Krishna Consciousness In The West

Scholars of comparative religion, theology, philosophy, History, sociology, and psychology and members of the Hare Krishna movement discuss the history, theology, and organization of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and public reaction to the movement in America.

The first draft of The Hare Krishna Explosion was written in July 1969 just after Srila Prabhupada’s first visit to New Vrindavan. At that time Hayagriva realized that the details of the beginnings of the Krishna Consciousness Movement had best be recorded when the events were still fresh. Working from notebooks, diaries and memories he compiled the first edition in a month. Then the manuscript remained packed away until Srila Prabhupada left the mortal world in 1977.

Traces the growth of the Hare Krishna movement in the U.S., describes the experiences of individual followers, and analyzes recruitment patterns, activities, and leadership of the movement.

"To most people, the words 'Hare Krishna' conjure images of robed monks with shaven heads singing and dancing, or selling copies of the Bhagavad Gita in the streets. These were indeed iconic of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) in its early years. Over the nearly half-century of its existence, however, the organization has changed considerably in order to remain relevant as the world around it has changed. In this volume, nine scholars, all of whom have had years of first-hand experiences with ISKCON, evaluate its successes and failures in adapting to new social and demographic circumstances while struggling to remain true to its original intentions, and offer insights into new directions that it may take in the future."--P. [4] of cover.

This book investigates the views of Christianity of Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada (1896-1977), founder of the "International Society for Krishna Consciousness" (ISKCON), a branch of the Bengal Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, commonly known in the West as the "Hare Krishna Movement". Furthermore it analyses his approach to a fertile interreligious dialog with the Christian faith.

Whenever Srila Prabhupada toured his ISKCON temples around the world, he inspired his followers by his spiritual presence, spotless character, and uncompromising devotion to Krishna. This is an adventure story about establishing the Hare Krishna movement in Germany. Prabhupada went to Germany only twice – in September 1969, where he encouraged his small band in an intimate, almost informal setting, and later in June 1974, when more than a hundred disciples greeted him. The book includes vignettes by Srila Prabhupada’s early disciples in Germany – unforgettable moments of personal service to their spiritual master, how they came to Krsna consciousness, their struggles to establish the movement and grow as devotees, their attempts to deal with becoming accepted by the German people despite mistakes. Readers will appreciate the honesty of this account, and will also accompany the German devotees to Paris, Amsterdam, London, Stockholm, Mayapur, and Vrndavana to glimpse their incredible dedication to and love for serving Srila Prabhupada.

Most Americans know about the "Hare Krishnas" only from encounters in airports or from tales of their activities in the East Village and Haight-Ashbury in the 1960s. This entertaining and sensitive book deepens our knowledge by tracing the paths of those Western Hare Krishnas who eventually traveled to or lived in India. The charismatic leader of the sect, the Indian monk Swami Bhaktivedanta, aimed to save Westerners from what he saw as materialism and atheism by converting them to worship of the Hindu god Krishna. In addition, he hoped that Western disciples would inspire Indians to rediscover their own religious heritage. Charles Brooks describes in full detail the work of the "reverse missionaries" in the town of Vrindaban--which, since it is traditionally considered to be identical with Krishna's spiritual world, is one of the holiest places in India and the site of some of its most engaging rituals. Have the Western Hare Krishnas really become part of Indian culture? Can it be that Indians accept these foreigners as essentially Hindu and even Brahman? Brooks answers in a way that radically challenges our accepted images of Indian social dynamics. Analyzing the remarkable success of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and their temple complex in Vrindaban (where Bhaktivedanta was buried in 1977), Brooks describes the intricate social, economic, and religious relationships between Westerners and Indians. He demonstrates that social rank in the town is based not only on caste but also on religious competence: many Indians of Vrindaban believe, in Bhaktivedanta's words, that "Krishna is for all." Originally published in 1989. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.