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[From the chant Hare Krishna : Sanskrit Hare, vocative of Hariḥ, a name of Vishnu (from hari-, yellow-green, tawny yellow) + Sanskrit Kṛṣṇa, vocative of Kṛṣṇaḥ, Krishna; see Krishna1.]
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, or ISKCON, or Hare Krishna in the United States, is the result of the philosophy of Swami Prabhupada, the twentieth century worshipper of the Hindu Viṣṇu avatar (see Viṣṇu, Avatars of Viṣṇu) Kṛṣṇa (see Kṛṣṇa). The practitioners of the movement work toward “Krishna Consciousness” as a means of salvation from the horrors and entanglements of the current age. Methods employed in this process include self-discipline, especially in connection with sexuality; specific rituals; and the singing recitation of the Kṛṣṇa mantra (see Mantra)—“Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna; Krishna, Hare, Hare; Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama, Rama; Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare” (see Rāma), accompanied by dancing.
Bibliography
See E. B. Rochford, Hare Krishna in America (1985); L. Shinn, The Dark Lord (1987); D. G. Bromley and L. D. Shinn, ed., Krishna Consciousness: The West (1989).
Hindu bhakti yoga religious group. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) was founded in 1966 by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977), who migrated to the United States at the age of 70, soon after the passing of new immigration laws allowing the migration of Asians into America. During his adult life as a businessman, Prabhupada was initiated into Krishna Consciousness as a member of the Guadiya Matha Mission in Calcutta. Krishna Consciousness is a popular term given the revival movement founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534?), who taught intense devotion to the deity Krishna. Devotional activity was centered upon public dancing and chanting and temple worship before the statues of Krishna. Most characteristic of the movement was the repetition of the Hare Krishna mantra:
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna
Hare Hare, Krishna Krishna
Hare Rama, Hare Rama
Hare Hare, Rama Rama.
In traditional Hindu teachings, Krishna and Rama are avataras, or incarnations of the god Vishnu, and those who worship Vishnu as their primary deity are called Vaishnavas (one of the three large religious groups in India). Bhakti yoga is the name given to the practice of following a path to God primarily through devotional activity.
Prabhupada was told by his guru, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami, to prepare himself to take Krishna devotion to the West. Krishna Consciousness had actually been introduced into the United States soon after the beginning of the twentieth century by another teacher from Bengal, Baba Bharati, but his organization died out soon after he returned to India. Soon after his arrival, Prabhupada began anew the task of introducing Krishna Consciousness to Westerners. He settled in New York City and soon established a following among young people, many of whom had flocked to New York as part of the social upheaval of the sixties. He had already published translations of the first three volumes of the Bhagavad Purana, and soon after he developed a following he published other important books of the tradition, the Bhagavad-gita As-It-Is and the Caitanya-caritamrita.
The groups became well known in the early 1970s. Members adopted Indian garb and attracted attention on the street, dancing, chanting, and distributing literature. As the anticult movement developed in the mid-1970s, they became a major target of deprogrammings.
In the early 1970s Prabhupada appointed a governing body commission (GBC) to manage his growing international society and to oversee ISKCON after his death. The GBC was made up of the initiating gurus who had been installed in the various areas to which the movement had spread, as well as other prominent leaders. Through the 1980s it had to deal with attacks on the movement from outside as well as internal disputes over successorship. Several top leaders of the society, who were serving as gurus after Prabhupada's death, gave up their vows which caused significant turmoil within ISKCON as well as public embarrassment. The guru of a large Krishna community in West Virginia, Kirtananda Swami, was excommunicated from ISKCON for ethical and religious violations in 1986, and was later jailed for federal crimes.
In the early 1990s the community had a multimillion dollar judgment (awarded at the height of the anticult struggles) overturned and then settled out of court. The judgment in the Robin George case had threatened to close several temples in the US and Canada. In the meantime, the movement spread internationally and now has centers in more than eighty countries. In the United States it has three thousand core members, full-time Krishna devotees, but is also supported by many thousands of congregational members, approximately half of whom are within the Indian American community.
Nominal headquarters from what has become a decentralized movement is at the ISKCON International Communications Office, 10310 Oaklyn Dr., Potomac, Maryland, 20854. Its primary magazine, Back to Godhead, can be reached at P.O. Box 430, Alachua, Florida, 32616. Website: http://www.iskcon.com.
Sources:
Gelberg, Steven, ed. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna. New York: Grove Press, 1983.
Knott, Kim. My Sweet Lord. Wellingsborough, England: Aquarian Press, 1986.
Prabhupada, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. Bhagavad-Gita As It Is. New York: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, 1972.
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), also known as 'the Hare Krishna' movement, was founded in 1966 in New York City by 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 more than two millennia. The distinctive appearance of the movement and its culture come from the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, which has had adherents in India ever since the late 1400s.
Non-sectarian in its ideals [1], ISKCON was formed to spread the practice of 'Bhakti yoga' (The Yoga of Devotion); wherein aspirant devotees (Bhaktas) dedicate their thoughts and actions towards pleasing the Supreme Lord, Krishna (seen as nondifferent from God).
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 Srila Prabhupada 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 the monistic (Advaita) schools of Hinduism.
Hare Krishna devotees specifically follow a disciplic line of Gaudiya, or Bengali, Vaishnavas which comes under the general description of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Vaishnavism means 'worship of Vishnu', and Gauḍa refers to the area where this particular branch of Vaishnavism began. Gaudiya Vaishnavism 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 from a number of official websites. [2] [3]
The popular nickname of "Hare Krishnas" for devotees of this movement comes from the mantra that devotees sing aloud or chant quietly on rosary-like beads, called Japa mala. This mantra, known also as the Maha Mantra, contains the names of God 'Hare', 'Krishna' and 'Rama'. Devotees believe that the sound vibration created by repeating these names of God gradually induces pure God-consciousness, or "Krishna consciousness."
The Maha Mantra :
When Srila Prabhupada first incorporated ISKCON, in 1966, he gave it seven purposes:
Srila Prabhupada prescribed four regulative principles as the basis of the spiritual life:
ISKCON is actively evangelistic. Members try to spread Krishna consciousness, primarily by singing the Hare Krishna mantra in public places and by selling books written by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Both of these activities are known within the movement as 'Sankirtan'. 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 philosophy places ISKCON in strong contrast to many other branches of Hinduism, which may stress hereditary lineage and are non-missionary by nature. There are ISKCON communities around the world with schools, restaurants and farms. Many 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 has inspired, and sometimes sponsored, a project called Food for Life. The goal of the project is to "liberally distribute pure vegetarian meals (prasadam) throughout the world", as inspired by Prabhupada's instruction, given to his disciples in 1974, "No one within ten miles of a temple should go hungry . . . I want you to immediately begin serving food"[4]. A global charity, directed by Paul Turner and Mukunda Goswami,[5] coordinates the project. Food for Life is currently active in over sixty countries and purports to serve over 700,000 meals every day[6]. Its welfare achievements have been noted by a number of journals worldwide.[7][8][9][10]
Srila Prabhupada spent much of the last decade of his life setting up the institution of ISKCON. As a charismatic leader, Srila Prabhupada's personality and management had been responsible for much of the growth of ISKCON and the reach of his mission[11].
The Governing Body Commission (or GBC) was created by Prabhupada in 1972 to gradually take on the responsibility of his management duties while still being under his care. Originally it was made up of 12 people and has since grown in size to include 48 senior members from the movement[12] who make decisions based on consensus of opinion rather than any one person having ultimate authority. It has continued to manage affairs since Prabhupada's passing in 1977.
Upon Prabhupada's death on November 14 1977, eleven of his disciples became initiating gurus for ISKCON: Satsvarupa dasa Goswami [13], Jayapataka Swami [14], Hridayananda dasa Goswami, Tamal Krishna Goswami [15], Bhavananda Goswami, Hansadutta Swami, Ramesvara Swami, Harikesa Swami, Bhagavan dasa Adhikari, Kirtanananda Swami, and Jayatirtha dasa Adhikari. From these eleven, the first three have remained as prominent leaders within the movement, as was Tamal Krishna Goswami until his death in a car accident in March 2002. Bhavananda Goswami no longer holds the post of an initiating guru but is still involved with preaching activities.
Of the others, Ramesvara and Harikesa resigned as spiritual leaders in 1987 and 1999 respectively and the remaining four were all expelled from the movement by the Governing Body Commission during turbulent times in the 1980s[16]. Of Prabhupada's disciples, which number some 5,000 in total[17] approximately 70 are now acting as diksha gurus within ISKCON.[18]
For further information see: Disciples of A. C. Bhaktivedanta
Swami.
A number of theological controversies arose within the movement after 1977[19] which were unable to be fully resolved largely due to the fact that Prabhupada was no longer physically present to pass a final judgement:
Srila Prabhupada explains that the soul falls from the spiritual world to this material world and that the supreme objective of the human life is to become Krishna conscious to be able to return "Back to Godhead" (also the title of the official ISKCON magazine). However, some Sarasvata Gaudiya Vaisnavas also teach that the soul has never been in the spiritual world. Discussions about these apparently contradictory views are available in the book Our Original Position published by GBC Press and the article "Where Do the Fallen Souls Fall From?" [20]
ISKCON adheres to the traditional system of paramparā, or disciplic succession, in which teachings upheld by scriptures are handed down from master to disciple, generation after generation.[21] A minority of people who express faith in Srila Prabhupada's teachings say that Srila Prabhupada, in contrast to the tradition, intended that after his physical demise he would continue to initiate disciples through ceremonial priests, called ritviks. One version of this idea is espoused by a group calling itself the ISKCON Revival Movement.[22] ISKCON's Governing Body Commission has rejected all such ideas.[23]
ISKCON also experienced a number of significant internal problems, the majority of which occurred from the late seventies onwards, and especially within the decade following Prabhupada's death.[24]
In 1976 a case involving allegations of brainwashing involving a minor named Robin George and her parents, went all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States. The conclusion of the trial was that in 1983, a California jury awarded the family more than $32 million in damages for false imprisonment and other charges, which was later reduced to $485,000 in 1993.[25][26]
Stories of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of children at the society's boarding schools in India and America began to emerge in the 1980s, with cases dating back from the mid-1970's onwards[27]. Some of these cases later appeared in print, such as in John Hubner and Lindsay Gruson's 1988 book Monkey on a Stick. In 1998 an official publication produced by ISKCON detailed the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of children at the society's boarding schools in both India and the U.S. during the 1970s and 1980s[28]. The group received praise for its candor but later was sued by 95 people who had attended the schools.
Facing the fiscal drain likely to ensue from this legal action, the ISKCON centers involved declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This allowed them to work out a settlement of US$9.5 million, meant to compensate not only the former students who had brought the suit but also any others who had undergone abuse but not sued.[29] About 430 such people responded to newspaper advertisements seeking to identify them. Individual victims are expected to receive between $6,000 and $50,000, depending on the nature and duration of their abuse.
To guard against further abuses, ISKCON has established a child protection office with teams worldwide, meant to screen out actual or potential abusers, educate children and adults on child abuse, and encourage due vigilance.[30] A petition circulating (as of July 2006) among ISKCON members calls for "zero tolerance" for past offenders.[31]
In 1990, US Courts pronounced Kirtanananda Swami, the leader of the 'New Vrindavan' religious community (which was expelled from ISKCON for ten years between 1988-1998) [32] guilty on charges of racketeering and conspiracy to murder for his role in the death of two devotees (Steven Bryant and Charles Saint Denis) who had threatened his control of the community. Kirtanananda was sentenced to 20 years in prison on the racketeering charge, but was released in June 2004 for health reasons.
In response to the need to establish transparency and accountability among its members, ISKCON encouraged the establishment of an ombudsman organization, "ISKCON Resolve."[33] This Integrated Conflict Management System (ICMS) also provides facilitators, arbitrators, and conflict analysis experts to help ISKCON members deal with internal disputes and concerns. The Resolve organisation states that its aims are to give all members of ISKCON a voice and to bring the ISKCON leadership to higher levels of transparency and accountability.
- Academic:
- News
- Books
- Theology
- Child Abuse Problems
- Women in ISKCON
- Succession Issues
- Miscellaneous Links
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Asian Mythology. A Dictionary of Asian Mythology. Copyright © 2001, 2002 by David Leeming. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/ Read more |
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| Occultism & Parapsychology Encyclopedia. Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. Copyright © 2001 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "International Society for Krishna Consciousness". Read more |
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