At AllFaith.com I share numerous studies into the world's religions based on my personal quest for Truth. Over the years this research has led me to embrace Judaism. That is now the main focus of the domain.
On my blogs I share many of these studies and invite your questions and comments.
Also see my Xanga Blog.
From time to time I receive questions about the Hare Krsna Movement (ISKCON) from people who are considering getting involved in it but are concerned about some of the things they have heard. Following is my honest attempt to explain this situation in a balanced way.
To begin with, the Hare Krsna ("Krishna") Movement is part of a larger sect known as Gaudiya (i.e. Bengali) Vaisnavism ("Vaishnavism"), which is a sect of Vaisnavism (worshipers of Lord Vishnu), which is a sect of the Sanatana Dharma (commonly known as "Hinduism"), which is the third largest and oldest extant religion on earth. Hinduism was already ancient when Abraham was a baby!
I mention this because one common question is whether or not the Hare Krsna Movement is a "cult." As a general statement a "cult" is any religion that one does not approve of! I've even had people insist that Islam is a cult! No, these are religions and religious sects not cults. I've been directly and indirectly involved with ISKCON and other groups within Gaudiya Vaisnavism for many many years and I can assure you that despite the abuses I'll get into below, Gaudiya Vaisnavism is merely a sect of the world's third largest and oldest religion. SOME individuals in this sect made some serious mistakes years ago, mistakes that our Guru Maharaja would have condemned in the strongest possible terms. In many ways it is different than what many people are used to but then, "Bible believing Christianity" seems odd to Indian Vaisnavas as well.
Despite common misconceptions, in Hindu dharma (teaching) there is but One God. This One God is utterly beyond human conception and description. For this reason the Deity is conceived of in myriad ways including in various forms that may appear to the uninformed as polytheism. For instance on the top of this page you will a murti (image) of Lord Nrsimhadev. He is a popular Avatar of Lord Visnu who is featured in the story of God rescuing the young Pralada Maharaja from his demonic father. I share this inspirational story here. The feats of such Avatars are actually accounts of Divine intervention inti the affairs of humanity. Most of the Vedic accounts took place during the age prior to our or even earlier. These ancient histories directly and indirectly impacted the development of later religions like Zoroastrianism, Judaism and so on.
God is One.
Prayers to Lord Nrsinghadeva
An ancient teaching is
Ekam Sat: Vipra Bahudha Vadante:
"Truth is one; sages call it by various names."
And again as we read in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3.9.1:
"Then Vidaghdha, son of Shakala, asked him, "How many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?"
Yajnavalkya, ascertaining the number through a group of mantras known as the Nivid, replied, "As many as are mentioned in the Nivid of the gods: three hundred and three, and three thousand and three."
"Very good," said the son of Shakala, "and how many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?"
"Thirty-three."
"Very good, and how many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?"
"Six."
"Very good, and how many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?"
"Three."
"Very good, and how many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?"
"Two."
"Very good, and how many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?"
"One and a half."
"Very good, and how many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?"
"Ek [one]."
So the question is: Who is the One God?
Is there a Supreme Personality of Godhead Who is the Source of all?
The Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) is an incredibly diverse religion. It teaches that although God is utterly transcendent, the One (Ek) may best be thought of in one of three primary forms (Trimurti):
AsBrahma: God the Creator
As Vishnu/Narayana: God the Sustainer
As Siva/Rudra/Mahadeva: God the Transformer/Destroyer.
As taught by the ancient Vedic Scriptures and pundits. Hindus honor all three forms but often lean toward one more than the others.
Vaisnavas worship the One God primarily as Lord Vishnu and His avatars and expansions.
"Gaudiya Vaisnavas" embrace the form of Vaisnavism preached by Lord Caitanya ("Chaytanya") Mahaprabhu. He is generally accepted as an avatar or incarnation of Sri Krsna. He lived in Bengal (1486 - 1534) and is celebrated in the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta written by Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami. The best English translation and commentary on this work is that of my Guru Maharaja, His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami (Srila Prabhupada). It is available here: http://vedabase.net/cc Lord Caitanya was a "combined incarnation" of Sri Krsna and His Consort Srimati Radharani. He taught that the highest Way to God is through bhakti yoga (devotion) to Sri Krsna.
Sri Krsna was born in Bengal sometime prior to circa 5561 B.C.E. according to Gaudiya Vaisnavas. Gaudiya Vaisnavas, including the Hare Krsna Movement, believe that the original and highest God is Sri Krsna and that even Lord Visnu ("Vishnu") manifests from Him. Sri Krsna performed many wonderful pasttimes before our current age began and spoke the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, the creme of all literature. His life is chronicled in many places including the Mahabharata and Srimad Bhagavatam, also translated by Srila Prabhupada.
The principle method of worshiping Lord Sri Krsna is the chanting of His Holy Names as a mantra:
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Such chanting is referred as Mantra Yoga:
'man' = mind
'tra' == to free
yoga = to link
Mantra Yoga is therefore the technique of 'linking' [with God] by 'freeing the mind' from material miseries through repetition of the sacred sound vibrations of God's Names. This is accomplished by calling on God and requesting His mercy:
'Hare' is the Name of God that directly invokes the energy of the Lord
'Krsna' is the Name of God Who alone is the Possessor of every quality in the universe and beyond (i.e. in material -- saguna -- and spiritual -- nirguna realities). Sri Krsna possesses all qualities in unlimited quantity and the Maha Mantra seeks to glorify Him as such.
'Rama' is the Name of God that means He is the Reservoir of Pleasure and by chanting this Name one enters into this pleasure and joy in divinely spiritual communion.
There are of course many other mantras but this is the "maha" (or highest) mantra of them all according to the Gaudiya Vaisnavas.
Through the master-disciple relationship (known as parampara) this knowledge is passed down through the generations. The principle scripture of the Gaudiya Vaisnavas is the Srimad Bhagavad Gita.
The parampara through which the Hare Krsna Movement descended is as follows:
The International Society for Krsna Consciousness (ISKCON: the Hare Krsna Movement) lays claim to its legitimacy through Srila Prabhupada, who descended from a long succession of spiritual teachers and disciples (parampara).
There are four major disciplic successions (sampradayas):
Rudra-Sampradaya: of Vallabhacharya
Lakshmi-Sampradaya: of Ramanuja
Kumara-Sampradaya: of Nimbarka
And the Brahma/Madhva Sampradaya: of Madhvacharya (as Dvaita or Dualism) and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (who taught "Achintya Bheda Abheda" -- "inconceivable oneness and difference." I believe Achintya Bheda Abheda and Achintya Bheda Abheda Tattva are two of the most profound philosophical realizations of all time. I discuss them here in some depth.)
Srila Prabhupada belonged to the Brahma/Madhva Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya that traces its origins back to Lord Krsna Himself about 5000 years ago. Srila Prabhupada was the final authorized spiritual master of his branch because, as I discuss below, the movement he founded to carry on his teachings betrayed him.
There are many other Gaudiya Matha sects besides ISKCON but Srila Prabhupada did not authorize his followers to take part in any of them. Srila Prabhupada's original ISKCON Movement and his Gurudeva's Gaudiya Matha belonged to the branch of Vaisnavism founded by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the 16th century.
Following are the most prominent acaryas (masters) in Srila Prabhupada's lineage since Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
The Six Goswamis of Vrindavana
Srila Rupa Goswami
Srila Sanatana Goswami
Gopal Bhatta Goswami
Ragunatha dasa Goswami
Ragunatha Batta Goswami
Jiva Goswami
Krsnadasa Kaviraj Goswami
Narottama Dasa Thakura
Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
Jagannatha Dasa Babaji
Bhaktivinoda Thakura
Gaurakisora Dasa Babaji
Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura
And A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
No authorized guru exists in ISKCON to carry on this line from this point.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was a disciple of His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, the son of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in the lineage coming down from Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
"Srila Prabhupada came to America in 1965 on the steamship Jaladuta with little money, a pair of hand cymbals, and a small trunk of his books, without knowing anyone. With enormous odds, Srila Prabhupada thought, "I am an old man, I cannot do very much. But what I can do, let me do in this New York City, which is the biggest of all cities in the world." He maintained himself by selling just enough books to get by, and staying here and there. Prabhupada wrote, “Most of the population here is covered by the material modes of ignorance and passion. Absorbed in material life they think themselves very happy and satisfied. Therefore they have no taste for the transcendental message of Vasudeva. I do not know how they will be able to understand it.” Humbly considering himself to be the most insignificant servant of his spiritual master, Prabhupada pushed on with great determination to try to do just some little thing before the time he would die..."
"...Srila Prabhupada left this world in 1977, he wrote 51 volumes of books with translations in 28 languages, especially Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, so anyone can take advantage of this knowledge. He established 108 temples in most major cities around the world, and touched so many people who can also teach this philosophy that this genuine spiritual knowledge will continue to spread and be available for the next 10,000 years, throughout the length of this Golden Age in Kali-yuga...."
Without ANY reservation or hesitation I strongly recommend Srila Prabhupada's books etc.
In my opinion His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami was one of the holiest and most enlightened saints to ever live on this planet. We were not worthy of his presence or his wisdom. He brought a spiritually transcendent message of Light into the darkened West that could have saved us, but instead his efforts were betrayed by his own disciples. The world is a darker place because of it.
And then Darkness covered the earth...
His Divine Grace, Jagat Guru, Uttama Adhikari, Acarya Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada left his body on November 14, 1977 at the age of 81 in the holy city of Sri Vrindavan, India.
Almost immediately after Srila Prabhupada "left his body" (a true Vaisnava never "dies") MANY scandals, abuses and accusations -- MANY OF THEM I CAN PERSONALLY ATTEST WERE TRUE -- shook ISKCON to its foundations. The GBC (Governing Body Commission) lost a lot of court battles and paid huge amounts of money in fines and reparations. Even before Srila Prabhupada left his body these problem were cropping up but without him... Darkness descended.
Perhaps the most disturbing of these charges were the accusations that Srila Prabhupada was poisoned and murdered by key members of ISKCON's GBC. According to some evidence there was a Bavarian Illuminati connection in his murder. It is certainly true that had ISKCON succeeded in fulfilling Srila Prabhupada's Vision the New World Order Elite would have been directly threatened. With everything that was happening rumors were whirling and paranoia replaced the peace and calm of Bhakti Yoga. The following videos offer some insight into his death. MUCH more could be said of the various implemented "Bogi Yogi scams, of abuses and so on, but I don't want to go too deeply into topics here. The videos are what they are. Do be aware that much of the subject matter contained in these videos are not suitable for children.
Srila Prabhupada: "Someone has poisoned me."
The GBC like to point out that he is quoted as saying, "Someone said someone is trying to kill me" but here you will see for yourself that he said both. Srila Prabhupada was convinced that one or more of his disciples was poisoning him. He was so certain that toward the end he only allowed his sister to cook for him.
Did the Illuminati Poison Srila Prabhupada? Hear the Whispered instructions
The evidence seeking to incriminate the Bavarian Illuminati that I have seen is sketchy. I do however know a few German devotees who assure me this allegation is true. I don't know.
Prabhupada Poisoned: A Reverse Speech Study - Part 1
Prabhupada Poisoned: A Reverse Speech Study - Part 2
This whole Reverse Speech Study issue is debatable of course. I'm including it as food for thought.
Prabhupada Departs: Understanding the Death of a Vaisnava Here a devotee reads from Prabhupada books about what happens when a Vaisnava leaves his body.
Srila Prabhupada Departs: His Passing Here we witness the final few moments of Gurudeva's life.
The editor of these two videos believe Srila Prabhupada was murdered. This certainty comes through on the video but that certainty aside, this is rare footage of the passing a true saint.
Warning! While most Hindus are cremated those who are deemed Mahatmas (great souls) are often buried. These Vedic burials are NOT what Westerners are used to! Parents should watch this first and decide whether or not it is appropriate for their kids.
There is solid evidence supporting this charge but the matter has never been fully resolved either way to my knowledge. Many of Prabhupada's disciples are appalled at the vary suggestion. At this late date it seems likely that this matter will ever be resolved.
Our Guru Maharaja (Srila Prabhupada) left clear instructions on how the Movement was to be maintained/managed after his departure however the GBC (the Governing Body Commission) and at first 11 men (now numbering over a hundred) directly disobeyed his instructions and instituted the very system of leadership Prabhupada had specifically forbidden. For information on the abuses of the original Eleven Bogi Yogis see my: A Note of Accusation From a "long time friend". ISKCON still operates under this unauthorized system and so, according to Srila Prabhupada's own words they are no longer his authorized representatives. This being the case, our branch of the Brahma/Madva Gaudiya math ended with Srila Prabhupada as he left no authorized successors.
Because of this and the countless other abuses and lack of the previous spiritual atmosphere, the vast majority of Srila Prabhupada's disciples long ago left. Today there are very few "Prabhupada devotees" left in ISKCON. The majority of current members joined after Prabhupada's disappearance ("death") and many know nothing about these issues I am sharing here. Others become angry when these things are brought up. They'd rather bury these issues along with Srila Prabhupada and move on. In my opinion unless ISKCON restores integrity to its foundation the Movement will die. The GBC needs to come clean and confess its many wrong doings. They need to formally apologize to all of Srila Prabhupada's disciples as well as to the current deceived members. They need to strip all of their diksha (initiating) gurus of their illegitimate authority and embrace the ritvik system ordered by Srila Prabhupada.
AFTER Prabhupada left, there were accusations of child and adult sexual abuses, of weapons running and drug sales, of ordered prostitution, of rape and even murders (including of my friend Solocana dasa who was murdered, in part because a revealing book he wrote exposing "The Guru Business." You can read this book for free here.
Some of this abuse was published in the mainly accurate book "Monkey on a stick"
Today things have calmed down quite a bit. The ISKCON GBC remains in a state of disobedience to Srila Prabhupada's final instructions but they have developed a system that restored the peace for the most part and some of their temples are doing fairly well all things considered. Sunday programs, festivals and so are usually nice.
The majority of ISKCON's "initiating gurus" who have been appointed by the GBC have fallen into various sins and scandals etc. and frankly it is doubtless if ANY ISKCON guru meets even the minimum qualifications for that post established by Srila Prabhupada and Gaudiya Vaisnava standards. Maybe there are a few now.
As for the accusation of cultism. "Cult" is a troubling word. It evokes fear, distrust etc. but really means nothing of itself. It can be accurately said that the Hare Krishna Movement is a sect (not a cult) of the world's oldest and third largest religion. It is not a cult as I define the word.
There absolutely were serious abuses done from the late seventies into the late eighties but ISKCON has, to my knowledge, grown beyond those dark days. If the temple is a member of ISKCON proper you should be able to attend services there without any fear of forced attendance, "brainwashing" etc. Be mindful however that blind obedience is never a good idea.
There are also now other Gaudiya math groups operating in the West that many people have gone to.
My best advice is to follow the instructions of Srila Prabhupada:
Read HIS books. Follow HIS instructions in HIS books (especially in his translations and commentaries of the "Bhagavad Gita As It Is" and "Srimad Bhagavatam"), tapes and letters. You can access his writings for free on the Internet.
The good news is...
Srila Prabhupada Lives On!
Chant Hare Krsna and Be Happy!
A Nice Prabhupada Guru Puja
Sri Guru Charana Padma
sri-guru-charana-padma kevala-bhakati-sadma bando mui savadhana mate jahara prasade bhai e bhava toriya jai krishna-prapti hoy jaha hoite
guru-mukha-padma-vakya chittete koriya aikya ar na koriho mane asha sri-guru-charane rati ei se uttama-gati je prasade pure sarve asha
chakhu-dan dilo jei janme janme prabhu sei divya-gyan hride prokashito prema-bhakti jaha hoite avidya vinasha jate vede gay jahara charito
sri-guru karuna-sindhu adhama janara bandhu lokanath lokera jivana ha ha prabhu koro doya deho more pada-chhaya ebe jasa ghushuk tribhuvana
TRANSLATION
The lotus feet of our spiritual master are the only way by which we can attain pure devotional service. I bow to his lotus feet with great awe and reverence. By his grace one can cross the ocean of material suffering and obtain the mercy of Krsna.
My only wish is to have my consciousness purified by the words emanating from his lotus mouth. Attachment to his lotus feet is the perfection that fulfills all desires.
He opens my darkened eyes and fills my heart with transcendental knowledge. He is my Lord birth after birth. From him ecstatic prema emanates; by him ignorance is destroyed. The Vedic scriptures sing of his character.
Our spiritual master is the ocean of mercy, the friend of the poor, and the lord and master of the devotees. O master! Be merciful unto me. Give me the shade of your lotus feet. Your fame is spread all over the three worlds.
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