History

Beginning of Service Activities

After having empowered themselves with deep self-realisation and God-realisation, it was time to reveal this much beneficial Godly knowledge and teach meditation for the upliftment of the world. Three hundred spiritually empowered women, who had risen above the limitation of all sorts of physical barriers, set out to different parts of India to convey the divine Godly message. This group of holy swans, who were never in touch with the world for fourteen long years, did not even recognize the money which was in circulation then. But these same people were to become instruments for ushering in silent spiritual revolution that would reveal Almighty God.

Brahma Kumaris went first to Delhi where a center was opened in 1952-53 and they went also to Kanpur and Lucknow and, later to Meerut. A little later centers were established at Saharanpur, Amritsar, Patiala, Ambala, Bangalore, Bombay, etc.

The Brahma Kumaris sisters in only ones or twos with very little money in hand and no worldly knowledge went to places totally unknown to them. Wherever they went, they strictly followed the rules and regulations and observed self-disciplines of the highest order. They did not accept anyone’s money. Only the money of those persons who gave on their own free will only after having listened to the Godly knowledge and practiced meditation were accepted. Many times they spent days without food and faced many other difficulties.

Brahma Kumaris now came into contact with various religious institutions. People with different religious background came to learn Meditation from them. They also put many questions and critically examined their teachings. It was for the first time that people had seen ladies teaching Yoga-Meditation and preaching knowledge. The Knowledge which Brahma Kumaris imparted was new; it had huge contrast with many traditional or conventional beliefs. They were not involved in any rituals. They mainly dwelt on giving up lust, anger, greed, attachment, ego, malice, laziness, jealosy and blind faith.

Brahma Kumaris asked people to have mental link with or loveful awareness of God who is incorporeal and is above birth and death. They asked people to inculcate divine virtues in their lives and taught deeper aspects of Karma Philosophy. They did not consider anyone who had a physical body as God. They explained the importance of taking sattwic food(meaning pure clean food) devoid of meat and other related stuffs and to prepare food in remembrance of God so that they can have a pure state of mind.

These teachings brought negative reactions from the people who felt challenged and did not appreciate the importance and meaning behind such rules. So, in those years of service, they had to face opposition, criticism, persecution and many other basic hardships like severing of essential supplies to the centers. But their tolerance, goodwill, patience, universal love, vibrations of peace and spiritual response ultimately changed public opinion. As people came, listened, learnt and experienced, they understood and appreciated the knowledge.

New books and booklets were published on various subjects so that people could get to know more at leisure. Brahma Kumaris were now invited to religious conferences and to other programmes. They also organised their own programmes. During this period, they spoke to people on varied topics of spiritual, behavioural, psychological, historical and cultural interest.

In 1954, a delegation, consisting of Dadi Prakashmani our present chief along with three others went to Japan to participate in World Religious Conference in Shimizu City. It also imparted knowledge to many in Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. Thus the seeded for the service outside India was sown.

Now we are pleased to note with satisfaction that the Godly centers are established in almost every corner of India and many countries in the world and the aspirants are welcome to visit any of these centers.

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