Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare
Krishna means "The All-Attractive," Hare addresses the energy of God, and Rama means "The Greatest Pleasure." These names of God and the Hare Krishna Mantra are derived from ancient Indian texts of knowledge called Vedas.
The image at the top of this page is of the Tilaka mark; it appears on the foreheads of all followers of Hare Krishna. The two stripes signify the lotus feet of Krishna; the leaf in the center represents holy basil, or Tulasi which traditionally adorns His feet.
ISKCON and Hinduism both trace their beginnings to the Vedas and to the Bhagavad-gita text. Whereas mainstream Hinduism regards Krishna to be the 8th incarnation of Vishnu (the Preserver and one of the Hindu trinity of deities), ISKCON regards Krishna to be the supreme Lord over all deities, including Vishnu. They are therefore a monotheistic faith group, one that stresses bhakti, the way of devotion.
The roots of the faith can be traced back to the advent of Krishna, 5000 years ago in a village in India called Vrindavana. The faith has been revived in recent history by the 16th Century Guru Caitanya Mahaprabu who is regarded by the Hare Krishnas as an incarnation of Krishna in the form of His own devotee. He taught that Lord Krishna was the principle deity, God Himself, and that everyone can regain a personal relationship with Krishna through sankirtana (congregational chanting of God's names, specifically the Hare Krishna Mantra). This tradition was continued by a line of Gurus including (early in this century) Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Gosvami Maharaj.
Abhay Charan De, a disciple of Bhaktisiddhanta, adopted the name Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, left India at the age of 69 and came to the United States to proselytize. Prabhupada (The Master) organized ISKCON in 1965. During its early years, it was largely financed through the sale of incense and Prabhupada's books published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. One of the "Beatles", George Harrison, donated a mansion near London and produced an album featuring the Hare Krishna Mantra. After 12 years of prolific writing and successful promotion of Krishna Consciousness, the Master died in 1977. His main writings were word-for-word translations and commentaries on the Bhagavad-gita ("The Song of God"), the Bhagavata Purana ("The History of God and His Devotees"), and the Caitanya Caritamrita ("The Life and Teachings of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.") Before his death, he appointed eleven commissioners (some sources incorrectly say 20) who were assigned to accept disciples and extend the organization into different countries of the world.
Their head office is in Los Angeles. They currently have a stable membership of over one million members worldwide. Their publish a magazine called Back to Godhead.
Their main differences from mainline Hinduism are:
Congregation members wear regular clothing and work regular jobs. Many live near a temple, follow a vegetarian diet, do some prayer and chanting at home, and come to the temple at least once a week, usually for the "Sunday Feast." ("Sunday Feasts" are held at Hare Krishna temples around the world, where anyone can come and participate in the chanting, dancing, and feasting on vegetarian food offered to the Lord.)
Hare Krishnas developed a high profile through their appearance in airports and other public places, dressed in saffron coloured robes, chanting, playing drums and finger cymbals, selling their literature, and proselytizing (although book sales at airports was curtailed after 1992 when the US Supreme Court decided that individuals who were soliciting money could be banned from airports and other public places.)
They have many centres throughout North America, in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boise, Boston, Boulder, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Gainesville, Hartford, Honolulu, Houston, Laguna Beach (CA), Lansing, Long Island, Los Angeles, Miami, Montreal, Ottawa, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Regina, St. Louis, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tallahassee, Topanga (CA), Toronto, Towaco (NJ), Tucson, Vancouver, Walla Walla, and Washington. They also operate a Vedic School in Coral Springs (FL) and many farm communities and restaurants.
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