ISKCON

1
ISKCON

• RELS 225
• Cults and New Religious Movements

2
Asian Influence in the USA

• Turn to the East in 1965-1975
• 1924 Asian Exclusion Act until 1965
• Hinduism
• 4 million practicing Transcendental Meditation in
  the US at one point
• Ragneesh (Osho from 1989 on)
• Pete Townsend (the Who)
• Between 1969 and 1971 Townsend, along with other
  devotees to Meher Baba, recorded a trio of albums
  devoted to the yogi's teachings Happy Birthday,
  I Am, and With Love. See O Parvardigar

3
1893 World Parliament of Religions

• Next to the World Fair in Chicago
• Attended by thousands
• Dominantly Christian, but some Shinto, Zen, Hindu
  practitioners.
• Small, unassuming Hindu was the star Vivekananda

4
ISKCON (Hare Krishna)

• Mantra Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna
  Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama
  Rama, Hare Hare
• George Harrison (After the breakup of the
  Beatles)
• My Sweet Lord
• All his love songs hes not singing to a woman.
• Boy George

5
History of Hare Krishna

• A sect of Hinduism.
• Not really a NRM.
• Only new to us in North America.
• Hinduism is multi-form, although now it is
  becoming homogenized.
• Krishna Consciousness is from the Middle Ages in
  the form of Gaudiya Vaishnava .
• ISKCON founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C.
  Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

6
Two styles of Hinduism Monism Bhakti

• Monism
• Philosophical
• The One (Theosophy)
• Rooted in the Upanishads (5th Century BCE)
• Brahman is One.
• Chandayoga Upanishad Tat vam asi That art
  thou
• Become ready for this by practicing yoga.
• Surrender to a guru.
• Humiliation to show non-egoism
• Key to salvation is knowing (knowledge)
• Only when you have correct knowledge do you know
  how to love.

7
Two styles of Hinduism Monism Bhakti

• Bhakti
• Devotion
• ISKCON falls into this category
• Like Christianity, with a God of Love.
• Out of true love comes knowledge.
• Bhagavad Gita
• Krishna plays a flute, advises Arjuna
• Arjuna has a dilemma killing relatives in
  battle.
• Lesson no choice but to fight and fulfill your
  social duty as a warrior. Do your duty without
  concern for personal benefit.
• How? Focus attention on me I will assist you to
  do it with purity detachment.

8
Medieval Origins

• Krishna bhakti movement founded by Sri Caitanya
  Mahaprabhu
• A late medieval saint from NE India, travelled
  all over India popular.
• Revival in late 19th Century
• Caitanya initiated sankirtana
• a practice requiring followers to dance in the
  streets, singing praises of Lord Krishna.

9
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

• 1896-1977
• Had been manager in a chemical firm, until his
  retirement in 1954.
• Had published in English
• Spiritual master was Bhaktisiddhanta (died 1936)
• Instructed ACB to carry the teachings of Krishna
  Consciousness to the West.
• Published Back to Godhead magazine, used to
  promote his movement in America.
• Took order of sannyasa (religious ascetic,
  dedicated to religious cause) at age 59.

10
Growth in America

• On a steamer, Prabhupada came to New York in 1965
  with 50 in his pocket.
• Wanders around Greenwich Village
• Bumps into hippies, who become his first
  disciples.
• By 1967, dozens of centres
• 1987 50 temples in US, 1775 other temples around
  world
• Recruited alienated youth from the
  counterculture.
• Membership began to decline in 1974
• As a missionary movement, ISKCON was
  opportunistic in its recruitment strategies.

11
Appearance

• Sikha Men shave head,
• To avoid vanity
• except for a tuft at the end.
• Signifies surrender to guru and Krishna

12
Appearance

• Dhoti Men wear robe
• white
• Saffron if far along.
• Formal wear in India.
• Sari
• Women wear traditional Indian garb
• Any colour, but modest

13
Appearance

• Tilak
• Dab of clay down the middle of forehead
• Reminder that body is temple of lord.
• Body must be pure, in all you eat do.

14
Practices

• Kritan (video)
• Chanting for hours to get into a state
• Centre of religion
• Prasadam (link to explanation)
• Free food distribution
• Famous for its cuisine
• All food is an offering to the Lord
• Also, giving to emergency relief, like Red Cross.

15
Beliefs

• Not sophisticated doctrine
• Until recently, women had to hope for
  reincarnation as a man
• Emphasizes orthopraxis over orthodoxy.

16
Teachings

• Find blissful consciousness is this lifetime.
• We are spirit souls, parts of God.
• Krsna is omni-everything, father sustainer
• Absolute truth is in all great scriptures,
• But the Bhagavad Gita is oldest, the literal
  record of Gods actual words.
• Learn from an unselfish focussed guru
• Offer food to Krsna before entry
• All actions are for Krsna, not for our sense
  gratification.
• To achieve love of God, recommended chant Lords
  names, e.g., mantra
• We are in the end times The universe is near its
  end (Apocalyptic)

17
Krishna

• Krsna is worshipped in one of his manifestations
  a charming young man living in a village.
• Beautiful, mischievous, girls all in love with
  him.
• Approachably human, metaphoricized as love.
• Youre supposed to fall in love with him.
• Radha the gopi receives special favour.

18
Nature of humanity

• Traditional Hindu view.
• We are spirit souls
• Obtain release from this material existence if
  you can.
• A world of sadness, woe.
• Reincarnation is not a good thing
• Karma
• Death the Afterlife (escaping samsara)
• One ceases to exist becomes one with Krishna.

19
The Good life

• Highly prescriptive, puritanical religion
• Ascetic.
• Wear this, get up at this time, chant this number
  of mantras.
• Very strict dietary rules.
• Men women live separately highly chaperoned.
• In favour of children.
• The ritual is not magical it reminds you of what
  your inner discipline is.
• Pacifist communal.

20
Overall

• Particularistic religion.
• Its the ultimate religion.
• Good book (in our library)
• Canadian Susan Palmer, Moon Sisters, Krishna
  Mothers, Rajneesh Lovers Women's Roles in New
  Religions.

21
Decline

• Charges of brainwashing from anti-cultists
• Media portrayed it as a dangerous cult.
• Alternate fundraising
• Had been bookselling
• Branched into music, art.
• Dressed as Santa Claus soliciting donations
• Movement became financially-driven, rather than
  principle-driven (spreading the movement)
• Now, ISKCONs sectarian lifestyle has given way
  to domesticity jobs, families, etc.
• ISKCONs temples are used by thousands of East
  Indian immigrants in North America.
• A faith too accommodated to worldliness lacks
  power for conversion (Rodney Stark)