How the 'structures and organisations' prevalent in ISKCON) contrast from those of traditional Hinduism

Hinduism

  • 4000 year old tradition
  • Over 900 million followers
  • Difficult to trace
  • Indian sages founded the religion (Bhaskarananda 2002)
  • Hindu identity as recognised today developed during the 19th century (Flood 2001: 3)

Variations of Hinduism?

  • Flood’s tree theory - central trunk of philosophy
  • Bernard Faure’s river theory - different streams of Hinduism combine to form a core
  • The essential goal for Hindus is escape or moksha from the cycle of reincarnation, samsara. What differs from one Hindu to another is the means or ways to get to moksha 

ISKCON in the West

  • Transfer of foreign religious ideology
  • Devotional religion
  • Existing western monotheistic religions
  • Popular with the counter culture during the 1960s

New Religious Movement?

  • ISKCON is classed as a new religious movement although its roots lie in sixteenth century Vaishnava Hinduism (Barker 1989: 184)

  • Monotheistic in nature

  • Aim to create and maintain societal and personal well-being by promoting the Krishna consciousness, the philosophies of Krishna as found in religious scriptures.

Philosophical content

  • Become harmonized with one another but most importantly closer to Krishna through worship, education and to proselytize the faith to other cultures and nations
  • Philosophical content has existed in India and Hinduism for hundreds of years

Philosophical content

  • In general, Hinduism is henotheistic
  • localized manifestation of a major god figure such as Vishnu, Krishna or Rama.
  • Many different offshoots or denominations within Hinduism
  • E.g. ascetic, popular, Vedic and devotional traditions
  • Bhakti strain of philosophy 

ISKCON

  • Home worship
  • Active participants
  • Ascetic lifestyle
  • The Bhagavata Purana, a developmental discussion of bhaktiyoga.
  • ISKCON’s philosophies are taken from Hinduism but the movement is somewhat detached from the Hindu faith.

Hindu Background / Guru structure

  • The Hare Krishna mantra or the Maha Mantra often heard chanted originates from Kali Santarana Upanishad, a Vaishnava scripture
  • Succession of Gurus - ISKON’s leader Prabhupada also follows a line of succession, spiritually connected directly to Krishna

Similarities and differences

  • Temples of worship
  • Hindu temples welcome ISKCON members
  • Same texts, differing importance
  • Share many philosophies.
  • Street chanting - disapproved

Conclusion

  • Clear similarities between the philosophical and structure of bhakti Vaishnava Hinduism with ISKON followers
  • Defined separation strange – Hinduism usually incorporating
  • ISKCON is clearly a Hindu based religious movement
  • Many of Hinduism’s authority figures denounce the apparent connection
  • Authenticity questioned due to seemingly western ideas and high population of western, non-Indian members.
  • In both spiritual and leadership structure the two religions have much in common

References

  • Barker, E., (1989) New Religious Movements: A Practical Introduction, London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office
  • Faure, B (1992) The Rhetoric of Immediacy: A Cultural Critique of Chan/Zen Buddhism, USA: Princeton University Press
  • Swami Bhaskarananda (2002) The Essentials of Hinduism: A Comprehensive Overview of the World's Oldest Religion, Seattle; Viveka Press
  • Journal
    Flood, G (2001) Hinduism, Vaisnavism, and ISKCON: Authentic Traditions or Scholarly Constructions? in Cults and Society, Vol. 1, No. 1, pg
  • Reports
  • US State Department’s International Religious Freedom Report 2004 accessible from URL <http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/
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                Why do ISKCON’s Ethics                                 appeal to some?

Saleh Muthana Yafai.

ISKCON devotees are expected to refrain from

  • Eating meat, fish or eggs;

  • Gambling;

  • Intoxication;

  • Illicit sex and

-(Onions, garlic and mushrooms).  

        The reason for this expectation is based the ‘Four Regulative Principles’ which initiated devotees vow to follow and the Three Gunas.

(Barker, 1989)

The Three Gunas

Energy has three qualities, known as Gunas;

  • Sattva (purity);
  • Rajas (activity, passion, the process of change); and
  • Tamas (darkness, inertia).

                                                (BHAGAVAD GITA, Chapter 14)

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