It's amazing to think about. Once a person is certain of their identity as immortal soul, then there can be no question about it. I am a peaceful soul, knowledgeful soul, loveful soul, etc. etc. Car and driver. Mind-intellect-sansakaras. Karma, rebirth.proy wrote:Now you are discovering what the prevailing attitude is amongst the BKs. They think they are right and everybody else is wrong, so why should they listen to you.
By the time the person gets this far, they arrive at absolute unshakeable certainty.(*note) I mean, how could it be wrong that I am a soul?? This is the rock bottom truth for the BKs. God just happens to be a slightly different soul with a different role. Accept soul and you pretty much accept God described by BKs as Supreme Soul.
Now if the BKs are the only people in the whole wide world who can describe in precise language the soul and God, perhaps they are right about body consciousness, the nature of vice and evil, the benefits of lactovegetarian diet, the hellish torturing swords of lust and anger, the debilitating bonds of attachment.
From one seed (Now I know who I really am!) a whole tree of conditioning and even brainwashing grows. So if I know the secret of the ages, and you don't know and don't believe, that kind of invalidates any claim you might have to spiritual knowledge, or any sense or wisdom at all in my eyes.
BKs tend to argue (sorry discuss) a lot about their philosophy (which they call knowledge) because that is one of the bases for how they establish their pecking order. If you are ignorant, your every action is sinful, and you don't even know it.
(*note) A really amazing faith, that for example enabled me to detach enough to get some fillings done without novocaine. I did not notice that it did not teach me how to play, enjoy and love. After all, I could play with other BKs, and love and enjoy the BK way.
So I would like to underscore just how deeply this concept of soul can invade the person's sense of self. Lucky BKs accept this concept, yet are able to ignore other expectations that go along with it. For unlikely ones its like getting raped. More than a few have committed suicide, many many of us have (and still do) consider doing so.
ex-l asks if this is hypnosis. Perhaps, but not necessarily different that is found in other cults. After all, believers of other cults have just as strong faith, even if the other group's 'knowledge' is not as thrilling to BKs as their own. And that faith couples into all the weird group coercion, regardless. Even if the BK knowledge is 'right' it doesn't seem to liberate all BKs, or in fact any of the fringe or alternative-sect believers from the challenges of life. It only seems so when you're in the 'supportive' environment of the group.