Iskcon survey
ISKCON or International Society for Krishna Consciousness is popularly called as Hare Krishna movement.
Table of contents |
Founder
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Year & place of founding
July 1966, in New York City
Aims & ideals
- 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.
Monastic / Non-monastic
Monastic and house-holders
General philosophical outlook
Hare Krishna devotees understand Krishna to be non-different from Vishnu, and the highest form of God, or "the Supreme Personality of Godhead", and Radha to be his female counterpart, the embodiment of love. They follow a disciplic line of Gaudiya Vaisnavas.
Spiritual disciplines generally advocated
Hare Krishnas conduct includes strict following of vegetarianism, abstinence from gambling and alcohol, sex outside marriage, and intoxication. They spend their time in chanting the name of Krishna
"Hare Rāma Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma Hare Hare |
Hare Kṛṣna Hare Kṛṣna, Kṛṣna Kṛṣna Hare Hare || "
Administrative set-up
The branches are autonomous administrative bodies. The Governing Body Commission (GBC) acts as the final authority.
Provision for joining
The monastic members and full time devotees – also known as temple devotees – reside in the temple and actively participate in all the programmes of the centre. Thereupon they will be given initiation depending on the conduct. The GBC maintains a list of such people. The congregational devotees live outside the temple and take active participation in temple programmes.
Present chief of the movement
Srila Prabhupada is considered the chief of movement. GBC acts as the central body. The branch centre heads are the chiefs of respective temples and they control the activities.
Activities
Unlike other sects of Hinduism, ISKCON is a evangelical institution. The devotees actively spread the message of Krishna Consciousness.
Religion & spirituality
- ISKCON Prison Ministry – for the counselling of prisoners
Social field
- Akshaya Pātra – free mid-day meal scheme for school children in Karnataka, India conducted by the Bangalore centre is the most famous scheme. Currently it feeds 59,000 rural children in 258 schools everyday.
- ISKCON runs around 50 schools
Cultural field
- The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, publishes vedic texts as interpreted in ISKCON in several languages including non-Indian.
- Vrindavana Institute for Higher Education, Vrindavan
Relief activities
Province of its influence
Has world wide presence with 10,000 temple devotees and 250,000 congregational devotees. Apart from these thousands of Hindus visit the Radha-Krishna temples.
Major publications
- Bhagavad-gītā As It Is
- Śrīmad Bhāgavatam
- Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta
- Back to Godhead
Related Links
See also Survey of Hindu organisations