Abbreviation for the
International Society for Krishna Consciousness, a Hindu missionary group known
as the Hare Krishnas.
The necessity of reciting the holy name, especially the
mahamantra ("Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare
Hare"), is emphasized by ISKCON.
ISKCON was created by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada, and
its religious origins may be traced back to his home Bengal's Vaishnava
religiosity.
The value of publicly singing Krishna's name has long been
stressed in Bengali Vaishnava tradition, notably in the Gaudiya Vaishnava
congregation established by Bengali saint Chaitanya.
ISKCON is based on Bengali tradition, yet it exhibits
tensions that distinguish it as a twentieth-century phenomena in different
ways.
It is a particularly uncommon Hindu religious organization
because of its vigorous missionary operations, as well as its membership—
ISKCON was established in New York City by Prabhupada, and the majority of its
members are Western converts from Judaism and Christianity, with the majority
of its missionary operations taking place outside of India.
Theological inconsistencies have arisen as a result of
ISKCON's origins and the inherent passion connected with converts.
On the one hand, ISKCON ideology tends to minimize human
potential, focusing instead on God's rescuing grace.
ISKCON followers (bhakta) believe that they obtain religious
merit by adhering to a strict vegetarian diet, abstention from booze and
nonmedicinal substances, sexual activity limited to reproduction, and a
well-established daily devotional regimen; many devotees also wear Indian
clothing and hairstyles.
ISKCON reveals startling similarities to evangelical
Christianity in these two opposing emphases—complete surrender to God's love
and rigid obedience to a specified "holy" lifestyle.
Despite its Indian beginnings, ISKCON has been managed by
these Western converts since Prabhupada's death in 1977, and hence may be
described as a "countercultural" Euro-American phenomenon.
ISKCON has a strong presence in Brindavan, the hamlet that
is revered as Krishna's boyhood home and where the organization has erected a
beautiful temple; they are also active in Mayapur, Bengal, which they believe
is Chaitanya's birthplace.
Following a period of expansion in the 1970s, ISKCON faced
major legal issues in the 1980s, including civil suit defeats and claims of
money laundering and murder.
See Larry Shinn, The Dark Lord, 1987, and Robert D. Baird
(ed. ), Religion in Modern India, 1998, for supportive perspectives on the
movement.
Also see vegetarianism.
You may also want to read more about Hinduism here.
Be sure to check out my writings on religion here.
