Hare Krishna/ISKCON

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Hare Krishna/ISKCON

• Juhi Kapadia, Susmitha Musunuru, Nikhil Sekhar,
  Tuhina Venkatayogi

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Founder

• Divine Grace A.C, Bhakivedanta Swami Prabhupada
  (1896 1977)
• Born in Calcutta
• A devotee of Krishna
• Came to New York City
• from India in 1965 at the
• age of 70
• Moved to Haight Ashbury
• district of San Francisco
• in 1967
• ISKCON means,  International
• Society of Krishna Consciousness

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Scriptures/Holy Books

• Bhagavad-Gita
• The most important sacred text for the Hare
  Krishna, the "Song of
• the Lord," written around
• 250 BC. The Gita tells
• the story of the warrior
• Arjun and his encounter
• with Krishna. This text is
• regarded as literal truth
• by Hare Krishnas.

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Scriptures/Holy Books

• Bhagavata Purana
• This book includes many stories
• well known in Hindu tradition,
• including the various avatars
• of Vishnu and the life of Krishna.

Chapter from the Bhagavata Purana

• Bhagavad-Gita As It is
• This is the translation and commentary on the
  Bhagavad Gita written by the founder of the
  religion A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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Connections with other Religions
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• It is connected to Christianity because of its
  ideas of hell, heaven, and Jesus Christ being a
  directly empowered representative of Krishna. Who
  is the one and only God.
• 1510 an ascetic Sri Krishna Caitanya, began
  movement in 1510, people believed him to be
  another incarnation of India due to his feverous
  faith in Krishna

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• ISKCON members attire- represents that ascetic
  lifestyle
• ISKCON -400 centers, including 60 farm
  communities, some aiming for self-sufficiency, 50
  schools and 90 restaurants
• USSR- became seen as a major threat to USSR
  during the Cold War.
• 150,000 members in Russia, Russias total
  population 140 million

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Prayers

• The central religious ritual of the Hare
  Krishna is the
• chanting of mantras. Their main mantra
  (maha-mantra) for
• which they are named is
• Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna,
  Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama,
  Hare Hare

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Prayers
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna,
Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama,
Hare Hare

• This mantra expresses devotion to the gods Hare,
  Krishna
• and Rama and is believed to bring about a higher
  state of
• consciousness when it is chanted, sung, or
  meditated upon. It is
• thought to be the most effective means of
  self-purification. Hare
• Krishnas are expected to chant the mantra for 16
  rounds of a
• rosary of 108 beads.

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Teachings

• ISKCON devotees worship Krishna as the highest
  form of God, and often refer to Him as "the
  Supreme Personality of Godhead" in writing,
• To devotees, Radha represents Krishna's divine
  female counterpart, the original spiritual
  potency, and the embodiment of divine love.

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Teachings

• The individual soul is an eternal personal
  identity which does not ultimately merge into any
  formless light or void.
• It is a monotheistic tradition which has its
  roots in the theistic Vedanta traditions.
• They also believe that the Supreme God is known
  by other names, such as Yahweh and Allah

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Teachings

• Their "Nine Processes of Devotional Service" are
  
• Hearing about God .
• Chanting the names of God .
• Remembering God by reading, associating with
  devotees .
• Serving the Lord Krishna in the temple.
• Worshiping God by preparation of food, decorating
  the Lord, bringing others to see Him.
• Praying to God.
• Encouraging others to chant the names of God.
• Develop a close personal and intimate
  relationship with God.
• Giving everything we have to God including our
  bodies.

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Seven purposes of ISKCON

• To systematically propagate spiritual knowledge
  to society at large and to educate all people 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.

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Regulative Principles

• They also have four principles,
• that every believer must follow
• No eating of meat (including fish) or
• eggs (lacto-vegetarianism)
• No illicit sex
• No gambling
• No intoxication (including alcohol,
• caffeine, tobacco and other recreational
• drugs).

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Additional Information

• Gained support from others through interest from
  George Harrison (Beatles)
• First commune was established in West Virginia in
  1968
• After Prabhupadas death in 1977, 11 disciplines
  were in charge of spreading the teachings
• Three are alive and remain very active
• Adherents 250,000 devotees plus 10,000 full
  members could be total of 1 million followers

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Works Cited

• http//www.religionfacts.com/a-z-religion-index/ha
  re-krishna-iskcon.htm
• http//www.patheos.com/Library/ISKCON-(Hare-Krishn
  a).html
• http//www.religioustolerance.org/hare.htm
• http//krishna.org/