Excellent academic research article on BKWSU published by OUP.
Hello dear friends and Happy Holidays to all!
Last week, 15 December, was the birthday of Mr Lekraj Khoob Chand Kripalani, founder of the BKWSU. Mr Lekraj was born
in 1884. Although BK management insists that he was born in 1876, so that he can be 60 when he founded the BKs, 60 being an age rich with symbolism in India. Of interest is that Mr Lehraj 'spiritual awakening' began in 1934, when he was 49.
However, as the true copy of Dada's birth certificate indicates, above, he was born on December 15 1884,which means he was 52 at the time he set up BKWSU, by no means 60. Not a huge error within itself, but indicative of the
general historical fabrications that BK management continues to endorse in the face of contrary evidence.
Recently, Australian academic Dr Tamasin Ramsay was commissioned by Oxford University Press to write an
annotated research article on the BKs which has now been published, though only available in full on academic sites. The article gives a broad overview, and concise commentary, on main areas of scholarship regarding the BKs,and also introduces some new perspectives
in the literature for the first time. With permission, I quote from the article below (emphasis added):
'The most popular overview, and the one used broadly by scholars and BK practitioners alike, is the highly
revered book 'Adi Dev', written by a senior brother within the movement. The emotive and descriptive nature of this seminal text ensures its position as a key reference book, despite its factual inaccuracies'.
'Chander, Jagdish. Adi Dev: The First Man. 2d ed. Edited by Robert Shubow. Mount Abu, India: Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University, 1983.... Chander embeds the spiritual understanding
from the 1960s within historical events of the 1930s and 1940s, giving the impression that the knowledge was bestowed instantaneously upon the founder. Conversely, the Brahma Kumaris theology evolved over thirty years to become the relatively static body of
knowledge it is today. Chander’s errors are widely perpetuated in other works'.
As Dr Ramsay notes these 'factual inaccuracies'in 'Adi Dev' are 'widely perpetuated in other works',confirming the findings of the late Dr Wendy Sargent that 'the real story is quite different'.DR WENDY SARGENT. BK management refuses to budge on these matters, or even discuss them,and also continues to tinker with
the teachings,in order make these highly controversial, if quite fascinating, teachings more acceptable to its students who are regularly encouraged to give their 'body, mind and wealth' and 'time, money and energy', to
the institution in order to gain future Heavenly rewards. May it be a profitable investment!🙂😘