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The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is a Hindu sect based on Bengali, namely Gaudiya, Vaishnavism founded by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, referred to be followers as "His Divine Grace," in New York in 1966. ISKCON is a society formed for practitioners of bhakti yoga or the yoga of devotion. The bhakta's devotion is specifically directed towards the Hindu god Krishna, along with Radha his divine consort.
Hare Krishna devotees are known for their singing and dancing with drums and cymbals in streets of cities round the world; the ladies in colourful saris, the men in white or saffron robes.
The popular nickname "Hare Krishnas" for devotees of this movement comes from the maha-mantra (great chant) they recite, which is written in Kali-santarana Upanisad and other Vedic scriptures, and promoted by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. In the West the mantra is linked inextricably to ISKCON but in India it is chanted independent of any particular movement. The sound vibration created by repeating these names of God is said to gradually induce pure God-consciousness. It is as follows:
Frequently other mantras will be creatively appended to this, as in the background vocals to George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord." See for an audio recording of the chant, link courtesy of .
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. The teachings of bhakti yoga date back to before the Vedic era and were revived by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in West Bengal in the mid 1500s. Thus Hare Krishna devotees specifically follow a disciplic line of Gaudiya, or Bengali, Vaisnavas. Prabhupada published English translations of the Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam and Caitanya Caritamrta and numerous other scriptures, which were then translated to over sixty landuages and serve as the canon of the sect.
Historically Gaudiya Vaisnavism have had a strong and continuous following in India, especially West Bengal and Orissa. An important aspect of Gaudiya Vaisnavism is the understanding that the individual soul is an eternal personal identity which does not ultimately merge into any formless light or void. The teachings were popularised in the Western world by His Holiness A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who incorporated ISKCON and published English translations of the Bhagavad Gita and other scriptures, which were then translated to over sixty languages.
An important aspect of Gaudiya Vaisnavism is the understanding that the individual soul is an eternal personal identity which does not ultimately merge into any formless light or void. They oppose monistic interpretation of Hinduism and the Bhagavad Gita.
Unlike other branches of Hinduism, ISKCON is an actively evangelical group. There are ISKCON communities around the world with schools, restaurants and farms. Many ISKCON temples also have programs to provide meals for the needy. ISKCON has absorbed western influences as it maintains mandirs (temples) in many countries of the world, but still the ISKCON members vow to follow Gaudiya Vaisnava principles including vegetarianism, abstinence from gambling and alcohol, sex outside marriage, and intoxication.
In the early days of ISKCON many members lived in temples, but nowadays most believers live in their own homes. The organization was a major target of anti-cult activists. One of the reasons for this was that ISKCON's ascetic form of Hinduism was unknown to the West. In contrast to many other Hindu movements they are somewhat exclusive. Outsiders who see them chanting in ecstacy may get the false impression that they neglect intellectual interest in theology. More recently it has acquired a degree of respectability as an authentic Hindu sect, celebrating Vaishnava festivals and taking out big chariot processions in various towns, and stability in membership.
Shortly before Swami Prabhupada passed away, eleven of his disciples were named administrators of ISKCON on his behalf, and after he passed away in 1977 they become "gurus" with their own disciples. After Prabhupada's death there were a lot of problems and turmoil in the organization, especially in the USA. There is now a group of Hare Krishna devotees who work to implement their view of Srila Prabhupada's teachings and reform the current administration of the society accordingly. They adhere to the "posthumous ritvik theory" (Which proposes that Srila Prabhupada continues to take disciples after his physical departure through ritviks, or priests who perform the initiation ceremony on his behalf, but themselves have no other obligation to the new initiate) This is a new and unique view in Vaisnavism Vaishnava. An overview of this issue is located at Other Hare Krishna devotee followers of Srila Prabhupada have broken away from ISKCON to follow other authentic Gaudiya Vaisnava gurus and join groups outside of ISKCON.
See also: Krishna, Rama, Vishnu, Chaitanya, Bhakti yoga, Bhakti movement
| Topics in Hinduism | |
| Primary Scriptures: |
Vedas | Upanishads | Itihasa (Ramayana & Mahabharata) | Bhagavad Gita |
| Other texts: |
Tantras | Sutras | Puranas | Brahma Sutras | Hatha Yoga Pradipika | Yoga Sutra |
| Concepts: |
Brahman | Dharma | Karma | Moksha | Maya |
| Schools & Systems: |
Early Hinduism | Samkhya | Nyaya | Vaisheshika |
| Traditional Practices: | |
| Rituals: | |
| Gurus and Saints: |
Sankara | Ramakrishna | Vivekananda | Aurobindo |
| Denominations: |
Vaishnavism | Shaivism | Shaktism |
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