FAQ
ISKCON, informally known as the Hare Krishna Movement
What is Krishna West's relationship with ISKCON?
Krishna West is faithful to Prabhupada’s spiritual, philosophical, organizational and missionary principles. Prabhupada explicitly permitted his followers to practice Bhakti-yoga with traditional Indian dress, cuisine etc, or with their Western equivalent. Indeed, Prabhupada adamantly insisted on this freedom in his conversations with poet Allen Ginsberg, in many of his scriptural commentaries, such as his purport to the Srimad Bhāgavatam 4.8.54, and in his public lectures. Thus, respecting Prabhupada’s blessing of reasonable diversity, we do not seek to transform existing ISKCON projects.
Isn’t it dangerous to modify our presentation simply to accommodate the whims of popular culture?
Prabhupada blessed external diversity from the earliest days of his mission, we are restoring the freedom, and relevance, that Prabhupada personally encouraged. We should not confuse cultural principles with external cultural details. For example, to dress modestly and respectfully when visiting a House of God is a cultural principle. To wear South Asian clothes is an external cultural detail.
Vedic Culture
Please explain to me the term “Vedic culture” in the context of “Krishna West” and how Prabhupada’s teachings support your views.
Because Prabhupada used the term “Vedic culture,” we accept the term, but we should keep in mind that the core sacred texts of our tradition never use that term to normatively describe, or even require, such external cultural features as dress, cuisine, architecture, and musical style. Rather Vaiṣṇava scriptures teach non-ethnic cultural standards. For example, when Krishna in the Bhagavad-gītā establishes culinary norms, He never gives or requires any external cultural details. Rather, foods in goodness are healthy and satisfying. Again, we must not confuse cultural and spiritual principles with external cultural details. Prabhupada’s purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 4.8.54 is most relevant in this regard: “Sometimes our Indian friends, puffed up with concocted notions, criticize, ‘This has not been done. That has not been done.’ But they forget this instruction of Narada Muni to one of the greatest Vaishnavas, Dhruva Maharaja. One has to consider the particular time, country and conveniences... If someone does go and preach, taking all risks and allowing all considerations for time and place, it might be that there are changes in the manner of worship, but that is not at all faulty according to shastra. Moreover, we have no evidence of Vedic concern with standardizing external cultural details such as dress, architecture, cuisine etc. We do find a very serious Vedic concern with establishing cultural and spiritual principles such as varnashrama-dharma and, ultimately, pure love of Krishna.
Kirtan
What is your opinion regarding the public chanting of the Hare Krishna mahā-mantra (great mantra?
Krishna West accepts the importance of teaching the public the benefits and practice of chanting the great mantra, Hare Krishna. We also accept that we should present this process to the general public in a way that is culturally sensitive and appropriate. We do not favor the attitude that since this public chanting will automatically purify society, we need not concern ourselves with public taste. Interestingly, when ISKCON devotees open restaurants, they tend to be very attentive to public taste, since the devotees have invested their own hard-earned money in these projects. We should not respect public taste only when we have a pecuniary interest in a public presentation of Krishna consciousness.