About ISKCON
You would have seen members of the Hare Krishna movement singing and dancing in the streets or asking donations for books & magazines, food for life program. You might have seen us in TV or read about us in newspapers.
Have you ever wondered: Who are they? What do they believe in?Why do they always sing?Who is Krishna?
To enable you to understand us better, we will take you through our movement and tell who we are.
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), prominently known as the Hare Krishna movement is a spiritual society founded by His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in July 1966 in New York.
ISKCON follows a monothesitic tradition within the Vedic culture and belongs to Brahma Madhav Gaudiya Vaishnav sampradaya.
ISKCON follows the teachings of the Vedas and Vedic scriptures, including the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam which teach Vaishnavism or devotion to God (Krishna) in His Supreme Personal aspect of Sri Sri Radha Krishna. ISKCON is part of the disciplic succession which started with Lord Krishna Himself and continued with Srila Vyasadeva, Srila Madhavacharya, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and in the present day His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and his followers.
ISKCON’s teachings are non-sectarian, following the principle of sanatana dharma or eternal religion, which denotes the eternal activity of all living beings – loving devotional service (bhakti-yoga) to Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The aim of ISKCON is to acquaint all people of world with universal principles of self-realization and God consciousness so that they may derive the highest benefit of spiritual understanding, unity and peace. The Vedic literature recommend that in the present age of Kali-yuga the most effective means of achieving self-realization is always hear about, glorify, and remember the all-attractive Supreme Lord Sri Krishna. Therefore, it recommends the chanting of the Holy Names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. This sublime chanting puts the chanter directly in touch with the Supreme Lord through the sound vibration of His Holy Name.