ISKCON

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), also known as the Hare Krishna movement, encompasses five hundred major centers, temples, and rural communities, along with nearly one hundred affiliated vegetarian restaurants. Additionally, it includes thousands of namahattas or local meeting groups and a diverse array of community projects, with millions of congregational members spanning the globe. Despite being present for less than fifty years on the global stage, ISKCON has witnessed extensive growth since its establishment by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda in New York City in 1966.

ISKCON finds its origins in Gaudiya Vaishnavism, where “Gaud” refers to Bengal. Its foundation rests upon the Sanskrit texts Bhagavad-gītā and the Bhagavat Purana, also known as Srimad Bhagavatam. These texts hold historical significance within the devotional bhakti yoga tradition, teaching that the ultimate aspiration for all living beings is to rekindle their love for God, particularly Lord Krishna, often referred to as the “all-attractive one.”

The principles and practices of ISKCON were imparted and organized by the 15th-century incarnation of Lord Sri Krishna, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1532), along with his brother Nityananda Prabhu and six principal associates, collectively renowned as the Six Goswamis of Vrindavana (Sanatana, Rupa, Jiva, Gopal Bhatta, Raghunatha Dasa, and Raghunatha Bhatta).

ISKCON devotees engage in the chanting of God’s names through the maha-mantra, the profound prayer for deliverance: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

The history of ISKCON is rooted in a lineage of spiritual succession known as disciplic succession (sampradaya or guru parampara). Its legitimacy stems from its position within a chain of spiritual mentors and disciples (parampara). Among the four major Vaishnava disciplic successions, ISKCON is aligned with the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya (referring to Madhvacharya [A.D. 1239-1319]) sampradaya, established by Lord Krishna Himself.

Members of ISKCON engage in the practice of bhakti-yoga within their homes and participate in temple worship. They actively promote bhakti-yoga, or Krishna Consciousness, through festivals, the performing arts, yoga seminars, public chanting, and the distribution of the society’s literature. ISKCON members have also established goshalas, hospitals, schools, colleges, eco-villages, free food distribution projects, and various other institutions as practical means of connecting people with Krishna.