-welcomed as an integral part of Indonesian Hindus and members of community in general, although they initially have been rejected at the beginning of their development. In keeping harmony among religious believers, these three spiritual groups, Hare Krishna, Sai Baba, and Brahma Kumaris are actively managing pleasant relations with the Indonesian government, Hindu councils, traditional Hindus, and other religious communities. They have performed strategies of dialogue, cooperation, and social service through humanitarian activities based on love and universal values.

Meditation for meaning in life and happiness of older adults: A multi-city experiment of the Brahma Kumaris’ Raja yoga practice

ABSTRACTThis article reports on a multi-city experiment of a customized Raja yoga meditation program in enhancing the meaning in life and happiness of older adults. Participant cohort was comprised of 698 older adult followers across 10 European and African cities with an equal number in the comparison group. Results indicated that meditation positively impacted the life satisfaction and happiness of participants. Post-test outcome measure scores were higher for participants from European cities, women, middle class, retired, never married, and widowed, with good self-rated health, who regularly attended the meditation sessions and self-practiced. Participants’ personal engagement through regular self-practice was the most significant predictor of higher post-test meaning in life and subjective happiness. Results imply that this specially designed Raja yoga meditation is a strong pastoral care practice that could be used with older adults with some variations based on cultural, biographical, and health profiles of participants and regular self-practice as a prerequisite.

Exploration of Lower Frequency EEG Dynamics and Cortical Alpha Asymmetry in Long-term Rajyoga Meditators.

Background:Rajyoga meditation is taught by Prajapita Brahmakumaris World Spiritual University (Brahmakumaris) and has been followed by more than one million followers across the globe. However, rare studies were conducted on physiological aspects of rajyoga meditation using electroencephalography (EEG). Band power and cortical asymmetry were not studied with Rajyoga meditators.Aims:This study aims to investigate the effect of regular meditation practice on EEG brain dynamics in low-frequency bands of long-term Rajyoga meditators.Settings and Design:Subjects were matched for age in both groups. Lower frequency EEG bands were analyzed in resting and during meditation.Materials and Methods:Twenty-one male long-term meditators (LTMs) and same number of controls were selected to participate in study as par inclusion criteria. Semi high-density EEG was recorded before and during meditation in LTM group and resting in control group. The main outcome of the study was spectral power of alpha and theta bands and cortical (hemispherical) asymmetry calculated using band power.Statistical Analysis:One-way ANOVA was performed to find the significant difference between EEG spectral properties of groups. Pearson's Chi-square test was used to find difference among demographics data.Results:Results reveal high-band power in alpha and theta spectra in meditators. Cortical asymmetry calculated through EEG power was also found to be high in frontal as well as parietal channels. However, no correlation was seen between the experience of meditation (years, hours) practice and EEG indices.Conclusion:Overall findings indicate contribution of smaller frequencies (alpha and theta) while maintaining meditative experience. This suggests a positive impact of meditation on frontal and parietal areas of brain, involved in the processes of regulation of selective and sustained attention as well as provide evidence about their involvement in emotion and cognitive processing.

Dance and Other Slippages: Critical Narratives on Women, Dance, and Art by Rina Angela P. Corpus

Reviewed by: Dance and Other Slippages: Critical Narratives on Women, Dance, and Art by Rina Angela P. Corpus Clarissa Cecilia Mijares Ramos Rina Angela P. Corpus Dance and Other Slippages: Critical Narratives on Women, Dance, and Art University of the Philippines Press, 2013. 143 pages. The literature on Philippine dance by Filipino writers is so scanty that every published contribution is considered valuable. Rina Angela P. Corpus's Dance and Other Slippages, however, begs to move outside that category of "just-another-valuable-contribution" toward being a piece of substantial scholarship that could pave the way for a shift in perspectives in Philippine dance studies. Corpus was a volunteer and meditation teacher at the Brahma Kumaris Center for Spiritual Learning in Tagaytay City. In that tranquil city south of Manila she finalized her two books on dance, Defiant Daughters of Dancing (University of Hawai'i Press, 2017) and Dance and Other Slippages—the former, based on her master's thesis; the latter, a compilation of essays spanning over ten years of introspection (1999–2013). She was assistant professor in the Department of Art Studies of the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman, where she earned her undergraduate degree in Art Studies and her [End Page 107] master's in Art History. She moved to Melbourne in 2016 for her PhD in Dance at the Victorian College of the Arts in the University of Melbourne. Corpus has not only written about Filipina contemporary dancers, but for a brief moment she was a contemporary dancer herself. She studied classical ballet in her youth and was affiliated with the Quezon City Ballet. She also took classes and dance workshops with Ballet Manila, Swiss Chamber Ballet International, Perry Sevidal Ballet School, and Limon Dance Institute in New York. In 2006 she directed and performed in a dance-solo-show titled "The Four Faces of Woman: A Dance-Exhibit Celebrating Women and Spirit," which was supported by UP's Office of Initiative in Culture and the Arts, the Anthrosophia Wellness Foundation, Inc., and the National Commission on Culture and the Arts. Corpus's affinity for dance and interest in understanding and facilitating meaning making are fleshed out in her 2013 publication. Offering a feminist-postmodernist approach to dance criticism, she seeks to "challenge the previous 'paternal' authorities of the 'great art' and 'grand dance' canons" (xiii). This approach to dance allows her and her work to stand out in a sea of Philippine dance performance critics who have mostly taken to formalistic and historical-materialist approaches. None of this is to say that Corpus disregards history. In fact, in Dance and Other Slippages she chronicles the lives of Filipina dance-artists and lays out a purposely selected dance repertoire for posterity. Her interest in history and historicity is evident in her previously published works. Corpus has been consistent in anchoring her research methodology on dance biographies as evident in Defiant Daughters of Dancing. Through her inquiry into the lives and artistic expressions of dance-artists, Corpus provides insights on the sociopolitical landscape of Philippine contemporary dance. She applies this kind of probing in Dance and Other Slippages, which focuses on the reading of dance performances and the retelling of dances through conversations about their conceptualization and production of dance. The book consists mostly of reviews of dance productions from 1999 to 2012. With over eight chapters, it is a compilation of textual analyses of dance performances and gallery shows that focus on women. She begins her reviews with layouts of analytical frameworks, citing feminist theorists whose ideas she applies to the reading of dance texts. Her carefully curated repertoire list consists of materials that have women as either subjects or producers. [End Page 108] This book should be lauded for providing space for independently produced dance shows. Featured in Dance and Other Slippages are dance-artists and performances that can be considered to have thrived outside traditional theater and the formal support structures for the arts in the country. Keeping true to her postmodernist preferences, Corpus conscientiously includes independently produced dance events that have not received ample exposure and patronage, such as Agnes Locsin's Sabel, Gerard Mercado's Daragang Magayon, Angela Baguilat and...

DESCRIPTION OF LEVELS LOW DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL (LDL) IN THE BRAHMA KUMARIS LACTO VEGETARIAN COMMUNITY ON DENPASAR CITY

Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is one of the main factors of cardiovascular disiase (Heart and blood vassel disease) one the leading cause of death in developed an developing country. One barometer in orther to know the risk factor for CHD is the lipid profile, inkluding Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. This causes many people to switch to adopt a vegetarian diet. Lacto vegetarians consume foods from vegetable, vegetables and fruits, this type of vegetarians consume milk but don’t consume eggs. The goal of this study is to know the level of Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) on lacto vegetarian in Brahma Kumaris community. The type of study is descriptive and using puposive sampling tecnique. Sampling was done in the Lacto Vegetarian Brahma Kumaris community. LDL examination results obtained from 30 respondents, this is 28 people (93.4%) with optimal levels, 1 person (3.3%) with levels close to optimal, and 1 person (3.3%) with alarming levels.

Just a minute meditation: Rapid voluntary conscious state shifts in long term meditators.

Meditation induces a modified state of consciousness that remains under voluntary control. Can meditators rapidly and reversibly bring about mental state changes on demand? To check, we carried out 128 channel EEG recordings on Brahma Kumaris Rajayoga meditators (36 long term: median 14240h meditation; 25 short term: 1095h) and controls (25) while they tried to switch every minute between rest and meditation states in different conditions (eyes open and closed; before and after an engaging task). Long term meditators robustly shifted states with enhanced theta power (4-8Hz) during meditation. Short term meditators had limited ability to shift between states and showed increased lower alpha power (8-10Hz) during eyes closed meditation only when pre and post task data were combined. Controls could not shift states. Thus trained beginners can reliably meditate but it takes long term practice to exercise more refined control over meditative states.

The role of Rajyoga meditation for modulation of anxiety and serum cortisol in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery: A prospective randomized control study.

Introduction:Rajyoga meditation is a form of mind body intervention that is promoted by the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University. This form of meditation can be easily performed without rituals or mantras and can be practiced anywhere at any time. The practice of Rajyoga meditation can have beneficial effects on modulating anxiety and cortisol level in patients undergoing major cardiac surgery.Materials and Methods:A prospective randomized control study was carried out in a single tertiary care center. One hundred and fifty patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass surgery were enrolled in the study. The patients were randomized in two groups namely, Group 1 (Rajyoga group) and Group 2 (Control Group). Anxiety was measured on a visual analog scale 1–10 before the start of Rajyoga training or patient counseling (T1), on the morning of the day of surgery (T2), on the 2nd postoperative day (T3), and on the 5th postoperative day (T4). The serum cortisol level was measured in the morning of the day of surgery (T1), on the 2nd postoperative day (T2) and on the 5th postoperative day (T3), respectively.Results:In the study, it was seen that the anxiety level of the patients before the surgery (T1) and on the day of surgery (T2) were comparable between the two groups. However on the 2nd postoperative day (T3), the patients who underwent Rajyoga training had lower anxiety level in comparison to the control group (3.12 ± 1.45 vs. 6.12 ± 0.14, P < 0.05) and on the 5th postoperative day (T4) it was seen that Rajyoga practice had resulted in significant decline in anxiety level (0.69 ± 1.1 vs. 5.6 ± 1.38, P < 0.05). The serum cortisol level was also favorably modulated by the practice of Rajyoga meditation.Conclusion:Mindbody intervention is found to effective in reducing the anxiety of the patients and modulating the cortisol level in patients undergoing wellknown stressful surgery like coronary artery bypass surgery.

“Baba Has Come to Civilize Us”: Developmental Idealism and Framing the Strict Demands of the Brahma Kumaris

This article extends and complicates the theory that “strict churches are strong” based on the strict demands that were followed and not followed by the Brahma Kumaris in Nepal. To be successful, strict religious groups must not only be strict, but also frame their strictness in ways that resonate with the everyday experiences and commonly held beliefs of their members. Nepali women involved with the Brahma Kumaris tend to accept and follow the group's demands when those demands have been framed as modern, and that framing is resonant with the prevailing definitions of modernity offered by Western development agencies. When the modern framing is not resonant, as with the case of framing celibacy as “spiritual birth control,” the strict demand is not followed, and the frame itself is rejected in favor of the practice being defined in different terms.

Understanding God from the Indian Context in the 20th and 21st Centuries

Understanding God from the Indian Context in the 20th and 21st Centuries

W poszukiwaniu kobiecej sprawczości duchowej

In the paper, I explore the issue of female spiritual agency through ethnographic fieldwork conducted among Polish converts from Catholicism to a female dominated, Hindu rooted new religious movement, the Brahma Kumaris. My data show that reasons of conversion include dissatisfaction of gender relations. However, instead of becoming feminists, the women at the center of my research commit to strict ascetic discipline. The changes that this commitment entails totally reorganize their relations within their families and their social lives. Drawing on contemporary developments in anthropological approaches to agency, I focus on theorizing those elements of agency and identity that go beyond liberal feminist concepts of women’s emancipation. The Brahma Kumaris is a marginal group, but the general pattern of analysis of renegotiation of family life and relations beyond the private sphere may apply to other women’s groups.

Effect of Rajayoga Meditation of Brahma Kumaris on Pulmonary Functions

We had measured various parameters of pulmonary functions in 30 healthy medical students, who had never done meditation taken as control and 30 subjects who were practicising rajayoga meditation for more than 2 years regularly taken as a case group. The PFT was measured by computerized spirometer (RMS-Helios, Recorders and Medicare Systems Pvt. Ltd., Chandigarh, India). We have measured Maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV), peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced mid expiratory flow in 25%75% (FEF25- 75) and FEV1/FVC in who are practicising rajayoga meditation before and after meditation in meditators and compared it with nonmeditators. We found significant changes in FVC, FEF25-75, PEFR in meditators than non meditators.

Understanding the Brahma Kumaris. By Frank Whaling.

Understanding the Brahma Kumaris. By Frank Whaling.

EDUCATING THE NEXT GENERATION IN UNIVERSAL VALUES? HINDU-RELATED NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS AND VALUES EDUCATION IN THE COMMON SCHOOL

This article compares two values education programmes currently available for UK schools and the Hindu-related organisations – the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University and the Sathya Sai Service Organisation UK – with which they are associated. Attention is paid to the development of the programmes and the reasons for their implementation in certain schools. We conclude by considering the relevance of the cultic provenance for schools’ uptake and whether the programmes are Hindu in content.

The Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University, South Africa: “Self Transformation is World Transformation”

The Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University (BKWSU), a relatively new global spiritual movement, was founded in India by Dada Lekhraj or Brahma Baba and arose from a Hindu cultural base known as Om Mandli in the 1930s before becoming known as BKWSU in the 1960s. It emerged as a spiritual force in South Africa in the 1980s. Themovement is becoming more significant in a post-apartheid South Africa, where its non-dogmatic, non-ritualistic embracing of non- cultural and non-religious beliefs appeals to a society that has had to endure generations of racial, religious and class distinction.The movement's strong focus on the spiritual empowerment of women through an understanding of the soul and its connection to God, appeals to South African women who appreciate a spiritual approach which is non-sectarian and non- doctrinaire in nature. This article traces the history and the role of the Brahma Kumaris movement and its contribution to South African society.

Self-concept and Quality of Life of Brahmakumaris

The concept of self is probably the most distinctive and indispensable concept in psychology of Personality and Social psychology. The core of personality is the self-concept, the concept an individual has of oneself as a person in relation to the world which one lives in. Cattell (1957) referred to Self-concept as the keystone of personality. Its importance stems from its influence over the quality of a person's behaviour and methods of adjustment to life situations. Rogers (1951) and his followers felt that the basic problem of many disturbed people is that their Self-concepts are sources of inner discord. An individual's Self-concept is closely and directly related to his experiences, competence and self-actualization (Tam et al., 2004). In other words an individual's Self-concept and Quality of Life are highly are correlated.Quality of life refers to the degree of excellence in one's life at any period of time that contributes to satisfaction and happiness of the person and benefits the society. The two factors of life are : satisfactory conditions and satisfying conditions. The satisfactory conditions include factors like group cohesiveness, sharing of each others experiences, helping attitudes, understanding and sharing each other's problems, absence of any physical and mental illness etc. The satisfying conditions include factors such as a sense of belongingness, presence of positive attitudes, subjective feeling of physical well being, absence of unhealthy experiences (Verma & Asthana, 2004)Quality of life is a comprehensive and holistic concept. Psychologists generally consider it as individual's satisfaction (Summer, 1976), psychological well being (Andrews & Withey, 1978) and happiness (Easterlin, 1978). Quality of life is defined as individual's perceptions of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns (WHO, 1995).The quality of life-ordinary life, corporate life, work life or academic life-is not a matter of products but processes and deals with man's satisfaction and dissatisfaction which he derives from his possessions, material or otherwise. The study of quality of life is a systematic study of perceived satisfactions and dissatisfactions in order to identify possible futuristic problematic areas and to measure the progress of existing attitudinal changes. The quality of life can be improved by understanding Self-concept.Studies have reported that Brahmakumaris are women who lead a life of celibacy (Lawrence,! 987) and practice a chastity in marriage (Hodgkinson, 2002; Lochtefeld, 2002) in order to focus energies on the world to come (Murray, 1994). Studies report that Celibacy undertaken for spiritual motive normally produces personalities that are mature, well balanced , serene and particularly suited for a generous self-commitment to others (Torello, 1999). In view of this the Brahmakumaris are expected to have a high positive selfconcept and quality of Life.But there are studies reporting that Sexual satisfaction is an important component of Quality of Life (Derogatis & Derogatis, 1990; Woodward, Hass & Woodward, 2002) or associated with higher Quality of Life (Darling & McKoy,1993; Guelino, Pena, Mishra & Smith, 2001). Being married and having a family life is considered to have a positive effect on Subjective well-being. Many psychological needs of Security, Care and affection are fulfilled by the Family. Married people into Family life view themselves positively and have a higher Quality of life (Gove, Style & Hughes, 1990). If these views are considered then Homemakers who are married and into Family life should have higher positive Selfconcept and Quality of life than Brahmakumaris.In view of these contradictory findings the present study was undertaken to assess and compare the Self-concept and Quality of life of female Brahmakumaris using Homemakers as a Control group. …

The Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University, South Africa: “Self Transformation is World Transformation”

The Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University, South Africa: “Self Transformation is World Transformation”

Efficacy of Rajayoga Meditation on Positive Thinking: An Index for Self-Satisfaction and Happiness in Life

Psychological studies have shown that brief period of mindfulness meditation significantly improves critical cognitive skills. But, there are no studies which have assessed the effects of Brahma Kumaris Rajayoga Meditation (BKRM) practice on positive thinking and happiness in life. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis is BKRM enhances positive thinking and that essential to attain higher levels of self-satisfaction and happiness in life. This study is a cross sectional comparative study which was done between Rajayoga meditators and non-meditators. This study was conducted at BKRM Centres at Manipal and Udupi in Karnataka, India. Fifty subjects were selected for this study, which included those practising BKRM in their normal routine life (n=25) and non-meditators (n=25) who were aged 42.95+/15.29 years. Self-reported Oxford happiness questionnaire (OHQ) was administered to all subjects and their happiness scores and status were assessed and compared. Items related to self-satisfaction in life were selected from the OHQ and compared between meditators and non-meditators. Participants completed self-reported OHQ, from which data of happiness status and self-satisfaction in relation to meditation duration and frequency were analyzed by descriptive statistics and test of hypothesis. Mean happiness scores of BKRM were significantly higher (p<0.001) in meditators as compared to those in non-meditators. The number of meditators experiencing happiness status were significantly higher (p<0.05) in comparison with non-meditators. Additionally, meditators scored significantly higher on self-satisfaction items (p<0.001) as compared to non-meditators. There was no correlation between age and years of meditation practice with happiness score and self-satisfaction score. BKRM helps in significantly increasing self-satisfaction and happiness in life by enhancing positive thinking. Irrespective of age and years of short-term or long-term meditation practice, enhanced positive thinking increases self-satisfaction and happiness in life.

Identidades e performatividade de gênero nas práticas discursivas da Brahma Kumaris.

The present paper undertakes a theoretical and critical analysis of the question of gender within Brahma Kumaris discursive practices and makes its critique in line, basically, with the thought of Judith Butler. The interdisciplinary fi eld of gender studies argues that gender is the very condition of possibility for subjectivity, thus being invested with social and political connotations. However, the traditions, both secular and religious, tend either to obliterate or to naturalize gender. By adopting the theoretical and methodological framework of Social and Cultural Pragmatics (Rajagopalan, 2000; Pinto, 2002), this paper attempts to critique the elision of gender within Brahma Kumaris discourse, and, in doing so, tries to address the question of performativity that is implied in recent critical approaches of the social and human sciences when focusing the question of gender.