Hare Krishna Discussion

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Vairagya_Vidya

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Hello everyone! I am a Hare Krishna who was raised Catholic and thought this might be an interesting place to start a dialogue.

Any questions, comments, objections, etc.?
 
Why did you become Hare Krisha?

What is the best thing about Hare Krishna in your view?
 
Vairagya_Vidya said:
Hello everyone! I am a Hare Krishna who was raised Catholic and thought this might be an interesting place to start a dialogue.

Any questions, comments, objections, etc.?
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I think they believe in multiple gods, with Krishna as the most supreme - is that correct? Thanks for starting this thread.
 
How old is your religion and how did it gain popularity in the US many decades ago?
 
Vairagya_Vidya said:
Hello everyone! I am a Hare Krishna who was raised Catholic and thought this might be an interesting place to start a dialogue.

Any questions, comments, objections, etc.?
Click to expand...
Thank you for starting this dialogue. Could I ask:

How do you, as a Hare Krishna, view Jesus?

What did you find as a Hare Krishna that you didn’t in the Catholic church?
 
meltzerboy said:
What is the connection, if any, between Hare Krishna and Hinduism?
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The difference is subtle. The Hare Krishna movement prefers not to identify with any ‘ism’ and see the ideology as a systematic method for developing God consciousness.

But many Hindus worship Krishna as an incarnation of the God Vishnu.

So, for the purpose of this discussion, I am not uncomfortable with the Hare Krishna movement being designated as ‘Hindu.’
 
Matthew_Light said:
Why did you become Hare Krisha?

What is the best thing about Hare Krishna in your view?
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The answer to both those questions is the same for me. I am not aware of another religion which allows a more intimate relationship with God. Also, there is a direct answer to any question you might have about God/religious life.
 
captainrick said:
I think they believe in multiple gods, with Krishna as the most supreme - is that correct? Thanks for starting this thread.
Click to expand...
Yes-Krishna is supreme and there are many demigods which act as his agents in controlling the affairs of the material universe.
 
Catholic_farmer said:
How old is your religion and how did it gain popularity in the US many decades ago?
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Worship of Krishna is dated by scholars to have existed as far back as 500 BCE.

It gained popularity in the United States because an Indian spiritual teacher known as His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada came to New York from Calcutta by ship as an order from His spiritual master in the 1960’s. He would sit in Central Park chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra which in time attracted a group of followers. He introduced his students to the ancient science of Krishna Consciousness and by the time of His death in 1978, His movement had branches in multiple countries.
 
Tomoko said:
Thank you for starting this dialogue. Could I ask:

How do you, as a Hare Krishna, view Jesus?

What did you find as a Hare Krishna that you didn’t in the Catholic church?
Click to expand...
Jesus is seen as a pious spiritual teacher who revealed a message of God Consciousness to people in the Middle East. It is a belief of the Hare Krishna movement that a person’s mentality at the time of their death determines what will become of them in their next life. So, if one is devoted to Jesus and constantly thinking of Him, they will be transported to what Christians call ‘Heaven’ upon death. However, this salvation is not eternal-those in the Christian Heaven will be reincarnated back into the earthly realm after a period of time (I can answer this last part in more detail if you would like).
 
Vairagya_Vidya said:
The answer to both those questions is the same for me. I am not aware of another religion which allows a more intimate relationship with God. Also, there is a direct answer to any question you might have about God/religious life.
Click to expand...
Sounds like that is really meaningful to you!

Can you talk more about this in the context of your own relationship with God?
 
I am curious about this thread, as I have an interest in Eastern mysticism. My father was once quite fond of Eastern spirituality and read Hindu scripture. Just to put more questions on the pile already here, why not devotion to other Hindu gods? If I’m not mistaken, the goddess Kali is believed by some to be the source of Brahman.
 
Matthew_Light said:
Sounds like that is really meaningful to you!

Can you talk more about this in the context of your own relationship with God?
Click to expand...
Yes! The practice of Krishna Consciousness involves the following practices:
  • Chant 16 rounds of japa a day
  • Follow the four regulative principles: No illicit sex, no meat eating, no intoxication, and no gambling.
  • Study Bhagavad Gita for one hour a day
  • Study Srimad Bhagavatam for one hour a day
When one does these things, it enables them to think of Krishna constantly no matter what activities one is performing. As such we begin to gradually develop stages of intimacy with Krishna which are increasingly more ecstatic. These different relationships are as follows:

Stage 1: We are in awe of God. His tremendous power causes us to surrender to Him based on our realization of His potency.

Stage 2: God is like a loving father to us.

Stage 3: God is an intimate friend to us. (See Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita).

Stage 4: God is our child. Of course He is still the supreme but in order to develop a special relationship with us, He acts as a child who depends on our devotional service for His nourishment. (See Yasoda in the Srimad Bhagavatam)

Stage 5: The highest and most ecstatic stage in which we develop an intimate relationship with the Lord as Radharani in the Srimad Bhagavatam.

I am currently at the second stage of devotion.
 
Afterman said:
I am curious about this thread, as I have an interest in Eastern mysticism. My father was once quite fond of Eastern spirituality and read Hindu scripture. Just to put more questions on the pile already here, why not devotion to other Hindu gods? If I’m not mistaken, the goddess Kali is believed by some to be the source of Brahman.
Click to expand...
Yes I believe that many followers of Kali do believe her to be the source of Brahman. However, I have not read anything in Vedic Scriptures where this is mentioned. I have thus assumed that this is a created idea of her followers. In the Srimad Bhagavatam, it is said that Brahman is the effulgence which is emanated from and surrounds Krishna’s transcendental body.
 
You were raised Catholic. Does that mean you didn’t practice it? And how did the HK organization (for lack of a better word) become the answer for you?

I do have an objection to the HK based on my experience. I was confronted by one in a commuter train and he started talking to me how I should not kill animals to eat. This was out of the blue! Then when he asked what relgion i was when I said Im a Christian, he complained to me that Jesus ate Fish and how dare he do that. I got off the next stop!

MJ
 
Elizium23 said:
They are called ISKCON. International Society for Krishna CONsciousness.
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Ah. Thanks. Just went through the wiki.

Speaking of vegetarianism, Interestingly ive become more veg and actually wanted to be fully vegetarian. 😃

MJ
 
Vairagya_Vidya said:
Jesus is seen as a pious spiritual teacher who revealed a message of God Consciousness to people in the Middle East. It is a belief of the Hare Krishna movement that a person’s mentality at the time of their death determines what will become of them in their next life. So, if one is devoted to Jesus and constantly thinking of Him, they will be transported to what Christians call ‘Heaven’ upon death. However, this salvation is not eternal-those in the Christian Heaven will be reincarnated back into the earthly realm after a period of time (I can answer this last part in more detail if you would like).
Click to expand...
Yes, please, I’d be interested. Why is it only for a short time? I presume adherents of other faiths would similarly go to their own temporary version of heaven? What about atheists and agnositcs?
 
Hello. Peace and blessings be with you.

I’d like to ask you something about the Ramayana story. What is your take on Hanuman and the monkey army that helped Rama build the bridge to Lanka? do you think that these were hairy men who somehow looked like monkeys, or that they were literal hybrids between humans and some other primate?
 
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