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International Society for Krishna Consciousness

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava Hindu religious organization. It was founded on 13 July 1966 in New York City by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.[2] Its main headquarters is located today in West Bengal, India.

Abbreviation

ISKCON

13 July 1966 (1966-07-13) New York City, United States

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Religious organization

Foundation

Mayapur, Nabadwip, Nadia, West Bengal, India

  • 800+ temples and centres[1]

23°25′29″N 88°23′20″E / 23.4248°N 88.3889°E / 23.4248; 88.3889

Worldwide

Governing Body Commission

Gaudiya Vaishnavism (Hinduism)

www.iskcon.org

Its unique form of monotheistic core beliefs are based on Hindu scriptures, particularly Prabhupada's commentaries and translations of the Bhagavad Gita and the Bhagavata Purana. ISKCON is "the largest and, arguably, most important branch" of Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition,[3] which has had adherents in India since the early 16th century and its American and European devotees since the early 1900s.[4] It has around 10 million followers worldwide.[5]


The religious organization practices vegetarianism and was initially formed to spread the practice of Bhakti yoga. Its followers, called bhaktas, dedicate both their thoughts and actions towards pleasing Krishna, whom they consider the Supreme Lord Godhead. They regard the rest of Hindu deities as secondary "demigods".[6] Its most rapid expansion in registered membership has been within India and (after the collapse of the Soviet Union) in Russia and other formerly Soviet-aligned states of Eastern Europe.[7]

Singular worship of Krishna[edit]

ISKCON describes Krishna as the original source of all the avatars of the Almighty God.[14] Registered members worship Krishna as the highest form of God, svayam bhagavan, and often refer to him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead in their published writing, which was a phrase coined by Prabhupada in his books on the subject.


For its devotees, Radha represents Krishna's divine female counterpart, the original spiritual potency, and the embodiment of devotional love. The individual soul has an eternal spiritual identity which does not ultimately merge into the non-dual consciousness (Brahman) as believed by the monistic (Advaita) schools of Hinduism. Prabhupada most frequently offers Sanatana-dharma and Varnashrama dharma as more accurate names for the religious system which accepts Vedic authority.[15]


Pious believers both teach and claim that Krishna is greater and far magnanimous than the traditionalist Hindu Trimurti of Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma and all its conceived emanations. It is a monotheistic tradition which has its roots in the theistic Vedanta traditions.[16]

The consumption of only diet (abstinence from meat, fish, eggs).

lacto-vegetarian

Prohibition against consuming any intoxicants (i.e., coffee, caffeinated drinks, tea, tobacco cigarettes, drugs and alcohol)

Prohibition against

gambling

Prohibition against draining sexual energy by engaging in 'illicit sexual activity and relationships' outside of marriage.

Vegetarianism[edit]

Vegetarianism is one of the four tenets of ISKCON.[20] Due to Prabhupada's focus on food distribution, many ISKCON devotees have opened vegan and vegetarian eateries.[64] Not all restaurants opened by ISKCON members are officially affiliated with ISKCON, although many Govindas' restaurants or catering businesses operate out of the main temple center.[65]


The ISKON followers call their type or style of eating behaviour as 'Krishnatarian'. According to them "A Krishnatarian meal is one which is cooked using fresh, vegetarian ingredients (excluding onion, garlic, red lentils and mushrooms) and milk products which is cooked by an Iskcon follower and offered to their main deities before it is distributed and consumed."[66]

In a 1976 case, People v. Murphy, a criminal trial court in Queens County, New York held that "'[T]he Hare Krishna religion is a religion with roots in India that go back thousands of years." A grand jury indicted Iskcon, Inc. and the president of an ISKCON temple for the crime of unlawful imprisonment in the first degree. Although the parents of two Hare Krishna members claimed ISKCON had allegedly imprisoned their children through brainwashing, Justice John J. Leahy dismissed the criminal indictments on the basis that the two members had freely followed the tenets of their chosen faith.[73][74]

bona fide

In a 1984 case, George v. International Society for Krishna Consciousness of California, a lawsuit led to lengthy appeals resulting in a mixed judgment. Marcia and Robin George, a mother and daughter, accused ISKCON of kidnapping Robin via brainwashing and later lying to her parents about her whereabouts. They sued ISKCON for false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, libel, and the wrongful death of Robin's father based on stress caused by the alleged circumstances. A California state appellate court dismissed Robin's claims for false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress on the basis that she was not brainwashed, but rather was "a bright and gifted high school student of above-average intelligence and maturity" who was "capable of consenting" to her travels with her purported kidnappers. On the other hand, the same appellate court affirmed the jury verdicts holding ISKCON liable for intentional infliction of emotional distress against Marcia and wrongful death because the defendants had deliberately lied to Robin's parents about her location while actively assisting Robin in her travels. The court also dismissed Robin's libel claim while affirming the jury verdict of libel in favor of Marcia.[76]

[75]

or Swami Bhaktipada, a leader of ISKCON, was expelled from the organisation in 1987 for various deviations.[77] He was the leader of New Vrindaban, the largest and most famous Hare Krishna community in the United States at that time.[78] In 1996, Kirtanananda pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering and after serving 8 years of a 20-year prison sentence was subsequently released in 2004. Previously, in 1991, the jury had found him guilty of racketeering and mail fraud. These convictions were later overturned on appeal, only to result in the later retrial.[79][80][81]

Kirtanananda Swami

In the 1990s, ISKCON faced accusations of , and its leaders acknowledged physical, emotional and sexual abuse of children who were sent to live in the rural communities' boarding schools in the United States and India in the 1970s and 1980s.[82][83] Sociologist of religion E. Burke Rochford argues that a culture of abuse in ISKCON schools arose in part because of renunciant leaders' subtle denigration of the value of householders and children.[36] Several safety regulations and subcommittees, such as ISKCON Resolve and the ISKCON Child Protection Office, have been developed since these allegations to ensure that the legal rights, as well as the health and safety of devotees, are protected.[84]

child abuse

ISKCON has experienced a number of significant internal problems, the majority of which occurred from the late 1970s onwards, and especially within the decade following Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's death.[70] ISKCON has also been scrutinised by some anti-cult movements.[71][72]


Accordingly, the organization has also been widely criticized for alleged re-translation of various traditionalist Hindu scriptures by their own publishing company, which alleges that other Hindu gods are either ignored, censored or demoted to the lesser status or secondary tier as "Demi-gods", while only promoting Krishna as singular and highest form of "Supreme Godhead".

On January 21, 1974, 2 firebombs were tossed into the Knoxville Tennessee Hare Krishna temple. Allen Bruce North, 22, a member, died of his injuries (burns over 80% of his body) several days later at St. Mary's Hospital. His parents (Mr. and Mrs. William North Of Baltimore) were at his side. Governor Winfield Dunn offered a $2000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

[85]

In 2006, a bomb blast struck the ISKCON temple in Imphal in , India. Five devotees were killed and a further 50 were injured. The attack was not claimed by any individual or organization.[86][87]

Manipur

In 2007, the government authorities demolished 25 homes belonging to the ISKCON members in Sri Vrindavan Dham commune in Almaty, on the grounds that they were illegal constructions.[88]

Kazakhstan

In 2009, an orphanage run by the ISKCON Chittagong (Sri Sri Radha Madhava Mandir) in Bangladesh was attacked by unknown men. The gang vandalised furniture and a statue in the orphanage and beat the devotees. They also tried to take control of the temple and the orphanage.

[89]

In 2015, the ISKCON Temple, Dinajpur in Bangladesh was attacked by terrorists. The terrorists opened fire and at least two people were injured in the attack.[90][91]

Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh

In 2016, the ISKCON Sylhet in Bangladesh was attacked by Muslims and at least ten people were injured in that attack.[93]

[92]

In 2018, the gate of the ISKCON Temple in Curitiba, was targeted by unknown perpetrators. The painting of Krishna with his mother Yashoda was defaced.[94]

Brazil

In 2018, organised by ISKCON Dhaka in Bangladesh was attacked by a group of people, leaving six devotees injured.[95]

Rath Yatra

In 2020, an group planned an attack on the ISKCON Temple Dhaka but police arrested them.[96]

Ansar al-Islam

In 2021, during (15 October), a Muslim mob attacked the ISKCON temple in Noakhali, Bangladesh and killed two devotees.[97][98][99][100]

Navami

Centers worldwide[edit]

India[edit]

India has the highest density of ISKCON centers in the world, with over 800 temples, 12 state-recognized educational institutions, 25 affiliated and non-affiliated restaurants, and a number of tourist and pilgrimage hotels.[101] ISKCON India disciples are more conservative than the ISKCON disciples in the west.[102]

Subsidiaries[edit]

Bhaktivedanta Book Trust[edit]

Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) is a nonprofit organization, of ISKCON, and supplies books both to ISKCON and to the book trade in general.[147] BBT is the publisher of books on the Gaudiya Vaishnava.[148] BBT was established in 1972 by A. C. Bhaktivedanta as the publisher for his books and for books by other authors. It also publishes the magazine Back to Godhead in multiple languages.[149] Apart from the BBT's work in publishing, it helps finance the construction and renovation of Krishna temples in the Gaudiya Vaishnava holy places like Vrindavan and Mayapur.

Cow protection and ISCOWP[edit]

ISCOWP (International Society for Cow Protection) claims to "present alternatives to agricultural and dietary practices that support and depend upon the meat and dairy industries' slaughter of the cow".[150]

ISKCON Tribal Care Trust[edit]

ISKCON Tribal Care Trust (ITCT) is an affiliate targeting the tribal people. The trust has set up schools and potable water sources for the tribal people.[151]

Alfred Ford

George Harrison

Poly Styrene

Hare Krsna TV

Hare Krishna in popular culture

Hungary

Krishna valley

Beck, Guy L., ed. (2005). . SUNY Press. ISBN 0-7914-6415-6.

Alternative Krishnas: Regional and Vernacular Variations on a Hindu Deity

Bryant, Edwin F.; Ekstrand, Maria, eds. (2004). The Hare Krishna Movement: The Postcharismatic Fate of a Religious Transplant. New York: Columbia University Press.  0-231-12256-X.

ISBN

Cole, Richard; Dwyer, Graham (2007). The Hare Krishna Movement: Forty Years of Chant and Change. London: . ISBN 978-1-84511-407-7.

I. B. Tauris

Gibson, Lynne (2002). Modern World Religions: Hinduism – Pupil Book Core (Modern World Religions). Oxford (England): Heinemann Educational Publishers.  0-435-33619-3.

ISBN

Greene, Joshua M. (2006). Here Comes the Sun: The Spiritual and Musical Journey of George Harrison. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.  978-0-470-12780-3.

ISBN

Lavezzoli, Peter (2006). The Dawn of Indian Music in the West. New York: Continuum.  0-8264-2819-3.

ISBN

Rochford, E. Burke (2007). . The New and Alternative Religions Series. New York: NYU Press. ISBN 978-0814775790.

Hare Krishna Transformed

(2005). The Beatles Solo on Apple Records. New Orleans, LA: 498 Productions. ISBN 0-9662649-5-9.

Spizer, Bruce

Official website