International Society for Krishna Consciousness
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Template:Cleanup-date The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), also known as 'the Hare Krishna' was founded in 1966 by an elderly Indian monk called A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. While some classified the sect as a new religious movement, its core philosophy is based on scriptures such as the Bhagavad-Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam, both of which date back many years into antiquity. The distinctive appearance of the movement, and its culture come from the Gaudiya Vaishnavism tradition, which has had adherents in India ever since the late 1400s. The only change in recent years has been its arrival on American, European and African shores.
ISKCON formed to help spread the practice of bhakti yoga (the yoga of devotion). Bhaktas, or devotees, dedicate their devotion towards Krishna, who they call "The Supreme Lord" or (God); Radha, who is Krishna's divine consort; and the many other incarnations of Krishna, such as Sita and Rama.
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The Great Mantra
The popular nickname of "Hare Krishnas" for devotees of this movement comes from the chant that devotees sing aloud or chant quietly on rosary-like beads by practitioners. This mantra is called the maha mantra -- which means "great chant" in Sanskrit-- and contains the names of God. Devotees believe that the sound vibration created by repeating these names of God gradually induces pure God-consciousness, or "Krishna consciousness."
- Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
- Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
- Hare Rama Hare Rama
- Rama Rama Hare Hare
The founder of ISKCON, Srila Prabhupada stated that 'Krishna' and 'Rama' are both names of God and Hare (vocative of 'Hara' and pronounced "ha ray") refers to God's Energy or 'Shakti', known as Srimati Radharani.
Origins of the Maha Mantra
The maha mantra is a central part of the religious practice of ISKCON members. The chant originates from a text known as the Kali Santarana Upanishad in the format of:
- Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare,
- Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare,
but was reversed when being popularized by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu roughly around 1500 CE. The rest of the text reads as follows:
- hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare
- hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare
- iti sodasakam namnam kali-kalmasa-nasanam
- natah parataropayah sarva-vedesu drsyate
Presence in city streets
Hare Krishna devotees sing and dance with drums and cymbals in streets of cities around the world in the manner of the Gaudiya Vaisnava tradition (harinama-sankirtana); the ladies wear colorful saris, the married men and novices wear white dhotis; and the celibate brahmacharis wear saffron dhotis. Monks living inside temple grounds typically shave their heads, leaving only a tuft of hair called sikha. As followers of the Gaudiya Vaisnava tradition, Hare Krishna devotees wear tilakas on their forehead. ISKCON currently has over 150 centres around the world.
Philosophy and history
Hare Krishna devotees believe that Krishna is the origin of Lord Vishnu. They honor Krishna as the highest form of God, and often refer to him as "the Supreme Personality of Godhead" in writing, which was a phrase coined by Bhaktivedanta Swami in his books on the subject. Devotees consider Radha to be Krishna's female counterpart, the embodiment of love. An important aspect of their philosophy is the belief that the individual soul is an eternal personal identity which does not ultimately merge into any formless light or void as suggested by monistic (advaita) interpretations of Hinduism and the Bhagavad Gita.
Hare Krishna devotees specifically follow a disciplic line of Gaudiya, or Bengali, Vaisnavas which comes under the general descripiton of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Gaudiya Vaisnavism has had a continuous following in India, especially West Bengal and Orissa for the past five hundred years. Srila Prabhupada popularized Gaudiya Vaishnava Theology in the Western world through extensive writings and translations, including Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana) and Chaitanya Charitamrita and other scriptures. These works are now available in more than sixty languages and serve as the canon of ISKCON. Many of these books are now available online [1]. More about these books, their commentaries and production is here.
The seven purposes of ISKCON
When Srila Prabhupada first incorporated ISKCON, in 1966, he gave it seven purposes:
- To systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to society at large and to educate all peoples in the techniques of spiritual life in order to check the imbalance of values in life and to achieve real unity and peace in the world.
- To propagate a consciousness of Krishna, as it is revealed in the Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad-Bhagavatam.
- To bring the members of the Society together with each other and nearer to Krishna, the prime entity, thus to develop the idea within the members, and humanity at large, that each soul is part and parcel of the quality of Godhead (Krishna).
- To teach and encourage the sankirtana movement, congregational chanting of the holy names of God as revealed in the teachings of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
- To erect for the members, and for society at large, a holy place of transcendental pastimes, dedicated to the personality of Krishna.
- To bring the members closer together for the purpose of teaching a simpler and more natural way of life.
- With a view towards achieving the aforementioned purposes, to publish and distribute periodicals, magazines, books and other writings.
The four regulative principles
Srila Prabhupada prescribed four regulative principles as the basis of the spiritual life:
- No eating of meat, fish & eggs
- No illicit sex
- No gambling
- No intoxication (including alcohol,caffeine & tobacco).
Spreading the word
ISKCON is actively evangelical. Members try to spread Krishna consciousness by, for example, going on the streets to chant the mantra or to sell books written by the sect's founder. According to the doctrine of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, one does not need to be born in a Hindu family to take up the practice of Vaishnavism. This openness places ISKCON in strong contrast to many other branches of Hinduism, which stress on hereditary lineage and are non-missionary by nature. There are ISKCON communities around the world with schools, restaurants and farms. Many ISKCON temples also have programs (like Food for Life Global) to provide meals for the needy. Also, ISKCON has recently brought the academic study of Krishna into western academia as Krishnology.
ISKCON after Prabhupada's death
Prabhupada spent much of the last decade of his life on this earth setting up the institution of ISKCON. As a charismatic leader, Prabhupada's personality and management were responsible for much of the growth of ISKCON and the reach of his mission.
Upon Prabhupada's death on November 14 1977, eleven of his disciples became initiating gurus for ISKCON. Those chosen were Tamala Krishna Gosvami, Satsvarupa dasa Gosvami [2], Jayapataka Swami [3], Hrdayananda Gosvami, Bhavananda Gosvami, Hamsaduta Swami, Ramesvara Swami, Harikesa Swami, Bhagavan dasa Adhikari, Kirtanananda Swami, and Jayatirtha dasa Adhikari. Of these eleven individuals, only the first four are still actively preaching within ISKCON. While traveling through West Bengal, India, Tamala Krishna Gosvami perished in a car crash on March 15, 2002.
ISKCON is managed by the Governing Body Commission created by Srila Prabhupada to handle affairs in his absence. The authority and mission of this body has evolved since the time of Prabhupada's demise in 1977. Devamrita Swami is currently (2005) the Chairman of the Governing Body Commission.
Scandal and controversy
ISKCON has been involved in a number of scandals and controversies.
In 1998, ISKCON Communications Journal[4], the group's official publication, ran an article that detailed the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of children in India and the U.S. during the 1970s and 1980s.[5] The group received praise for its candor but later was sued by 95 people who had attended the boarding schools.
After a settlement of US$9.5 million was agreed upon, 430 more people responded to newspaper advertisements seeking to identify additional victims. As a result of the fiscal drain imposed by the settlements, ISKCON declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Individual victims are expected to receive between $6,000 and $50,000, depending on the nature and duration of their abuse.
Some ISKCON members and leaders have been found guilty of murder, kidnapping, child molestation, obstruction of justice, or fraud. In 1990, US Courts pronounced Kirtanananda Swami, the leader of the New Vrindavan religious community, guilty on charges of racketeering and conspiracy to murder for his role in the death of two devotees who had threatened his control of the community. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison on the racketeering charge, but was released in June, 2004 for health reasons. Another notable case, involving a woman named Robin George and her parents, went all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States. [6]
In response to the need to establish transparency and accountablily among its members, ISKCON encouraged the establishment of an ombudman organization, "ISKCONResolve". The Integrated Conflict Management System (ICMS) also provides facilitators, arbitrators, and conflict analysis experts. The organisation claims that ICMS is designed to give all members of ISKCON a voice and to bring the ISKCON leadership to higher levels of transparency and accountability.
Points of philosophical contention
After the sect's founder died, a number of theological controversies arose. These included the following:
- The Guru is God Heresy
- The Centralisation Heresy
- The Zonal Acharya Heresy
- The Proxy-Initiation Heresy
- Heresies of Continuity
- The Sannyasi-Householder Controversy
- The Gopi-bhava Club Heresy
- The Rasika-bhakti Heresy
- The Origin of the Soul Heresy [7] [8].
The origin of the soul (Sanskrit: jiva)
Srila Prabhupada explains that the soul falls from the spiritual world (the paradise) to this material world and the supreme objective of the human life is to become Krishna conscious to be able to return "Back to Godhead" (this is also the title of the official ISKCON magazine). However Sarasvata Gaudiya Vaisnavas teach that the soul apparently has never been in the spiritual world. More information is available in the book Our Original Position published by GBC Press.
The Guru (spiritual master) and the Parampara (the disciplic succession)
Passing of knowledge is named "parampara" or disciplic succession. Some Gaudiya Vaisnavas claim that one needs to learn only from Srila Prabhupada and that should be no other gurus. Just before his physical departure, Prabhupada set up a system of initiation employing the use of ritviks (ceremonial priests) who would continue to initiate on his behalf during his physical presence, without the need for any physical involvement from Prabhupada. In this way, while Prabhupada was physically present, he could continue to initiate new disciples and remain the initiating guru of the movement. Based on most of Prabhupada's statements in letters, most agree that it was right that the system stopped upon Prabhupada's passing. Indeed, the proxy-initiation ritvik system was disbanded in 1977, on the basis of Prabhupada's instructions in letters and tapes.
A minority, namely the ISKCON Revival Movement, say it was a permanent order meant to continue even after Prabhupada died. More information about the proxy-initiation ritvik position is offered in "The Final Order," the main position paper of the IRM.
More information is available in the book Apasampradayas book by Suhotra Swami (today known as Suhotra dasa).
The disciplic succession of ISKCON (siksa parampara) is as follows:
1. Krishna 2. Brahma 3. Narada Muni 4. Vyasa 5. Madhvacharya 6. Padmanabha 7. Nrhari 8. Madhava 9. Aksobhya 10. Jayatirtha 11. Jnanasindhu 12. Dayanidhi 13. Vidyanidhi 14. Rajendra 15. Jayadharma 16. Purusottama 17. Brahmanyatirtha 18. Vyasatirtha 19. Laksmipati 20. Madhavendra Puri 21. Isvara Puri (Nityananda, Advaita Acharya) 22. Lord Chaitanya (an incarnation of Lord Krishna Himself) 23. Rupa Goswami (Svarupa Damodara, Sanatana Goswami) 24. Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Jiva Gosvami 25. Krishnadasa Kaviraja 26. Narottama Dasa 27. Visvanatha Chakravarti 28. (Baladeva Vidyabhushana) Jagannatha dasa Babaji 29. Bhaktivinoda Thakur 30. Gaurakisora dasa Babaji 31. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura 32. A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
See also
- Bhakti
- Bhakti movement
- Contemporary Hindu movements
- George Harrison
- Panchatattva
- Vrindavana
- Vaishnava Theology
- Gaudiya Vaishnava Theology
- Satyaraja Dasa
External links
Official sites
ISKCON:
- ISKCON Worldwide
- ISKCON UK website
- Krishna.com - The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
- ISKCON Communications Journal
- VEDA - Vedas and Vedic Knowledge Online
- ISKCON Bangalore
- ISKCON Ireland website
ISKCON Founder:
- H.D.G. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Archives - At the age of seventy, he brought the ancient tradition to the global community.
Academic:
Reform, Issues, Replies
- News (Unofficial)
- Books
- Alleged unauthorized changes of the founder's books
- Book Changes - a reply
- Gita Revisions Explained. Extensive.
- Who Needs Authentic Books?
- Theology
- Madhva followers criticizing ISKCON.
- Defense of ISKCON's theological beliefs against attacks by Madhva followers.
- Child Abuse Problems (unofficial links)
- Personal experience of child abuse in ISKCON - unconfirmed
- Abuse in the name of Krishna
- A Timeline of the child abuse lawsuit case
- The original plaintiff's court papers
- Personal experience with the ISKCON's child abuse policies
- Corruption Allegations
- Women in ISKCON
- Succession Issues
- Iskcon Revival Movement
- Srila Prabhupada:The Prominent Link
- "About Unusual Doctrines." Extensive articles supporting the traditional approach to succession
- Ritvik, a Sentiment Gone Astray?
- Reform site
- Reform group
- Miscellaneous Links
- Global photo gallery
- A collection of critical articles
- ISKCON claiming to be not part of Hinduism.
- The Hare Krishna Movement and Hinduism
- John Hubner and Linsey Gruson , Monkey on a Stick (ISBN 0451401875)
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