How To Become Life Member Of Iskcon? Top 99 Best Answers

The ISKCON International Life Patron program was established by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada in the early 1970’s as he wanted everyone to become part of the ISKCON family. He invited everyone around the world to receive Krishna conscious fellowship by staying at ISKCON temples while traveling so that they can easily participate in the uplifting spiritual programs.

For further details please contact our representatives directly or the Life Patron Membership Office on 097353 33511. If required they will get back to you after hearing from you with prior appointment. With our deep gratitude, we look forward to establishing a great relationship with you soon.

Useful information:

Supporting membership for life! What does that mean?

1. Serva

You are given a great opportunity to serve the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna and thus express your gratitude to Him. The Supreme Lord is the ultimate giver and receiver.

2. Patronage card

You will receive a centrally issued hologram patronage card with your photo and patron number along with an updated comprehensive list of “ISKCON Centers Around the World.”

3. Accommodation

You are cordially invited to take advantage of the spiritual atmosphere at any official ISKCON center around the world for three days a year. Some centers may incur room maintenance fees, which are subject to room availability for Life Patrons and a prior confirmed reservation. Accommodation is in a single room for the patron, spouse, children under the age of 18 and dependent parents over the age of 60. If the cardholder is not present in person, use of this facility is at the discretion of the hosting center.

4. Meals

Whether you stay overnight or not, you can take free prasadam twice a day for three days a year at any ISKCON center. This applies only to meals served by temple residents according to the normal service hours for such meals and does not include restaurant meals or snacks sold on temple grounds.

5. Spiritual knowledge

Make your home a transcendental library with a complete set of Srimad-Bhagavatam in your choice of Bengali, Hindi or English.

6. Tax Benefit

Donors in India are eligible for a tax exemption under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act.

Additional information:

Who can register: Anyone who is at least 18 years old can register. However, the minor child of an existing Life Patron may become a Life Patron upon payment of the existing full dues. There are no restrictions on citizenship, country of residence, etc.

Book Set: After your full payment has been received and the ISKCON bank account has been credited, the donor or someone authorized by the donor can pick up the book set at the temple. Additional charges will apply for shipping these items to the user’s address.

Patron Card: You can expect your card to arrive within three months by courier or registered post within India. Additional shipping costs apply outside of India. The card is not transferable to other people. However, a surviving life spouse of an expired patron is eligible for a complimentary registration upon completion of the registration process. If you later move to another location and wish to join another ISKCON center there, you can contact the registration center to have your name added to the other center’s mailing list.

Visiting ISKCON centers: Please wait for your card to arrive before contacting other centers for accommodation options. Then you can contact any official ISKCON center directly and confirm your accommodation by phone or email. You will need to provide your card number and other relevant details about your accommodation.

How much is the donation?

Total Donation: One off non-refundable payment only Rs.35,555/-. No renewal fees. You can donate cash, draft, check, credit/debit card or bank transfer (NEFT) or online at www.iskcongangasagar.com. Checks or drafts must be made out to “ISKCON Gangasagar Fund”. Please note that the 80G tax exemption applies to cash donations over Rs. 2,000/-. For further assistance please contact 9735333511.

Installment Option: Donors unable to transfer the entire donation at once may present postdated account payee checks for the full amount, which can be cleared within 12 months.

How do I send donations & documents?

Online Registration: Via www.iskcongangasagar.com

In person: You can deliver your donation (except cash) and documents to our authorized agent directly, or email to [email protected] and copy to [email protected].

Direct to Office: All documents and donations can be dropped off or mailed to our address: ISKCON Ganasagar Centre, Hare Krishna Land, Road No.5, Village, Post, PS’: Sagar, South 24 Parganas District, West Bengal, India -743373. Please only use it to send your completed registration form, cheques, photos and other relevant documents. Do not send cash in an envelope.

EMAIL: You can send our document to [email protected].

Your document checklist:

1. Donation Rs. 35,555/- only.

2. Completed APPLICATION FORM.

3. Email three color photos or color photos.

4. Self-certified copy of photo ID with proof of address.

You can send your donation by bank transfer to:

All donations made within India are tax exempt under 80/G Section of Income Tax Department, Govt. from India. If you have any questions or information, please write to us Contact Donation Hotline No. :+91-973-5333-511 (10am-4pm IST).

Contact Person: Sri Sundar Govind Das (Email: [email protected])

If the sender is a citizen of any country other than India, please email us at [email protected]

If the sender is Indian citizen only –

Account name: ISKCON Gangasagar Fund

Bank name: State Bank of India

Account number: 36330963038

RTGS/IFSC code: SBIN0008890

MICR code: 700002583

Bank: State Bank of India., Vill-Kalibazar, PO. Gangasagar, South 24 Parganas, WB, India. Pen. 743373.

After the transfer, please send an email to [email protected] and copy it to [email protected] with the following details to track the transfer:

1. Donor Name

2. Date of transfer

3. Amount transferred

Having trouble donating? Please do not hesitate to contact us on 9735333511 (10am-4pm IST).

note

Acceptance of the application for lifetime membership is at the sole discretion of the temple administration. In the event that an applicant does not meet the required criteria, or if the temple administration does not deem it appropriate to grant lifetime membership, the administration reserves the right to reject the application for any reason, with a full refund of the applicant’s money.

Payment of the lifetime membership fee does not automatically grant the member the right to become a member. This is only a prerequisite for the acceptance of the same. If other criteria are not met, the application may be rejected.

The minimum salary at ISKCON depends on the position you are applying for. For Store Incharge the minimum salary is 1 lakhs per year, for Data Entry Operator the minimum salary is 2.1 lakhs per year and so on.

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and completeness. wikiHow’s content management team carefully oversees our editorial team’s work to ensure that every article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 114,658 times.

Article overview

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If you want to become a Hare Krishna, start reading the Bhagavad Gita and the Vedas to learn important history and teachings. Also, focus on making the four principles, which include mercy and kindness, a part of your life. Learn to recite the Maha Mantra that gives you peace and connects you with Lord Krishna and meditate. You can also practice Bhakti Yoga by chanting, studying the sacred texts or spending time with other devotees. Finally, create an altar at home or visit a nearby temple to pray with others. To learn how vegetarianism fits into your Hare Krishna life, read on!

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religious organization

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), colloquially known as the Hare Krishna Movement or Hare Krishnas, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. ISKCON was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.[1]

Its core beliefs are based on Hindu scriptures, specifically the Bhagavad Gita and the Bhagavata Purana. ISKCON is “the largest and arguably most important branch” of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition,[2] which has had followers in India since the early 16th century and in America and Europe since the early 20th century.[3] ISKCON was founded to spread the practice of bhakti-yoga, the practice of love of God in which the participants (bhaktas) devote their thoughts and actions to the pleasure of Krishna, whom they regard as the Supreme Lord.[4] Membership expanded fastest in India and (after the collapse of the Soviet Union) in Russia and other former Soviet allies in Eastern Europe.[5]

ISKCON claims to have around one million church members worldwide.[6][7]

History and Faith[edit]

Bhajan during ISKCON during Navratri Golu in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India

ISKCON followers follow a disciple lineage of Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Bhagavata Vaishnavas and are the largest branch of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.[2] Vaishnavism means ‘worship of Vishnu’ and Gauḍa refers to the area where this particular branch of Vaishnavism originated, in the Gauda region of West Bengal. Gaudiya Vaishnavism has had a following in India, particularly in West Bengal and Odisha, for the last five hundred years. Gaudiya Vaishnavism was founded by Saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who quickly spread his form of ecstatic bhakti (devotion) throughout Bengal. He established sankirtan, the practice of publicly expressing one’s devotion to Lord Krishna, the Supreme God, through dance and song. This form of communal worship responded to rigid caste structures by including all people in worship regardless of caste or creed. Chaitanya emphasized the chanting of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra (the “great mantra”). He is considered by Gaudiya Vaishnavas to be an incarnation of Krishna himself.[8][9]

Prabhupada brought Chaitanya’s Gaudiya Vaishnavism to the West in 1965. At the age of 70 he landed in New York without any money (40 rupees in Indian currency). Instead of preaching to New York’s elite, he tapped into the countercultural spirit of the 1960s, preaching and singing in public parks, attracting hippies and the youth. His movement, then known as the “Hare Krishna Movement,” grew even larger when he moved to San Francisco a year later.[9] As it spread to England, it received notoriety and financial backing from George Harrison of the Beatles. He recorded several tracks with the Hare Krishnas and incorporated the Mahamantra into his hit “My Sweet Lord”.[10] The first Hare Krishna congregation, New Vrindavan (West Virginia), was founded by Prabhupada in 1968.[8] Since then, ISKCON has established more than 800 centers around the world and has millions of followers.[10]

The key to spreading Gaudiya Vaishnava theology in the western world was Prabhupada’s writings and translations,[11] including the Bhagavad Gita As It Is, Srimad Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana), Chaitanya Charitamrita and other writings. These works are now available in more than seventy languages ​​and serve as the scriptures of ISKCON.[12]

ISKCON describes Krishna as the source of all avatars of God.[13] Therefore, ISKCON followers worship Krishna as the highest form of God, svayam bhagavan, and often refer to him in writing as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, which was a phrase coined by Prabhupada in his books on the subject. For devotees, Radha represents Krishna’s divine female counterpart, the primordial spiritual power and the embodiment of divine love. The individual soul is an eternal personal identity that does not ultimately merge into non-dual consciousness (Brahman) as believed by the monistic (Advaita) schools of Hinduism. Prabhupada most frequently offers Sanatana-dharma and Varnashrama-dharma as more accurate names for the religious system that accepts Vedic authority.[14] It is a monotheistic tradition that has its roots in the theistic Vedanta traditions.[15]

practices[edit]

Statue of Prabhupada founder of ISKCON.

Hare Krishna Ratha-Yatra through the streets of Boston, Massachusetts.

The best known and most publicly known ISKCON practice is kirtan, a communal chanting or chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra. Kirtan is both a way of expressing devotion to God and a way of attracting newcomers to the movement. Devotees gather in public, on streets, and in parks to chant the mantra, accompanied by instruments such as the mridanga, hand cymbals, and harmonium. In the 1970s, ISKCON became public about this practice. Followers sang, distributed books, and proselytized in airports and other public areas, often in an intrusive manner. Sankirtan continues throughout the world today, but in a less confrontational manner.[16]

Another important religious practice within ISKCON and Gaudiya Vaishnavism is Japa, or the meditative practice of repeatedly chanting the names of Krishna on a series of prayer beads (similar to a rosary). It is seen as the only path to salvation for people in the present age. Prabhupada established a standard for initiated devotees to chant sixteen rounds of Hare Krishna a day.[17] Each round requires chanting the Mahamantra on prayer beads 108 times, sixteen rounds being 1728 repetitions and lasting approximately two hours.[18]

Another important practice in ISKCON is Arati (also called Puja). In arati, devotees offer offerings to a murti, a sacred statue or image of Krishna, water, incense, a fire lamp and flowers. This is accompanied by prayers and devotional songs called bhajans. Practitioners can perform arati at home or gather at a temple to attend the ceremony. Along with this worship, the devotees bathe the murti, clothe them, offer their food and even put them to sleep. By making arati and serving the murti, devotees aim to deepen their relationship with Krishna.[16]

ISKCON devotees meet regularly (usually on Sundays for a program known as the Sunday feast)[19] to worship deities, hear speeches from elder devotees, participate in kirtan, and eat sacred food offerings.

Four regulative principles[ edit ]

During initiation (diksha), ISKCON devotees vow to follow four basic rules and regulations,[16] which are as follows:

following a lacto-vegetarian Krishna Prasadam diet,

not to consume any intoxicants (alcohol, cigarettes or drugs; tea, coffee and caffeinated drinks are also avoided),

not play, and

not to engage in “illegal sex” (i.e. any non-reproductive sexual activity in connection with marriage).[18]

Festivals [edit]

Estonia Hare Krishna street show in Tallinn Old Town

In addition to weekly gatherings, followers of the ISKCON movement celebrate a variety of Hindu festivals, including Janmashtami, Radhastami, Diwali, Gaura Purnima, Ekadasi, Holi, Rama Navami, and Gita Jayanti.[20]

The Ratha Yatra Festival of Chariots is an annual parade in which devotees sing and dance in the streets and pull a chariot bearing the deities of Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra behind them. This public procession is usually followed by performances and free vegetarian food.[21]

preach [edit]

ISKCON advocates preaching.[22] Members try to spread Krishna consciousness mainly by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra in public places and selling books written by the founder.[23]

A study conducted by E. Burke Rochford Jr. at the University of California found that there are four types of contact between members of ISKCON and potential members: individually motivated contact, contact with members in public spaces, contact through personal connections, and contacts to Movement sympathizers who strongly encourage people to join.[24]

According to the teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, one does not have to be born into a Hindu family to take up the practice. There are ISKCON communities around the world with schools, restaurants and farms.

Management structure[ edit ]

Photograph of GBC officers during a conference in Prabhupadadesh, Italy, 2003.

Prabhupada spent much of the last decade of his life building the institution of ISKCON.[25][26]

The Governing Body Commission (or GBC) is the governing body of ISKCON. It was founded by Bhaktivedanta in 1970 and meets annually.[27] In a Direction of Management document written on July 28, 1970, Prabhupada appointed twelve members to the commission, all non-sannyasi, including Satsvarupa dasa Goswami, Hansadutta Swami and Tamala Krishna Goswami.[25] The letter outlined the goals of the commission: improving the standard of temple administration, spreading Krishna consciousness, distributing books and literature, opening new centers and training the devotees. GBC has since grown to 48 senior members of the movement who make decisions based on consensus of opinion.[25][28]

Shortly after the establishment of the GBC, Prabhupada urged its newly appointed leaders to renounce the everyday world and become sannyasis (renunciating monks), indicating that those setting the guidelines would not be involved in financial dealings. However, after Prabhupada’s death, some GBC members adopted lavish lifestyles. A series of splits tested the notion of GBC supreme authority. Some of these scandals involved GBC members Hans Kary (Hansadutta) and James Immel (Jayatirtha), as well as one of the leaders of the New Vrindaban community, Keith Ham (Kirtanananda), who surrounded himself with opulence and declared himself the only true successor to Prabhupada. [29]

In 1982 the GBC began the slow process of adding new gurus to the original eleven. In 1983, the GBC was declared the supreme ecclesiastical authority of ISKCON.[30] In 1985, the decision was made to lower the standard of living for the ISKCON leadership. After much heated discussion, the GBC decided to ‘exonerate’ a number of leaders and new leaders were chosen. The young GBC leaders sought the advice of one of Prabhupada’s godbrothers, Gaudiya Math, and sought to integrate more fully into the broader Hindu community.[30]

After years of discussion and reform, a general consensus emerged to accept women as leaders in ISKCON, overriding the previous GBC assumption that “unprotected women leaders are subject to various forms of mistreatment and abuse”. In 1998, Malati Devi Dasi became the first woman to be appointed to the GBC.[31] The second female leader, Dina Sharana, was elected in 2009.[32]

Succession of the teachings[edit]

Chanting beads, usually made of Tulsi wood, given to an ISKCON devotee by an ISKCON guru at initiation

Prabhupada claimed to belong to the traditional system of paramparā, or disciplic succession, in which teachings confirmed by the scriptures are passed from master to disciple, generation after generation

The role of women[edit]

The role of women is a contentious issue within ISKCON, and its members have widely differing opinions on how to interpret Prabhupada’s teachings on gender roles.[33] While some of its leaders advocate that women should assume public leadership roles, [34] other leaders disagree, claiming that “traditional” roles are more appropriate for women. They fear an unwanted influence of secular feminism within ISKCON.[35]

Prabhupada in his original writings encouraged full equality of women in the eye of Krishna based on the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita that the soul has no gender and everyone is eligible for spiritual liberation.[36][37]

Since mother is the most prestigious position in Vedic culture, women within the Hare Krishna community are all regarded as mothers, especially by celibate male members of Brahmachari. “Mother is an expression of respect for women in ISKCON and is often prefixed to the Sanskrit name they receive at initiation. Even unmarried women are referred to as mothers.”[38]

After years of discussions and reforms, a general consensus emerged to accept women as leaders and initiators in ISKCON. In 1998, Malati Devi Dasi became the first woman to be appointed to the GBC.[31] The second female leader, Dina Sharana, was elected in 2009.[39]

An updated document was released by the GBC in 2019 stating that women are allowed to become initiating gurus within the ISKCON movement.[40]

The service was developed to accommodate the growing interest of women devotees to participate in temple practices and ensure representation in decision-making.

Child Welfare Office[edit]

In the 1970s and 1980s, a $900 million lawsuit was filed in Texas state court by alleged temple school abuse victims.[41][42] ISKCON was later forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.[43] The 2008 settlement known as the Turley case was for $15 million.[44]

In 1998, ISKCON published an exposé detailing the widespread physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of children at the group’s boarding schools in the United States and India. The Hare Krishna monks and young devotees who cared for the children had no training in the task and often resented having to perform it, the report said. At a meeting in 1996, former Krishna disciples testified that they were regularly beaten at school, denied medical attention, and sexually molested and raped.[42]

The ISKCON Central Office of Child Protection was established by the GBC in 1997 and published its first official child protection policies and procedures in 2005. The CPO has provided child protection information training internationally to over 500 child carers within the organization and continues to produce and review reports on local child protection teams. The GBC revised and ratified its child protection policies and procedures in June 2018.[45]

Influencing kirtan and music[edit]

The practice of mantra meditation, also known as kirtan, is prominent in the ISKCON movement. Special kirtan festivals are held annually around the world, such as the Sadhu Sanga Retreat in Boone, North Carolina,[46] Kirtan 50[47] in Dallas, Texas, and Radhadesh Mellows in Durbuy, Belgium. Notable kirtaneers include Jahnavi Harrison, Gaura Vani, and the Mayapuris,[48] who have all released kirtan albums. Kirtan sessions are also held outside of temples, including in “bhakti clubs” at a local university, in mantra lounges, and at yoga and wellness festivals.[49]

Complete theatrical performances were produced based on the Vedic theologies. Prominent performance companies are Viva Kultura[50] and Vande Arts.[51]

The Hare Krishna mantra appears in some famous songs, such as former Beatle George Harrison’s 1970 hit “My Sweet Lord.”[52][53] John Lennon included the phrase “Hare Krishna” in his lyrics to “Give Peace a Chance” and the 1967 Beatles track “I Am the Walrus”. The backing singers also sing the phrase on Ringo Starr’s 1971 hit “It Don’t Come Easy,” written with help from Harrison, though the words were deeply mixed in the released version.

Of the four Beatles, only Harrison fully embraced Krishna consciousness. He also provided financial support to the British branch of ISKCON and bought Bhaktivedanta Manor for their temple compound in 1973.[55] Harrison enjoyed a warm friendship with Prabhupada,[56][57] who provided the inspiration for Harrison’s songs such as “Living in the Material World.”[58]

In the 1980s New York City underground punk band, the Cro-Mags included Hare Krishna members and referenced Krishna Consciousness. In the early 1990s, an entire underground Krishnacore subgenre was formed with other New York City hardcore bands such as Shelter and 108.

In 2020, Willow Smith and Jahnavi Harrison collaborated on the song “Surrender (Krishna Keshava”) and the album “RISE” featuring[60][61] ancient sacred songs from India with Sanskrit lyrics.[62]

Vegetarianism[edit]

Vegetarianism is one of the four tenets of ISKCON.[18] Due to Prabhupada’s focus on food distribution, many ISKCON supporters have opened vegan and vegetarian restaurants.[63] Not all restaurants opened by ISKCON members are officially affiliated with ISKCON, although many restaurants or catering businesses are operated by Govindas from the main temple center.

The Hare Krishna followers refer to their type or style of eating behavior as “Krishnatarian”. According to them, “A Krishnatar meal is one prepared from fresh, vegetarian ingredients (no onions, garlic, red lentils, or mushrooms) and dairy products, cooked by a Krishna conscious person who cooks and offers out of devotion rather than profit is given to Lord Krishna before it is distributed or consumed by an individual.”[64]

controversy[edit]

ISKCON has experienced a number of significant internal problems, most of which arose from the late 1970s and particularly within the decade after Prabhupada’s death.[65] ISKCON has also come under scrutiny from some anticult movements.[66][67]

In a 1976 case, People vs. Murphy, a criminal court in Queens County, New York ruled that “[T]he Hare Krishna religion is a bona fide religion with roots in India dating back thousands of years.” In this case, a grand jury indicted Iskcon, Inc. and the president of an ISKCON temple with the felony of unlawful imprisonment, first degree. Although the parents of two Hare Krishna members claimed that ISKCON allegedly imprisoned their children through brainwashing, Judge John J. Leahy dismissed the criminal charges on the grounds that the two members freely followed the tenets of their chosen faith. [68] [69]

, a criminal trials court in Queens County, New York, ruled that “[T]he Hare Krishna religion is a bona fide religion with roots in India dating back thousands of years.” In this case, a grand jury indicted Iskcon, Inc. and the president of an ISKCON temple with the felony of unlawful imprisonment, first degree. Although the parents of two Hare Krishna members claimed that ISKCON allegedly imprisoned their children through brainwashing, Judge John J. Leahy dismissed the criminal charges on the grounds that the two members freely followed the tenets of their chosen faith. In 1982, the ISKCON chapter in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk disbanded and its leader was convicted of parasitism. A major Soviet newspaper called the movement “a kind of misguided idealism imported from the West, deplorable because it lured people away from a socially useful life”. The Soviet newspaper Nedelya reported on the harrowing accounts of young people being destroyed by the sect. Nedelya published: “So this is the ‘International Society for Krishna Consciousness’, a pseudo-Hindu mystical-religious sect with a pronounced anti-communist character is only appearance. So man does not need to be interested in the fruits of his labor, he has to give up socially useful activities, he has no fatherland, no family and no close relatives, only an all-encompassing love of God.” The paper included the example of a young woman Athlete, Yelena P., who had become a member of the Moscow branch of ISKCON. She was transformed, dropped out of college, ran away from home, became rude, hysterical, and hated her parents, who called her “carnivores.” “So the life of a once happy, lovely, fun-loving girl was ruined. And not just her own. The fact is that without psychiatric treatment, Krishnaists cannot return to their former, normal lives. Why? Because the basic re-education into the cult is the state of ecstasy which, in conjunction with fasting and exhaustive prayer, leads to the destruction of the human personality.”[70]

George v. International Society for Krishna Consciousness of California, a lawsuit that led to lengthy appeals that resulted in a mixed judgment [when? ] . In this case, Marcia and Robin George, mother and daughter, accused ISKCON of brainwashing Robin and later lying to her parents about her whereabouts. They sued ISKCON for (a) false imprisonment, (b) willful infliction of emotional distress, (c) defamation, and (d) wrongful death of Robin’s father due to stress caused by the alleged circumstances. A California state appeals court dismissed Robin’s allegations of false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress on the grounds that she was not brainwashed but was “a bright and gifted high school student of above average intelligence and maturity” who was “in capable of “consent” to her travels with her alleged kidnappers. On the other hand, the same Court of Appeals upheld the jury’s verdicts holding ISKCON liable for the willful infliction of emotional distress on Marcia and for the wrongful death because the accused intentionally violated Robin’s parents lied about their whereabouts while actively assisting Robin in her travels.The court also dismissed Robin’s defamation lawsuit while upholding the jury’s defamation verdict in Marcia’s favor.[71]

. In this case, Marcia and Robin George, mother and daughter, accused ISKCON of brainwashing Robin and later lying to her parents about her whereabouts. They sued ISKCON for (a) false imprisonment, (b) willful infliction of emotional distress, (c) defamation, and (d) wrongful death of Robin’s father due to stress caused by the alleged circumstances. A California state appeals court dismissed Robin’s allegations of false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress on the grounds that she was not brainwashed but was “a bright and gifted high school student of above average intelligence and maturity” who was “in capable of “consent” to her travels with her alleged kidnappers. On the other hand, the same Court of Appeals upheld the jury’s verdicts holding ISKCON liable for the willful infliction of emotional distress on Marcia and for the wrongful death because the accused intentionally violated Robin’s parents lied about their whereabouts while actively assisting Robin in her travels. The court also dismissed Robin’s defamation lawsuit while upholding the jury’s defamation verdict in favor of Marcia. At the behest of one of the “ISKCON” zones, Sulochan Dāsa, to be with em editor Kailāsa Candra dāsa was working on a critical book about the organization, was murdered in his van in Los Angeles in May 1986. [72]

Kirtanananda Swami or Swami Bhaktipada, a leader of ISKCON, was expelled from the organization in 1987 for various deviations; [73] Prior to his retrial in 1996, he pleaded guilty and was released in 2004 after serving 8 years of a 20-year sentence. Previously, in 1991, the jury found him not guilty of conspiracy to murder two devotees for hire, but found him guilty of racketeering and mail fraud. These convictions were later overturned on appeal, only to result in a later retrial. [74] [75] [76] The case spotlighted New Vrindaban, which had nearly 500 members at the time, making it the largest and most famous Hare Krishna community in the United States at the time. [77] Kirtanananda is no longer considered a true ISKCON initiation guru by the movement.

He pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering before his retrial in 1996 and was released in 2004 after serving 8 years of a 20-year sentence. Previously, in 1991, the jury found him not guilty of conspiracy to commit the murders – employing two devotees, but found him guilty of racketeering and mail fraud. These convictions were later overturned on appeal, only to result in a later retrial. The case spotlighted New Vrindaban, which had nearly 500 members at the time, making it the largest and most famous Hare Krishna community in the United States at the time. Kirtanananda is no longer considered a true ISKCON initiation guru by the movement. In the 1990s, ISKCON faced allegations of child abuse, and its leaders acknowledged the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of children sent to the movement’s boarding schools in the United States and India in the 1970s and 1980s. Since these allegations, several safety regulations and sub-committees such as ISKCON Resolve and the ISKCON Child Protection Office have been developed to ensure the legal rights and health and safety of devotees.[80]

pursuit [edit]

In 2006, a bomb blast hit the ISKCON Temple at Imphal in Manipur, India. Five supporters were killed and another 50 injured. The attack was not claimed by any person or organization. [81] [82]

In 2007, Kazakh government authorities demolished 25 houses of ISKCON members in Sri Vrindavan Dham community in Almaty, claiming they were illegal structures. [83]

In 2009, an ISKCON Chittagong (Sri Sri Radha Madhava Mandir) orphanage in Bangladesh was attacked by unknown assailants. The gang destroyed furniture and a statue at the orphanage and beat the followers. They also tried to take control of the temple and the orphanage. [84]

In 2015, the ISKCON temple in Dinajpur, Bangladesh was attacked by Bangladeshi Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen terrorists. The terrorists opened fire and at least two people were injured in the attack. [85] [86]

In 2016, the ISKCON Sylhet in Bangladesh was attacked by Muslims and at least ten people were injured in the attack. [87] [88]

In 2018, the gate of the ISKCON Temple in Curitiba, Brazil was attacked by unknown assailants. The painting of Krishna with his mother Yashoda has been defaced. [89]

In 2018, the Rath Yatra organized by ISKCON Dhaka in Bangladesh was attacked by a group of people, injuring six followers. [90]

In 2020, an Ansar al-Islam group planned an attack on ISKCON Temple Dhaka but was arrested by police. [91]

In 2021, during Navami (October 15), a Muslim mob attacked the ISKCON temple in Noakhali, Bangladesh, killing two devotees.[92][93][94][95]

Centers worldwide [ edit ]

India[ edit ]

India has the highest density of ISKCON centers in the world with over 150 temples, 12 accredited educational institutions, 25 affiliated and non-affiliated restaurants and a number of tourist and pilgrimage hotels.[96] ISKCON India disciples are more conservative than ISKCON disciples in the West.[97]

Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir of Vedic Planetarium, Mayapur [ edit ]

The ISKCON Temple of the Vedic Planetarium in Mayapur, under construction.

The Vedic Planetarium Temple, Mayapur in West Bengal, due for completion in 2024, will be built at the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the founder of the Gaudiya Vaishnava lineage of Hinduism. The temple itself currently has an area of ​​425,000 square feet and a height of 340 feet and is surrounded by associated lodges, shops, residences, educational centers and gardens. The project was estimated to cost $75 million, with the primary investor being Alfred B. Ford, Henry Ford’s great-grandson. Der Komplex hat ein Planetarium, das auf vedischer Kosmologie basiert, und Ausstellungen über die vedischen Künste, Wissenschaften und Kultur, wie im Srimad Bhagavatam beschrieben.[98]

Sri Krishna-Balaram Mandir, Vrindavan [ bearbeiten ]

Sri Krishna-Balaram Mandir, Vrindavan.

Der Sri Krishna Balaram Mandir Tempel im Raman Reti Gebiet von Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, wurde in dem ursprünglichen Dorf erbaut, in dem die spirituellen Figuren Krishna und Balarama in der vedischen Zeit der indischen Geschichte gelebt haben sollen. Es wurde in unmittelbarer Nähe zu anderen heiligen Stätten wie dem Dorf Gokul, dem Govardhana-Hügel, dem Mathura-Palast und verschiedenen heiligen Seen erbaut. Infolgedessen ist ISKCON Vrindavan ein beliebter Wallfahrtsort für Anhänger der Krishna Conscious-Bewegung. Der Komplex beherbergt ein Gästehaus, ein Museum, Geschenkeläden, ein Restaurant, eine Bäckerei, ein Sendestudio sowie eine Tempelhalle aus Marmor.[99] Der Tempel ist auch mit dem Vrindavan Institute of Higher Education verbunden.[100]

Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir [Bearbeiten]

Im März 2014 wurde das Projekt eingeweiht[101] und am 16. November 2014 der Grundstein des Tempels gelegt. Unter der Aufsicht von ISKCON Bangalore befindet sich das Tempelgebäude Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir derzeit im Bau.[102]

Parthasarathi Mandir, Neu-Delhi [ bearbeiten ]

Der ISKCON-Tempel in Neu-Delhi.

Der Tempelkomplex Sri Sri Parthasarathi Mandir beherbergt das vedische Kulturzentrum Glory of India, das aus einer Reihe interaktiver Bildungsausstellungen besteht, sowie das größte gedruckte religiöse Buch der Welt, das als „Astounding Bhagavad Gita“ bekannt ist.[103]

Radha Krishna Mandir, Chennai [ bearbeiten ]

Der ISKCON-Tempel Chennai, estbl. 2012.

Der Chennai-Tempel liegt an der East Coast Road im südlichen Teil der Stadt. Der auf 1,5 Hektar Land errichtete und 2012 geweihte Tempel ist der größte Radha-Krishna-Tempel in Tamil Nadu.[104]

Radha Krishna Mandir, Salem [Bearbeiten]

Der Salem-Tempel, auch bekannt als Sri Sri Radha Krishna Mandir, befindet sich in Karuppur, Salem. Der auf 1,5 Hektar Land erbaute Tempel ist einer der Radha-Krishna-Tempel in Tamil Nadu. Es wurde im Oktober 2019 offiziell eingeweiht.[105]

Radha Madhav Sundar Mandir, Siliguri [Bearbeiten]

Einer der ISKCON-Tempel in Westbengalen – Sri Sri Radha Madhav Sundar Mandir, Siliguri.

Sri Sri Radha Madhav Sundar Mandir befindet sich in Siliguri, Westbengalen[106] und ist als Gupta Nabadweep Dham bekannt.

Nepal[ edit ]

ISKCON Temple Nepal oder ISKCON Nepal befindet sich in Kathmandu. Die geografischen Koordinaten von ISKCON Nepal sind 27,784062° oder (27°47’2,62″) Nord und 85,356938° oder (85°21’24,98″) Ost. Es liegt auf dem Schoß des Shivapuri-Berges, wo der Heilige Bishnumati-Fluss fließt.

In diesem Tempel werden die Gottheiten von Sri Sri Radha Govinda Hari (Radha & Krishna), Jagannath, Baladeva, Subhadra, Gaur Nitai, Narasimha verehrt. ISKCON Nepal feiert jedes Jahr Jagannath Rath Yatra.[107][108][109][110][111][112][113][114] Nach einer Schätzung von 2018 nehmen über 5000 Devotees aus der ganzen Welt am Ratha Yatra teil.[115][116]

Europe [edit]

Es gibt über 135 ISKCON-angeschlossene Tempel und Kulturzentren in Europa. Die ISKCON-Bewegung in Europa beherbergt eine Reihe ländlicher und bäuerlicher Gemeinden, darunter Nueva Vrajamandala in Spanien,[117] La ​​Nouvelle Mayapura[118] in Frankreich und Villa Vrindavan[119] in Italien.

Es gibt auch 31 weitere Zentren in Russland, da der Vaishnava-Hinduismus eine der größten Glaubensrichtungen des Landes darstellt.[120]

Radhadesh, Belgien [ bearbeiten ]

Der Radhadesh-Tempel in Durbuy, Belgien, beherbergt das Bhaktivedanta-College, das 2002 eröffnet wurde, um Schülern geistliche und geistliche Ausbildung zu bieten und Abschlüsse und Zertifikate in Vaishnava-Theologie online und auf dem Campus anzubieten, die von der University of Chester extern validiert wurden.[121]

Bhaktivedanta College in Belgien

Der Radhadesh-Tempel ist auch die Heimat von Radhadesh Mellows, einem jährlichen Kirtan-Retreat.[122]

Bhaktivedanta Manor, Watford [ bearbeiten ]

A landscaped property featuring gardens, lakes, a school, farm, numerous temple and housing buildings, accommodations, and a bakery. The property for Bhaktivedanta Manor was donated by George Harrison of the Beatles and is on the National Heritage List for England. The houses on the property, including the temple, are built in the mock-Tudor mansion style of the 1800s.[123]

Bhaktivedanta Manor is also home to the London College of Vedic Studies,[124] and is the birthplace of the Avanti Schools Trust, a sponsor of state-funded primary and secondary schools that provides both non-denominational and Hindu-faith education throughout the UK.[125]

Demographically, devotees in Europe are majority of ethnic Europeans. An exception can be made with the demographics of devotees in the United Kingdom, which caters to the Indian immigrant population, mirroring the demographics of most North American centers.[126]

North and South America[ edit ]

Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, view of the southeast side.

There are 56 formally affiliated ISKCON centers in the United States.[127] Notable centers include Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple (Spanish Fork), Utah, New Raman Reti in Alachua, FL,[128] and The Radha Kalachandji Temple in Dallas, TX.[129] Hare Krishna-affiliated full-time communities include New Vrindaban in West Virginia,[130] and Gita Nagari Eco Farm and Sanctuary in Pennsylvania.[131] There are various other centers in the United States that promote Krishna Conscious culture without being formally affiliated with ISKCON, including The Bhakti Center in New York City.[132] The ISKCON Dallas temple is affiliated with the nearby TKG Academy,[133] which provides private school academic education with additional Vedic-based courses.

There are 12 ISKCON centers in Canada, including the self-sustaining Saranagati Eco Village in BC.[134] There are 5 formally affiliated ISKCON centers in Mexico.

There are 60 affiliated ISKCON temples in South America, with most congregations located in Argentina and Brazil. There are also a number of devotee-run farming communities throughout Latin America.[135][136] Most notable is the eco-village “Nova Gokula” at Pindamonhangaba in the Brazil state of São Paulo, founded in 1978, with two temples planning as traditional Hindu architecture.

Asia, Africa, and Australasia [ edit ]

The ISKCON Temple in Mombasa , Kenya.

Asia is home to over 80 ISKCON affiliated centers, with most being located in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.[138]

There are 69 affiliated ISKCON centers in Africa, four of which are rural farming communities and three of which are educational centers.[139] ISKCON Durban hosts the world’s largest Ratha Yatra Chariot Festival outside of India.[140]

There are six ISKCON centers, including one farming village in Australia and four temple centers in New Zealand.[141] The Hare Krishna Temple in Christchurch, New Zealand, distributed free meals to mourners and the local Muslim community after a mosque shooting in March 2019.[142]

Subsidiaries [ edit ]

Bhaktivedanta Book Trust [ edit ]

Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) is a nonprofit organization, of ISKCON, and supplies books both to ISKCON and to the book trade in general.[143] BBT is the publisher of books on the Gaudiya Vaishnava.[144] BBT was established in 1972 by A. C. Bhaktivedanta as the publisher for his books and for books by other authors. It also publishes the magazine Back to Godhead in multiple languages.[145] Apart from the BBT’s work in publishing, it helps finance the construction and renovation of Krishna temples in the Gaudiya Vaishnava holy places like Vrindavan and Mayapur.

Cow protection and ISCOWP [ edit ]

ISCOWP (International Society for Cow Protection) claims to “present alternatives to agricultural and dietary practices that support and depend upon the meat and dairy industries’ slaughter of the cow”.[146]

ISKCON Tribal Care Trust [ edit ]

ISKCON Tribal Care Trust (ITCT) is an affiliate targeting the tribal people. The trust has set up schools and potable water sources for the tribal people.[147]

Member of Food for Life Russia giving food.

Pandava Sena [ edit ]

Based out of Bhaktivedanta Manor of Watford UK, Pandava Sena is a youth organization started in 1994. It is composed of professionals and university students that host annual international mentorship and reunion retreats and weekly social gatherings.[148]

Pandava Sena has also established “KCSocs” or “Krishna Conscious Societies” across 30 universities in the UK. Many universities have similar student groups featuring youth from local ISKCON temples.[149]

Notable people [ edit ]

See also[edit]

References[ edit ]

For membership application procedures and other questions, please contact the Life Members Office or Division Manager. Donations can be made by direct debit, check or credit card. Three postage-stamp size photographs to be included for the International Life Patron Membership Card.

(It is a donation to the body of the trust and is exempt from tax under the Income Taxes Act 1961 Section 80-G.)

Member office for life:

H.G. Krishna Shishya Prabhu.

ISKCON MIRA STREET

1st floor, Bhaktivedanta Ashram

Contact: +919987203667 /+919223183022

Freedom of religion in Singapore is a guaranteed right under Article 15 of the Singapore Constitution, which states: “Everyone has the right to confess, practice and propagate his or her religion.” However, this freedom is not absolute and can be restricted by general law of public order, health or morals.

Singapore deregistered Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1972 because of their opposition to compulsory military service for all male citizens. A decade later, she dissolved the Unification Church over alleged family destruction.

The Sedition Act prohibits seditious acts and speech which “foster feelings of ill will and hostility between different races or classes of the population of Singapore” and the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act empowers the Home Secretary to take a pre-emptive approach by issuing injunctions against a religious leader who has committed or is attempting to commit certain acts that threaten religious harmony.

Religious demographics[edit]

External video Lee Kuan Yew on religious tolerance and aggressive proselytizing 1990, Youtube video

Singapore has an area of ​​270 square miles (700 km2) and a total population of 5.31 million (as of June 2013), of which 3.6 million are citizens or permanent residents. According to a 2000 government survey, 85 percent of citizens and permanent residents profess some religious belief. Of this group, 51 percent practice Buddhism, Taoism, ancestor worship, or other religious practices traditionally associated with ethnic Chinese populations. About 15 percent of the population are Muslims, 15 percent Christians and 4 percent Hindus. The remainder is made up of atheists, agnostics, and followers of other religions, including small Sikh, Jewish, Zoroastrian, and Jain communities. Among Christians, the majority of whom are ethnic Chinese, Protestants outnumber Catholics by a little less than two to one.

Approximately 77.8% of the resident population is ethnic Chinese, 14% ethnic Malay, and 7% ethnic Indian. Almost all ethnic Malays are Muslims and most ethnic Indians are Hindus. The ethnic Chinese population is divided between Buddhism, Taoism and Christianity or is not religious. [citation needed] Foreign missionaries are active in the country. [citation required]

Legal and political framework[ edit ]

“All groups must practice tolerance and restraint. Christians cannot expect this to be a Christian society, Muslims cannot expect this to be a Muslim society, neither can the Buddhists, the Hindus and the other groups. Many faiths share this island. Everyone has different teachings, different practices Rules that apply only to one group cannot become laws that are imposed on all Muslims do not drink alcohol, but alcohol is not forbidden Ditto gambling, which many religions frown upon, but gambling is not forbidden If we must live together in peace, then all must embrace the principle of live and let live.” Lee Hsien Loong, National Day Speech, 2009.[1]

The Singapore Constitution provides freedom of religion as a guaranteed right in Article 15, which states: “Everyone has the right to confess, practice and propagate his religion.”

Although there is no state religion in Singapore, the government plays an active but limited role in religious affairs. For example, to ensure that citizens, most of whom live in government-built housing, have easy access to religious organizations traditionally associated with their ethnic groups by helping such institutions find space in these housing complexes . The government also maintains semi-official relations with the Muslim community through the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS). MUIS advises the government on Muslim community affairs, drafts the approved weekly sermon, regulates some Muslim religious affairs, and oversees a mosque construction fund funded by voluntary payroll deductions. The Constitution recognizes Malays/Muslims as “the indigenous people of Singapore” and specifically mandates the government to further their political, educational, religious, economic, social, cultural and linguistic interests.

The 1961 Women’s Charter gives women the right to own property, engage in trade, and obtain divorce settlements, among other rights. Muslim women enjoy most of the rights and protections of the Women’s Charter; For the most part, however, Muslim marriage law falls under the administration of the Muslim Law Administration Act 1966, which empowers the Sharia court to oversee such matters. The law also allows Muslim men to practice polygamy. Requests for additional wives may be denied by the Muslim Marriage Registry, which seeks the views of existing wives and verifies the husband’s financial standing. As of 2007, there were 44 applications for polygamous marriage and 13 applications were approved.

The Presidential Council on Minority Rights reviews all pending legislation to ensure that it does not disadvantage any particular group. It also reports to the government on matters affecting racial or religious communities and investigates complaints. There were no complaints or reports to the Presidential Council for Minority Rights from the 2005/2006 financial year.

There are official holidays for every major religion in the country: Hari Raya Haji and Hari Raya Puasa for Muslims, Christmas and Good Friday for Christians, Deepavali for Hindus, and Vesak Day for Buddhists.

The government indirectly promotes interfaith understanding by supporting activities to promote interethnic harmony. Because the primary ethnic minorities are predominantly of one faith, government programs to promote ethnic harmony have an impact on interfaith relations. In February 2006, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong introduced the Community Engagement Program (CEP). The goal of the CEP is to promote multi-ethnic and inter-religious harmony, in part to provide a strong foundation should an incident occur in the country that could create ethnic/religious discord, such as B. a religiously motivated terrorist attack. The CEP has held numerous community-based seminars, worked with unions to form cluster working groups on religious and community harmony, and launched a new website as a platform for communication and dialogue.

The Compulsory Education Act of 2000 requires all children to attend public schools with few exceptions. In response to the concerns of the Malay Muslim community about the fate of madrasahs, the government decided to allow Muslim students to study in a madrasah instead of a public school. Today there are six full-time madrasahs with a total of about 4,400 students and 220 religion teachers.

The Sedition Act prohibits inflammatory acts and speech which “promote feelings of ill will and animosity between different races or classes of the population of Singapore”. The maximum penalty for a first offender is a fine of up to S$5,000 or imprisonment for a maximum of three years, or both, and for a repeat offender, imprisonment for a maximum of five years.

A legal counterpart to the Sedition Act is Section 298A of the Criminal Code, which was introduced in 2007 to “criminalize the willful promotion by anyone of enmity, hatred or malice between different racial and religious groups on the basis of race or religion”. [citation required]

The Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act empowers the Home Secretary to take a preemptive approach by issuing injunctions against a religious leader who has committed or is attempting to commit certain acts that threaten religious harmony.

The overlapping set of legal provisions above is intended to leave the choice of an appropriate response to the discretion of prosecutors when confronted with potential harm of a religious nature.

Restrictions on Religious Groups

De-registration from Jehovah’s Witnesses

In 1972, the government extinguished the Singapore congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses on the grounds that its existence harmed public welfare and public order because its members refused to perform military service (compulsory for all male citizens), salute the flag, or take oaths of allegiance swear the state. [citation needed] At that time there were about 200 Jehovah’s Witnesses in the country; as of 2007 there were approximately two thousand. The result of the deregistration was that public gatherings of Jehovah’s Witnesses became illegal. However, since the 1996 verdict, no charges have been filed against individuals who attended or held meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses in private homes.

The government can also influence religious practice through the Law on the Maintenance of Religious Harmony. The law was passed in 1990 and revised in 2001 in response to actions the government saw as a threat to religious harmony. These include aggressive and “callous” proselytizing and “the mixing of religion and politics.” The law established the Presidential Council on Religious Harmony, which reports to the Home Secretary and has the power to issue injunctions against leaders and members of religious groups to prevent them from engaging in political activity, creating “exciting discontent” with the government’s “malice ‘ between religious groups or carrying out subversive activities. These orders advise individuals that they should not repeat such acts; Violating a restraining order can result in fines of up to US$6,622 (SGD 10,000) and up to two years in prison for a first offence. The law also prohibits judicial review of its enforcement or any possible denial of any rights arising therefrom.

Missionaries, with the exception of Jehovah’s Witnesses and representatives of the Unification Church, are authorized to work and to publish and distribute religious texts. Although the government does not prohibit evangelical activities, in practice it discourages activities that could upset the balance of intercommunal relationships. Authorities have not arrested any Jehovah’s Witnesses for proselytizing since 2007.

The government has banned all written materials published by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society and other Jehovah’s Witness bodies. In practice, this has led to the confiscation of Bibles published by the groups, although the Bible itself has not been banned. A person found in possession of banned literature can be fined up to SGD 2,000 (US$1,324) and imprisoned for up to 12 months on a first conviction.

There have been no government confiscations of Jehovah’s Witness literature in the country for the past 12 months. In August 2006, one person was briefly arrested for attempting to bring Jehovah’s Witness publications into the country from Malaysia. In this case, the literature was confiscated and he was convicted of smuggling prohibited media. Authorities fined the individual SGD 6,000 (US$3,846). [citation required]

There have been reports of Jehovah’s Witness students being suspended from school for refusing to sing the national anthem or attend the flag ceremony.

23 members of Jehovah’s Witnesses were imprisoned in the army barracks for refusing to comply with the statutory military service for all male citizens. The basic sentence for conscientious objection is initially 15 months imprisonment, to which 24 months are added for a second refusal. Failure to complete the annual military reserve service required of all who have completed their initial two-year commitment carries 40-day prison terms; a 12-month prison sentence is common after four such refusals. All of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in custody were jailed for failing to perform their original military duties and are expected to serve a total of 39 months. As of January 2019, 9 Jehovah’s Witnesses are in prison. [citation required]

Ban by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness[edit]

Singapore banned the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in the 1970s and remains banned to this day. Foreign ISKCON monks, as well as Srila Prabhupada, the founder of the Hare Krishna movement, were banned from entering Singapore and all attempts by followers to officially register the society failed. Nevertheless, by avoiding affiliation with ISKCON, Hare Krishna devotees managed to register their societies under different names. These include the Sri Krishna Mandir in Geylang and the Gita Reading Society at the Gauranga Center in Serangoon.[2][3]

Dissolution of the Unification Church[edit]

In 1982, the Home Secretary dissolved the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity, also known as the Unification Church (and colloquially “Moonies”), over alleged family destruction.[4]

Dissolution of the Christian Conference of Asia[edit]

In January 1987, Singapore closed the offices of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), a regional ecumenical fellowship of churches and denominational councils in the Asia-Pacific region, over alleged interference in local politics. The Home Office accused the CCA of supporting liberation movements and funding pro-communist movements in other countries and providing financial support to Vincent Cheng Kim Chuan, a full-time Catholic Church worker, one of 22 people detained under the Homeland Security Act who Detained without trial for involvement in an alleged “Marxist conspiracy” to overthrow the government. Singapore Special Branch officials entered the office, informed staff of the breakup and told them to leave. CCA Secretary General Reverend Kenichi Otsu of Japan, Park Sang-jung of South Korea, Pura Calo of the Philippines and Nelun Gunasekara of Sri Lanka have been expelled from Singapore and told to go with their families. “The Singapore government does not presume to judge the rights and wrongs of liberation theological movements in other countries,” the ministry said in a statement. “But by promoting political causes in the region and supporting radical activists in Singapore, the CCA has clearly breached its obligation not to engage in political activity.”[5]

City Harvest Church criminal infidelity case[edit]

In October 2015, City Harvest Church founder Kong Hee and five other church officials were found guilty, after a year-long trial, of paying $50 million in church funds to his wife Ho Yeow Sun’s pop music career. The case was the largest criminal breach of trust in Singapore’s history. While the defendants argued that their actions were intended to serve a religious cause, namely evangelism through Ho’s entry into the world of pop music, the trial ended with all six being convicted, imprisoned and permanently barred from general administrative control of charities ]

Arrest of Shincheonji Church members

In February 2020, Singapore launched an investigation into the unregistered local chapter of Korea’s new religious movement, the Shincheonji Church of Jesus. The apocalyptic messianic cult was known for being the center of the first COVID-19 outbreak in South Korea. The group had fewer than 100 members in Singapore and operated covertly through a front company called Spasie Enrichment. The Home Office said the group had previously tried and failed to register a company under the name Heavenly Culture, World Peace and Restoration of Light.[6]

In November 2020, 21 members of the group were arrested for being members of an unlawful society. Five South Korean nationals who held key positions were repatriated and the group’s dummy units disbanded,[7]

Notable incidents[ edit ]

In February 2010, online videos on Lighthouse Evangelism’s website published sermons by then-senior pastor Rony Tan, who suggested that Buddhism and Taoism were satanic, sparking public uproar in Singapore and prompting a visit from the government’s Homeland Security Department. [8 ][9] Tan quickly removed the videos from the website and met with Buddhist and Taoist leaders to personally apologize.[10]

Returning to the pulpit this weekend, Tan said the church was “in the process of removing any objectionable recorded material” and urged church members “not to disseminate our past sermons that might arouse religious sensitivity.”[11]

Expulsion of the Indian Imam

In April 2017, Nalla Mohamed Abdul Jameel, chief imam of Jamae Chulia Mosque for over seven years, was fined S$4,000 and repatriated to India after pleading guilty to “encouraging animosity between different groups on religious grounds” and an “act detrimental to maintaining harmony”.[12] In a video circulated online, the imam recited a prayer in Arabic that said, among other things, “God help us against Jews and Christians,” was circulated online. He later apologized with Jewish and Christian leaders at closed meetings and said the additional supplication he read was not from the Koran but from an ancient Arabic text found in his village in India.

A statement from the Home Office said the measure was “taken with some regret”. It described the imam as working diligently “to attend to the needs of his community and to attend to other faiths” and was “not intentionally malicious”.

Two Muslim Singaporeans have received a stern warning in connection with the incident. A man was warned for posting the video on Facebook instead of filing a police report. Another, Associate Professor of Malay Studies at the National University of Singapore, wrote a Facebook post allegedly made in support of the Imam.

Two foreign Christian preachers were denied entry

In September 2017, the Home Office said two foreign Christian ministers had been denied short-term work permits to speak in the country. The ministry did not identify the preachers, but said they had made “denigrating and inflammatory comments about other religions” in the past. One of them was identified by The Straits Times as American preacher Dutch Sheets, who allegedly described Allah as “a false god” and called for prayer for those “held captive in the darkness of Islam”. He also referred to Buddhists as “tohuw,” a Hebrew word meaning “lost, lifeless, confused, and spiritually sterile.”[13]

The other unnamed preacher referred to “the evils of Islam” and “the malevolent nature of Islam and Muhammad.” He called Islam “not a religion of peace,” “an incredibly confused religion,” interested in “world domination,” and “a religion based on… the observance of uncompromising and cruel laws often geared toward war and virtual slavery.” [14] ]

Home and Justice Minister K Shanmugam was quoted in local press reports as saying: “Just as I have banned Muslim scholars or preachers from entering Singapore, the recent ban is for (on) Christian preachers. They have been very Islamophobic outside of Singapore in their statements and we have decided to ban them.”[15]

Bans on Mufti Menk and Ustaz Haslin Baharim

In October 2017, Singapore banned Salafist preacher Mufti Menk, the Grand Mufti of Zimbabwe, and Ustaz Haslin Baharim of Malaysia from entering Singapore. The Home Office said the couple’s requests to preach in the country had previously been denied and they were not allowed to circumvent the ban by preaching on religious-themed cruises sailing from Singapore ]

Mufti Menk had previously called LGBT people “worse than animals” and argued that wishing non-Muslims “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Deepavali” is “the highest form of blasphemy”. Haslin Baharim had previously described non-Muslims as “deviant”.

Johor’s Sultan Ibrahim Ismail in neighboring Malaysia followed suit by issuing a decree banning the couple from the state.[17]

Controversy surrounding statements by American preacher Lou Engle

In March 2018, statements by American fundamentalist preacher Lou Engle caused an uproar at a three-day conference organized by Cornerstone Community Church. Addressing thousands of participants at the conference, Engle said: “The Muslims are taking over southern Spain. But I had a dream in which I would build the Church across Spain to push back a new modern Muslim movement.”[18]

Cornerstone Community Church filed a police report against Rice Media, the online news startup that first reported the remarks. The church said the article was a “hilarious attack” and had a “seditious bias”. The article also contained serious allegations “aimed at and having the effect of stoking religious tensions and fostering feelings of malevolence and hostility between Christians and Muslims.”[19]

Yang Tuck Yoong, the church’s senior pastor, later said Engle’s comments were “never intended as an indictment of Muslims or the Muslim community in Spain as a whole. Instead, he referred to the radical Islamic insurgency, including ISIS (Islamic State). in Iraq and Syria) invading that nation to impose their brand of militant ideology. He apologized that the choice of language may have caused unnecessary misunderstanding as that was not his intention.” Engle refused a request from the police department to return to Singapore to cooperate with the investigation.[20] Yang later met with the Mufti of Singapore and other Muslim community leaders to apologize. He said the church was unaware of Engle’s controversial past and told him he would not be able to speak in Singapore going forward.

During an interfaith visit to a mosque months later, Yang said the church had tightened protocols and procedures to ensure “this never happens again.”[21]

See also[edit]

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India TV recently had a show “Iskcon Sannyasi” (https://www.indiatvnews.com/video/india-tv-exclusive/watch-special-show-on-iskcon-sannyasi-465686) in which she made an Iskcon Brahmachari invited and his parents who were opposed to his son going to the temple as a monk. First, the title of the program, Iskcon Sannyasi, was wrong, the devotee had become a monk and not a sannyasi. This showed that India TV had not done its homework properly and did not know the difference between a sannyasi and a celibate monk.

Nonetheless, the program gave the parents and his son, who is now a monk, an opportunity to present their points of view.

It is natural that parents are very disturbed when they find out that their son has given up everything, left home to become a monk in the temple.

It may seem like an irrational choice to most people, but those who study the Gita and Vedic literature would not be surprised to find someone who fully devotes their life to the service of the Supreme Lord, Krishna. The majority of people in this world are interested in gratifying their senses, busy pursuing their material goals. For this reason Krishna says in the Gita: “After many births and deaths, the one who is actually in knowledge surrenders himself to Me, knowing that I am the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.” Bhagavad Gita 7.19.

The mother was heartbroken, crying for most of the program and begging his son to return home. Father had his emotions under control, but he was angry that his son had become a monk.

Both the father and mother made many unverifiable allegations against Iskcon, such as: Having spent more than a decade in the Krishna consciousness movement, I am not surprised to see the parents’ reaction.

Most devotees who become monks rarely get the approval of their parents and family members.

It is true that one does not have to become a monk to practice devotional life. One can become a grihasta – get married, have children, stay at home and work in the outside world. However, different devotees have different natures and based on that they choose their ashram i.e. whether they want to become a grihasta or a brahmachari. As far as I know, I have never experienced a devotee being forced to choose a particular ashram. It is also true that in the early years there is a tug of war in the minds of devotees when it comes to choosing between monasticism and marriage.

My parents were also very afraid that I would join the temple and not get married. But finally I decided to get married and practice my devotional life. But I have great respect for the devotees who choose to serve Krishna and thus join the temple as celibate monks. Not marrying and staying in the temple gives an opportunity to devote most of our time and energy to serving the Lord and spreading the Lord’s message.

But one may ask, what about their responsibilities to their parents and family members?

Most monks I know never let their parents suffer. For example, after graduation, they work outside, earn money and give it to their parents so that they don’t have to suffer financially. If her sister is unmarried, they make her sister get married. As they seek to serve the Lord, they do not shy away from family responsibilities. In fact, after they enter the temple, they continue to visit their parents, and their parents visit them in the temple, and they continue to keep in touch with each other by phone.

When Chaitanya Mahaprabhu wanted to take sannyas, his mother, Saci Mata, was also concerned but finally gave her permission when Mahaprabhu told her that he wanted to choose this life so that he could serve humanity. Later, at his mother’s request, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu decided to remain in Jagannth Puri so that his mother Saci mata would continue to receive information about him. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu showed by his own example that he had not abandoned his mother and cared about her feelings.

When mediums or common people object to devotees becoming monks, they fail to understand that the celibate monks do not give up their responsibilities to their parents, but while serving their parents have chosen a life for a higher cause. Parents should be proud of their children.

In today’s world there are many sons who earn hundreds of rupees in multinational companies but have neither love nor respect for their parents. Her parents are forced to stay in retirement homes. It was an incident of an elderly lady whose son was in the US and she was all alone in India. When she died there was no one around her, in fact no one knew she was dead. When her son came from the US after several months and broke down the door, he found his mother’s skeleton (https://www.indiatoday.in/india/maharashtra/story/rituraj-sahni-asha-sahni-us-returned- nri-Retirement home-1029606-2017-08-14). Although her son made dollars, he was comfortably settled in his life but had no room for his mother.

However, there are many instances where Iskcon monks have walked extra miles to serve their parents. An example is Sankirtan Anand Das and Sundervar Das, both are brothers and monks in Iskcon temples. When their mother and father fell ill, both brothers served their parents for several months and both the mother and later (after many years) the father left their bodies in the presence of their sons. They have never given up their service to their parents.

While India TV tries to portray that the son has wronged her parents by becoming a monk but if one thinks rationally one would find that the son did not leave the parents. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not staying with his mother, but that doesn’t mean he left his mother. To serve a higher purpose, a sacrifice must be made, and that is exactly what the monks do.

India TV would be doing society a great service if they started showing the plight of parents who have been abandoned by their wealthy sons and are suffering in retirement homes.

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Students at a coaching center run by ISKCON supporters

KOLKATA: What better way to serve God than to teach children and set them on a career path? Thirty ISKCON adherents – all IITians – have given up their lucrative careers to build a chain of coaching centers, Partha, which will help students master IIT and medical entrance tests such as JIPMER and NEET. It started with one center seven years ago and is now three with more to come.

This Rathayatra, the Super 30, have set up a booth at the brigade’s ISKCON Rathayatra Mela compound to advise students, check their IQ and tell them which stream they are made for.

The uniqueness of Partha is that the students receive a lot of spiritual training in addition to the study capsules. The idea is to help them deal with stress and enjoy the learning process. In addition to solving math, physics and chemistry problems, there are classes of Hare Krishna chants, keertans and other devotional songs of praise to the Lord.

“We find that children who come to us are extremely stressed. They only want results and don’t care about the process. The road to success is not just getting them to pass the test, but also guiding them through a stress-free process where learning is permanent and not just for entrance tests,” said N Nikhil, the director of Partha .

It began as an experiment in Bangur, and given its success and growing demand from parents and students, Partha centers have started this year in Salt Lake and New Town, with more in the pipeline. In these seven years, Partha students have secured top All-India ranks 13 and 75 in Jipmer, 2018 rank 13 in Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana, the entrance test for IISc Bangalore, ranks 782 and 916 in JEE Mains and helped at least 74 students enter IIT Powai and Kgp. As Partha also has foundation courses for the final years of school, its students have secured ranks 2, 3, 6 and 7 in the ISC exam this year.

“Not everyone is made to be an engineer or a doctor. So it is not necessary that every student studying science should be pushed into engineering or medicine. We try to assess eligibility first and then only accept those who have the right knack for accessing technology or medicine. The rest are advised to do pure science and we refer them to relevant institutes,” Nikhil added.

Partha faculty members are present at Brigade Mela grounds during the eight-day celebration to speak with students about their skills and the course they should pursue. Since Thursday night, when the Rathas trolled into the brigade’s mela grounds, the Partha booth has been packed with hundreds of students. Some students are as young as 12 and are in Class VII. They want to enroll in undergraduate courses to develop a science aptitude rather than automatically opting for the stream after their subject exams.

“In most cases, children are forced into the creek by their parents. Most schools teach in a more mechanical way, only keeping track of the text and the subject exams. Concepts and analytics remain unclear. There is a lot of spiritual disciplining to be done and that is why we underscore the study with spiritual discourses as well,” Nikhil added.

In these times of financial irregularities and false godmen, it is surprising how ISKCON is able to hold on to its age-old tradition in 600 centers around the world.

Dawn is not yet on the horizon, but at 4:30 a.m. at the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple in Juhu, the air is filled with the scent of flowers, burning incense sticks and the clinking of cymbals and drums to the rhythmic ones Loud chants of Hare Krishna, Hare Rama. There is a group of devotees swaying and clapping their hands as they sing. Throughout the day you can see women dressed in silk with diamonds sparkling on their noses and ears, and some of the city’s celebrities joining in the chanting during the arati. It is not only the chic people who come to the Temple of Juhu, but also the poor who pay their homage to the smiling gods.

ISKCON is famous for its vegetarian food, which is also given out for free on special occasions. Last year, ISKCON Juhu distributed more than 10,000 plates of prasadam meal and 60,000 cups of halva inside and outside the temple grounds. The Prasadam meals are also distributed to the underprivileged during several festivals as part of Anna Dan Seva’s initiative during Makar Sankranti, temple anniversary celebrations and other occasions.

“We are able to give out free prasadam meals because of donations we receive from devotees,” says Mukund Madhav Das, Vice President, ISKCON, Juhu. Some of its most famous devotees offer their services either through dance or music, and funds so raised are donated to the temple. There are also generous donations from believers who regularly visit the temple, either in cash or in kind, or by paying for services such as feeding cows, free meals for the needy, etc. The temple also raises funds through the sale of religious books at Restaurant Govinda on the premises , snacks and bakery and gift shop.

Golden Jubilee celebrations

It is the golden jubilee year of ISKCON temples or centers around the world. ISKCON, also known as the Hare Krishna Movement, was founded in New York City in 1966 by AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. The center of society in Mumbai is celebrating its three-day golden anniversary this weekend (February 5-7).

Prabhupada was born Abhay Chandra De, who became a disciple of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura in 1932. The Gaudiya Vaishnava Society bestowed on him the title of Bhaktivedanta in recognition of Des’ learning – meaning that one has realized that devotional service to the Supreme Lord is the end of all knowledge. He was later known worldwide as AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

At Thakura’s direction, Prabhupada went to the United States in 1965 to spread the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. “Prabhupada’s spiritual master wanted the Bhagavad Gita to be known to the world and not be limited to India and Hindus,” says Das.

Prabhupada founded ISKCON in 1966 and since then it has grown to 600 centers around the world.

The ISKCON structure

The structure of the religious foundation follows Prabhupada’s instructions. All ISKCON centers must fully comply with all local governance laws applicable in the country in which they are located.

Each center has to support itself. According to Prabhupada’s instructions, no funds raised from donations, sales of books, restaurants, or gifts and artifacts may be transferred from one temple to another. Each temple must find ways to raise funds. Therefore, the size of the temples depends on the donations of their patrons.

Financial irregularities are avoided by ISKCON’s watertight structure, Das says. The day-to-day running of each temple is the sole responsibility of the temple president. He is responsible for all members working or serving in the temple and is himself accountable to the local Governing Board Commission (GBC), which is not much involved in the day-to-day running of the temple. The local GBC is accountable to the central GBC.

There are 95,000 initiators (people who have been accepted into the herd after being initiated by experienced gurus/meditators) around the world and over 10 Lakh Life members. Lifetime membership is given to donors, well-wishers and staff who wish to hear kirtans and satsangs.

Commission of the Governing Body

A group of senior devotees make decisions about ISKCON’s political affairs. They form the Governing Body Commission (GBC). The GBC consists of 35-40 members. Most of them are senior devotees chosen for their leadership qualities or fundraising skills and other related skills. No member can claim to be the sole decision maker in the GBC. Decisions are made by consensus based on the principles laid down by Prabhupada.

Praghosha Das, current president of ISKCON, explains the structure of the foundation in an email interview.

“The GBC sets the guidelines and the members act as overseers for all activities of ISKCON and are responsible for all 600 centers or temples. They are also the final arbiters for any issues that may need to be clarified and decided,” Das says.

In order to avoid financial irregularities, most temples have their own methods. Petty cash is not available on site at ISKCON Juhu. Every need of the temple is met by cashing checks. The filled dog or donation boxes are opened in the presence of the temple committee and also recorded on video surveillance screens. The money is then deposited into the temple’s bank account. When gold or jewelry or donations in kind are donated to the temple, they are weighed (in the case of gold and silver items) and the current value is recorded in a register. The donated items are immediately deposited in lockers.

“We ensure that temple accounts are regularly audited by internal and external auditors,” says Madhav Das.

The expenses of GBC board members are borne by the foundation. “There is a small annual budget for the GBC Executive Committee, but individual GBC members must fund their own expenses. Often this is done with the help of the temples they oversee, as well as individual members who are inspired to help,” says Praghosha Das.

The members of each temple are supported by the temple itself from its own resources. Unmarried members generally receive their maintenance directly, serving married members through a stipend.

Divine Intervention

Praghosha Das has an interesting answer to the question of what ISKCON centers should do when there is a lack of funds. “Some of the most exalted followers of Krishna have spoken out on this subject; Essentially, her advice is that if you are serious about spreading the message of devotion, the message of selfless service to Krishna, resources will never be an issue. We would have numerous examples of temples that appear to be struggling and under great financial pressure, and then donations or other means of funding unexpectedly appear out of nowhere,” he says.

ISKCON has been involved in some cases of embezzlement of funds at some of its centers in the past. “The basic understanding of Krishna devotees is that everything belongs to Krishna. This is the main guideline to ensure that all ISKCON members do not misuse the organization’s funds, which are effectively Krishna’s funds. In addition, we have systems in place where everyone is accountable to a higher authority,” explains Praghosha Das.

Perhaps the devotees have understood the true calling of their inner conscience, or as Madhav Das puts it succinctly: “We are not here because we have failed in life. We are here because we have experienced life and we were dissatisfied. Nothing is more enticing about leading a religious life than being disciplined and following the teachings of the guru one has chosen voluntarily.” Perhaps that is true.

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Article overview

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If you want to become a Hare Krishna, start reading the Bhagavad Gita and the Vedas to learn important history and teachings. Also, focus on making the four principles, which include mercy and kindness, a part of your life. Learn to recite the Maha Mantra that gives you peace and connects you with Lord Krishna and meditate. You can also practice Bhakti Yoga by chanting, studying the sacred texts or spending time with other devotees. Finally, create an altar at home or visit a nearby temple to pray with others. To learn how vegetarianism fits into your Hare Krishna life, read on!

ISKCON, popularly known as the Hare Krishna Movement, is a global federation of more than 600 temples and centers, 110 vegetarian restaurants and a variety of community projects. ISKCON belongs to the Gaudiya-Vaishnava Sampradaya or denomination, a monotheistic tradition within the broader Vedic or Hindu culture.

Based on the Bhagavad-Gita, ISKCON traces its spiritual lineage directly to the speaker of this holy book, Lord Krishna, who is worshiped as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The text teaches that the goal of life is to develop love of God or Krishna, which is realized through the practice of bhakti-yoga, the science of devotional service. In the second half of the 15th century, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu revived the bhakti yoga tradition, initiating a far-reaching spiritual movement that swept across India. Central to this renaissance was the emphasis on chanting Krishna’s name. Underlying this simple practice was a profound, rational, and intellectually inclusive theology.

The mission of this non-sectarian, monotheistic movement is to promote the welfare of society by promoting the spiritual science of Krishna Consciousness.