Krishna Consciousness. International Society for Krishna Consciousness - sect or ancient tradition

1. There is the same difference between the India of our Hare Krishnas and the real India as between Zuko powder and the juice of a living fruit.

The Lord Jesus says that he is the son of God. He is not God, but His son... Between God
and the son of God cannot have quarrels. Jesus said: "Love God", and Krishna,
The Supreme Personality of Godhead says, "Love Me." This is the same.

I am Yama, God of death... I am all-devouring death... I am time, great
destroyer of worlds, and I have come here to destroy all people.

Krishna's words about himself in Bhagavad Gita As It Is

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (MOCK) is very active in modern Russia. The Russian branch of the sect is called the "Center of Societies for Krishna Consciousness in Russia." MOCK can be described as a pseudo-Hindu syncretic proselytizing postmodern neo-pagan totalitarian sect.

It is widely believed that Hare Krishnas are good, open guys. Of course, they are strange: they shave their heads, leaving the Zaporizhzhya “settler” on the back of their heads, walk around in orange curtains and stick too much on the street with their books, obsequiously looking into the eyes, but they are vegetarians and will not offend a fly. Why are they all so "run over"? In addition, they are martyrs: Soviet power they were imprisoned, and they suffer only for their pacifism.

Each of you saw Hare Krishnas on the streets of cities, on television, they have long become a familiar part of our lives. They are loved to shoot, they are exotic and “decorate” our gray reality. Indeed, if you talk to these guys, many of them give the impression of pure and sincere people. I have no doubt that many of the ordinary Hare Krishnas are like that. But the question, as always, is not in the personal qualities of this or that sectarian, because these people are victims, but in the principles of the doctrine itself. And, of course, in the people whose victims these guys became, as well as in the creators of the doctrine: history has shown that, on the orders of their leaders, ordinary Hare Krishnas, without hesitation, committed crimes. The Krishna booksellers you meet on the streets are victims of deception, but they (wittingly or unwittingly) seek to deceive you too.

The deception consists, for example, in the fact that the Hare Krishnas are presented as followers of an ancient (5,000-year-old) Vedic tradition, as well as members of the 500-million (or 700-million, or even billion-strong - the master's own hand) army of Hinduism. But, in the first place, the Vedic scriptures began to take shape about 1500 BC, that is, only about 3500 years ago. Secondly, the Hindu sacred text they refer to, the Bhagavad Gita, does not belong to the Vedas at all. The Mahabharata, of which the Bhagavad Gita is a part, is a relatively new Indian epic, which finally took shape only by the middle of the first millennium A.D., and besides, the Krishna book Bhagavad Gita As It Is is nothing more than adapted an Americanized retelling of the original with comments on it. And thirdly, Western Hare Krishnas themselves are no more related to traditional Hinduism than a boy who stuck feathers in his hair and painted his face with watercolor paint is to real Apaches and Mohicans. The well-known Russian Indologist Irina Glushkova, an employee of the Center for Indian Studies of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, wrote about this: “There is the same difference between the India of our Hare Krishnas and real India as between the Zuko powder and the juice of a living fruit.”

The methods by which the Hare Krishnas you have seen on the streets distribute their literature are not too clean either. Their tried and tested method: “Hello! I liked you very much, you have a very intelligent face - or: “You seem to me a very reasonable person. We want to offer you a gift.” And give a book in a colorful cover. The man takes the book in his hands. He is very touched that they personally give him a gift, and even such an attractive-looking book! He thanks a generous and very friendly stranger who seemed to show genuine interest in him.

And then they say to him: “Could you make a donation to our charitable society?” The man asks, "What donation?" They say to him: “Well, 200 rubles.” - “How, this book costs 200 rubles?” - "No, we gave you the book, but you make a donation for a good cause." There is already a moment of psychological violence here: it is impossible to refuse, because the gift has already been accepted. And it’s kind of inconvenient to return it harshly: “After all, the stranger was so polite, and even called me smart and intelligent! I can’t act unintelligent now!” So a person pays 200 rubles for a book that he would not have bought even for a fiver.

These nice and sincere guys are trained to trick people into giving them money by deceit and shameless psychological blackmail. USC publishes special magazines that teach "distributors" in all sorts of ways how to keep up with a person until he gives money; for "pretty" street booksellers, special seminars are held on aggressive trading methods. Between individual distributors, between sankirtana groups in one city and between different cities, there is a constant and very fierce competition: who will distribute more books, who will bring in more money. And woe to those who will be among the losers... Krishna and the society of his consciousness are always in need of “lakshmi” (money). And the more money a person brings, the more he loves Krishna and believes in him. No other circumstances may be significant.

We have received reports that Hare Krishnas walk around Moscow apartments and ask for donations for a theological seminary, without warning that this seminary is a Krishna seminary. And this is still the most innocent of their little things.

After all, the founder of MOCK, the “great guru” Prabhupada, taught that “transcendental cunning” is permissible for the sake of Krishna. And this justifies any deceit and any fraud, in particular those mentioned above.

Interestingly, if during a conversation a Hare Krishna finds out that you are Orthodox, then the first thing he will begin to reproach you for is not following the biblical commandments. “You, they say, say: “Thou shalt not kill,” but you kill animals and eat them.” And here you can explain for a long time that this commandment does not apply to animals, that in the Hebrew language in general two different words mean “slaughter animals” and “kill people”, - none of this will be heard: after all, this argument was made by Prabhupada himself, and he never made a mistake, because a person who has reached such a high spiritual level, in principle, the meaning of any of his phrases cannot be wrong.

However, the main thing is not even that. It is paradoxical that if, according to the teachings of Krishna, it is impossible to kill animals, then it is quite possible to kill people, and it happens that it is necessary, especially if they belong to the breed of demons who hate Krishna. And if a person is forced to read the mantra “Hare Krishna” at the moment when he is killed, then his future fate, his karma will be greatly improved.

2. The history of the appearance of Hare Krishnas in the USSR in 1971 is very suspicious

Consider the history of ISKCON. It began in 1966 with the arrival in New York of an elderly Hindu monk named Abhay Charan De (1896-1977). Krishnas claim that they belong to an ancient Indian tradition. In fact, the beginning of their tradition was laid in 1966 by this sannyasin monk, who “modestly” called himself: "His Divine Grace" Sri Srimad Swami Bhaktivedanta Srila Prabhupada .

There are few episodes in Prabhupada's pre-sectarian biography that compare in scandalousness to the life of Hubbard, Moon, or Joseph Smith. Outwardly, everything was more or less decent. But the whole life of the founder of the sect, which has acquired one of the most criminal reputations over the 35 years of its existence, is an illustration of one all-embracing passion that absorbs him - irrepressible ambition arising from unbridled, truly diabolical pride. It is enough to look at his photograph (it can be found in any Hare Krishna publication) for this to become obvious. According to Prabhupada, his guru instructed him to preach the teachings of Krishna in the West. However, in his youth, Abhay Charan did not immediately strive to put into practice the commandment of his teacher; he was a businessman, traveling salesman, drug dealer. He devoted most of his life to these pursuits. He really hoped to get rich - but all his financial enterprises ended in failure. Convinced that the business would not lead him to the desired goal, Abhay remembered the commandment of his teacher and already in his declining years began to publish a magazine in English about Krishnaism, which was called "Back to God". Prabhupada belonged to the generation of Hinduism, worshiping the only god Krishna. Krishnaites call themselves monotheists, but one can agree with this only after a very cursory glance at them - and even then only in part.

They worship the god they call krishna(in Sanskrit "black", "dark" or "dark blue" - a speaking name). The movement of worshiping him as the supreme deity was started in India in the 16th century by the preacher Chaitanya. The followers of Chaitanya walked the streets of Indian cities, beat tambourines, fell into orgiastic ecstasy - and everyone was called to worship the god Krishna. Prabhupada claims that he comes from a lineage of teachers who go directly to this 16th-century mystic. Below we will see how justified such a statement is.

Chaitanya declared that the way to escape the evil influences of the physical world was to receive the blessings of Krishna. Chaitanya himself is regarded by the Hare Krishnas as a joint incarnation of their god Krishna and his beloved mistress. Radha: Krishna decided to incarnate in Radha in order to comprehend the full power of her loving devotion to himself, and this incarnation was Chaitanya. The main purpose of Krishna's lovers, as taught by Chaitanya, is to love him, as his innumerable cowherd mistresses loved Krishna.

Krishna is a shepherd god whose cult gained popularity in southern India in the 6th-9th centuries. according to R. X. In terms of his character, he most of all resembles the Greek god Hermes - a mischievous, playful and rogue shepherd:

Of frauds I am gambling, I am the brilliance of the brilliant, I am victory, I am adventure, I am the strength of the strong. PURPORT There are many types of rascals throughout the universe. Of all types of fraud, gambling is the highest and therefore represents Krishna. Krishna, being the Supreme, can be more perfidious than any ordinary person. If Krishna decides to deceive a person, then no one can surpass Him in cunning. O Lord, no one can understand Your transcendental pastimes, which... can bewilder anyone.

Krishna is often portrayed as a bluish, plump, effeminate youth (although the Hare Krishnas are sure that there is no one more beautiful than him: “Accidentally seeing the reflection of his beautiful body in precious stones on the floor, Krishna exclaimed, “I have never seen anything more beautiful!”).

He indulged in love affairs with countless cowherd boys, and the task of the devotees is to love him in the same way. Then they will leave the wheel of samsara of eternal reincarnations, enter the heavenly palaces of Krishna on the Vaikunitiha planets and indulge in eternal love joys with him in the heavenly forests. As it is written under the illustration in the book The Nectar of Devotion, “By developing conjugal love for Krishna, a devotee can go to Dvaraka, where he will become one of the wives of the Lord.”

Some of the guruliniya initiated by Chaitanya are seen as incarnations of Krishna's many beloveds, these very cowherd boys. This is a special honor: they return to earth and incarnate in one or another bearded or beardless guru.

In the 60s, neo-Hinduism became popular in the West, and many gurus adapted to the Western way of life: they began to eat meat, wear Western clothes, because otherwise, as it seemed to them, you would not get many adherents in the West. But Prabhupada was an austere man in his own way: he was guided by a different, much stronger passion. He strictly declared to his students: no Western clothes, no meat - all Indian household regulations must be fully observed. He transplanted the outside Indian life on Western soil, arguing that only in this way can the corrupted West be saved. His favorite metaphor was that the West is blind (meaning spiritually) and the East is lame (meaning materially poor). But when united, they achieve perfection. A picture of a legless blind man - wow perfection!

Prabhupada himself was married and had children, but at some point, already being elderly, he left his wife and became a sannyasin, that is, he devoted himself completely to God. Even though a monk is not supposed to have a physical relationship with a woman, Hindu practice allows living together with the family in the same house. Prabhupada also did not leave his family for some time. Once he said that one day, when he was deeply indulging in God’s thoughts, his wife, who was very fond of tea (he himself, as a sannyasin, this drink was forbidden as an aphrodisiac), sold one of his sacred books in order to buy herself something sweet for tea (Prabhupada's next financial scheme ended in failure, and the family had little money). He was so offended that he left her and the children, left home forever and since then has never asked what happened to them. Devotion to God in adulthood is typical of Hindus who view their life as consecutive shift four stages: apprenticeship, family life, and in old age - hermitage and then wandering. So what Prabhupada did was quite normal for his age and culture. But after all, thanks to the activities of this man in the West, tens of thousands of young people, and not at all old people, left their families, relatives and relatives and gave themselves into slavery to the Indian ambitious man eaten by the demon of pride and the totalitarian organization he created!

Prabhupada hoped to establish his own sect in India, but it did not work out - there was too much competition. He intrigued, tried to find patrons in the highest echelons of power, but did not achieve the desired result. And then he decided to try to achieve his goal in America, especially since second-hand Eastern spirituality was becoming an increasingly salable commodity there. At the age of 69, according to the Hare Krishna legend, with a few dollars in his pocket, with a set of pots (despising all material gurus could not imagine life without Indian cuisine) and with an umbrella, he boarded an Indian cargo ship, on which he was transported across the ocean for free. Thus he arrived at the port of New York. Having collected some money from acquaintances, Prabhupada rented a former store in one of the poorest districts of the city and hung an announcement in its window that he would lecture on the Bhagavad Gita. Let me remind you that the Bhagavad Gita is one of the books of the Indian epic in which Krishna teaches the wisdom of his follower Arjuna.

At first, things didn't go well. There was a moment when Prabhupada despaired, as the money still did not come, and was about to leave, when suddenly he, as they say, got into the stream: it was the time of the decline of the beatniks and the beginning of the hippie movement. All of them were very interested in Indian wisdom. Some of the first disciples to join Prabhupada turned out to be very active and influential in bohemian circles, so things got off the ground somehow. Young pacifists began to join the group, protesting against the war in Vietnam. Young people were especially attracted to oriental exoticism. In addition, the new teacher obliged them to observe an extremely rigorous moral code, which also seemed something new and refreshing to people who were fed up with various excesses. Hippies sought to somehow stand out from the gray crowd of the capitalist establishment, and a shaved head with a bun of hair stands out even much more than long hair. Indian saffron dhotis for men or colorful saris for women are also more visible than embroidered jeans and painted T-shirts. In addition, dancing in the streets, the atmosphere of happenings with tambourines, with cymbals, such an uncompromising challenge to the consumer society - all this was very unusual and interesting.

In 1968, Prabhupada opened his own printing press. He was met by a then popular poet in America, a representative of the beatniks Alain Ginsberg, who was interested in the East. He came to Prabhupada and began to help the "sage" spread his teachings. Soon the Hare Krishnas managed to interest the Beatles in themselves, and they allowed the sect to use their name. George Harrison, one of the four members of the illustrious group, helped the Hare Krishnas release a record with the chant of their mantra, and then he himself released a song in which there was a Hare Krishna melody. After the breakup of the Beatles, he even released a whole disc called "Life in the material world" and is dedicated to Krishna. All this gave the sect popularity. Harrison also supported MOCK with money and even gave Prabhupada a castle outside London that he had previously bought for himself. Until now, this castle is the headquarters of USC in England.

Prabhupada developed a frenzied activity; although he began preaching in the Western world at the age of 70 and looked very old and frail, he had plenty of energy. In 1971, he even came to the Soviet Union. In general, Hare Krishnas are very fond of referring to the fact that they (apart from Jehovah's Witnesses) are the only one of all the newly-minted sects that managed to suffer from the Soviet regime, but the very appearance of Hare Krishnas in the USSR is very suspicious. Prabhupada arrived in 1971 as the leader of a religious movement already infamous. He was allowed into the country, he walked the streets, converted several people, founded an organization, and all this happened, as we are told, without the knowledge of the KGB and remained, as it were, unnoticed by the “authorities”. I remind you that they began to imprison and persecute Hare Krishnas only at the very end of the 70s, that is, it is quite natural to assume that certain hopes were placed on them, which for some reason they did not justify. Three years after Prabhupada's arrival, the Hare Krishnas were again allowed into the USSR - this time a whole landing force. They came to Moscow for the International Book Fair, where they were given a full booth. It is hard to imagine that in 1971 the KGB slammed and let Prabhupada into the USSR, and three years later “did not notice” a whole group of representatives of a foreign religious movement. All this looks rather mysterious. In any case, it was in this very suspicious way that Krishnaism appeared in the USSR.

3. Hare Krishnas Have Developed Many Tactics To Extort Money

Gradually the movement grew and grew stronger, and soon there was a smell of very large amounts of money obtained through various types of sankirtana. The "devotees" tried their best to get as much money as possible to please the strict teacher. Prabhupada realized that he had founded not only a sect, but also a rich multinational corporation. Having started this machine, he moved to India, where he settled in the legendary homeland of Krishna, in Vrindavan, from where he directed the movement with an iron hand and with pleasure, as a matter of course, accepted the divine honors and worship paid to him. His every word was recorded on a tape recorder, his every desire was immediately and unquestioningly fulfilled. Several times a day, the disciples reverently decorated his withered and shriveled old body with a huge wreath of fresh flowers. And on the ground, his appointees commanded, finding more and more new ways to extort money from people. Initially accustomed to begging, former Hare Krishna hippies begged on the streets, but their leaders soon developed many much more effective tactics.

For example, a Hare Krishna van with the sign “Radio Station” stops in the parking lot of a supermarket in a small American town. From there comes a dazzling blonde with a microphone, the cord from which stretches into the van, calls a passer-by and speaks; "Hello! We're live, what's your name? We are now running a marathon to help homeless children. Do you love children? What about your wonderful wife? I remind you that we are live. You can say hello to her. How much can you donate to help homeless children?” Naturally, under such pressure - after all, the amount was announced “live” - people gave the last. Meanwhile, there was no radio, and the wire from the microphone was not connected to anything.

But they were still flowers. A lot of criminal facts are known about MOCK of that time. For example, the Hare Krishna mission in Japan was engaged in robbery jewelry stores. They had a developed system whereby all the loot was brought and sold in India, and the money was piled at the feet of Prabhupada. In California, the local leadership of the movement dealt in drugs. As we know, a lot of hippies joined the sect, among whom drug addiction was very common. The first Hare Krishnas, who thought of the drug trade, reasoned approximately according to the following logic: you were a drug addict, I was a drug addict, we became Hare Krishnas, dedicated ourselves to Krishna, we don’t use drugs anymore. This means that the more Krishna temples there are, the fewer drug addicts there will be. People will come there, turn around and give up drugs, which means that if we sell drugs and build temples of Krishna with this money, then maybe in the near future there will be more drug addicts, but in the end there will be much less of them. This story ended with a contract killing of a competitor (the customer was the president of a Hare Krishna temple) and the arrest of the entire local elite of the ISKCON.

There is evidence that Prabhupada knew everything, because he received letters complaining about the perversion of the original ideals, but he did not answer anything, but only demanded more and more money. There was never enough money, and he demanded more and more, and at the same time hypocritically complained that his followers could not enter into real Krishna consciousness and were fallen people. Thus, in the track record of the Krishnaites, who “wouldn’t hurt a fly,” there are robberies, and drug and arms trafficking, a number of murders, and much more.

4. Terrible exploitation, the most severe punishments, and sexual abuse of children reigned in the “gurukulas”.

Prabhupada passed away in 1977, and a year before that, an order was issued about what would happen after his death. A 29-member Governing Body Commission (GBC) was appointed. But soon the old man realized that there were too many people, and in 1977, shortly before his death, he appointed 11 successor gurus from among his most beloved and promising students and ordered them to divide the world among themselves. Prabhupada decided that they would compete in the number of converts, in the amount of money they would acquire, and in this way the movement would grow and expand.

There is a description of this division of the world between the successor gurus, it is very similar to the “Sukharev Convention” of the children of Lieutenant Schmidt from the novel by Ilf and Petrov, who divided the territory between them Soviet Union. In the end, the world was divided, and successor gurus went through the conquered territories to create new life for the glory of Krishna. Having reigned in their specific principalities, the gurus began to fight among themselves: they drove each other’s agents out of their borders and endlessly sorted out the relationship on the topic of who stole “devotees” from whom and who drove with his sankirtan team to foreign territory. A few years later, after many upheavals, only two of the 11 successor gurus remained in their original places: someone went to prison, someone served time and left, but did not return to the movement, someone was killed, someone saved connection with the movement, but flew off the leadership position.

Krishnaites, when talking on this topic, begin to assure with fervor that MOCK is a crystal-clear organization, just some former members let us down. Here one involuntarily recalls the CPSU, in which there was not a single criminal - any person who violated the Criminal Code was expelled from the party even before the trial, so not a single member of the Communist Party was convicted. In the same way, when one of the successor gurus was arrested or it became clear that arrest could not be avoided, he was immediately expelled from the Krishna movement, and the ranks of the sect remained crystal clear.

The world was shocked when multiple facts became known about the life of "gurukulas" - boarding schools where parents sent their children so that these "by-products of the body" (Prabhupada's expression) did not interfere with their understanding of Krishna consciousness. There were massive cases of child abuse, beatings and rape. Here is a quote from a letter from a boy who grew up at USC:

Trying to bring back the gurukula nightmares is the cruelest thing you can do to a teenager. I'm trying to forget all the horrors we endured in the name of God, the physical beatings, the psychological persecution, the constant rape... I was raped by the same teacher who also raped my brother in France, my maternal sister was forced to drink her own urine in Dallas, my stepfather was smuggling drug money from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. My mother was forced to marry against her will. My younger brother's guru was killed by a world sankirtana leader. And you want me to continue like this? Or will you just put me on the list of inevitable losses...? In fact, if you don't know, there are thousands like me all over the world.

Prabhupada's Favorite Disciple Kirtanananda (Keit Ham) hoped to lead the movement later. Even during the life of the teacher, he quarreled with him and broke away from the movement. He settled in a remote area of ​​West Virginia. The colony he founded he called New (New) Vrindavan. In the center of it, with the money that was collected in unimaginable ways (mostly illegal), he built a huge temple, which he called the “golden palace”, and set up a real concentration camp with him. His followers worked on the construction of this “golden palace”, in which an incredible amount of money was invested: Italian marble was used in the work, everything was covered with gold leaf, and inside were incredibly expensive statues. The temple became a place for tourists to visit, from whom they took money. But something terrible was going on among the inhabitants: terrible exploitation of people, the most severe punishments (and even murders), and sexual abuse of children in “gurukulas” were practiced in the community. Nevertheless, Prabhupada reconciled with Ham, accepted him back into the movement (how was it possible to miss such a tidbit from MOCK) and constantly set an example for other students.

After Prabhupada's death, Kirtanananda (by then calling himself Bhaktipada Swami Maharaja) became one of the successor gurus. Of course, the crimes in New Vrindavan continued to multiply. New contract killings were committed. A Krishna who tried to expose them was shot in the back of the head. He was killed by a Krishna killer on the payroll of Kirtanananda. Information about this leaked out; very belatedly, these crimes were solved, and several people were sentenced to life without parole. Most of the criminals fled to India and are still on the run.

Kirtanananda hired the most expensive lawyers, and for some time he managed to prove that everything, they say, was happening without his knowledge. They couldn't catch him by the hand. But when in the end it became clear that he could not get out, the management of MOCK decided to abandon him and expelled him from the movement. Kirtanananda dragged out the investigation as long as he could, and only in 1996 did justice finally prevail: he received 20 years in prison. After he sat down, the remnants of his group reunited with ISKCON.

London's successor guru Jayateerth (James Himmeln) gained notoriety for doing kirtans (dances dedicated to Krishna) with LSD and "flying away to other worlds." He, too, eventually broke away from the movement, started a harem. And he had murders in the group: at least one person who threatened to expose him, he drowned in the lake. It all ended with the fact that one of his students, offended by him, stabbed him with a knife, and then cut off the head of the corpse.

In the book about the "International Society for Krishna Consciousness" "Monkey on a Stick" ("Monkey on a stick"), all 500 pages of text tell about criminal facts from the history of the Hare Krishna movement. From this book it obviously follows that all this is not an accident, but the basis of the existence of a sect. These crimes are irrefutably derived from the teachings and structure of the MOCK, developed by the pathologically ambitious and arrogant.

The very presence of guruism, that is, in essence, divine unquestioned power given to an ordinary sinful person, corrupts his soul and leads to a terrible fall. Let us recall the words of Churchill that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. In the case of MOCK, we are dealing with precisely this phenomenon, when yesterday's outcasts and losers, embittered at the world that threw them to the sidelines, suddenly got at their disposal absolute, unlimited power over the lives and destinies of thousands of people. And of course, in the end, Prabhupada is responsible for all their crimes, elevating them and placing them in positions of unlimited power.

5. Idols are awakened, their teeth are brushed, they are dressed, they are washed - washed with a mixture of milk, rose water and cow urine

So, the Hare Krishnas believe in a single, personal God, whom they call the Most High, Supreme, Absolute, True, from whom everything in the world came from. This god has many names, according to his many actions. His main name is Krishna, which the Hare Krishnas, contrary to any etymology, interpret as “all-attractive”. God is eternal and uncreatable, has many aspects, has two types of energy - higher (spiritual) and lower (material), which creates the world and all living beings.

Krishna appeared and lived on earth 5,000 years ago. Since then, there have been 29 of his new appearances - the avatar. But only the first appearance of Krishna was complete, the others were more or less partial. In each new appearance there is less and less percent of the real Krishna. Prabhupada calls Krishna's first appearance the "Supreme Person" of the deity himself. And besides this god, there are many other deities (both Hindu literature and other religious systems), which Prabhupada says that, in principle, they can also be worshiped. But they are only avatars (appearances) of Krishna or demigods, and Krishna is the god of gods, the cause and creator of all other gods. And therefore, according to Prabhupada, those who do not worship Krishna are fools like donkeys, pigs and other unsympathetic animals. In his avatars, Krishna allegedly appeared both as the god of Buddhists, and as the god of Christians, and as the god of Islam (! - A.D.). That is, according to the Hare Krishnas, our Lord Jesus Christ was just one of the very incomplete appearances of Krishna.

Krishnaites even carry out a linguistic analysis and prove that the word Christ (Krist-Kristna, etc.) means the same as Krishna. Of course, from a linguistic point of view, this statement does not stand up to scrutiny, because Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word meshiach, which means "messiah." BUT Krishna - the Sanskrit word, which, as we remember, means “black”, “dark”, that is, “dark spiritual essence”.

The teachings of the USC are allegedly based on the Bhagavad Gita, which is part of the ancient Indian epic. But in fact, our pseudo-Krishnaites do not study the Bhagavad Gita proper, but its transcription into English language, which was made by Prabhupada and provided with his comments. As for the comments, this is a separate topic, but serious Indologists point out that the Bhagavad Gita As It Is, which came out from the pen of Prabhupada, is not a translation, but a completely modern (one might say postmodern) retelling of the original Bhagavad Gita. ”, diluted with terms and concepts of Western pop culture and pop philosophy.

According to Prabhupada's teachings (particularly expressed in his multi-volume retelling of the Srimad Bhagavatam, which is provided with huge commentaries), Krishna loves fun, jokes, entertainment (lily - divine games), he has 16108 wives, each of whom has a palace, 10 children and a huge number of grandchildren. In a word, this is not a god, but a playful superman. There is an excessive amount of erotic symbolism in Krishna literature. Krishnaites may object that the Bible, they say, also contains the Song of Songs. But in the sect, the situation is still different, because the god Krishna, indulging in erotic joys, is the central episode of their teaching, everything is built on this, everything revolves around this, while the Song of Songs is only one (and far from central) of the biblical books. And nowhere in our tradition is it proposed to take this symbolic book literally.

If you happen to talk with Hare Krishnas, then try asking them about their attitude towards Christ. They will say that they respect Him very much - He was an avatar of Krishna. And then one can ask who was earlier, who incarnated earlier - Krishna or Christ? They will say that Krishna walked the earth and played pranks 5000 years ago, therefore, he incarnated earlier. After that, he incarnated again and again, including, in part, in “the great teacher Jesus.” And then bring the words of the Savior: “Everyone, no matter how many of them came before Me, are thieves and robbers” (John 10:8). And look at the reaction of your interlocutors.

As the sectarians teach, Krishna's word is the same as himself. And since it is believed that the Bhagavad Gita was dictated by Krishna, then every word in it is Krishna himself - if not completely, not one hundred percent, but as much Krishna as each word can contain him. In other words, their sacred book is also a god and should be worshiped as a god. Prabhupada also says that the so-called Hindu Trinity (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva) is also a manifestation of Krishna and also partial. Each of them played a role in the creation of the world, but Krishna is supreme and unborn, he differs from the rest of the world in his transcendence, that is, he is absolutely outside the material world.

Krishna manifests Himself in three modes or aspects, the first of which is Paramatma- a localized super-soul, as which a grain of Krishna lives in the heart of every person. Maybe some of you have seen the widespread Hare Krishna picture “Wheel of Life”, where a baby is drawn, then a boy, then a young man, then a mature husband, then an elderly man, then an old man, then a corpse falling into the grave, and then again a baby. In the middle of the chest each has a bright luminous dot. This is exactly the same soul of Krishna that lives in each person along with his individual soul - jiva, and then transmigrates into each of his successive bodies. Second mode - Brahman is the bright personal radiance that is the inner engine of the entire universe. It is the impersonal aspect, the all-pervading absolute truth, the incomprehensible, qualityless power, the radiation of the transcendental body of the personality of god. The third mode is Bhagawan- this is the supreme personality of Krishna himself, possessing inconceivable qualities, all wealth, power, fame, beauty.

Let's repeat. The three aspects are the super soul, the effulgence or emanation of Krishna, and the supreme personality of Krishna himself. Just as the localized soul of Krishna lives in the soul of every person, so Krishna, who created the entire universe in the form of his radiance or radiation, is present in everything, including in idols - images of deities, but he is present in them more than anywhere else (why in the statue of Krishna there is more of it than, say, in the picturesque image of him, not a single more or less satisfactory answer can be obtained from the Hare Krishnas). Statues should be treated like Krishna himself. That is why in Krishna temples there is a morning ceremony for the care of idols. They are woken up, their teeth are brushed, they are dressed, they are washed-bathed with a mixture of milk, rose water and cow urine. After the gods are washed, this precious nectar is drunk by the followers of Krishna: the cow is a sacred animal in Hinduism, and everything that comes from the cow is also sacred. Several times a day the idols are fed and put to sleep at night.

Krishna, being the supreme deity, himself accepts this worship. Worshiping avatars of Krishna also applies in principle to it, and therefore if you are a Christian and worship Christ, then in fact you are worshiping Krishna without even knowing it. Although, as Prabhupada reminds us, it is very foolish to honor other gods when you can address the god directly. As it is written in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: "The non-believers in Krishna actually worship only the demigods and can receive only illusory and transient benefits." In his commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, Prabhupada says that all people are fools and all the suffering of mankind comes from ignorance (“99.9% refer to naradhama ... Naradhama is the lowest form of human life”), but a society that develops in itself Krsna consciousness would be wonderful and prosperous.

So, the ordinary person, devoid of spiritual knowledge, is classified by Srimad Bhagavatam as dogs, pigs, camels and donkeys, and this is by no means an exaggeration. The leaders of such ignorant people are very proud of being admired by so many dogs and pigs, but in fact there is nothing flattering for them, the Bhagavatam openly declares that one who does not show a desire to understand the science of Krishna - even if he the great leader of the humanoid dogs and pigs, is essentially an animal. He may be powerful, strong, or a large animal, but from the point of view of the Srimad Bhagavatam, due to his atheistic mentality, such a leader cannot be considered a person. In other words, atheistic leaders like dogs and pigs are just bigger animals with more animal qualities.

“External” Hare Krishnas will be happy to report that God has appeared in many forms and you can worship him in different ways. Nevertheless, for themselves, Krishna worshipers, following their founder, believe that any person who prefers to worship anyone else other than Krishna is an atheist, a fool, a humanoid creature, a pig, a dog, a crocodile and all the other inhabitants of the zoo. Only Hare Krishnas are at the very top of the pyramid, and they have the incomparably greatest chance for salvation.

6. “I am all-devouring death”

One image of Krishna - a plump, effeminate blue youth - is already known to us. But Krishna has other faces that are more in line with his nature. This, for example, is the many-armed, merciless and bloodthirsty man-lion Narasimha, surrounded by cobras, gnawing bloody human necks and hanging human entrails on his body. “...He tore apart the mighty body of the atheist Hiranyakasipu with his nails.”

But this is not yet the real face of Krishna. Here is what the Bhagavad-Gita says about his true form:

I see in Your body many, many hands, wombs, mouths, eyes stretching everywhere without limit... I see You spewing fire and burning the entire universe with Your own effulgence... All the planets and their demigods are thrown into confusion at Your sight. great form with its many faces, eyes, arms, thighs, legs, wombs and many frightening teeth... Your gaping mouths... All people will rush into Your throats, like moths flying to the fire to perish in it... I see how You absorb people from all sides with Your flaming mouths... I cannot keep my balance at the sight of Your flaming deadly faces... Our main warriors rush into Your awesome mouths. And I see how the heads of some, stuck between Your teeth, are crushed by them.

And here are the words of the “merciful and loving” Krishna about himself:

I am Yama, the God of death... I am the all-devouring death... I am time, the great destroyer of worlds, and I have come here to destroy all people.

And finally, the main characteristic: “...death is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself.” How can one not remember the words of the Savior about the devil, who was a murderer from the beginning.

7. “Krishna let a six-month night fall on the earth and made love to a hundred women during it, and their husbands did not notice this”

Prabhupada calls Krishna the "Light of the world", "the cause of the world", "the source, spirit and energy of the world". At the same time, the creator of MOCK was faced with the task of “working in” a relatively new deity, Krishna, into more ancient Indian legends about the creation of the world.

According to the cosmology developed by Prabhupada, the creation of the world began with the original appearance of Vishnu. Vishnu, Prabhupada states, is almost a 100% avatar of Krishna. Vishnu created the world by looking, breathing and sweating. According to these three signs, everything created by Vishnu is distinguished.

Brahma is the first deity in the already created world, it contains 75% of Krishna, and Brahma took a female form. Krishna impregnated Brahma, and Brahma began to give birth to various forms, including humans. “Lord Brahma was at a loss as to where to start creating the material universe. Trying to find out, he fell into meditation and the sound of Krishna's flute entered his ear. Thus Brahma received initiation from the Supreme Lord and became the original spiritual master of the universe.” Since we are descended from Brahma, we have 75% of the properties of Krishna, but there is nothing to be particularly proud of, since these 75% are present in us in very small quantities. Hence the conclusion that we need to grow in Krishna. As for Shiva, he is 50% Krishna and he is a destroyer. The whole world rests on the constant contradiction of creation and destruction.

What is a person, according to the teachings of the Hare Krishnas? This is primarily a soul (spiritual body), and our physical bodies have no meaning for our personality. This view is typical of any religion of Eastern origin. But Prabhupada goes further. According to his teachings, our spiritual bodies come from Krishna and relate to him like a son to his father (an obvious borrowing from Christianity). Of course, the Hare Krishnas also adhere to the doctrine of reincarnation - the transmigration of souls, which is regarded as evil. One should strive to achieve liberation from the fetters of the body. This is a terrible illusion of deluded people, Prabhupada teaches that the material body is a person. This is ignorance and it has to be fought, it has to be eradicated.

Our individual soul (false, atma) is a particle of the supreme soul (Paramatma, Brahman). The field of activity for the jiva is the body, which the soul receives according to its desires. Having abused his freedom, the jiva enters the material world, where he is under the rule of three gunas (states, modes, attachments) - ignorance, passion, goodness. In the material world, the jiva forgets about his divine essence and surrenders to the power of karma, that is, the relationship of cause and effect.

There are three levels of planets in the spiritual world. The highest level is inhabited by the demigods, those whose jiva is in the mode of goodness, virtue. This includes the Hare Krishnas themselves, brahmins, Vedic scholars, Vedic philosophers and cows. The middle level - including the Earth - includes bodies whose jiva is in the mode of passion. Passion is the desire for honor, family, home. Man here has to work hard. On the planets of the lower level, there are jivas in the mode of ignorance (laziness, madness), for which they receive the bodies of animals. Depending on our behavior, our soul can move into either a person or an animal, or become an insect or even a mineral. How to avoid such a sad fate? You need to find the true meaning of life, which will free you from further resettlements and, in general, from any connection with the material world, Prabhupada replies. That meaning of life is to attain Krishna consciousness. This is the “discovery” that Prabhupada made, the method that he invented. It means to learn to understand Krishna, to restore the lost relationship with him. To do this, you need to focus your whole consciousness on Krishna, love Krishna more than anything in the world, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind.

If we do not do this, then our soul may next time incarnate in any of the 8,400,000 types of life that Prabhupada counts, that is, move into an insect, a mineral, or something else. “In total, there are 8,400,000 life forms on different planets of the universe, and a living being constantly moves from one body to another, depending on what pleasures he seeks.”

We must admit that not only are we not a whole body, but we are not a body at all. Each of us has a soul. We must not believe any of our feelings and desires. You need to realize this and completely abandon them. On the one hand, it is already enough that we have incarnated as people, which means that we behaved well in a past life, but we could have incarnated as insects. But on the other hand, there is also nothing to be particularly proud of, because if we were really good and obedient, then now we would already be disembodied spirits, which would be incomparably better for us. Taking on a human form, the jiva has a chance to free itself from samsara and return back to God. The liberation of the jiva from the material world is possible only on the path of developing Krishna consciousness in oneself.

If we become Krishna conscious in this life, we secure our incarnation in the next life as a human being. There is a real chance that we can become Hare Krishna again and everything will end well. The ideal is to become a heavenly soul and merge with Krishna in love ecstasy (Krishna is revered by his fans as lurusha - the masculine principle. Asami Krishnaites, servants of Krishna, consider themselves as prakriti - feminine). If we find the true meaning in Krishna consciousness in two lifetimes in a row, then we will leave the wheel of samsara, disincarnate and go to the groves of heavenly nirvana, where on the planet Vaikunitihi we will become playful cowherd boys and begin to spend eternity in the loving embrace of Krishna. In other words, to find such an enviable future, you need to hold out for only two lives in a row.

Our relationship with Krishna should not always remain a father-son relationship, because a son can only beg for handouts from his father, and this is humiliating. The relationship between son and father needs to be changed to a sensual erotic relationship between the two parties. We need to love Krishna more than we love our father, mother or children. One must desire it as a mistress longs for intimacy with her beloved. In this regard, the story from the Srimad Bhagavatam is interesting, which tells how Krishna let a six-month night fall on the earth and made love to a hundred women during it, and their husbands did not notice this. It describes in detail how handsome and irresistible Krishna is and how no woman can resist him. In the same way, we should strive to forget everything in the arms of dark blue Krishna. Only in this way can we be saved. So, having borrowed an idea from Christianity, Prabhupada then abandons it - like Satanists take the Lord's Prayer to read it backwards, or steal a crucifix from a temple to hang it upside down.

Salvation is accomplished by the supreme energy of Krishna, which pours out of him on us. This process comes from Krishna's sensual desire: He wants to enjoy the cowherd boys. But the desire for pleasure "binds" the all-powerful Krishna to the beloved cowherd boys, not only figuratively, but also in the literal sense: they equally owe their pleasure to each other. Freedom disappears from grace-filled love, and love turns into a relationship of a debtor and a creditor. We have to develop our relationship with Krishna to the same high sensual level, when for the sake of loving merging with him we forget about everything else, about all our attachments, debts and obligations in this world. The highest state in many Hindu sects (especially in the Tantric ones) is the erotic feeling. In the hierarchy of relationships with Krishna, enjoying Krishna as a lover is also the most valued. This is quite natural, because this is the feeling that the gopi gopis had for their lover Krishna. The Srimad-Bhagavatam indicates that these cowherd mistresses rushed to Krishna, forgetting their lawful husbands. Therefore, according to Hindu ethics, they are other people's wives who please their lover (at least in this case divine lover). Here, Krishna's violation of all basic moral laws, not only Hindu, but also universal, is obvious.

8. The main service to Krishna is to remain faithful to the guru

As Prabhupada assures, the material world can become spiritual while retaining its material characteristics. Spiritual is everything related to Krishna. Material values ​​are converted into spiritual values ​​by using them in the service of Krishna, that is, if you give a large part of the income to USC. Everyone, even a person from the untouchable caste, can be freed from the miserable material world and develop Krishna consciousness if he serves Krishna with all devotion. Prabhupada lists 64 services to Krishna, the main of which is to remain faithful to the guru under all circumstances. Recall that the first sign of totalitarianism is guruism. In Krishnaism, the role of the guru, who must be obeyed, is emphasized and exalted to an extraordinary height.

Therefore, firstly, you must first find the right guru, who will lead you right to Krishna. Secondly, Prabhupada says that the final correct guru who goes through a long line of succession is himself. You have to give up the idea that you are subordinate to the material world, you have to subordinate yourself to this guru and serve him as if he were Krishna himself. However, for you it is. You serve him and learn from him. I will repeat the above quote about how to honor and worship the guru. This is what the disciple (shishya) says, who lies at the feet of the guru, with his face buried in his feet:

You are my spiritual sun, and I am an insignificant spark of Your radiance. You are my Lord and I am Your servant forever. The nectar of Your lotus feet intoxicates all my senses, and I rely only on the infinite sweetness of Your holy name. What can I, the fallen one, say according to my understanding? I am here only to do Your will. I feel a deep satisfaction in speaking the words that You put in my mouth, and I will not even think about whether they are right or not.

Domestic Hare Krishnas like to compare guruism with Orthodox elders. But any obedience to the elder ends if the elder preaches heresy or sin. The Hare Krishnas do not raise such a question. We see not obedience, but absolute reckless blind obedience. And second key moment text (as, indeed, and in general spiritual life according to Prabhupada's recipe) is intoxication, to which we oppose sobriety as the main necessary element of a healthy spiritual life.

So, for salvation, one must obey the guru as if he were Krishna himself. Here is what the main leader of modern Krishnaism, Harikesh Swami, has recently written about this (see below about him):

Guru's instructions exactly, one hundred percent correspond to Krishna's instructions... Surrendering to guru and surrendering to Krishna are the same... Spiritual master is the embodiment of Krishna's energy... We should give whatever we have to the spiritual master, and be very humble at the same time... The spiritual master is forced to take a stick and beat this stupid disciple... The spiritual master connects us with Krishna, and if we break the connection with the spiritual master, then we lose the connection with Krishna. Glorifying the devotees of the Lord is like glorifying the Lord Himself. In a sense, glorifying a devotee is even more important... “A disciple should want only one thing - to satisfy the spiritual master,” his disciples echo Harikesha.

“A student should never consider the spiritual master to be an ordinary person, and the Deity in the temple to be made of stone. Anyone who thinks so is a resident of hell” (Bhag. 4.21.12). One who does not have spiritual vision considers the Deity of Krishna to be material, although He is actually spiritual. In the same way, it seems to us that the spiritual master, like ordinary souls, suffers from the consequences of karma. However, it is not. The guru's body is also spiritual... “As soon as a person surrenders to Krishna, Krishna takes away all his sins. Similarly, the representative of Krishna, His external manifestation, brings the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead to living beings by giving spiritual initiation to the disciples, so he also bears all the reactions of the past sinful activities of his disciples” (Bhag. 4.21.31, comm.).

The guru initiates adepts (distance initiation is possible), takes on the karma of the student, gives a secret “protective” mantra with which the student can turn to Krishna in extreme situations. The Guru helps the shishya to transform his spiritual world, to develop a special blissfully enthusiastic worldview, in which a devotee of Krishna tries to see the causeless mercy of God in everything.

Thirdly, it is necessary to develop an attitude to look at the world with eyes "smeared with love for Krishna." Love for him is manifested in the highest degree in the achievement of religious ecstasy through meditation, collective and individual. Individual meditation (japa) and collective (kirtan) - joint chanting of mantras, accompanied by playing musical instruments and dancing. The exclusive role belongs to the maha-mantra: "Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare." It must be repeated at least 1728 times a day. In the mantra, as you heard, there are only three words: Krishna, Rama(names of the deity) and hare - in the interpretation of the Hare Krishnas - the vocative case from the word hari, which means "the energy of the deity", but in fact one of the names of the properties of Vishnu, meaning "yellow-brown", "dirty brown". That is, in essence, again, only the name of Krishna is repeated. But it doesn't matter if you understand or don't understand these words. The main thing is to start singing the mantra, and then these words themselves will do the cleansing work for you, awakening Krishna consciousness in you and developing it. By repeating these words, that is, this name, endlessly, you enter into personal association with Krishna, which is contained in his name; thus every time you chant a mantra, you are tasting Krishna.

Fourthly, one should serve Krishna. But the best service to Krishna is to renounce the whole world, become a sannyasin monk and live in a temple. A sannyasin, of course, renounces all sexual relations. If you cannot do this, then you will marry, but then physical intimacy between a man and a woman will be allowed to you only to prolong the family, and this is once a month on the day when the woman most likely get pregnant. And before this relationship, each of the spouses needs to read a large circle of the maha-mantra, that is, 50 circles on the rosary, in which there are 108 beads (each bead is a complete mantra), and only after that try to conceive a child with consciousness fixated on Krishna. But if you want to lead a perfect life, then you need to give up your wife, move to a temple and live in such a way that you fully surrender yourself to Krishna.

Further, it is necessary to refuse to eat any forbidden food. The diet for all members of the sect is one. Forbidden foods include meat, fish, eggs, onions, garlic, mushrooms, tea, coffee, etc. All Hare Krishnas need to eat only those foods that are dedicated to Krishna. All food is divided into 4 varieties. 1st group - prohibited; 2nd group - this is passionate food, that is, very satisfying, with a lot of spices and spices; the 3rd group is good food (mainly vegetables and milk); The 4th group is pure food, that is, that good food that was dedicated to Krishna during its preparation, then immediately after preparation, Krishna was fed with it, and it is desirable to eat it within three hours. Food dedicated to Krishna is called prasadam. Krishna, having tasted it, enters into it, and after that she herself becomes Krishna, loses her material properties and becomes spiritual food. By eating it, you partake of Krishna.

When Hare Krishnas distribute their prasadam on the streets, we must remember that by eating it, we thus partake of Krishna, that is, we violate the commandment forbidding Christians to eat idolatrous things (Acts 15:29). Here we can remind you that the Hare Krishnas themselves will never eat our food, this is strictly prohibited. The Hare Krishnas love to talk about their charity: they say they fed people in Abkhazia, and they had a kitchen in Grozny. They have a whole program, the so-called "Food for Life". They don't just feed, they cook only prasadam, forcing ignorant hungry people to partake of Krishna. This is not charity, but an act of spreading their faith through the distribution of ritual food.

At the beginning of 1997, there was a program on TV that advertised Hare Krishnas; what wonderful heroes they are, how they sacrifice themselves and feed the people in Grozny. Meanwhile, this food was given to them by the Petersburg government, they did not spend their money at all. They also provided them with other state money received, among other things, from Orthodox taxpayers. In essence, this money was transferred to the pagans, who used it for advertising purposes to spread their organization, that is, to oppose Orthodoxy.

9. Signs of ecstatic love for Krishna: rolling on the ground, loud cries, yawning, salivation, wild laughter, heavy breathing, belching...

To gain Krishna consciousness, one must learn to get out of one's own body and fall into ecstasy when chanting a mantra, and for this, tympanums, tambourines, drums and joint ecstatic dances to the chanting of a mantra are practiced. After that, you cease to feel your own body, “go out into the astral plane” and merge in ecstasy with Krishna. Having reached this state, a person becomes a “realized soul”. The signs of ecstatic love for Krishna are rolling on the ground, loud cries, yawning, salivation, wild laughter, heavy breathing, belching, etc.

According to Prabhupada, a person falling into an ecstatic state experiences eight states:

1 - there is a numbness and a feeling of emptiness;

2 - sweat breaks through you;

3 - hair on the body stand on end;

5 - you begin to tremble and shake;

6 - your skin changes color;

7 - you begin to cry and fight in hysterics;

8 You fall into a cataleptic trance.

All this is very similar to how demons enter a person, that is, to possession. It is clear how all these “states” affect the human mind.

10. It is necessary to give up everything: from your property, from your body

So, when people settle in a Krishna ashram (community), they must begin to follow a strict Hindu (in the understanding of Prabhupada), but in fact a typical sectarian everyday code of behavior. It is necessary to give up everything: not only from your property, but also from your body. He who thinks more than prescribed about his body is still unworthy of Krishna, thoughts about the body hinder the development of Krishna consciousness. Naturally, all your property should not be thrown away and distributed to the poor, but should be given to the Society for Krishna Consciousness. With all his personal asceticism and an urgent demand to adopt Indian life in his life, Prabhupada, in order to increase profits after the initial bans, nevertheless blessed his followers to collect money on the streets in suits and wigs (now this is already the norm). Let me remind you that, apparently, he knew about the crimes being committed, and yet, if it brought money, he was ready to turn a blind eye to everything.

Prabhupada left prescriptions for all occasions. For example, how to take care of your body, how to wash it, how to clean it, how to wash your face, how and how much to sleep, how and what to think about. There is no freedom left for a person - everything is decided for him. The adept falls into absolute slavery. Life in the community is very strict, the schedule does not leave a minute of free time. There are nine main activities in the ritualized life: hearing about Krishna, chanting a mantra, remembrance, service, worship, prayer, obedience, maintaining friendship with Krishna, and giving everything you have.

Too much sleep is very bad, so you need to get up at three o'clock or at half past three (the Hare Krishnas go to bed after ten in the evening), after which the ceremony immediately begins. You need to go around all the idols, wake them up, wash them, brush their teeth, dress them, feed them. Then follows the reading of the mantra on the rosary. This takes at least two hours. Then a whole hour of listening to the material prepared under the guidance of Prabhupada, and the sermon. After that, work and at 9 o'clock - breakfast. By that time the food had already been prepared and dedicated to Krishna.

After breakfast, street work to collect money and those activities that bring money, the so-called sankirtan, begin.

Hare Krishnas treat women badly, because women are less worthy creatures than men. If in a past life they behaved well, then they would have incarnated into a male body, and not into a female body. Therefore, a woman must completely and completely obey a man. Usually she gets the dirtiest and hardest work.

11. Traditional Hindus themselves are quite wary of Hare Krishnas

Krishnas like to identify themselves with Hinduism (“we are 500 million, 800 million, a billion, and we have the ancient Vedic tradition”). It is very beneficial for sectarians to present themselves “for outsiders” as the traditional Indian religion. In fact, what the USC preaches is pseudo-Hinduism, heavily adapted to Western tastes. Prabhupada liked to elevate himself to the final link in the chain of Indian mystics that began in the 16th century. But this statement is based only on his own words, which are not supported by anything.

Let's make an analogy. For example, Lutherans elevate themselves to Luther, who also lived in the 16th century. Their statement is confirmed by the fact that in any Lutheran library you will certainly find the writings of Luther, his disciples and followers in continuity up to the present day (not to mention the works of the early Church Fathers, which Lutherans also study). Thus, we see that their erection of themselves by the 16th century is fully justified. Krishnas study Prabhupada and only Prabhupada. Enter a Hare Krishna library or bookstore, look at what they sell on the street - it's all either Prabhupada's books or Bhagavad Gita As It Is, which, as we remember, can also be called Prabhupada's work. Even in the Hare Krishna bookstore, you can find the writings of Prabhupada's disciples, now leading ISKCON. But from what was written before Prabhupada, you will find almost nothing there, except, again, in the retelling of Prabhupada himself.

It can be recognized that USC has some relation to Hinduism, comparable, for example, with the attitude of Jehovah's Witnesses to Christianity. There is some distant connection between Jehovists and Christianity through their origin from Adventist circles, but because of this it is very difficult to call them Christians. The same can be said about the attitude of our Hare Krishnas towards Hinduism. Traditional Hindus themselves are quite wary of them, because for them only a person born in India can be a Hindu, and a non-Hindu converted to Hinduism, and even more so one who has dedicated himself to the Brahmins, is nonsense. Accordingly, Western Hare Krishnas are not allowed into many Hindu temples associated with the "earthly life" of Krishna. Moreover, when Prabhupada founded the movement in the West, he was even stopped being invited to the annual gatherings of Chaitanite Vaishnavas. Perhaps offended by them for this, he made the following statement in a rare moment of frankness:

In trying to fit the Krishna consciousness movement into the relevant historical cultural context, many people identify it with Hinduism. But this is a misconception... There is a misconception that the Krishna consciousness movement is Hindu religion,.. Sometimes Indians, both inside and outside India, think that we are preaching the Hindu religion, but this is not so... The Krishna consciousness movement has nothing to do with Hinduism or any other religious system... People should understand that the Krishna consciousness movement is not preaching the so-called Hindu religion.

It is clear that this statement finally dots the i's. After the unequivocal words of their infallible divine guru and founder, any claim by the Hare Krishnas that they belong to Hinduism is an outright lie. Therefore, it is more correct to attribute the movement of Krishna consciousness to neo-Hinduism, and even more correctly to pseudo-Hinduism, post-Hinduism or neo-Guruism. Apparently, in order to compensate for the weakness of religious ties with India, the Hare Krishnas decided to strengthen their political ties. Now they are an active core in the extremist Indian religious-nationalist (communalist) movement "Vishwa Hindu Parishad".

12. Krishnaites operate in all major cities of Russia and are very active in lobbying their interests in government structures

So, Krishnaism has been operating in the USSR since 1971, and officially since 1989. Now it is quite widespread in Russia. At the beginning of 1998, there were 120 registered Hare Krishna temple communities in 100 cities in our country. According to the testimony of the Hare Krishnas themselves, in Moscow and the region they have more than 30 thousand adherents, and in total in Russia more than 100 thousand. Until recently, their numbers continued to grow.

In our country, Hare Krishnas are not too different from their Western co-religionists and leaders: there are few Russians who have never encountered their obsessive trade and aggressive begging on the streets of our cities. All such widely advertised "charitable" activities of the "Society for Krishna Consciousness" ultimately come down to the distribution of food offered to idols. Moreover, according to eyewitnesses, Hare Krishnas bypass the Moscow markets and dedicate all the products for sale there to Krishna. Let us remember that this is exactly what the emperor Julian did in order to force Christians to taste unknowingly things offered to idols and thus become defiled.

The sect, which has enormous material resources, is making extraordinary efforts (24-hour radio broadcasts, loudly advertised "humanitarian" missions, active media campaigns, etc.) to improve its image in the mass consciousness. And this is intended to contribute to the widespread dissemination of sectarian teachings in our country and, ultimately, the establishment of an “ideal Vedic” regime in it with total brahminical control and executions of those who disagree (see below). USC actively cooperates with such “human rights” organizations as the Adventist-controlled “ International association religious freedom” (the Russian Orthodox Church withdrew from this organization after being a member for a very short time), Yakunin’s “Committee for the Defense of Freedom of Conscience”, Plichintsev’s “Institute of Religion and Law”, the pro-Scientology Moscow Helsinki Group, and is engaged in political lobbying.

USC operates in all major cities and actively lobbies its interests in all government structures. The main emphasis is on the fact that Krishnaism is supposedly a traditional religion, that it represents ancient Hinduism, an ancient Vedic tradition. Moreover, Hare Krishnas claim that they are more traditional for Russia than Christianity, that Russia has been a Christian country for only some 1000 years. And before that, there was an ancient Vedic tradition (read: Krishnaism). This “original” and “historically substantiated” idea is repeated by the Russian leaders of the USC and ordinary Hare Krishnas many times wherever possible. It is on this common ground that they establish contacts with domestic neo-pagan and neo-Nazi groups engaged in the creation of an “Aryan-Vedic International”. MOCK also maintains close contacts with other destructive sects, such as Moon's Unification Church, Hubbard's Church of Scientology, the Family sect, Jehovah's Witnesses, and others.

Hare Krishnas are actively infiltrating all bodies and organizations that deal with religions, and they are trying to establish contact with all power structures, often not without success. In particular, they took part in the development of the current law on freedom of conscience, and many drafters of the law listened to their opinion much more carefully than to the opinion of representatives Orthodox Church. Domestic Hare Krishnas are very fond of speculating on their "Indianness" and when the slightest criticism appears in the press, they begin to blackmail them with the inevitable worsening of relations with "Russia's main strategic partner" - India. Unfortunately, this blackmail often works. However, this can be considered the most innocent of all the arsenal of lies and forgery that the Hare Krishnas resorted to.

It must be said that recently the Hare Krishnas, in an attempt to create a completely new image of their sect, have made a number of sensational confessions, stating that they made many mistakes in the past, but now they have already corrected. Now they are no longer a cult, but a legitimate religion that contributes to the democratic development of a modern pluralistic society. So, they should be treated accordingly. Hare Krishnas constantly appeal to the public conscience, citing freedom of religion and other human rights, and claiming that they are being persecuted in Russia for their religious beliefs. So, an article in the Novoye Vremya magazine, which described how several Hare Krishnas were beaten in Rostov-on-Don, was blasphemously titled: “For which of the good deeds are you persecuting me?” - the author attributed to the anti-Christian religious grouping the words spoken by the Savior about Himself.

13. MOCK is obviously a tough group to take over.

However, for all their self-criticism, the Hare Krishnas do not abandon one of their most important doctrines - the concept of Varnashrama, which today remains the "sacred cow" of Krishnaism. This concept of a new society and state was formulated in the book “Varnashrama is a manifesto for social mental health”. Its author is the aforementioned former personal secretary of Prabhupada His Divine Grace Om Vishnupada Paramahamsa Parirayacharya Astottarasata Sri Srimad Harikesh Swami Maharaja Vishnupada, Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, or simply Harikesh Swami.

Harikesha Swami is an American by nationality (his real name is Bobby Campagnola). A member of the Society since 1970, he became one of the 11 successor gurus and administrator of the property on October 11, 1979 after the death of Prabhupada. When the world was divided, he got the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Consequently, at the time of writing the book, he was the supreme guru for all Soviet and Eastern European Hare Krishnas and all his opinions and decisions were binding on them.

As more and more of Prabhupada's disciples dropped out of MOCK, the authority of Harikesh Swami grew steadily - by the beginning of the 90s. he was one of two successor gurus still in power in the movement. And this despite the fact that he was known for many scandalous acts. For example, he dreamed of becoming famous as a rock star. For this purpose, Harikesha equipped a rock studio at the expense of MOCK, released his records in thousands of copies and forced sectarians to distribute them - although his co-religionists described the “transcendent sounds” he created as “the roar of an elephant who had a miscarriage”. In addition, Harikesha was seriously interested in the occult and did not make important decisions without swinging the pendulum over the magic board; he designed a perpetual motion machine and built a flying saucer and a spaceport for it. He predicted that in 1982 the third World War, after which many of his students sold everything they had and hid in the basements, waiting for the inevitable end of the world. Campagnola was also known for his nationalism: he declared to his European students that they would be very lucky if they were in future life incarnate in the bodies of Americans. But compared with the "hobbies" of other gurus, it all seemed innocent eccentricities.

Eventually the successor gurus system was abolished and power in the movement was handed over to MOCK's highest governing body, the GBC (Society Ruling Committee). The Chairman of its Executive Council was elected for a 12-month term.

All this took place in the context of a fierce undercover struggle between sannyasin gurus and married temple presidents, who are trying to seize the supreme power in society. It is in this context that “the reform movement within MOCK, which exposed the many crimes of sannyasin gurus and advocated the purification of the Society, should be seen. This movement was spearheaded by an ambitious Philadelphia Temple President Ravindra Svarupa(real name William Dedwyler). Although the "reformers" were in lip service for a return to Prabhupada's ideals, in reality they were consciously ignoring the unequivocal preference that the old man had given sannyasins during his lifetime.

Nevertheless, in 1998, Harikesh Swami was elected Chairman of the Executive Board of the GBC for three years. By this time, he had already held the positions of the minister of education of the sect, the head of its publishing complex Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (that is, in fact, the minister of the press) and the manager of all the property of ISKCON. Years of struggle ended with the complete triumph of Harikesha: he actually became the head of the sect and took the position that no one else could take after Prabhupada's death. Thus, he managed to significantly oust the “reformers”. His popularity in MOCK was extremely high, and among Russian Hare Krishnas it was practically unlimited: his portraits adorned their premises, his books were sold in large quantities in their shops, and even a Russian-language magazine was published entirely dedicated to his personality. This meant that every domestic Hare Krishna was obliged to consider the concept of Varnashrama as the divine order of society and strive for its universal introduction throughout the world.

Nevertheless, it is quite difficult for a non-Krishnaite to learn about the content of this concept. The leaders of the sect hide it from the “outsiders”, believing that they are not sufficiently enlightened to understand and accept it and will be scandalized if they find out about it. It was this feeling that caused Harikesha's partial and gritted rejection of "some parts" of the concept (1997). He did this in an attempt to improve the very negative image of his organization in Germany. However, let us not believe his forced and partial renunciation, especially since, as he repeatedly writes himself, his book is completely based on the writings of Prabhupada himself. Moreover, already after this renunciation, in books published “for internal use” and sold in MOCK stores, Harikesa, as if nothing had happened, asserted the same concept of Varnashrama.

What is this concept? First of all, it rejects the foundations of democracy, that is, the very principles that Hare Krishnas refer to in defending their right to exist in a pluralistic society:

Since there is no head in human society, insane people who are not brahmins lead the world to painful self-destruction... Until the brahmins are at the head of the human race, there will be no peace, happiness, pleasure (p. 106).

The religious neutrality of the state, falsely called atheism, is declared the culprit of a general decline, which can only be corrected by the immediate introduction of the Varnashrama caste system all over the world, headed by leading Krishnaites. We are talking about a kind of seizure of power, which can be carried out through the conquest of the intellectual elite different countries and decisive influence on funds mass media:

The current social system, to which people feel attached, can be painlessly changed if the right social goals are adopted, which real Vaishnavas and Vedic texts have (p. 133).

Harikesa Swami would like to "use the society's information network to spread knowledge about the divine" (p. 136), that is, to turn the media into a tool for propagating Krishna consciousness, not without reason hoping that

restructuring will happen fastest in those societies in which a fair amount of information can flow freely. At present, information channels are being abused by captivating the human mind with material goals. The intelligent layer of the Vaishnavas can spiritualize these channels, and they will use them in order to cause spiritual changes in society (p. 134).

In the new society, the restructured media will have different tasks:

In the society of Varnashrama, the flow of information will be under the control of the brahmins. This means that all information disseminated by the media will have to comply with the spiritual standard... The Varnashrama society depends on the intellectual guidance of the brahmins. Therefore, the Varnashrama society cannot leave the media under the control of other powerful forces (p. 146).

All key positions in the media will thus be occupied by the highest caste of Brahmins:

Brahmins have the task of educating the people with the help of the information network. The Brahmins will become the advisers of the people and will determine the character of society (p. 118).

Actors, commentators, cameramen, etc. will remain shudras - the lowest caste of mercenaries working for money. However

everyone who decides what knowledge and information should be disseminated: editors, journalists, screenwriters or stage directors, must be brahmins trained in how to manage society. Under the leadership of the Brahmins, the media will serve the same purpose as under today's capitalist leadership, namely to maintain social stability. However, it will not be a materialistic society that has reached a dead end, but a progressive spiritual society (p. 148).

The ideal social system is an elevated and non-negotiable theocracy based on a caste system. The Varnashrama MOCK system comes from

of the All-Perfect Supreme... The Supreme Master has authorized representatives with his power to carry out his orders in this world... The Supreme Master desires the implementation of his perfect public system(varnasha rama-dharma) as the standard for human society (her. 73,81,88).

The government of Varnashrama - this should be understood - is not a fascist, but a rigid regime (p. 208).

You can often find an "organic" description of ideal systems. Many fascist ideologists like to compare the state to an organism that has a head (the ruling elite), arms (the caste of policemen and warriors), a stomach (the caste of merchants and bankers) and legs (the working part of the population).

Society should indeed be headed by an intelligent head that makes decisions in accordance with absolute principles (p. 88). This leading elite is the Vaishnavas, the Vaishnava-acaryas, that is, the monks of the Society and their leaders. No elections are needed, because

if the common people see how they act and hear what they say, then it is quite obvious that they will be carried away and follow these highly qualified, graceful and spiritual people who care exclusively for the highest welfare of mankind (p. 82).

The Krishna guru also expressed his opinion about the workers, to whom more than half of the population in his system belongs. Here's what he thinks of them:

The professional inclinations of the sudras correspond to physical labor or service... The sudra is in the service of three other social classes... His income depends on the degree of satisfaction that he brings to his customers. .. People with sudra abilities are meant to live under the control of the other three social groups... His (Shudras. - L.D.) : meat, fish, eggs - and especially to fermented and rotten food. Sudra is obsessed with wine, whiskey, beer, cigarettes and cigars, and is often a drug addict. He can lose all his money and squander it for the satisfaction of his sensuality. The Sudra is not able to endure the limitation of sense enjoyment for even a single moment, and at the first opportunity, with a feeling of complete relief, indulges in the search for pleasure. His favorite activity is sex life. Driven uncontrollably by his genitals, he works day and night to create an environment according to his lustful desires... Sudras are always controlled by someone else, according to their inclinations. The best thing for them is to submit to the control of the Vaishnavas of the Varnashrama system. Then they will finally be satisfied (p. 215,217,227).

It should be noted that unlike the caste system in traditional Hinduism, where membership in a caste is determined by birth, members of new castes will be selected in the early stages of schooling:

No one is completely devoid of personal qualities and no one can not act in accordance with nature. And it is only a matter of time before the symptoms of certain social classes appear in the child (p. 143).

Thus, the fate of a person is determined not by blind chance, but by the ruling elite. Each caste will receive an education strictly corresponding to its position in society:

Students who are capable enough to be trained as Brahmins receive sufficient knowledge in all philosophical and social subjects. For other community groups, this is neither required nor appropriate. Along with the future brahmins, only kshatriyas (that is, warriors, politicians), who later occupy high leadership positions, undergo a long course of study. The remaining members of society will receive an education appropriate to their caste, after which they will be fit for the professional fulfillment of their social duty ...

At the age of approximately 12 years, the child leaves the basic school and then receives an advanced education in accordance with his professional inclinations.

If a student has the ability of a sudra, that is, a worker, he will be taught to do a certain job. He will attend school until he acquires sufficient knowledge to carry it out, but no longer. He will then leave school to do community work. A student who has demonstrated the ability of a vaishya (merchant) will receive a more advanced school education, specializing in vaishya professions such as a merchant, banker, landowner. These professions do not require extensive education (p. 144).

There will be no room for religious pluralism in schools. In all schools of the new society, only Krishnaism will be taught:

As for the fallacious senseless principles of atheists, children who attend the Varnashrama school should not be informed about them, except to know what others believe (p. 141).

Despite the Hare Krishnas' constant statements about their desire for peace and the regular "peace festivals" they hold, in the Varnashrama system, the most important functions are entrusted to the military caste - the kshatriyas. In the society of the future, there are also “kshatriyas of the atom”, whose task is to

spiritually or with the help of electronic means ... to wipe the enemy off the face of the earth with weapons and devices (p. 180).

The bearer of the divine consciousness, as the head of the government, should be given the opportunity

wage both defensive and offensive war and lead the troops to victory. .. He will have to attack, enslave them, neutralize their evil behavior and then build a society of social consciousness in their country (p. 163).

We have global plans:

If one of the societies can change and adopt spiritual values, it is very important that the leaders secure the interests of this spiritual society throughout the world. Armed resistance will only come from demonic personalities who wholeheartedly cling to atheism and materialism. These are the people who need to be sent away. Then the world will be freed from their intrigues (p. 163). What do the stupid and sentimental ideals of “live and survive” mean in a world that has clearly shown itself to be self-destructive? (p. 181).

An integral part of the "ideal society" is the image of the enemy. MOCK refers to his enemies as "demons":

Three kinds of people live in this world: God's chosen, demons and innocent. God's chosen ones have taken their place in the service of the Supreme. Demons are actively working to destroy any knowledge of God. The innocent form a herd that follows the one who is at the head of society (p. 158).

All citizens will go through a mandatory brainwashing system.

The corrective measures introduced by the powerful head of Varnasram will not be limited to various types of military intervention.

Citizens of societies poisoned by atheism will receive instructions from the brahmins in order to understand the necessity of the Varnashrama system... One can easily separate the useful elements of society from the useless ones by calling everyone together to chant the Hare Krishna mantra. Through this congregational chanting of mantras, many people who are now perhaps criminals can be cleansed and do useful work for society. If some people continue to remain rascals, despite the fact that the path of purification will be available to each of them, it is necessary that the Kshatriya police should be firmly engaged in every incorrigible (p. 163,177).

And here is how to conduct a discussion with critics of the system:

Envious and especially baseless critics may be invited into public debate with the brahmins just to keep up the spirit of the people. As a last resort, the Brahmins will call in the Kshatriyas, who will call such agitators to order (p. 165).

The theory of punishing dissenters is also extremely interesting:

Since people in Varnashrama society will be taught high standards of human behavior from birth, they will have no excuse for crime. Therefore, the police of Varnashrama will be quite strict with those who break the law, they will be sentenced to severe punishments ... After trying to set the beginning criminals on the path of truth, the kshatriya police will have to expel or eliminate hardened criminals ... The use of the death penalty is not subject to discussion. AT modern society they look at the death penalty as a senseless cruelty, almost everywhere it has been abolished. But the abolition of the execution proves only the inconscience of the leaders of society, but not their mercy towards the murderers ... If the murderer is executed according to religious law, then according to the law of karma, he will be released from posthumous punishment.

Punishment will serve as a very strong deterrent. It would be better if the sentimental advocates of individual freedom were indignant at the fact that the ruthless maintenance of law and order does not take into account the social background and environment of the criminal (pp. 176-177).

So the Society for Krishna Consciousness denies freedom. But at the same time, when critics of totalitarian sects talk about the lack of freedom within sectarian communities, they are accused of bias. Varnashrama's theory is a theoretical substantiation of the ban on freedom, coming from the lips of the sectarians themselves. To propagate and implement such concepts in society, the Hare Krishnas, like other youth religions, willingly use the right to freedom of conscience and opinion. However, it is unacceptable to abuse one of the fundamental human rights - the right to freedom of conscience - in order to restrict other fundamental rights. As we saw in the concept example. Varnashrama, ultimately this will lead to the elimination of the right to freedom of conscience.

The picture of the life that the Hare Krishnas are planning for us is clear enough. For Russian Hare Krishnas, this book is intended “for internal use”, and therefore they do not like it when it is quoted by “external”. After the first publication of these quotes, the Hare Krishnas launched a massive slanderous campaign, which culminated in their participation in the Moscow trial in 1997 (see the collection “Sects Against the Church” about it. M., 2000). It is important to recall that they lost the process miserably, and so far no one has been able to refute the assertions about the high place that the concept of Varnashrama occupies in the creed of modern Krishnaism.

It is clear that MOCK is a hardline power grab group built on strictly totalitarian principles and dreaming of extending them to the entire population. the globe, and all the Hare Krishna talk about "democracy" and "tolerance" is nothing more than a cover for the far-reaching misanthropic and aggressive plans contained in their doctrinal sources.

14. The mafia runs the business among St. Petersburg Krishna worshipers

In conclusion, it is necessary to tell about the events of the second half of 1998, which radically shook MOCK, and about the facts that were discovered in connection with this. It all started with the fact that the Governing Council, headed by Ravindra Svarupa(William Dedwyler) - Philadelphia temple president and MOCK's top redistribution of power - has announced that the great guru Harikesh Swami has gone mad. When he built flying saucers and spaceports for them, there were no questions about his mental health. But now the head of the "Society" has declared himself an incarnation of Krishna, as well as his beloved disciple Chaitanya. Moreover, Harikesa showed his severe mental illness by declaring that he wanted to reform the “Society”, and even dared to criticize Prabhupada himself (for example, he compared his former teacher to Hitler), in particular, for his too strict approach to sex. The sannyasin Harikesha said he wanted to marry his psychotherapist Monika Kranz, a non-MOCK practitioner of New Age psychic methods. According to some reports, she is a follower of the teachings of the infamous guru Rajneesh, who preached complete sexual promiscuity. It turns out that she has been using Harikesha for a "modest" fee of $300 an hour for a long time. According to members of the Governing Body, Campagnola had long suffered from mental disorders and was taking powerful psychoactive drugs, which he called "Vibhuti transcendental powder." Then, they say, he abruptly stopped taking the medication, because of which he had a mental breakdown, which led to the described results. But in the meantime, by decision of the Council, Harikesh was removed from all his posts. A married president of one of the temples was appointed in his place. The “incorruptible fighter” for the purity of the “Society”, Ravindra Svarupa, who really manages this whole process, prudently reserved for himself the second place in the hierarchy. It would seem that all this meant the final defeat of the sannyasins.

However, as Internet users soon learned, the guru thus denounced expressed his disagreement with the actions taken by the “Committee”. He stated that MOCK is a criminal communist fascist organization that suppresses the freedom of its members and deceives them. “This is a corrupt communist organization that is only interested in money, power, real estate and fruitless institutionalization,” Harikesh said of the sect he recently headed, among other things. The transition of power in MOCK from the successor gurus to the Governing Council was commented by Harikesh as the appointment of fifty one hundred times less qualified instead of eleven unqualified persons. He called on all his students to leave MOCK and added that if his positions in the organization were not returned to him, he would create his own religion and take most of the Hare Krishnas with him.

The offended MOCK leadership replied to its former chairman that he was primarily responsible for all the illegal activities undertaken by the Hare Krishnas, for all of them were carried out in order to improve his personal material well-being. The MOCK leadership accused the “renunciate of all worldly attachments” sannyasin of living in astonishing luxury, sexually abusing his disciples, and establishing an autocratic regime in the organization without giving anyone an account. He squeezed all the juice out of his followers, forcing them to bring him as much money as possible, and then threw them out into the street with ruined health and without a penny. In particular, the story came to light about how Harikesh forced his student to put his own mother out of the house, sell this house and give the money to him.

Harikesha threatened a number of people with death, after which at least one of them died under unclear circumstances. It also became known that Harikesha handed over to the KGB one of the Hare Krishnas who made frequent trips to the USSR with false passports. This is another indirect evidence of the existence of secret connections between the MOCK leadership and the KGB. Opinions have been published that Harikesa may have drugged the Vibhuti powder he had been taking for many years.

MOCK emissaries told the world about their meeting with Harikesha in an attempt to find some kind of compromise. According to them, the fifty-year-old guru appeared to her in a colorful sports T-shirt, Bermuda shorts and a baseball cap, worn back to front. Along with him, his psychic fiancee and her young son, whom “Maharaj Harikesa” declared to be the incarnation of Prabhupada, arrived at the meeting with him and demanded that all those present give him divine honors. Harikesha did not compromise, but announced that he was going to create a rehabilitation center for members of the Society for Krishna Consciousness who suffered from psycho-abuse. After that, he drove off with his girlfriend to rest on the French Riviera.

It turned out that all these distant Krishna "showdowns" are directly related to our country. Internet cyberspace was torn apart by messages coming from our compatriots. A group of Moscow students of Harikesha wrote open letter MOCK demanding the return of their beloved teacher immediately. Otherwise, the Moscow Hare Krishnas wrote, we would commit collective suicide. Other more devoted followers of Harikesa reportedly raided the warehouses of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust and carried off books and various merchandise totaling US$800,000. The official radio of the Russian Hare Krishnas, Krishnaloka, also took the side of Harikesha and declared live that MOCK is “a dangerous totalitarian sect that zombifies its members, maims and corrupts children. Its leadership seeks only money and power.” The Governing Body immediately issued an order to change the board of Krishnaloka. The radio was never restored.

The St. Petersburg temple of the Society for Krishna Consciousness - the largest in Europe - fully supported the line of Harikesha and went into schism. After that, another dose of information about the St. Petersburg Hare Krishnas came to light. It turned out that the Armenian mafia, one of the authorities of which is the president of the St. Petersburg temple, known under the cult name Kamalamala, is in charge of all affairs among the northern worshipers of Krishna. He equipped inside the temple two rooms in the style of "luxury" intended exclusively for Harikesha during his visits to the city. Another Armenian authority, Brahmananda Puri, presented Harikesh with six-figure sums in US dollars during his every visit to Russia, which was considered by many as a payment for the presidential appointment of Kamalamala and for the appointment of Brahmananda himself as the head of Krishnaloka. The two were closely associated with Brahmika Das, the president of Prema Invest, a company that speculated on the currency exchange and also in the real estate market. This whole group, together with the extremely wealthy Sanyas Das, began an active campaign in 1992 against the representatives of the emissaries of the Executive Council sent by him to Russia. Rumor has also linked their names to a brutal physical attack on Sri Rama Das, a disciple of Prabhupada, who was sent by the Governing Body to Moscow to act as temple president. Unidentified people attacked Sri Rama in the street and beat him so that he ended up in the hospital. Shortly thereafter, he left Russia, yielding his seat to Harikesha's appointee.

It also became known that Prema Invest lost a lot of money due to the Russian crisis (according to some reports, 20 million US dollars). True, it turned out that Harikesha's cash account in a Swiss bank had significant amounts left, which, according to MOCK, are the public treasury. Harikesa, however, has a different opinion on this matter. Moreover, immediately after the bank losses, Harikesa called his disciple Brahma Muhurta (then the manager of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust in Sweden) demanding that all the money of the publishing house be transferred to him immediately. In the event of refusal, Harikesha threatened to “publish documents on the illegal activities of the publishing house.” In the end, the Executive Committee of the Governing Body in negotiations reduced the amount required to 500,000 dollars, which were issued to Harikesha. AT recent months 1998 Harikesha was given another million dollars. The leadership of the IK stated that if they had not done so, the Russian mafia would have killed several ISKCON leaders.

The split continues to grow. Time will tell what will become of the Society for Krishna Consciousness. In an attempt to disassociate itself from the heritage of Harikesha, it went on a series of unprecedented confessions about the terrible abuse of children that reigned everywhere in Krishna boarding schools - gurukulas. Now we will become different, - assures the greatly thinned leadership of ISKCON. But where is the guarantee that all this will not happen again?

Some Hare Krishna sources reported secret negotiations between members of the Executive Council and Harikesh regarding his possible return to all his previous positions in ISKCON. Among other things, the possibility of appointing Harikesha as the supreme guru of Russia was discussed there. Many MOCK leaders, as well as Harikesha's students, consider his "psychic breakdown" to be a deliberate simulation undertaken to cover up the guru's massive financial losses and sexual behavior. It seems that, having lost $20 million in one evening in the Russian stock market crisis, Harikesha declared: "Now it's all over." The next day, he faked his "being at the very gates of death" from which he was "saved" when Monica gave him a "new heart chakra".

Negotiations failed - Harikesha finally broke with MOCK and moved into the capacity of a New Age esoteric teacher - one of many. The Hare Krishnas who followed him adopted the new faith of their teacher. This story is very instructive: again we are convinced that as long as the system of guruism, that is, the unlimited power of people over the bodies and souls of their adherents, is preserved, there is always a possibility that they will not overcome the temptation to dispose of this power to the evil of others. This is exactly what happened in the dramatic story of the rise and fall of the “great guru” - His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Paramahamsa Parirayacharya Astottarasata Sri Srimad Harikeshi Swami Maharaja Vishnupad.

As a post-script, we can add that the Russian USC is gradually managing to overcome the consequences of the split. Lost for him, the St. Petersburg church is increasingly becoming the center of New Age spirituality and no longer competes with Muscovites. They also survived the scandals associated with the brutal ritual murder of Hieromonk Grigory (Yakovlev) by a Krishnaite in Siberia and the rape of a 12-year-old girl by a Moscow Krishnaite. Recent times USC and its subsidiaries are increasingly entering the food industry, and more and more Muscovites, bringing home a baked cake, find on a small insert an inscription like “LLC Prasad” or “Vegetarian Culture Society”, indicating that they were deceived by selling them without their knowledge food offered to idols.

The main center of Butler's organization is located in the United States in Hawaii. Other centers are located in California, Great Britain, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines. There are also small (2-3 people) missions in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Norway and Germany. The most numerous and active branch of the Chaitanya Mission operates in Poland, from where the first missionary was sent to Russia at the end of 1991. In 1992, two more missionary visits to our country took place; the first followers appeared. In 1993, the Butlerite organization was registered by the Department of Justice of the city of Moscow. To date, there are centers in St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, Lvov and Kyiv.

The leaders of the Mission in Russia - Butler's initiated disciples Vishnu das (Woldemar Kochuba) and Hari dasi (Hanna Polak) - are citizens of Poland. Director of the Moscow branch of the “Institute for the Knowledge of Identity” and editor of the journal “Haribol News” - Omkara das (Oleg Stanislavsky).

About a dozen people live in the hostel of the Moscow center, more or less permanent parishioners are about fifty - mostly young people 20-30 years old. The maximum number of listeners gathering for the performances of foreign preachers of the Mission is up to one hundred people. In rented halls, video lectures by Chris Butler and meditations are held once a week, gathering several people. Flyers inviting people to attend these missionary activities are posted around the city.

Butler's teaching is a simplified exposition of Swami Prabhupada's doctrine. The authoritative sources are the translations and commentaries of ancient and medieval Hindu sacred texts made by Srila Prabhupada: “Bhagavad-Gita As It Is”, “Srimad-Bhagavatam”, “Sri Isopanishad”, etc., as well as the works of Chris Butler and some other neo-Krishna authors. such as Bhaktivenoda Thakura.

The adaptation of neo-Krishnaism to Christian civilization led to the development of specific ritual charity by the Butlerites: in state centers for social support of the population, idol-sacrificial (dedicated to Krishna) food is distributed, accompanied by missionary slide programs and sermons. Money for these projects comes from foreign centers.

The Chaitanya Mission, as well as MOCK, is characterized by revering the guru as the infallible representative of God. According to the director of the Moscow branch of the Mission, the key to spiritual progress is the satisfaction of a pure devotee of Krishna, that is, Chris Butler. It can be shown how the “perfect Teacher” demonstrates his ignorance or dishonesty, for example, trying to substantiate the well-known thesis of sectarian syncretism, which says that followers of different religions worship the same God:

“So, although God is one, He has many names based on His various attributes. For example, God is called Jehovah because He is omnipotent. God is called Allah, which means that He is compassionate to everyone. And He is called Krishna, which means "All-attractive Person."

However Jehovah(or rather, Yahweh) actually translated from Hebrew means “Existing”, and not “omnipotent”, Allah(from Arab, al-ilah)- just “Deity”, not “compassionate”, and, finally, Krishna -“black” or “dark purple”, which does not attract everyone. It is possible, however, that the Sanskrit word krishna, like the Russian red, goes back to the Indo-European root with the meaning “beautiful”.

Engaged in proselytizing in a Christian environment, Butler often refers to the Bible, declaring the absence of contradictions between Christian Revelation and his “Science of Identity”, which he generally represents as Religion with a capital letter, the very essence of all other religions:

Even... a quick glance is enough to begin to understand the position that Jesus and Krishna occupy. Jesus is the son and Krishna is the father. Jesus is the son of Krishna! That is why Jesus is called the Christ because He was anointed by Krishna. The beauty of this fact is beyond any glorification! This knowledge will free the world from the impressions of restless sectarianism... We will see that Jesus desires nothing else and teaches nothing other than Krishna!

There is no need for a Christian to declare himself a Hindu... Going from "Christian" to "Hindu" to "Muslim" will not help you. Remain in your dress, your status: outward change will not help. But accept this additional knowledge of the Gita and know the true meaning of the word "Christian".

At the end of the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna states: “Give up all kinds of religion or belief and just love me.”

In other words, to become a real Christian, you need to become a Hare Krishna. The assertion of one's loyalty to Christ, according to Butler, is a sign of religious fanaticism:

If someone thinks, "I am a Christian," he will consider Muslims or Hindus as his enemies, and vice versa. Such divisions have nothing to do with real religion, but are based on false bodily identity, which is why so many conflicts and religious wars are based on this basis.

“Real” religion, says Butler, teaches about the identity of a person with his soul, the purpose of which is to finally get rid of the body, breaking out of the cycle of birth and death: “... if you were without a material body, you would be in the kingdom of God.”

Butler, out of ignorance or deliberately trying to mislead, gives out this pagan view of man as the higher knowledge inherent in various religions, including Christianity.

The Bhagavad Gita is the central eighteen chapters of the Mahabharata, which describes the history of Great India. And there, in the Bhagavad-gita, the whole basic philosophy of Krsna consciousness is explained.

"Bhagavad-gita" is called the primer of spiritual life, it is the very beginning of spiritual philosophy. The Bhagavad-gita was first spoken over five thousand years ago on the battlefield. It was spoken by Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who came to show His pastimes here on earth, to His devotee Arjuna, who was confused and did not know what his duty was in this situation. The most elementary philosophy is discussed in the Bhagavad-gita, namely the distinction between matter and spirit. Matter is created from earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego. These eight components represent the material world, and the material world itself moves and acts due to the presence and influence of the spirit. For example, the bodies we have are material. They are made of these eight basic elements, but inside the body is the spirit soul, which makes the body move, have consciousness, show signs of life. So the soul is inside this body. In fact, "I", the living entity, is spirit soul, "I" is not this body. "I" is a pure spirit soul, and the body is just an instrument, a machine that I have been using for some period of time. It is like a car. The car that we drove here is now in a parking lot somewhere, and it will not move, will not show any signs of life until I, the driver, enter the car and start it. The car completely depends on me, the driver, without me, the driver, the car cannot somehow act, move. Car and driver go well together because the car will act as an extension of the body and is able to take me from one place to another very quickly. After all, if I went on foot, it would take much longer. Obviously, of the two components: the car and the driver - the driver is much more important. A broken car can be replaced at any time, for this it is enough to go to the store and buy another one, but if the driver breaks, it cannot be replaced. No amount of money can bring back to life a driver who died in a traffic accident.

You can invite another driver, but the previous driver has died, he is no more. So the driver of the car is the life force. He is very important. The machine itself is a dead material element, it is far from being so important. Similarly, I, spirit soul, am inside my vehicle, body. The body is exactly like a machine; it will lead me to different places so that I can fulfill my various desires. I am the spirit soul, the driver of this body, I am the life of this body. And as soon as the spirit soul leaves the body, the body immediately becomes lifeless and dead. The moment when the spirit soul leaves the body is called death. The body is a car. We find that the body is changing. The Bhagavad-gita says: dehino "smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara tatha dehantara-praptir dhiras tatra na muhyati (Bg 2.13) Everyone starts life as Small child. We are born, then we begin to grow; an infant develops into a child, then into a teenager, into a young man or a girl, reaches middle age, and finally comes to old age. Our body is constantly changing throughout this life. It does not remain the same, the body is constantly changing every certain period of time. For example, all parts of a small child's body disappear when you pass into a teenager's body, and this body is also completely different when a person reaches middle age. All parts of the body change completely, but the owner of the body remains the same. The one who owns this body is "I" - the soul. The owner of the body remains the same all the time. For example, we might ask someone in the audience who is in their seventies or over, "Do you remember what you did when you were twenty?" He will say: "Yes, I remember very well. I was full of life, I ran, I danced." Then we can ask, "Was it you or someone else?" He will answer: "No, no, it was me!". Now you have grown old, but what has changed - the body or the person who has this body? Actually the body has changed; the owner of this body never changes, it always remains the same.

So, I am not this body, my body changes for a certain time in the process of this life, but I remain the same. Similarly, I change the body at the time of death. We have explained how the body changes during this life, but the person who possesses this body remains the same. Similarly, at the time of death, the body itself changes, but the owner of the body remains the same. The owner of the body, the "I", the soul, leaves this present body and passes into another. This process is called transmigration of the soul or transmigration of the soul, or reincarnation. I am an eternal spirit soul who is always living somewhere in this material world, and when my body dies, I do not die. There is a verse in the Bhagavad-gita that says, "There has never been a time when I or you or the kings who have gathered on the battlefield of Kurukshetra did not exist." None of us will cease to exist. The spirit soul is never born and never dies. The body is born and dies. We are transmigrating from one body to another life after life, and this transmigration of the soul from body to body is a permanent feature of this world. This means that for millions of years we have been constantly changing our bodies, life after life, passing through different types of life. For a time we were a bird flying in the sky, at other times we were a fish that swims in the water, or an animal that runs on the ground, or took on various human forms. The living entity changes his body life after life, changes his characteristics, but the owner of this body always remains the same person.

Just as we change our body in this life, our body changes at the time of death. We even see where we're going, but our friends and our relatives don't see it. According to their understanding, our body has died and we are dead now. For example, if I were to die now and fall dead on the floor here, my friends would cry, "Oh, he's dead, he's gone from here." But a stranger would say: "Where did he go? He's lying here. The same hands, the same legs, the same glasses, the same shirt, everything is here, he hasn't gone anywhere. He's lying here." My friends will say, "No, no, he's gone, he's dead now." They say this because the person they have associated with, the person they have loved and known, is not this body. The body is just a shell, a shell that we wear. It is like the clothes we change every day. We carry this body for some time and at the end of life we ​​give it up because it becomes useless. The end of life means that the body can no longer hold the life force within it, for example, when it gets too old to sustain life, death comes; then the body develops various diseases and old age, and we have to accept another body. In fact, in the Upanishads (this is a section of Vedic literature) there is a very good description of what happens at the time of death. People are always wondering what death means, what death is, what happens to us at the moment of death. In the Upanishads it is described as follows. The spirit soul is in the heart. It is a small spark of spiritual energy, the person that we are. It is located in the heart and is the seed of our consciousness. This soul has feelings, the ability to see, for example. In fact, this ability does not come from the eyes or the brain, but from the soul, and we simply use this eye as a means by which we can see, for example, how I use glasses. The glasses themselves do not see, I just look through the glasses, they help me see. Similarly, I look through my eyes and they help me see. Now, because I am alive, I can see, hear, taste, smell and touch. These are the five senses that I use in my life, but at the time of death, I can no longer use the senses, because the connection between the body and the soul is cut off. When this connection breaks, at the same moment I find myself in complete darkness, because I no longer look through my eyes and am inside the heart, the body, so everything around me becomes dark and I can no longer see anything. At this moment, the moment of death, the Supersoul (that is the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is in the heart of every living entity along with the individual soul) illuminates some part of the body, and we go to the light that we see.

There are one hundred and eighteen different nadias (or nerve channels) in the body, they are like tubes, and the Oversoul illuminates one of these channels, tunnels, and we see the light at the end of this tunnel. Naturally, the soul begins to move towards this light, and when it enters the light, it leaves this body and passes into the next. Let's say the soul has to take the form of a human and therefore it enters the sperm of the man, the father, which, in turn, is introduced into the mother's womb. When this sperm particle enters the egg, a new body is formed. It begins to grow and the soul again begins to change its body in accordance with where it should be born. One might ask, "Why does a living being die the way it dies? What makes it go into another body that is already predetermined?" This is a very good question, because there must be some kind of force that causes a living being to enter another body of a certain type. Not all bodies are the same, some bodies are very good, others are not; some people are born into rich families and rich countries, other people are born into poor families and poor countries. Some people are born beautiful, others ugly, some people are born fat and others not, some people are born very smart and some people have no brains at all. So what causes us to be born in different bodies? This is how the law of karma works. The law of karma is a very simple law, somewhat reminiscent of Newtonian physics. You know that in Newton's laws there is a postulate that states that every action is equal to the reaction. If I put pressure on this microphone stand, it will oppose me, and I must use force to overcome the opposite force coming from there. Karma is like this, but on a subtle level. Every action I take has certain consequences. Some consequences may be good and others bad, it depends on the action I have taken.

I always have a choice: I can do something good or something bad, it's up to me. If I do something bad, like hurting someone, it is considered a bad act and I get a corresponding bad reaction. For example, in Sanskrit the word "meat" means "mamsa". This word can be divided into two parts, or into two roots: mam and sa. Mam means "I" and sa means "he". Therefore, if today I kill this animal and eat it, tomorrow or in some other life this animal has the right to kill or eat me. This is the law of karma. Mamsa is "I-he." If I hurt someone in this life, he has the right, given by karma, to inflict this pain on me. This is the law of karma. A person's karma tends to accumulate. If I accumulate a lot of bad reactions, I have something like a karmic bank account, which are credited also our good actions. And all these good and bad things are taken into account at the moment of death. Therefore, we are given a certain body exactly according to our karma. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, this is described as follows: "The living entity at the present moment creates karmic actions that will determine his future body." Similarly, our past karma has determined the body that we have in this moment. As soon as you are born, the body that is born at the same time brings with it various reactions that will manifest themselves in due time, for example, if your eyes should deteriorate, at some point your vision will deteriorate, if your teeth should fall out, this will happen if the liver should get sick, then this will happen at a certain time due to your karma. So, karma is created by our sinful and righteous actions. Sometimes people think that at the end of life everything will end, nothing will exist, and the body is just a pile of chemical elements. But if this is so, we can ask the scientists: "Please create a body and thereby prove your statement." But they only answer: "The body is just chemical elements." We ask you to prove it by creating some body. We even agree on an egg or an ant's body. Once our spiritual master A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was in South Africa. We were driving down the road heading for Durban, and as we passed a building called the Rainbow Chicken Factory, Srila Prabhupada asked what the building was for. It was explained to him that this was an incubator for chickens and for hens, which lay eggs all the time, and when they stop laying eggs, they are killed. Prabhupada said, "If the scientists say that life is just a combination of chemicals, then let them make an egg. I challenge them. They can take something white like calcium phosphate, something yellow like phosphate." sodium, and make a yolk. They can cover it with plastic. The Japanese have made a plastic that looks like a shell. You can put all this in an incubator and let a chicken hatch from there. It will be very simple. It will be much easier than keeping all these chickens in incubators." But scientists cannot make an egg. They cannot even make an ant, and yet they maintain that life is simply a product of chemical elements. In fact, their theory has not been proven by anything. If that were the case, then why don't they discover the chemical elements that disappear from the chemical body at the time of death? At the time of death, all the chemical elements in the body remain the same. Nothing disappears from the body, nothing spills out, all the chemical elements are in place. Why then did the man die? Scientists will answer this: "Because some of the chemical components have decomposed." What chemicals are decomposed? Can someone say? Even if they can tell, why don't they then take other chemicals and inject them into their body? Let this body come to life again! After all, in this way the state would have more workers. But they are not capable of that, because as soon as the body dies, you have to throw it away, it is no longer good for anything. Therefore, the body is not just a combination of chemical elements.

The body is a combination of matter and spirit, a combination of material elements and a spirit soul that has entered the body and is the cause of life. For example, if the spirit soul does not enter the mother's egg at the time of conception, the fetus will not develop. The spirit soul enters this ovum and then life arises and the germ will grow. Sometimes people think that there is no life in the embryo, that it is lifeless. They use this argument to justify abortion. They say that abortion is not the killing of a living being in the womb. But we have never seen dead things grow, and we have never seen the dead become alive, come to life. We always see that life comes from life. We have never seen life come from death. We see that life gives rise to some chemicals, and not chemicals give rise to life, for example, a lemon tree can produce a huge amount of citric acid, and a person will not know where it came from. In our human body there are many other components, many different elements, for example, our stools are full of phosphates, they have a lot of phosphates. In this way, we produce various chemicals, it is natural, but chemicals do not give rise to life. At one research institute (we also saw this), botanists did an experiment to show that plants can produce various chemicals. Sometimes someone argues that the body does not actually create any elements, it just transforms chemicals, for example, we eat with our mouth, food is transformed in the body and then takes the form of stool. To answer this objection, a scientific experiment was done. You can take the seed of a small plant and put it in externally controlled conditions. You know exactly what elements are contained in this earth. You can accurately weigh the earth, make a chemical analysis of the earth and what is on the earth. Every day you can carefully measure the amount of water or other things you add. You can carefully measure how much solar energy hits this plant. And during the period of plant growth, you can see that new components have appeared there that were not there before. They are not part of those substances that were in the external environment. In particular, the plant produces calcium. You can completely free the environment from calcium, but when the plant grows, it will still contain calcium. This proves that life produces chemicals, but there has never been evidence anywhere that chemicals produce life.

So the Vedic literature says that the living entity produces this body, gives birth, and then at the end of life, when the body becomes old and useless, the living entity gives up the past body and gets a new one. All this happens in accordance with the laws of nature. When we use the laws of nature, someone may ask us: "Whose nature is this? Under whose nature is all this going on? Who directs all this?" And the answer to this question is one: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. He is the cause of everything that happens according to the exact plan." But who is Krishna, and how do we treat Him? What is our relationship with Him? This can be explained very simple example with the sun and sunlight. The sun is a huge source of light in the universe and an infinite number of particles come from it, which have wave characteristics. These particles of the Sun are called photons. They have all the qualities of the Sun, they have heat and light, like the Sun. The difference is that the Sun contains a huge amount of light and heat, while the particles of the Sun are tiny, tiny particles of light and heat. So, this particle is practically negligible, infinitely small, if we compare it with the infinite Sun. Such a great variety of energies, no one can understand how it happens. So much light and heat comes from this particle, and it is similar to the light itself, the Sun itself, but different in quantitative terms. This is an example of difference and unity at the same time. Difference and unity means that qualitatively we are one, but quantitatively we are different. This is a perfect example that demonstrates the oneness and difference between the Personality of Godhead, Krsna, and us living entities. Krishna is the great source of all living beings, and from Him all of us living beings have come. All spirit souls in creation come from Krishna. Qualitatively we are the same as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but quantitatively we are different from Him. Unity and difference exist in us at the same time. We are the same with Him in quality, but different from Him in quantity. Krishna is the great source of all cosmic creation, and we, tiny, insignificant spiritual particles, are the result. Krishna is the Lord, and we are His servants. This is an elementary representation of Vedic philosophy.

The relationship between the living entity and the Supreme is called the sanatana-dharma of the living entity. This sanatana-dharma means essentially service. The tiny living entity should serve the supreme, huge, great Personality of Godhead. This service is called bhakti. Bhakti, bhakti yoga. Yoga means "to bind," and bhakti means "to be in a loving transcendental relationship with the Supreme." Thus the living entity naturally has a relationship with the Supreme Lord as his eternal servant. The Lord is great, and we are very small and insignificant, so our duty is to serve Him. This is our natural constitutional position. We living entities do not belong to this material world. We have simply come here because of our desire to dominate material nature. We want to dominate and enjoy material existence, but actually we are neither enjoyers nor lords, we are servants of the Supreme, and when we restore our natural position as servants of the Supreme through the process of bhakti-yoga, we reach the spiritual platform. self-awareness. Self-awareness means understanding ourselves, who we really are and what we are a part of. This is called self-awareness. When a person realizes himself, he will no longer be born in this material world, but will return back to the spiritual world to which he belongs. This is the elementary philosophy of Krsna consciousness. Certainly, Krsna consciousness has a gigantic philosophy. Srila Prabhupada translated many books from Sanskrit into English, about sixty books. Tonight we can only explain a small part of our philosophy, but if you want to know more, please take home our books on Krishna consciousness. We are gradually translating these books into Russian and all other languages ​​of the Soviet Union. It is a very big work and it will take a long time, maybe not very long, but long enough, but now at least we have Bhagavad-gita. The Bhagavad-gita is the most important of our books, it is the primer of the spiritual life. Please take the Bhagavad-gita with you and read it carefully. This is a wonderful book that will give you a deep understanding of spiritual knowledge. You will be able to read the Bhagavad-gita again and again and you will find everything new and new in it, because it is actually a very deep book and you will never be able to exhaust it to the bottom, although very simple things are discussed in it. It is a very profound work because Bhagavad-gita is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. So try to accept spiritual life, Krsna consciousness.

One may ask, "How can I accept Krsna consciousness and bring it into my life?" And one answer might be: “You can very easily take on Krishna consciousness by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. This is a very simple mantra, but don't let that simplicity fool you. Actually, the Hare Krishna mantra is very, very powerful because it includes the name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, and His first expansion, Rama. The word Hare refers to the energy of the Supreme Lord. By chanting the mantra, you are chanting the names of the energy and source of energy of everything. Therefore, chanting these names is a very powerful method. One should try it. Anyone can chant Hare Krsna. We do not ask you for any money for this mantra, we are giving it to you for free because no one has that kind of money to pay for it.It is priceless and therefore there is no point in asking you for money for the Hare Krishna mantra.You will never be able to pay for it.Some groups charge money for Vedic mantras, but this mantra is given to us free of charge in the Vedas. There is no need to ask money for it. These mantras are priceless. The Hare Krishna maha-mantra is the most powerful of all mantras because it restores our natural relationship with Krishna and brings us to the level of self-realization, self-understanding. So we ask all of you to chant this mantra and understand more and more, learn more about this process of Krishna consciousness. When you chant the Hare Krishna mantra, your life will become sublime and you will become truly happy. We want you to be happy. This is the purpose of our preaching. Therefore we ask you to read Bhagavad-gita As It Is, read the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, and thus become happy. We thank you for your patience in listening to this lecture. Will there be any other part of this program? Is there anything left? Will there be a video? You will be shown a video. Maybe our guests will ask us a few questions? The devotees have already had time for questions, so we encourage guests to ask any questions if you have any. If you have no questions, that's fine too, we'll show you a video. But if you have questions, please ask them, he (the translator) will translate for me.

The INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS (ISKK) represents the ancient Vedic monotheistic religious tradition of Vaishnavism, the core of Hinduism, whose roots go back over 5,000 years. Today, there are more than seven hundred million followers of the Vedas in the world. The Vedas are a universal treasury of knowledge, tested for thousands of years in practice. The society brings together the followers of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who satisfy their religious needs to profess and spread Krishna consciousness on the basis of the ancient Vedic Vaishnava culture. A member of the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Vaishnava disciplic succession, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada founded ISKCON to give everyone an opportunity to become familiar with the universal principles of God-realisation as expounded in the Vedic literature.

ACTIVITIES
Srila Prabhupada pointed out the seven activities of the Society he organized.
a) systematically disseminate spiritual knowledge throughout human society and educate people in the methods of practicing spiritual life in order to restore the harmony of the value system of life and achieve true unity and peace throughout the world;

b) teaching Krishna consciousness as taught in the traditional scriptures Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam;

c) to bring the members of the Society closer to each other and bring them closer to Krishna, the supreme being, in order to develop in all the members of the Society individually and all of humanity in general the realization that every living being is by nature an inseparable particle of God (Krishna);

d) preach the movement of sankirtana, congregational chanting of the holy name of God, in accordance with the teachings of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu;

e) to build a spiritual city dedicated to Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the place of the transcendental activities of Sri Krishna, for the benefit of the members of the Society and all people;

f) to unite the members of the Society in order to teach them simpler and natural image life;
f) print and distribute newspapers, magazines, books and other printed matter in order to accomplish the above tasks.

MOSCOW TODAY:
Now ISKCON owns more than 500 churches, 40 agricultural communities and 33 higher and secondary educational institutions in the USA, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, France, Australia, India, Russia - more than 70 countries. Most of the ISKCON members are family people. Some devote all their time to activities in the spiritual community, others work in different places - for example, doctors, engineers, etc. There is a rapidly growing number of people who devote part of their time to spiritual practice, visiting the temple on Sundays, in their free time from work and social and family affairs. Each person personally decides how and how much time he will devote to activities in ISKCON.

MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE:
In 1970, Srila Prabhupada, in order to devote more time to the translation of the scriptures, created the ISKCON Governing Body Commission, hereinafter referred to as the GBC, an international administrative body, which now has more than 60 members. Each of the GBC representatives is responsible for maintaining the high spiritual standard of ISKCON in a certain geographical area, or for a certain area of ​​ISKCON activity (education, liturgy, etc.). GBC decisions are made by voting. All ISKCON centers are separately registered religious communities, led by a community council and a president. The exchange of ideas in the regional government takes place at the annual meetings of the presidents of the communities. If any of the representatives of the GBC violates the regulations adopted by the GBC or the strict moral standards of ISKCON, then after voting he is excluded from the GBC.

SPIRITUAL MENTORS:
At present, the disciplic succession of Brahma-Gaudya-Madhva Vaishnavas is continued by Srila Prabhupada's disciples. They present the Vedic teachings as transmitted by Srila Prabhupada. This gives them the right to be spiritual teachers themselves and accept disciples, revealing to them the knowledge that is transmitted through the chain of disciplic succession. To date, there are more than 50 such teachers in ISKCON. A prospective student can choose the spiritual teacher who, in his opinion, will be the best spiritual mentor. The authority of the spiritual master is not autocratic, he himself must act in accordance with the injunctions of the scriptures. A spiritual master is considered neither God nor messiah, but only a servant of God. He is an example of a holy person that a disciple can follow as he progresses in the spiritual life. If the moral conduct or teaching of the spiritual master is not in accordance with the principles of the scriptures, then the student should reject such a teacher. This order excludes the possibility of using spiritual authority for selfish purposes.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE:
International Society Krishna Consciousness was founded in 1966 in New York by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. In 1970 Srila Prabhupada established the Governing Body Commission of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Governal Body Commission), which included twelve of his senior disciples. Currently, this body has more than forty members, each of which is responsible for one of the areas of activity, such as education, public relations, etc., and also leads preaching in one of the regions of the world. Council members are the most experienced Vaishnavas with spiritual authority, many of them are gurus and have disciples. Not so long ago, in support of the main composition of the Governing Council, an auxiliary body was created, which included the leaders of local Vaishnava organizations. All council decisions are taken collectively and then published. This body meets only once a year (shortly before Gaura Purnima in Mayapur). Between meetings, the Society for Krishna Consciousness is governed by an Executive Committee headed by a Chairman.

The main link of the organizational structure "on the ground" is the community (temple) of Krishna consciousness. The community is registered separately and has its own leadership, which consists of the President, the Community Council and the Audit Commission. The community resolves almost all its issues on its own, without resorting to the help of higher authorities. All communities are obliged to financially support themselves (as Srila Prabhupada wanted), so centralized material assistance to any community can only be provided in special case, and "infusions" from abroad, contrary to popular belief, are not practiced at all.

To decide on matters that affect the interests of more than one community, each major region has a Regional Council. In addition to the Regional Councils in Russia, there is a National Council, which includes leaders of regions, temples and other Vaishnava organizations. Between meetings of the National Council Russian movement directs the Center for Societies for Krishna Consciousness in Russia.

The Russian Society for Krishna Consciousness includes a total of more than a hundred communities and other organizations in several dozen cities. The largest temples of Krishna consciousness are located in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Perm, Vladivostok, Rostov-on-Don, Novosibirsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Krasnodar and Samara.

EDUCATION:
The activities of the members of the Krishna consciousness movement cover many areas. However, today the main task of the movement is to increase the level of education of its participants. It must be said that this direction of activity received a priority role in the movement far from immediately, although Srila Prabhupada spoke about the importance of education back in the early 70s.

Despite the fact that the Vaishnavas are critical of many provisions modern science as well as some modern forms of education, the Krishna consciousness movement encourages the pursuit of higher secular education. If, for example, a young man who wishes to settle in a temple to study traditional religious disciplines is currently a university student, he is usually advised to first complete his secular education and then move on to live in the temple.

Traditional Vaishnava education involves the passage of four levels of study, after each of which it is necessary to pass an exam. If the exam is passed successfully, the student receives the title - respectively, bhakti-shastri, bhakti-vaibhava, bhakti-vedanta and bhakti-sarvabhauma. All Vaishnavas who have diksha are expected to hold at least the title of bhakti-shastri, which roughly corresponds to a bachelor's degree. To pass the fourth level examination, a thorough knowledge of Vaishnava texts, traditions, as well as deep philosophical and theological knowledge is required. At the present time, however, this system, especially in the Russian movement, is only just being introduced, although there are already quite a few of its participants who have passed the first stage exams.

In addition to the main Vaishnava course in temples, it is common to read individual courses in various areas of traditional knowledge, as well as in secular disciplines, for example, in the study of languages, management, etc.

For children in the movement, special general educational spiritual schools are being created - gurukulas, or, as they are also called, Vedic gymnasiums. Main installation educational process in gurukulas - a comprehensive spiritual and moral education of the individual. In Russia, several such educational institutions have been registered over the past few years, but due to the economic crisis and some internal problems, some of them are currently not functioning. In places where there are no gurukulas, children's Sunday schools are being set up.

SERMON:
There is an opinion that missionary activity and preaching in general are not characteristic of Hinduism, since in order to be a Hindu, one must be born into an Indian family. However, this is not true. It is known that all the major religious figures of India - Shankara, Ramanuja, Madhva and others, were not only philosophers and teachers, but also preachers of their teachings, and very active ones at that. This is especially true for Vaishnava teachers, since the very idea of ​​bhakti is inextricably linked with the idea of ​​preaching. About Ramanuja, for example, it is said that, having received from his guru a “secret” mantra, which was an appeal to the name of Vishnu, he immediately climbed onto the roof of the temple and, in violation of the vow given to the teacher, began to proclaim this mantra to everyone and everyone, because considered that the name of God, in which salvation for man, should be given to everyone without exception (Yamunacharya M. Ramanuja's Teachings in his own words. Bombay, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. 1988, p.18-20). Sri Chaitanya, who was also the greatest preacher, prophesied that the name of God would be sung in every town and village in the world. In the Bhagavata-mahatmya, one of the traditional Vaishnava texts, the words uttered by the personification of bhakti are given: “I will go beyond this country and go to other countries” (idam sthanam prityajya videsham gamyate maya) (Shrivatsa Gosvami. Bhakti Abroad: Caitanya `s Children in America, Steven J. Gelberg, ed. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, New Yor, Grove Press, 1983, p.244). Desiring to fulfill the prophecy of Sri Chaitanya, Srila Prabhupada considered the preaching of His teachings one of the main tasks of the movement he created. At the same time, however, he understood preaching not as an obligatory “conversion”, but rather as spiritual enlightenment of people, therefore, when meeting with followers of other religions, Srila Prabhupada did not force them to accept the teachings of the Vaishnavas, but, on the contrary, urged them to better understand the teachings of their own tradition .

The main type of preaching, traditional and very characteristic of the Vaishnavas, is the public singing of the names of God. To this end, the members of the movement, just as Sri Chaitanya once did, regularly take to the streets of cities and conduct traditional sankirtana. In addition, the Vaishnavas distribute spiritual literature, mostly books written by Srila Prabhupada or translated from Sanskrit by him. The preaching activities also include various spiritual and educational programs, holidays and festivals, as well as the promotion of vegetarianism and a healthy lifestyle.

SOCIAL SERVICE:
The main charitable program of the movement is "Hare Krishna - Food for Life", which operates in almost all countries of the world and in most cities of Russia and the CIS. The goal of the program is to provide full-fledged hot food to all those in need, as well as to provide spiritual and psychological assistance to the disadvantaged, especially in places of military conflicts and natural disasters.

In Russia, Vaishnavas have been carrying out this kind of activity since 1988, when a group of volunteers from different cities of the Soviet Union went to Armenia to help the victims of the earthquake. The eating places opened by the Vaishnavas in Kirovakan, Leninakan and Spitak existed for several months. Then there were the first "hot spots" - Sukhumi and Gudauta. In Sukhumi, despite the lack of electricity and shelling, regular food was provided for 1,800 residents, which actually saved them from starvation.

During the war in Chechnya, Food for Life volunteers managed to open food outlets in Grozny literally immediately after its liberation Russian Army. Meals were delivered to the most affected areas of the city, as well as to several schools and the local House for the Disabled. Free canteens were opened for refugees in Nazran, Gudermes and Khasavyurt.

Food for Life is supported by donations from citizens and organizations. In some cases, the program is implemented with the assistance of branches of the International Red Cross and UNICEF, as was the case in Sukhumi, as well as in Belgrade and Soweto (South Africa). "Food for Life" has been repeatedly highly appreciated by Russian statesmen and public figures (Ivanenko S.I., ed. "Hare Krishna - Food for Life": responses from hot spots // Documents testify // Krishnaites in Russia. Truth and fiction. M., Philosophical Book, 1998 pp.214-221).

In addition to food distribution, the Society for Krishna Consciousness conducts charity events under common name"Give these people a chance" in places of deprivation of liberty - SIZO and ITR (Butyrskaya prison in Moscow, "Crosses" in St. Petersburg, pre-trial detention centers and colonies in Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, Severodvinsk, Novgorod and other cities), as well as a program for the rehabilitation of drug addicts " Back to life".

Other activities. The leadership of the Society for Krishna Consciousness attaches great importance to publishing. The international publishing house Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT), founded by Srila Prabhupada, publishes books in more than 100 languages. AT Russian branch VVT is working on publishing books in the languages ​​of the peoples of Russia and the CIS - a total of 17 languages. Vaishnavism magazines are also published in Moscow - Vaishnavism: an open forum, Gauranga, etc.

Members of the movement are engaged in the restoration of architectural monuments in India, Bangladesh and Nepal, as well as the construction of new temples and cultural centers. In 1998, in Delhi, in the presence of the Prime Minister, a temple of the Society for Krishna Consciousness called "Glory of India" was opened. A spiritual city is being built in Mayapur (300 km north of Calcutta). Recently, a new temple was laid there, which will become the largest religious building in India.

In addition, Vaishnavas are engaged in research work (Bhaktivedanta Institute), search and restoration of ancient manuscripts, create and support agricultural communities, participate in scientific conferences, conduct international festivals and exhibitions, meet with figures of science and culture, as well as with representatives of other religious denominations.

INTERRELIGIOUS COMMUNICATION:
Vaishnavas evaluate any manifestation of religiosity in accordance with how much the universal idea of ​​bhakti is reflected in it. Bhaktivinoda Thakur believed that in the temple of any other religion, the same God is worshiped, although they call Him by a different name. According to Srila Prabhupada, the true Vaishnava was St. Francis of Assisi.

Each creed is given by God in accordance with the time, the country and the degree of people's preparedness for the perception of the eternal principles of religion, independent of its temporary forms. Therefore, Vaishnavas do not reject other creeds, do not proselytize, and avoid any disputes with believers of other faiths. Participants in the Krishna consciousness movement are always ready to make contact with everyone, whether they are believers or non-believers, in order to discuss and solve the most important issues of our time - how to prevent religious and national strife, how to eliminate the consequences of military conflicts and natural disasters, how to solve the problem of child and juvenile delinquency and drug addiction, etc. Vaishnavas willingly take part in any form of interfaith dialogue. To do this, they organize round tables, conferences, interfaith meetings themselves, and also take part in similar events organized by others.

The initial preaching of Krishnaism in the West was carried out by Premananda Bharati (1857-1914), who arrived in New York in 1902, where he published a periodical for the next five years and founded a small organization. In 1904 he published in New York a book called Sri Krishna: The Lord of Love, which Leo Tolstoy and Mahatma Gandhi were familiar with.

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON, ISKCON, ISKCON) is an international neo-Hindu religious organization of the Vishnuite persuasion, founded by the Bengali monk Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977) in 1966 in New York. His preaching is a huge success, Prabhupada opens many temples and ashrams - settlements-communes, where the whole way of life is subordinated to the new cult. The teaching is expounded in the book "Bhagavad-Gita As It Is", "Shrimad Bhagavatam" and a number of other works.

Vaishnavism (Vishnuism) is one of the two main branches of Hinduism along with Shaivism. Although both of these traditions came from the same root, each of them has its own idea of ​​\u200b\u200bexistence, and, accordingly, its own object of worship. The main feature of Vaishnavism is the veneration of Vishnu as the supreme personal God. The followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism (Bengal), unlike other related movements, recognize the supreme hypostasis of God not Vishnu, but Krishna, considering Vishnu one of the incarnations of Krishna. Krishnas often refer to Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, a concept coined by Prabhupada in his books. The Krishnas revere Radha as the eternal beloved of Krishna, as his female incarnation, and worship them as the divine couple Radha-Krishna - God in his male and female incarnations.

One of the important aspects of Vaishnava philosophy is the belief in the eternity of the soul and its eternal individuality: the soul, after achieving liberation, does not dissolve in the impersonal Brahman, as the monistic schools of Hinduism teach, but returns to the spiritual world in the society of Radha, Krishna and their eternal companions.

According to Prabhupada, the only absolute god is Krishna, eternal and uncreated. Krishna resides in the transcendental world on the planet Krishnaloka, but at the same time, thanks to his energies, he is in every point of the universe. All other deities (both Vedic and other religions) are less perfect incarnations of Krishna. Jesus Christ is seen as one of the incarnations of Krishna.

Man is characterized by the dualism of soul and body. Having abused its freedom, the soul enters the material world, where it finds itself under the power of three states - ignorance, passion, goodness; forgetting about its divine essence, the soul falls into the power of karma - a causal relationship. The liberation of the soul from the material world is possible only through the development of Krishna Consciousness in oneself. To break the chain of endless reincarnations, it is necessary to get rid of the material world and merge with Krishna.

The material world can become spiritual, retaining its material characteristics. Material values ​​are transformed into spiritual values ​​by using them in the service of Krishna, that is, by transferring most of their income to the society of Krishna Consciousness.

The most perfect way to worship Krishna is to dedicate oneself to him, a life similar to a monastic life: long daily worship, achieving religious ecstasy through many hours of meditation and collective chanting of mantras (“purification of the mind”) “Hare Krishna” (1728 times a day) accompanied by musical instruments and rhythmic dance movements (according to Hare Krishna theology, the sound vibrations caused by the repetition of the names of God gradually awaken in a person the pure consciousness of God, or "Krishna consciousness" and help a person achieve the highest perfection of life - pure love for Krishna); vegetarianism, sexual abstinence. Sacrifices are offered daily to the image of Krishna: water, flowers and food, which the Hare Krishnas then eat, thus being cleansed of sins and uniting with Krishna.

Krishnas usually wear traditional Indian clothes, and men shave their heads, leaving a pigtail on the back of their heads, by which Krishna will raise them to the spiritual sky.

Krishnaism has no roots in traditional Indian religion and culture. Beliefs and religious practices are based on an arbitrary interpretation of Hinduism. One of the significant differences is the concern for collecting money for temples and ashrams; the purpose of street processions of Hare Krishnas is to collect money, which is not the case in Hinduism.

The asocial orientation of the Hare Krishna teachings is evident from a number of statements by Prabhupada: “In order to properly prepare for the next life, it is necessary to leave your so-called home” (Srimad Bhagavatam, canto 2, commentary on v.16, ch.1), “attachment to the family until the very end of life is the very last degree of human degradation (Srimad Bhagavatam), “… the by-products of the body, namely children… A person who… considers the by-products of the body to be his relatives, and the land on which he was born worthy of worship… should be considered like donkey" (Bhagavad Gita As It Is).

After Prabhupada's death in 1977, ISKCON went through a period of crisis and found itself at the center of a number of scandals that received wide media coverage (mainly in connection with pedophilia and sexual perversion). In the United States and some other Western countries, a wave of criticism from the anti-cult movement has risen. "Abuse" by some of Prabhupada's successor gurus led to a crisis of power and a reform of the guru institution; in the 1980s - 1990s many Hare Krishnas left the ranks of ISKCON. Most of them did not leave their faith in Prabhupada, but found a new environment for religious practice.

A significant increase in the specific number of ethnic Hindus in the ranks of the organization had a strong influence on the change in the religious culture of the ISKCON and its mission. Over the past two decades, ISKCON has experienced greatest growth and acquired the largest number of followers in India and in the countries of Eastern Europe. Today, ISKCON is a "worldwide confederation" of over 400 temples, 60 agricultural communities, 50 schools, and 60 vegetarian restaurants.

ISKCON activity in Russia began with Prabhupada's visit to the USSR in 1971 at the invitation of the Indian Embassy (which, given the then political situation in the country, seems more than old). Already in the late 1970s. the activities of Hare Krishnas in the USSR began to attract the attention of the KGB. In 1980, the then chairman of the KGB, Yuri Andropov, wrote a report on the activities of the Krishna Consciousness Movement in the USSR and presented it to the Central Committee of the CPSU. The report described the International Society for Krishna Consciousness as "the most radical" of all mystical Eastern groups in the West, having been making "attempts to spread their ideas throughout the Soviet Union" since the late 1970s. Andropov, in particular, argued: "The International Society for Krishna Consciousness" seeks, by denying the communist ideology and the socialist state, by fighting them, to lead its adherents away from participation in socio-political and labor activities towards mysticism. In 1981, the Kommunist magazine published the statement of the then deputy chairman of the KGB, Semyon Tsvigun: “there are three greatest threats to the Soviet way of life: Western culture, rock and roll and Hare Krishna.”

In the 1980s Soviet Hare Krishnas were subjected to repression, which was explained by the policy of state persecution of religion and believers in the USSR. After the full justification of all Hare Krishnas in court, in 1988 MOSK was legalized, becoming the first new religious organization in the USSR to receive official registration. In the 1990s In the Russian ISKCON, a “period of active preaching and a massive influx of believers” began, mainly due to the active work of Hare Krishnas in the dissemination of spiritual literature.

As one of the most prominent neo-Hindu factors in modern Western society, ISKCON has received significant attention from Indologists, religious historians, sociologists and psychologists, both positively and negatively. However, ISKCON has received accolades from the leaders of the Republic of India.

Known Krishna mission "Food for Life" - helping the hungry. Hare Krishnas have been carrying out this kind of activity in Russia since 1988, when a group of volunteers from different cities of the USSR provided food for the victims of the earthquake in Armenia. In the 1990s the Russian branch of the Food for Life mission distributed vegetarian food in the hot spots of the former USSR (Abkhazia and Chechnya), as well as to the victims of the earthquake in Neftegorsk. During the First Chechen war Hare Krishnas handed out about a million portions of hot meals in Chechnya. One of the Hare Krishna volunteers died in Grozny as a result of shelling. The activities of the Food for Life volunteers in Chechnya were praised by The New York Times, which wrote that in Grozny "they have the same reputation as Mother Teresa in Calcutta: it's not hard to find people who swear that Hare Krishnas are saints."

However, in Russia the mission "Food for Life" is criticized by religious leaders of Orthodoxy, Islam and Judaism. An opinion is expressed that the "sanctified" vegetarian food - "prasada" distributed by the Hare Krishnas, is idolatrous food, which the Hare Krishnas treat people in order to convert them to their faith.

In the definition of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church (1994), ISKCON is cited as an example of "pseudo-religion".

"Krishna Consciousness" or "Krishna Consciousness Movement" - these terms can refer primarily to, founded in the mid-60s in America by Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896 - 1977), as well as, in a wider sense, to the totality of organizations and missions operating under the flag.

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, which originated in the United States and spread throughout the world in a few years, soon became known under the “unofficial” names - the Hare Krishna Movement, the Krishna Consciousness Movement and the Hare Krishnas. All these names are unconventional in the sense that in history, which until the end of the 19th century was present, by and large, exclusively within India, such terminology was absent.

At the end of the 19th century, the well-known religious figure and writer Kedaranath Bhaktivinoda Thakur (1838-1914) became a pioneer in preaching the teachings of Mahaprabhu in the West, who wrote a number of books in English and tried to clothe the cult of Mahaprabhu in new forms. The baton was picked up by his son, (1874 - 1937), the founder of a large missionary organization, whose centers were opened throughout India, in Germany and England.

In the twentieth century, the aforementioned A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, achieved unprecedented success in preaching Chaitanya Vaishnavism. The followers of ISKCON themselves formulate their ideology and practice as follows:

The philosophy of the Krishna consciousness movement is a monotheistic tradition, far from being sectarian. This philosophy can be summed up in eight points:

1. By sincerely cultivating authentic spiritual science, we can get rid of worries and achieve a state of pure, eternal, blissful consciousness.
2. Each of us is not a material body, but an eternal particle of consciousness - a soul, a part and a particle of God (Krishna). With this nature, we are all interconnected through Krishna, who is the father of everything.
3. Krishna is eternal, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent and absolutely attractive. He is the father of all living beings and the source of the energy that sustains the universe, as well as the source of all incarnations of God.
4. The Vedas are the most ancient scriptures in the world. The essence of the Vedas is set forth in the Bhagavad Gita, a book that is a record of Krishna's speeches delivered 5,000 years ago in India. The goal of Vedic knowledge - as well as all theistic religions - is to achieve pure love of God.
5. Everyone is able to acquire the knowledge of self-realization through the instructions of a genuine spiritual master, a person free from selfishness, whose mind is absorbed by Krishna.
6. Whatever we eat should first be prayerfully offered to Krishna. This is how Krishna accepts offerings and blesses us, so that we become purified.
7. Instead of leading a life of self-centeredness, we should act for the satisfaction of Krishna. This strategy is known as bhakti yoga, the science of devotional service.
8. The most effective means of achieving God consciousness in this age is the chanting (calling) of the holy names of the Lord:
   Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
   Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

By and large, these basic postulates are shared by all the followers of the numerous large and small groups of followers of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who form the global “Krishna Consciousness movement”.

Acquaintance with the Vedic worldview

What is the Vedas? The evolution of the soul in many bodies. The main difference between man and animal. Spirituality is the basis of the stability of society. Awakening of consciousness. Love is the fifth goal of human life. The whole world is permeated with the consciousness of the Creator. Beauty is the innermost aspect of the Supreme. The unique right of every soul. Preaching is like meditation. Why are we not attracted to Krishna? Genuine spirituality is not imposed - it is fascinated. material wealth and spiritual life. Faith is the path to gaining divine love. Life has to become meditation. Nothing will ever give rise to something. How to get closer to God? Kali Yuga is the era of degradation. Many talk about the Vedas, but few understand them. Prayer for the knowledge of the Truth. different levels of spirituality. Spiritual life is real freedom. On the attitude towards women in the temple. Rajnesh is a psychiatrist guru.

The nature of devotion

How did Mahaprabhu convert Muslims into Vaishnavas? The concept of Krishna consciousness is the concept of love and beauty. Nature of Radha-kunda. Ideas of Vaishnavism in the words of the philosopher Hegel. Is Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Bhagavan? Preaching Krishna Consciousness to Muslims. Where did the Aryans come from? Why are worldly achievements and material gains weeds on the path to Krishna? Who exactly is the true Buddha? What is the result of imitation of chanting Hare Krishna? Who are the sahajiyas? Can drugs lead to God? What is the position of the Absolute? Who is he? The powerful nature of Krishna.

How Krishna Consciousness Began in the USSR

About spiritual progress. About the Vaishnava and Vedic cultures. About Vedic omens. About people who act like animals. About the taste of the Holy Name. On the Immediacy of Novice Devotees. How to change your level of consciousness? About the trip to India of the first Russian devotees. On the fearlessness of the first Russian preachers. How to prevent the development of pride? How will everything improve in the process of developing the Vedic culture, the Vaishnava? Preaching in word and deed (achar, prachar). The process of influencing the chanting of the Holy Name on a person. Friendship between a man and a woman. How to live in polluted ether? Three levels of religious people: kanistha, madhyama and uttama-adhikari. Danger of offending. History of Chapal Gopal.

Extended egoism or God-centeredness

The entire material world consists of areas of "extended egoism": people, nations, countries are constantly at war in it. The result of these actions is bad karma. We are architects own destiny and should not blame others for success or failure. With the realization of this fact, the path to liberation begins. If we have gained a connection with the Source, then the good and bad events of this world lose their power over us. A dream may be good or bad, but the sages are interested in Reality.

The ABCs of Krishna Consciousness

The human form of life is meant for self-realization. What is the essence of the Krsna consciousness movement? Why is knowledge of the Divine lost over time? The greatness of the devotion of Bhaktivinoda Thakur. Phenomena contrary to Krishna consciousness. Sahajiism is an imitation. The essence of Krishna consciousness. Vaishnavas are everything and everything. This is the alpha and omega. The primary source of devotion to Krishna is association with His devotees. How to distinguish authentic Vaishnavism from imitation? Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math is the real Krishna consciousness. The Importance of Having a Shikha in a Devotee. Krishna consciousness can be recognized and seen in the stream of service.

Spiritual path and inner conflicts

What is special about this seminar? Difficulties in the spiritual life of devotees and our attitude towards them. About the seminar author Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu. Goals and ideals of the ISKCON society. Dharma and adharma. High standards and internal conflict. Do not be afraid of defeat in the war with Maya, be afraid of self-deception. degradation of religion. We are looking for sidings ... What to do when hands drop. Difficulties are springboards. Anthony Boysen. Do not trample on the platform of self-respect. "A wise man picks up gold even in an unclean place." Kaitava dharma. Mind tricks. Remorse. About transcendent pride.

Beauty controls everything

Beauty controls everything, not power, not power. The Lord says, "I am your friend." The Bhagavad Gita is a life-giving source for all. Love is able to control the Absolute. Service under the direction of a Vaishnava or independent pursuit of benefit for oneself. Physical intimacy is not true intimacy. We live in a paradise for fools. Genuine service is very rare and precious.

What is a dedication?

What is a dedication? How can one come to the concept of Krsna consciousness? The highest concept of Govardhan. Krishna is present in the person of the Guru. Radharani is the majordomo of Krishna. "One-way ticket". The supreme position of Radharani. Krishna is Shyamasundar. Radha and Krishna are one Absolute Truth. Mahaprabhu is Krishna enriched with the heart and effulgence of Radharani. Vasudeva - Krishna without potency. A devotee of a devotee of Krishna is a devotee of Krishna. Every atom in Nabadwip is capable of giving Vrindavan in its entirety. The supreme nature of the relationship between Radha and Krishna. If there is something good in us, it is the creation of our Gurudeva.

What is the difference between Allah, Jesus and Krishna?

What is a mantra? What is the difference between nectar and ecstasy? What does it mean to "go home to God"? The beauty of Krishna consciousness. Spiritual revolution. What is the criterion for determining the authenticity of ideas about God? There is Allah, there is Jesus, there is Krishna. What is the difference?

How to stay if you want to leave?

What to do when you want to leave the association of devotees? Temple atmosphere in India. About Siddhanti Maharaja. If you decide to go to Krsna consciousness, prepare yourself for a life full of problems. How far from perfect is man? Why do we see faults in others? The Ashram is a hive of seva and spiritual activities. Krsna consciousness comes through association. What is a real ashram? Communication is a condition necessary for spiritual progress. Life-giving nectar for surrendered souls.

"Die to live" - ​​what did the Guru want to say? Why is self-surrender necessary? Die in this dimension to live in that dimension. The supreme position of the gopis of Vrndavana. How to realize that Krishna Consciousness really exists? Where is the source of karma? How to overcome karma? The struggle with the ego is an ongoing process. What is hard work for in life? Why does the soul have to suffer? A bad worker complains about his chair. The story of Rupa and Sanatana Gosvami. Why does the death of the body not get rid of karma? The body is the biological expression of the illusion in which the soul resides. Can the will be controlled? "If God existed, he would have to be a good dancer" - Nietzsche.

How to connect with the Lord?

Why does the Lord descend to earth? The nature of the Lord's love for His devotees. The desire of the Lord to enjoy the lila (Hiranyakasipu vs Lord Nrsimhadeva). Prahlad Maharaja, the best of the devotees. The source of all power. The Lord protects His devotee. Vaishnavas do not allow the Lord to serve them. Service or business. The result of contact with Krishna. The nature of Vaikuntha and its inhabitants. The unique position of the Earth. The nature of unselfishness. Grace of the Lord: the best to the worst. All-consuming devotion. Chana Avatar of the Lord. Sole proprietor of our hearts.

Goswami Maharaj presents a new book to Sridhar Maharaj

Goswami Maharaja presents Sridhar Maharaj with a new, newly published book. Preface to Srimad Bhagavatam. Holy scriptures and gurus. Fossil versus subjective evolution. Origin of the soul. Knowledge Beyond Death. Reality itself and for itself. The guru is heavier than the Himalayas. Land of devotion. 6 philosophical systems of India. Analysis, yoga and logic. Atomic theory and karma. Beyond Christianity. Krishna is the center of all attraction. Is Jesus' position static or dynamic? Soul transmigration. Level of God Realization. Krishna concept. Hare Krishna Mahamantra. 10 insults. Service to the Holy Name. Nectar of the Holy Name. The Vedas are a jungle of sounds. A wonderful reality. Varnashrama is the highest goal of life. Knowledge and devotion. Beyond the Spirit. Divine slavery. Different kinds relationship with Krishna. Synthesis of dominant and subordinate beginning. The highest concept of absolute truth is the highest form of ecstasy. About the intimate and respectful relationship between Bhaktivedanta Swami and Sridhar Maharaj.

How to help and not harm?

Innocence of consciousness. The line between comprehensibility and aggressiveness. Humility is the greatest strength. Fate is a very good teacher. The difference between preaching and begging. Friendship is a way to understand another person. Games of the Lord. There is no need to become devoted to your mind. Love is a mystical phenomenon. Answers on questions.

How to learn not to judge other people?

How to learn not to judge other people? What is "acquired prejudice"? Our mind is like a mirror. A question of faith. Why do we get sleepy when we read? Holy Scriptures? Charm of Srila Sridhar Maharaj. Example of exalted grhasthas. About preaching: when you like something in Krsna consciousness, you should share it. How did a Catholic priest win the heart of Sridhar Maharaja? About the principles of preaching, which bequeathed to Saraswati Thakur. Why did Saraswati Thakura call Sridhar Maharaj a "bad Ganesh"? Any talk about Krishna is auspicious. Krishna consciousness is a dynamic living phenomenon. Krishna is Beauty personified herself. Why does Goura-lila have a higher taste than Krishna-lila?

Rules of conduct for Vaishnas

Why are people often unhappy with something? How important are stereotypes to a person? How important are stereotypes to a person? What is Vaishnava etiquette? How does Krishna consciousness change people? Basic Rules of Vaishnava Behavior. How important is cleanliness? Answers to the questions: How to deal with money? Why should a wife glorify her husband? What is justice?

Where does spiritual progress begin?

The soul does not need progress. It is necessary to realize ourselves - without this we will not be able to progress. It is important to learn how to control the modes of material nature. Obstacles on the path of spiritual progress. False renunciation. What is "I"? Spiritual suicide. You need to see things as they really are. Our goal is to clear the mind. Renunciation is when we serve Krishna without changing circumstances. Where does spiritual progress begin? Importance of chanting the Holy Name. Degradation is all material, and progress is all spiritual. How to learn to be selfless? holy name is a medicine. Answers on questions.

heart thief

What qualities distinguish Krishna from Vishnu? Krishna Vrindavan and Krishna Dvaraka. Krishna and Narayana. Why did Lakshmi Devi fail to enter the rasa lila? "Who will I tell, and who will believe me?" Krishna Moyi. The grandeur of Vaikuntha and the sweetness of Vrindavan. Madhura rasa is the source of everything. About what the flute of Krishna sings. Who is allowed to invoke Krishna for us? We see a stone when we look at the Deity, and when we look at a Vaishnava, we see a person.

How to live alone?

How to live alone? For whom did Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada keep a spare room in the temple? Why did Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada consider Govinda Maharaja his son? What is more important, family duty or devotional service? Why do our relationships with the opposite sex disappoint us over time? About love and tenderness of the spiritual world. In fact, we don't know who we are. What does it mean to live in the family of God? Why are devotees not alone? Devotees are like bees. They enjoy the honey of talking about Krishna.

Highest aspiration

How to establish a relationship with the Lord? Faith and the association of devotees is the only requirement of Bhakti. Various stages of spiritual realization are not a necessary condition. Synthesis of Sweetness and Giver of sweetness. The service of Radharani is extolled in the line of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Poetry of Bhaktivinoda Thakur. You need to capitalize on a bad deal. Methods of application of the theory of Krishna consciousness in the practical sphere. Constitutional and revolutionary method in ministry. Under the guidance of a true Vaishnava one can take any risk.

The power of transcendental sound

Mridanga is a type of musical instrument. The meaning of the name "Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math". Where and how did the Vedic culture originate? About the name ISKCON. What peoples are the descendants of the Aryans? The general instruction of all the revealed Scriptures. Should a devotee take astrology into account? Priority of spiritual preaching. This body signifies an invitation to death. The nature of Pitriloka is the moon. The nature of the sun. The Secret Essence of the Gayatri Mantra. Everywhere there is death. An anecdote about a go-getter. About top management - guru. Does the living entity come to the material world from the spiritual world? About the mental country. Two kinds of creation. Yajna Patni - Brahmin wives could not be with Krishna. How will the Krishna consciousness movement spread everywhere? The power of transcendental sound. The infinite nature of Krishna. Parable of Praise human body animals.

Three Kinds of Guru

About the three types of Gurus and the three types of devotees. Nature of Arjuna. Krishna consciousness is the subtlest current, all-pervading and eternal. The law must restrain the unworthy and inspire the worthy. Sincerity is the best qualification. If Gurudeva is not around, how can we understand that we are pleasing him and not going aside? The voice of conscience. Where does conscience come from? Mistakes are sometimes preferable. By pleasing the Guru, we can satisfy Krishna. Renunciation is more dangerous than exploitation. How hard should a sannyasi be on himself? about Self-Sacrifice in Krishna Consciousness. Thesis, antithesis, synthesis. In what cases is it not necessary to fast? When is a Guru qualified to initiate? There may be many siksa gurus, but there is only one diksa guru. About preaching through books. How strictly should Ekadashi be fasted?

The first seven years of development - the level of the muladhara chakra

Short review philosophy of Chakravidya. The crisis of middle age, according to the fifth chakra "Vishudha". Common sense and a sermon. Intelligence is very important in Krishna Consciousness. Delay in development. The Parable of Leonardo Da Vinci and the Last Supper fresco. Help must be reasonable. Professionalism and profanity in preaching. The subtle and gross bodies are connected through the chakras. Vedic methods for solving problems in the family. Chakra development. Do devotees need to change jobs? Four types of personalities. Different approaches to digging a hole for four personality types. It doesn't matter what you do, it matters how you approach it. Stages of development of consciousness by chakras. Schedule of chakra activity. How to make others happy? Development of a devotee according to the chakras: whose happiness is he thinking about now? A smart approach to problem solving. Questions on the Chakravidya table. Two options for development after 49 years. Rapid development in Krsna consciousness. The first seven years are the level of the muladhara chakra. Fear is a sign of maya. The first seven years of Krishna Consciousness. The 8th year of Krishna Consciousness is the test of the senses. Signs of a crisis in the spiritual organization. Fast way determine your dosha constitution? The Krishna Consciousness movement is a movement of taste. Krishna is the All Attractive. Gardeners of Bhakti. Survey of seminars.

Why is there no happiness in life?

Who am I and why am I suffering? Where did I come into this world? How to find God? The connection between the soul and the physical body. Why is it a great fortune to meet a devoted God? Why do we have the illusion that sometimes we are still happy? As the king of the heavenly world, Indra was born in the body of a pig. Free will and free choice. How to develop a taste for chanting the Holy Names of the Lord? Does everyone have the same path? How can we cultivate faith? About right association with devotees. How to use money in spiritual practice? About the importance of communication with those who are above us. What is japa for? The exalted position of the Vraja gopis. Supreme position of Uddhava. The mystical power of chanting the Holy Names of the Lord. Why does the present body suffer for the deeds of the past?

Looking for love

Why did Ragunath Das Goswami leave a lot of wealth and a beautiful wife for Mahaprabhu? How does all this talk about Krishna help anyone? What is the root cause of all suffering? How do you choose the highest goal to dedicate yourself to? How do you save everyone by saving others? I'm not afraid of death. Why is the Kurma Avatara sloka mentioned at the very end of the last chapter of Srimad Bhagavatam? What is interesting to God Himself? Immortality is an innate right and quality of the soul. Happiness is just a certain set of chemical elements? Objective and subjective Reality. There are no facts, only interpretations. Who can teach to see the subjective?

Life after death

The concept of slavery is the highest realm. Life after death. The Satanic Doctrine of Genesis. The material world is the world of labor and pleasure. Dangerous fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Transmission of the Srimad Bhagavatam to mankind. 3 verses by Vyasadeva (introduction to Sh.B.). The nature of envy is the main obstacle to spiritual progress. Reality is stranger than a dream. Negative sacrifice (leaving the body). Positive sacrifice (drive to serve). The only criterion is Krishna's satisfaction. Krishna is the concept of God. How to recognize and end envy.

What is the Absolute Truth?

Why western world was captivated by Indian philosophy? Why is a spiritual teacher needed? What is the Absolute Truth? Psychological picture modern man. Russia is not the West, and not the East. What is the sense of life? What are the duties of a sannyasi? What should be the right mindset? On the power of true knowledge. What is true strength and what is true weakness? What is real Krishna consciousness? What can attract Krishna? What should a devotee think about while performing service? What is an insult to the holy name? About self-abasement in Krishna consciousness.

Mahaprabhu's concept

Mahabrabhu concept. Real life is the life in which we are connected with Krishna. Krishna is the Protector and Preserver. The offending Vaisnava takes upon himself this filth. Illusory concepts of good and bad. All our interests are beyond this world. Different approaches to preaching possible conflicts. On patience in preaching. Conflict is not very high level. Destruction of the Deity of Krishna is possible only with His permission. The Comparative Theism of Bhaktivinoda Thakur. Bhagavad Gita leads to devotion

Why are we unsuccessful?

Secrets of the Bhagavad Gita. Unilateral reaction. Fear is the emotion of ignorance. How important is cleanliness? Why are we unsuccessful? External cleansing can only help if the cleansing has taken place on the internal level as well. Three states of consciousness. Answers on questions. Male and female responsibilities. How to Tell Your Family About Krishna Consciousness.

Srila Prabhupada

This transmission talks about the life of the great Vaishnava Srila Prabhupada. At the age of 69, he traveled to America to preach Krishna consciousness. He created the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and spread this teaching throughout the world. Srila Prabhupada came to the countries of the West to preach Krishna Consciousness and distribute it all over the world.

Song of Krishna's Flute

Service is above renunciation. The great dedication of Sri Rupa and Sanatana. Asceticism of Raghunath Das Goswami. Devotion is pure - exploitation is base. Flutes of Krishna and Gayatri Mantra. The story of Gouridasa Pandit and the Gaura-Nitai Deities. Nature of Gouridasa Pandita. Other murtis of Mahaprabhu. Vasudev-Sankarshan-Pradyumna-Aniruddha. Why did Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada only install Deities of Gaura-Nityananda and not Radha-Govinda? Where on Earth is Kali in control? The infinite mercy of Nityananda Prabhu. Srila Saraswati Thakur is the successor of the madhura-rasa lineage of teachers. A place where all insults are forgiven. Krishna consciousness enables us to live in the family of God. Crush the fossil theory. The Meaning of Sannyas in the Kali Yuga.

How to preach to relatives?

Who should we respect? The ability to see the positive in everything. What is communication? What are the consequences of disrespectful treatment of people? Everyone has a duty to be fulfilled. The ability to draw conclusions. Krishna consciousness is not a social organization. How to deal with a midlife crisis? What is the meaning of renunciation? Life is like a hot frying pan. How to preach to relatives? How to wake up a loved one? What does sinful action mean? Respect is also yoga. How to make your life enjoyable? Mind respect. What is respect for reason? Why is it necessary to respect the merits of another person? Answers on questions.

What does it mean to love?

Love - the desire to use someone for your pleasure? We have an urge to sacrifice ourselves. Water the root. Only the Boundless can satisfy all our aspirations. How can we limited beings draw the Infinite to us? Human life is the door to the world of eternity.

4 types of finders

The nature of devotion. How does loyalty change people? How to recognize a godly person? Prosperity is the principle of practicality. How not to become a spiritual lazy? Juicer effect. What is life without spirituality? People interested in the unknown and the noble. How to talk with loved ones on spiritual topics? Is it possible to preach when a person is clearly not interested? How does life change in Krishna Consciousness? The role of intonation in preaching. Is it worth it to preach to representatives of other religious denominations? How important is compassion in preaching?

Spiritual Ministry of Emergency Situations

What is the specialty of the Krsna consciousness movement? Initiation into Krishna Consciousness. A task Vedic culture- salvation of souls. The mission is carried out in cooperation. False spiritual attachment. Humility needs to be worked on. Mistakes should become the backbone of our successes. The more difficult the service, the more emotions. How to overcome difficulties. The story of Radharani.

Sermon Secrets

Two stages of preaching. What is the right way to preach? How should you meet new people? Freedom of choice. Why do spiritual families break up? Why is prayer needed? Our fears. In any undertaking - the main desire. The difficulty of preaching to friends and family. The role of the Internet in preaching. The sermon must be cultural. Don't be afraid to talk about God. Where the most sacred is, there the most dangerous appears. How to tell relatives about Krishna Consciousness? The luck of our lives. The power of prasadam. Who is responsible in the family? Relevance is the trap of fanaticism. Debt karma.

Self-improvement is self-improvement

Spiritual yoga. What is the meaning of mystical perfection? Aggression is positive energy. The problem is that we do not understand enough the difference between the soul and the body. In preaching, it is important not only to present the process, but also to have experience. The secret of family relationships. A story about what constant complaints lead to.

Heaven and earth

Patience and enthusiasm. Service is the path of devotion. Grace of the Guru. What does true service mean? The story of Krishna's headache and the exceptional devotion of the gopis of Vrindavan. What is the end result of Krsna consciousness? Krishna by His very nature attracts everyone. Krishna is the personified taste of ecstasy.