This is exactly how random passers-by react to people walking down the street with a tilaka painted on their forehead and bridge of their nose. This symbol is applied by righteous followers to their bodies in 12 places with sacred clay.

“It means that this body is the temple of the Lord, and it does not belong to me, but belongs to God and therefore should be occupied with God,” Oleg Lebed, press attaché of the Kyiv community of the Society for Krishna Consciousness, tells Life.

However, you don’t have to be shocked by clay paintings on the body: it’s enough to apply it with water. However, before the procedure, it is imperative to wash well: the divine sign must be applied to a clean body. Although Henry Ford's great-grandson Alfred took the principles of Krishnaism very seriously: he even went to work at his own automobile concern with a tilaka - a special clay design on his forehead.

Cleanliness is a sign of spirituality

Ayurveda - Vedic medicine, or revealing knowledge about life. Literally: “Ayur” - life, “Vedas” - knowledge. In contrast to modern Western medicine: natural, whole - treats the whole body, and not a separate disease or organ, is strongly related to lifestyle and psychology.

">Ayurveda- Hare Krishna medicine

“The day is exposed to the qualities (gunas) of nature,” explains “Life” - Andrey Zhuravkov. The day is divided into three periods:

1. from 2:00 to 10:00 am - this is the guna of goodness - the best time for self-realization and.
2. from 10:00 to 18:00 in the evening - the guna of passion is the best time to work.
3. from 18:00 to 2:00 am - the guna of ignorance - this is the time to prepare for bed and sleep itself.

4 principles of freedom for Hare Krishnas

In addition, initiated Hare Krishnas, or Vaisnavas, must necessarily follow the four principles of freedom. Violation of these principles leads to the fact that the life of such a person is filled with pain, suffering and failure. What are these four principles of freedom?

1. . Moreover, Hare Krishnas try not to work in places that are in one way or another connected with the production and distribution of meat products. You definitely won’t meet Hare Krishnas at a meat processing plant.
2. Do not use intoxicating substances(drugs, tobacco, alcohol, caffeine, etc.).
3. Don't gamble, do not engage in illegal speculation and fraud.
4. Don't engage in "illegal sex" that is, sexual relations are possible only between husband and wife within their family.

Andrei Zhuravkov does not suffer from such restrictions: “A person begins from the moment he begins to control his own.”

“A man who is captured by his passions cannot be free.” Pythagoras

Another interesting phrase about the concept of freedom in modern society from Albert Einstein: “Human freedom in the modern world is like the freedom of a person solving a crossword puzzle: theoretically, he can enter any word, but in reality he must enter only one for the crossword puzzle to be solved.” " Therefore, all the Scriptures say: since the world is organized according to the laws of God, it means that the freedom of any living creature begins only from the moment the framework of these laws is accepted...

Freedom is the right to do whatever the laws allow. Montesquieu

Is it easy to become a Hare Krishna?

In general, being a Hare Krishna is not difficult. You just need to want to become the best, and reach a stage in this process when it becomes possible to perform personal service to God in the spiritual world. And this, as the Hare Krishnas themselves claim, is quite easy: chant the Names of God, dance for Him in the temple and accept, .

Kris.h.Nive based on materials
newspapers "Ukrainian Truth"

website

What exactly is the Society for Krishna Consciousness?

Several decades ago, such a controversial phenomenon as Krishnaism entered the lives of Russians. At first, followers of this movement met secretly at each other's homes in small groups. The Soviet Union did not really favor religion in general - neither the traditional Orthodox, nor the newly emerged Indian.

But gradually the number of Hare Krishnas in Russia increased significantly. And so much so that now Vedic temples have begun to be built all over the country, and on the streets of any city you can find people dancing and singing in bright oriental clothes with books and sweets in their hands.

How to explain this? Does the scale of this movement threaten civilians in Russia? Are Hare Krishnas a totalitarian sect or a harmless religion? Who is Krishna really? And how do those called Hare Krishnas differ from the rest?

The majority of people living in our country are firmly and unconditionally convinced that Krishnaism is dangerous. Citizens ignorant of this issue pass from mouth to mouth horror stories about “sectarians in Indian clothes”: Hare Krishnas do not eat meat, fish or even eggs, they fill the heads of their adherents with strange foreign words, they zombify them with incomprehensible mantras, they look strange, smile and for some reason they dance around in the streets, and, of course, they put drugs in their food.

From the outside, perhaps it all looks exactly like this. Indeed, there are serious, concerned faces all around, and then suddenly there is strange unbridled fun! Can this really happen? So people think that these people were definitely lured into a sect and fed with drugs.

In fact, everyone who calls Krishnaism a sect simply does not know the history of the issue. It is obvious. Such people do not even realize that they are speaking disrespectfully about the most ancient knowledge on Earth - the Vedic teachings.

The Krishna consciousness movement - or, to use a more precise term, Gaudiya Vaishnavism - is a branch of Hinduism, one of the world religions. In the form in which we observe this current now, it was brought to the West by A.Ch. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada is an initiated preacher of Indian origin. It was he who registered the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in the United States of America in the mid-twentieth century.

People who oppose Hare Krishnaism argue that its first followers were mainly antisocial elements of American society - drug addicts, hippies, alcoholics. It's true. However, for some reason, the fact that these people, after meeting Prabhupada, dramatically changed their lifestyle and gave up bad habits is not mentioned. Moreover, to this day they advocate the abandonment of all types of intoxication - alcoholic beverages, smoking, coffee and even black tea. Nothing should hinder the human mind from comprehending God.

All Hare Krishnas are firmly convinced that God is one, and there are many paths to Him. For some personal reasons they accepted God in the form of Krishna, but this does not mean that the followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism are against Buddha, Christ or Allah. On the contrary, representatives of this religious movement are very friendly towards adherents of other faiths.

Hare Krishna and sect are incompatible concepts. In this religion there is not even a hint of totalitarianism or destructiveness, since the Hare Krishnas advocate non-violence, treating even our smaller brothers with reverence. For this reason, by the way, they do not eat products of animal origin and try not to wear natural leather and fur products.

When the body is not burdened with heavy toxic food, a person’s consciousness will become clearer. And it becomes easier for him to establish a connection with the Almighty. And this does not require any psychotropic drugs. That is why vegetarian Vaisnavas actually feel connected with the one they call Lord Krishna.

The entire Vedic culture is built on serving God and people. Followers of this religion are convinced that this is how we can love all things and get closer to our Creator. That is why they try to put the acquired knowledge into practice - they help others for free, distribute Vedic books, and promote vegetarianism as the norm of life for a civilized person.

Krishna Consciousness"

Introduction

A characteristic feature of our time is the emergence of a large number of various sects and cults, offering a wide range of methods leading to the “spiritualization” of the individual. Among them, the Krishna Society is quite active. This is a religious organization that poses a danger to the lives of citizens. The phenomenon of destructive cults began to develop especially strongly in the last century and a half, successfully using the latest developments in the field of manipulative technologies and methods of mind control. Their goal is to suppress human will, subordinate followers to the leader, material enrichment and seize power.

Spread of the Movement. Hare Krishna and His Spheres of Influence

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, also called the Hare Krishna movement, is an Eastern cult in the Hindu tradition. This movement is widespread in many countries of the world, including Western Europe and America. In America, Krishnaism appeared a little earlier - in 1965, together with Abhau Charan De Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, an elderly devotee of Krishna from India. He founded ISKCON and remained its leader until his death in 1977. ISKCON is now governed by two different groups: one of eleven people manages spiritual matters, and a board of directors deals with administrative matters.

The system of Hare Krishna teachings comes from Hinduism. They believe that every person must go through a series of successive lives ( reincarnations), in order to get rid of the karma weighing on him and break out of the vicious circle of deaths and births in order to achieve nirvana, i.e. merging with God.

Krishnaism was one of the first attempts to introduce the philosophy of Hinduism to the masses. In Hinduism, the supreme “God” impersonal and unknowable. Hare Krishnas have personalized god and end up worshiping and communicating with personalized aspects of god such as Krishna.

Mystical roots of Krishnaism

Krishnaism refers to the “holy scripture” of the Bhagavad Gita, written 5 thousand years ago and which is like the Bible for them. The Bhagavad Gita is a long poem in which the events of the war between representatives of two ancient families are described in a poetic and allegorical style. It is built in the form of a dialogue between the warrior Arjuna, symbolizing the people, and Krishna, symbolizing the divine principle. In modern times, a book has appeared, “Bhagavad-Gita As It Is,” written by Prabhupada, which contains his interpretation of the Bhagavad-Gita.

Life of Hare Krishnas.

They live in special rooms at the temple. Their life takes place in a very strict regime in which the need to make any choice or decision is completely eradicated. Wake up every day at 3 am, take a cold shower before the temple idols wake up. Then the ritual of dressing and feeding the “deities.” After this, monotonous chanting of Hare Krishna mantras with the help of special beads in the form of beads and going out into the streets, where they, filling the surrounding landscape, chant songs glorifying Krishna. At the same time, donations are collected. Evenings are spent in more intense repetition of mantras and idol worship. Six hours of sleep on a hard floor is the time that separates them from Krishna. Chanting Hare Krishna mantras helps attract spirits from the pantheon of Hindu gods.

Such open paganism requires the fulfillment of various temple duties, because Hare Krishnas believe that Krishna resides in the metal and wooden idols located in the temple. These statues are offered food six times a day, and a little later this food sacrificed to idols is eaten by adepts and disciples. This ritual meal is called prasada, which symbolizes eating the body of Krishna, the so-called “Eucharist of Krishna.” The water used to wash the deities is collected and later drunk by the devotees. Each temple has a special plant growing in India - Tulasi Devi, which is also an object of worship and used to eradicate sins and heal diseases.

The life of true devotees of Krishna is harsh and involves various restrictions: alcohol, drugs, coffee, meat, fish, gambling, as well as conversations unrelated to Krishna are completely excluded. Reading magazines and newspapers is strictly prohibited. Contact with the outside world, including friends and close relatives, is very rare and generally discouraged. Personal property is not allowed. The disciples are completely dependent on the food and shelter provided to them by the temple.

Children born with the consent of temple leaders are taken from their parents and placed in special MOSC schools. In fact, marriage is considered a low level of consciousness development, but is allowed for those who are not yet ready to take a vow of celibacy. Married couples live in separate quarters and sexual relations are permitted only with the permission of the temple priests. Basically, this happens no more than once a month, during the most optimal period of time for conception, preferably when this time coincides with the full moon. Sexual relations have only one purpose - procreation and nothing more. In addition, before this, each spouse must complete 50 cycles of the Krishna mantra, which takes about five hours. And finally, to prevent hugging and kissing, this entire process is accompanied by a tape recording of Prabhupada's voice.

Those who remain in this cult for more than six months receive a new Sanskrit name and a new secret mantra. Men are required to shave their heads, leaving a small tuft of hair at the back of the head in case Krishna wishes to take them to heaven. According to Prabhupada, shaved heads symbolize the absence of human fuss and vanity. Women traditionally occupy a lower level and their purpose is mainly to serve men. They wear long, loose-fitting clothes that do not promote desire in men. The main thing in the teachings of Krishna is the suppression of all desires. The body is the enemy of the spirit, and only by strictly limiting all conveniences, comfort and care for your body can you achieve the highest goal - intimacy and merging with Krishna. Prabhupada's main goal and task is to help adepts free their souls from the low quality of the natural spirituality of their bodies. “I am not this body,” repeat the adherents. This means that matter is illusory (maya) and transitory. Only the spirit is worthy of attention because it is immortal.

Those people who came into contact with Hare Krishnas on the streets and unwittingly lost their money were easily swayed by the Hare Krishnas' beliefs that their money would be given to Krishna, and that by this they deserved their personal salvation. Thus, the extortionist used this trick as a bait, while emphasizing that Krishna had returned what had always belonged to him.

The morality of the Hare Krishnas, as well as many other anti-Christian teachings, such as theosophy, anthroposophy, Roerich’s teaching of “Living Ethics” (Agni Yoga), is based on the doctrine of the reincarnation of souls.

About Devotion to God

The most paradoxical thing in the teachings of the Hare Krishnas is that, considering it a sin to eat animal food (as a violation of the commandment “thou shalt not kill”), they completely allow any murder, including the murder of a person, if “god” Krishna commands it. He writes about this in some detail. Swami Prabhupada: "Being in Krishna consciousness, the 'devotee' directly communicates with him and can understand all his instructions. If Krishna wants, the 'devotee' can perform any action, even undesirable from an ordinary point of view (ibid., p. 158), and if the need arises to carry out a strict order, then this reluctance should be suppressed, since the natural and original state of a living being is that it carries out orders coming from above.

Conclusion

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness is one of the most intellectually educated sects that recruits college-educated youth, so it is not surprising that it masterfully uses psychological techniques and tactics.

The Krishna Consciousness Society violates the civil rights of those its adherents attempt to convert. The organization is trying to deprive people of the right to think freely. Life in the Hare Krishna community is very much like slavery. People who fall into this organization will suffer serious harm. Families are destroyed, physical and mental health are undermined, money and property are voluntarily transferred to the community, and if a person manages to free himself from the influence of the sect, he will have to learn to live again.

Young people distributing Hare Krishna literature are, as a rule, beginners, which is why they are so sincere in their desire for universal unity and love, naively believing that, thereby, they are fulfilling the will of the “god” Krishna, who costs nothing to cover up his true appearance in front of newcomers , because according to Swami Prabhupada, Krishna, when necessary, can be more treacherous than any person, and if he wants to deceive a person, then no one can surpass him in deceit. Krishna will reveal his true devilish appearance to his followers at the moment when, under the influence of the poison that is gradually filling their hearts, they will have neither the desire nor the strength to resist.

The attitude towards religion in our society is not simple. We can be sincere Christians, but at the same time hate other teachings, classifying them as sects. One of these religious teachings that is ambiguously perceived by society is Krishnaism. The name itself is Western, because in its homeland, India, the movement is called Gaudiya Vaishnavism.

According to the teaching, Vaishnava is a devotee of the supreme Vishnu. Krishna became his avatar. He appeared in our world five thousand years ago, and now believers worship him. The teachings of Gaudiya Vaishnavism are based on Vedic sources, like many others in India. In the West, Krishnaism appeared in 1965, thanks to Srila Prabhupada, the spiritual teacher.

And in 1971, he even visited the USSR, where he found students. This is how Krishnaism appeared among us. The believers stood out sharply from the general crowd with their clothes, songs and dances. It is no coincidence that they were persecuted by the authorities, persecuted by the inhabitants themselves, considering them sectarians.

Today, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is perhaps the most influential Hindu organization in the West. There are branches in every major Russian city. So who are the Hare Krishnas and their teaching - a sect or a bright teaching that allows them to achieve harmony? And how true and close is it to Hinduism? It is worth debunking the main myths about this religion in order to get to know it better.

ISKCON is Hindu. The teaching is relatively young, appearing at the time of the decline of traditional Indian philosophy and Vedism, at the time of the dominance of Muslims there. Krishnaism was formed in Bengal, in an Islamic environment. And although the teaching originated in the cults of the villagers of India, it was deeply influenced by Islam, and later by Christianity. Prabhupada himself, translating and commenting on the Bhagavad Gita, introduced many of his own ideas that came from Bengal Vaishnavism. The Krishna Consciousness Society is based on the less widespread philosophy of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Prabhupada saw that in the 60s people were immersed in spiritual quests. The answer was a cult that differed little in its essence from Judaism, Islam and Christianity. In Hinduism, the sixties sought complete mental liberation; Krishnaism is similar only in appearance. Prabhupada himself revealed his attitude towards Hinduism in his conversations. He explained that his teachings do not promote the outdated and useless Hinduism, a branch of the Vedic religion. In India itself, few people are familiar with this philosophy in detail. It is interesting that ISKCON has a dvaita philosophy, which implies dualism, the eternal separation of man from God. This trend appeared with the Islamic invasion of India in the 12th century. But the founder of such teaching, Madhva, openly conflicts with many sayings of the Upanishads and Vedas.

The Hare Krishnas were the first to bring Hinduism to the West. That Krishnaism is not Hinduism is clear from the previous myth. There is patriarchy and intolerance towards other religions characteristic of monotheism. And Hinduism did not appear in the West thanks to the pharmacist Abhay Charan (Prabhupada). The civilized world became familiar with yoga much earlier, thanks to gurus such as Sivananda, Satyananda and Vivekananda. The latter spoke back in 1893 at the World Congress of Religions in Chicago, winning applause with his address to the brothers and sisters of America. It was Vivekananda who aroused interest in Hinduism in America, who founded several Vedic centers, gave lectures and in every possible way initiated interest in his culture. In the middle of the 20th century, tantric and yogic techniques were introduced to the West by Satyananda Sarswati. He became famous all over the world as an authoritative representative of Hinduism. While Prabhupada was engaged in propaganda work, Sarsvati was conducting completely scientific research into the influence of yoga on human physiology. Yes, the West independently discovered the East and India. Kipling, Hese, and the Roerichs wrote about her. In this environment, Prabhupada looks not like a guru, but like a charismatic leader and businessman who managed to combine the techniques of sects and NLP.

Krishnaism is an ancient Vedic tradition. In fact, the followers of this teaching do not recognize the Upanishads and Vedas. The Gaudiya Vaishnavism appeared in Islamic Bengal in the 16th century. The teachings were based on authoritative scriptures created later. The word “Vedism” itself is often used for the purpose of speculation. Even books on Bengali cooking are published under the name “Vedic Cooking”. But this has nothing in common with that period and its culture, when it was possible to eat the meat of animals and even cows.

Krishnaism is an open, peace-loving religion. It is difficult to recognize Gaudiya Vaishnavism as a peace-loving religion. The believers themselves call it the only correct one, while other schools of Hinduism are called literally “unreal teachings.” Prabhupada himself openly stated in his lecture that he considers yogis, karmis, and jnanis to be simply scoundrels with whom one cannot communicate and eat together. People should be liberated from such philosophical systems as Buddhism, Jayvanism and Mayavada as quickly as possible. Other philosophies are considered hostile and their followers are considered offensive.

ISKCON is true Krishnaism. ISKCON representatives themselves consider themselves to be real Hare Krishnas who believe in the main deity, istadevata, Krishna. In fact, this is just one of the directions of Krishnaism, and not the most prosperous one. On a philosophical level there are differences with other deity cults. In India, even traditional Krishnaism does not recognize ISKCON representatives, not allowing them into temples.

ISKCON and Gauda Sampradaya are Vaishnavism, and Hare Krishnas are Vaishnavas. Gaudiya Vaisnavas are not pure Vaisnavas. After all, native Vaishnava texts, such as the Vishnu Purana and Yoga Vasishtha, are not considered authoritative here. ISKCON does not recognize the traditional way of the Vaishnava religion, not considering Vishnu as the supreme deity. His place was taken by the shepherd Krishna, who came from the cult of the Abhira shepherds. Vaishnavas have four lines: Rudra, Brahma, Lakshmi and Kumara. But the Gaudiya direction does not apply here. Hare Krishnas try to add to their authority by posing as followers of Brahma. But their teaching is very different.

ISKCON and Gaudiya Math are the only followers of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Gaudiya Sampradaya. Major currents of Gaudiya Vaishnavism do not recognize Prabhupada and his disciples as authoritative representatives of their family. Back at the end of the 19th century, Bhaktivinoda Thakur, together with his son Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, took and declared the rest of the Gaudiya teachings to be unauthoritative, mired in lies. Having connections with the British colonial power, the thinkers were able to promote their cult.

ISKCON books are the Indian Vedas. The fact that these philosophical records are the Vedas is mentioned only in them. But this does not give them overall authority. The true spirit of the Upanishads and Vedas is alien to the creations of the Gaudians, moreover, the basis of their philosophy (the identity of God and the soul) is being criticized with all their might.

ISKCON, like Gaudiya Vaishnavism, is popular in India. This teaching is known to a maximum of one percent of people there. There, even in the homeland of the tradition, in Bengal, there are quite a few followers, in contrast to the much more traditional areas of Hinduism.

In ISKCON and Gaudiya Vaishnavism, professional gurus preach. Bhaktivinoda Thakur was a lawyer in the colonial British government. Abhay Charan, before becoming Prabhupada, was a pharmacist who graduated from a Christian college. So ISKCON gurus are not professional or hereditary brahminical thinkers. Continuity from authoritative traditions was not provided for. As a result, the spirituality of the community was formed in such a way that it was expressed in a series of sex scandals with children in the 1970s and in the criminal trail that accompanied the movement in the West. Hare Krishnas became associated with extortion and drugs rather than with spirituality.

In Krishnaism, Shiva and other deities are demigods. Hinduism reveres Shiva, Brahma and other gods as full-fledged supreme beings. But in the tradition of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, the Indian word “deva” is translated not as “god”, but as “demigod”. This is done specifically to belittle the importance of other deities relative to Krishna. The first of the Vedas says about the gods that they are all equally great. In Hinduism in general, Shiva is considered not only not a demigod, but, on the contrary, a Great God. His cult is very ancient and revered by the people. But the attitude towards Krishna in India is not so clear.

Hare Krishnas perceive God only as a person. After the 16th century, thinkers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism put forward the idea that the impersonal absolute, Brahman, is the luminosity of the god Govinda. This primitive and naturalistic philosophy still dominates ISKCON today. But traditional Hinduism believes that the absolute can take both the form of a person (God, Ishtadevata, Bhagavan) and an impersonal form (Brahman, Sadashiva).

The distribution of books by Hare Krishnas is their spiritual activity. In fact, the distribution of Gaudiya Vaisnava literature is a regular business built by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. The Almighty and Absolute God does not need such help to spread the truth, especially if it leads to the enrichment of the book publisher.

Thanks to practices, Hare Krishnas can be liberated from samsara. Gaudiya is offered to undergo go-loka practice, but its goal is not liberation from samsara. This is a world where karma operates, just like the others. And Hinduism considers the achievement of Nirvana and the state of Brahman to be real liberation. Yoga practitioners consider the higher and lower worlds to be obstacles, because samsara operates there. For them, she is a symbol of eternal torment.

Hare Krishna is a Vedic mantra. There is no such mantra in the Vedas. It appeared in the already modern text “Kalisantarana Upanishad”. And this mantra is not included in the canon of sacred texts of Hinduism.

Hare Krishnas respect women, considering them equal. Gaudiya Vaishnavism emerged from Islamic views. It is not surprising that sexism and patriarchy are pronounced here. In ISKCON, men are kept separate from women; they cannot occupy higher positions, and there are divisions in clothing. One of the leaders of the Hare Krishna community, Kirtanananda Swami, generally said that a drum, a dog and a wife become better from beatings. In the Bhagavad Purana, Prabhupada deliberately speaks primitively about the womb, calling it a stinking womb, a breeding ground for worms and worms, a mess of blood, urine and feces. But in Hindu and Buddhist philosophy, being in the womb, on the contrary, is compared with divine consciousness and carelessness. There are even practices designed to return the soul to that state.

Sexuality among Hare Krishnas is not sinful. And again it is worth remembering that the teaching was created on the basis of Islam, in which sexuality is prohibited. Sex is recognized only as a means of reproduction. But in Hinduism as a whole there is a pronounced cult of sexuality. Revered symbols of male and female genitalia and images of copulating gods are often found here. In Hinduism, sex is not low and sinful; in some teachings it is generally a tool for spiritual development.

Hare Krishnas consider them only avatars of Krishna or his creations. It is believed that Krishna appeared five thousand years ago before the beginning of the so-called Kali Yuga - the era of darkness, to revive the true world in the world, destroy demons and protect virtuous people. Hare Krishnas honor all Hindu books, but especially highlight the Bhagavata Purana and Hinduism Bhagavad Gita - a philosophical dialogue between Krishna himself and his cousin Arjuna on the field of Kurukshetra. Krishna is described as a young man with a black body but Aryan features. He plays the flute, fights demons and evil people. Krishaism is known throughout the world thanks to the work of the Gaudiya Vaishnava guru Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who came to the United States in the seventies and founded the Society for Krishna Consciousness there.

Srila Prabhubada crossed the ocean on a ship when he was already seventy years old, and suffered two heart attacks during the voyage. All his property consisted of two boxes of books.

The society quickly grew into an impressive international organization with millions of adherents around the world and a large budget. The attitude towards the organization on the part of ordinary people and governments is ambiguous. Thus, in Russia, Krishnaism is classified as totalitarian. And although the cult is not prohibited by law, the attitude towards it is wary. Some social movements are trying to hinder the missionary activities of Hare Krishnas and persecute them.

What is Bhagavad Gita about?

The main provisions are written in the main holy book Bhagavad Gita. It describes Krishna's philosophical dialogue with his cousin Arjuna before the epic battle on the field of Kurukshetra between the closely related clans of the Pandavas and Kauravas.

The Beatles played a major role in popularizing Hare Krishnaism, especially George Harrison, who became an adherent of this cult.

Arjuna doubted whether he should go against his brothers, but Krishna strengthened him in this and taught him philosophical teachings. Krishna explained that the physical body but the soul is immortal and is born again in the material world unless a person succeeds in achieving salvation. Krishna calls the quickest way to achieve liberation through the constant repetition of the mantra “Hare Krishna - Hare Rama” and personal devotion to him as the creator of all things.

There are many gods in Hinduism, the most important of which are Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. Adherents of Hinduism believe that one of the many incarnations of the god Vishnu is Krishna. The cult of Krishna in the 20th century spread far beyond India and laid the foundation for the international Hare Krishna movement.

Teachings and traditions of the Hare Krishnas

Hare Krishnas propagate the teaching that all people are part of the universal consciousness that is God. Like most adherents of Hindu cults, followers of Krishna are convinced that there are numerous reincarnations of a person, which successively replace each other.

Hare Krishnas consider Krishna to be the same God as the Jews recognize him. Salvation comes to people through the divine consciousness of Krishna. To join this consciousness, adherents of this teaching traditionally chant the name of Krishna. It is believed that this ritual serves as a touch to Krishna and a kind of sacrifice to him.

The appearance immediately catches the eye: they wear bright clothes with Indian motifs. Men traditionally shave their heads, sometimes leaving only a braid. What is special about the life of a Hare Krishna is the right thing. As a rule, true ones are vegetarians. Each meal has ritual significance as it is seen as a union with the deity.

Features of Krishnaism

Hare Krishnas can often be found in crowded places. Gathering in groups, they sing their songs, sell religious literature, and sometimes simply collect donations. The Hare Krishna movement is very widespread in North America, where they form one of the many Hindu groups.

Since the early 70s of the last century, divisions of the so-called “International Society for Krishna Consciousness” began to operate in the Soviet Union, and then in modern Russia. Adherents of this sect claim to follow the traditions of Hinduism, but experts consider the teachings of the current Hare Krishnas to be pagan.

The most ardent adherents of the Hare Krishna society are convinced that salvation is guaranteed only to those who devote their entire lives to Krishna and strictly follow a daily routine and strict diet. Worship of the deity is also expressed in countless repetitions of mantras, which often leads Hare Krishnas into a state of ecstasy and can lead to complete unconsciousness.

The Orthodox Church condemns the cult and traditions of the Hare Krishnas, believing that this teaching brings out the dark and demonic forces hidden in man. Adherents of the Christian faith, not without reason, believe that the Hare Krishnas are just one of many destructive sects, the purpose of which is to suppress personality and control human consciousness.