Hare Krishna

Hare Krishna is the popular name for a Gaudiya Vaishnava movement formally known as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Founded in the 20th century, it emphasizes devotional practices derived from medieval Bengali saints and presents a global network of temples, farms, schools, and vegetarian food distribution programs. The movement has interacted with figures, institutions, and events across South Asia, North America, Europe, and beyond.

History

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada established ISKCON in 1966 in New York City after earlier discipleship under Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati in Calcutta. The movement drew on texts like the Bhagavad Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam and adapted practices from the Gaudiya tradition associated with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda. Early expansion involved public chanting at locations such as Times Square, outreach on college campuses including Columbia University and University of California, Berkeley, and tours that connected to cultural movements in San Francisco, London, and Paris. Growth accelerated during the countercultural era with interactions involving figures such as Allen Ginsberg, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and venues like the Fillmore West. Establishment of rural communities referenced precedents like Auroville and engaged with agricultural experiments influenced by organizations like the Rhode Island School of Design-adjacent collectives. ISKCON later encountered legal, organizational, and succession challenges mirrored in disputes seen in institutions such as the United Nations-affiliated organizations, the Supreme Court of India, and corporate-style governance models adopted by other new religious movements like the Unification Church and the Mormon Church. Expansion included temples in Vrindavan, Mayapur, Los Angeles, Mumbai, Melbourne, and Moscow.

Beliefs and Theology

Adherents draw theology from the Bhagavad Gita As It Is, commentaries by Prabhupada, and the broader Gaudiya corpus attributed to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and associates like Rupa Goswami and Jiva Goswami. Core doctrines include devotion to Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, cosmology touching on realms familiar to Puranas and Vedas, and soteriology paralleling ideas in the Bhakti movement and devotional systems such as those of Ramanuja and Vishnu-centered schools. The movement engages with theological debates involving scholars and institutions like Oxford University, Columbia University, Harvard University, and commentators from the University of Cambridge and Banaras Hindu University. ISKCON's theological corpus interacts with comparative discussions involving traditions such as Advaita Vedanta, Shaivism, Sikhism, and dialogues at venues like the Parliament of the World's Religions.

Practices and Rituals

Daily liturgy centers on congregational chanting of the Hare mantra in public and temple settings, reminiscent of kirtan practices recorded in texts like the Chaitanya Charitamrita. Rituals feature deity worship with arati ceremonies practiced in temples such as those in Vrindavan and Mayapur. Vegetarian prasadam distribution has parallels to langar kitchens in Sikhism and communal feeding approaches seen in Roman Catholic charitable programs and Buddhist monasteries. Devotees follow lifestyle codes about diet, dress, and association similar to precepts discussed in manuals from ISKCON Press and in dialogues with institutions like WHO on nutrition. Festivals such as Ratha Yatra and anniversaries of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu are celebrated at sites including Jagannath Puri-inspired chariot festivals in London and New York City. Pilgrimage practices connect followers to holy places including Vrindavan, Mathura, and Mayapur and engage with pilgrimage logistics studied at research centers like the University of Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies.

Organization and Institutions

ISKCON developed a hierarchical yet federated model with governing bodies, temple presidents, and zonal leaders modeled in part on institutional forms seen at organizations like the United Nations and corporate structures comparable to large NGOs such as Caritas Internationalis. Educational initiatives include gurukula schools and university-level collaborations with institutions like Jawaharlal Nehru University, University of California, Los Angeles, and the School of Oriental and African Studies. Publishing arms produced translations and commentaries that entered libraries alongside editions by Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. ISKCON-affiliated entities operate farms, restaurants, and cultural centers interacting with municipal governments in New York City, London Borough of Camden, and municipal authorities in Mumbai. Legal cases concerning property, succession, and child welfare reached courts including the Supreme Court of India and various United States federal courts. The movement has engaged in interfaith forums with representatives from World Council of Churches, Parliament of the World's Religions, and national religious councils.

Cultural Impact and Controversies

The movement influenced Western popular culture through associations with artists and institutions such as The Beatles, Allen Ginsberg, Tommy LiPuma, and appearances at festivals like Isle of Wight Festival and venues like CBGB. Academic study of the movement involved scholars from Harvard Divinity School, University of Chicago, Oxford University, SOAS, and McGill University. Controversies included leadership succession disputes, child protection cases that prompted inquiries in the United Kingdom and India, and public debates over proselytism that involved legislators in bodies such as the United States Congress and the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Critics compared organizational dynamics to those in movements such as the Unification Church and Scientology, while defenders cited charitable work akin to programs by World Food Programme partners. Cultural contributions encompassed music, literature, and cuisine influencing chefs and publishers including those at Penguin Books and HarperCollins, and inspired documentary films screened at festivals like Sundance Film Festival and institutions such as the British Film Institute. Ongoing dialogues continue with academic researchers at centers like the Center for the Study of Religion and Society and with policymakers addressing religious freedom in contexts involving the European Court of Human Rights and national legislatures.

Category:Gaudiya Vaishnavism Category:New religious movements