Hare Krishnas?

[Riders]

So I was thinking sense I had not visited them in a long time I might make a visit next month. So any criticism, what about cult life, does anyone agree with the idea they are a cult? I think they are strict conservative but I do like the service, its beautiful and the chanting music flowers Gods and Godesses. I need a culture break, I want to drink in some culture. Its a beautiful temple.........

 

[Rival]

If you like it and you get something out of it, you go

 

[Riders]

Yea considering the fact that the environment's gonna kill us all off and I probably wont get married, Id like to spend the next 10 years getting to know different culture. Self realization doesnt the Hare Krishnas teach that?Id like to learn.

 

[Rival]

Self realization doesnt the Hare Krishnas teach that?

I think so; it's worth asking.

 

[Vinayaka]

So I was thinking sense I had not visited them in a long time I might make a visit next month. So any criticism, what about cult life, does anyone agree with the idea they are a cult? I think they are strict conservative but I do like the service, its beautiful and the chanting music flowers Gods and Godesses. I need a culture break, I want to drink in some culture. Its a beautiful temple.........

ISKCON varies quite a bit by temple theses days, so it may depend on just where you go. In areas where the converting thing didn't really work, and/or there is a larger Indian community it's mellowed out by the abundance of non-ISJCON gaudiya Vaishnavites attending. I'd be curious if you do notice that observation from there.

 

[SomeRandom]

So I was thinking sense I had not visited them in a long time I might make a visit next month. So any criticism, what about cult life, does anyone agree with the idea they are a cult? I think they are strict conservative but I do like the service, its beautiful and the chanting music flowers Gods and Godesses. I need a culture break, I want to drink in some culture. Its a beautiful temple.........

I consider them a cult. But at least they’re more like hippies than other cults. So ehh. There’s a lot worse out there.
Have an Aunty who’s ISKCON. She’s always at our local temple and always brings excellent prasad (food offerings.)

 

[stvdv]

ISKCON varies quite a bit by temple theses days, so it may depend on just where you go. In areas where the converting thing didn't really work, and/or there is a larger Indian community it's mellowed out by the abundance of non-ISJCON gaudiya Vaishnavites attending. I'd be curious if you do notice that observation from there.

30 years ago when I visited them, about 20 times, they were like "my way is the highway".

Last year I went again (Radhadesh Belgium) there was a major shift. This "my way is the highway" seemed to have gone.

I loved it there.

 

[Riders]

ISKCON varies quite a bit by temple theses days, so it may depend on just where you go. In areas where the converting thing didn't really work, and/or there is a larger Indian community it's mellowed out by the abundance of non-ISJCON gaudiya Vaishnavites attending. I'd be curious if you do notice that observation from there.

I''m pretty sure kalachandjis has a lot of Vishnu they are conservative but I knew one guy who claimed to be liberal. I'm sure there Liberals at the Dallas Temple because its so big. There's over 10000 there.

 

[Vinayaka]

30 years ago when I visited them, about 20 times, they were like "my way is the highway".

Last year I went again (Radhadesh Belgium) there was a major shift. This "my way is the highway" seemed to have gone.

I loved it there.

Why? Was there a demographic shift?

 

[Riders]

BAck in the older days they were considered to be a cult and I believe they were but many have changed loosened up.

 

[TagliatelliMonster]

So I was thinking sense I had not visited them in a long time I might make a visit next month. So any criticism, what about cult life, does anyone agree with the idea they are a cult? I think they are strict conservative but I do like the service, its beautiful and the chanting music flowers Gods and Godesses. I need a culture break, I want to drink in some culture. Its a beautiful temple.........

A friend of mine's brother joined that cult.
It ripped his family apart. Nobody in the family is capable of still having a normal conversation with the man. Sooner or later, his cultish nonsense comes out and everybody's left rolling with their eyes.


The guy has become unrecognizable. What a waste.

 

[stvdv]

Why? Was there a demographic shift?

I don't know for sure, what caused the difference.

In Holland we have a Christian group and the one in charge says that she is a very high soul and medium/messenger [God speaks through her (via Angels or something)]. The members of this group see their path as the most superior, because they see their medium as the latest messenger send by God. This I have seen happening quite a lot (our messenger is the latest, so the best update so to speak, and others are kind of okay, but in the end they have to accept the latest update; I don't buy this ... even not with Microsoft, similar thing ... make you dependable on just them ... you need to update, otherwise you get hell ... devils or viruses)

Maybe something similar with Hare Krishna. 30 years ago there were some people running running the show in Radhadesh, who met the Guru personally. Maybe that is why the followers had this "Our way is the Highway" attitude.

Or maybe the sharp edges just went off. Or they got new messengers who had different views. Maybe they even visited RF and saw another light

 

[Howard Is]

Self realization doesnt the Hare Krishnas teach that?Id like to learn.

Yes and no. There are devotees with varying degrees of wisdom and understanding. Since their behaviour is somewhat ‘stylised’ it can be difficult for a beginner to spot the difference.

The main practice is chanting the mahamantra, as I guess you know. Some basic instruction is given regarding the outer form of that practice, but the ‘inner game’ so to speak is not made clear IMO. If you ask about it, you will likely get very formulaic answers, unless you develop a close relationship with a devotee with deeper understanding and more liberated communication skills.

In areas where the converting thing didn't really work, and/or there is a larger Indian community it's mellowed out by the abundance of non-ISJCON gaudiya Vaishnavites attending.

I watched that happen in Melbourne (Australia).
I started associating with the temple when I was 15.
It was very much a hippie kind of demographic in the 70s. Then came the Indian diaspora circa 2000, and everything changed.

Some things changed for the better,. The influence of the Indian folk chilled things a bit.

30 years ago when I visited them, about 20 times, they were like "my way is the highway".

Oh yeah. Militant Hinduism. That’s what changed when the Indian population arrived.

Nobody in the family is capable of still having a normal conversation with the man. Sooner or later, his cultish nonsense comes out and everybody's left rolling with their eyes.

I’ve seen that too. But that can happen in so many ways. Political beliefs, militant veganism, lots of ways.
I knew various householder devotees who would also roll their eyes.

It wasn’t for me because I have always had an advaita tilt. But when I was young, it was the only available dharma teaching.

I haven’t done kirtan for years. I used to enjoy that.
The feasts are the best part.

My advice ? Get into it and enjoy it, but don’t get tangled in other people’s beliefs and interpretations.
Just take from it what serves you, and don’t hang around if it doesn’t serve you.

Everybody has a different way of finding themself.

 

[TagliatelliMonster]

I’ve seen that too. But that can happen in so many ways. Political beliefs, militant veganism, lots of ways.

No, that's not the same at all.

One is being really passionate about rather mundane things. The other is being so obsessed with out-of-this-world irrational magical nonsense.

You can have a rational discussion about politics or veganism, as both are real things.
Not so much concerning the cultish nonsense.

I knew various householder devotees who would also roll their eyes.

It wasn’t for me because I have always had an advaita tilt. But when I was young, it was the only available dharma teaching.

I haven’t done kirtan for years. I used to enjoy that.
The feasts are the best part.

Myeah, I don't know what any of those things are.

My advice ? Get into it and enjoy it, but don’t get tangled in other people’s beliefs and interpretations.
Just take from it what serves you, and don’t hang around if it doesn’t serve you.

Everybody has a different way of finding themself.

All religions presented to me so far, have nothing of any exclusive value to offer me.

 

[stvdv]

I’ve seen that too. But that can happen in so many ways. Political beliefs, militant veganism, lots of ways.

No, that's not the same at all. One is being really passionate about rather mundane things.

The other is being so obsessed with out-of-this-world irrational magical nonsense.

IMO this comes close to militant Atheism; stating your opinion as a fact, esp. in such a way

 

[TagliatelliMonster]

IMO this comes close to militant Atheism; stating your opinion as a fact, esp. in such a way

Call it what you wish. Such labels are somewhat meaningless to me though.

And what I said, is a fact. No matter if it's recognised or not.
It is out-of-this-world magical nonsense.

It is completely out of touch with commonly observable reality.
That makes it magical nonsense.

 

[Howard Is]

IMO this comes close to militant Atheism; stating your opinion as a fact, esp. in such a way

Please explain why you included my quote with that remark.
I was not dissing any group or lifestyle, I was saying that obsessive behaviour can be found in all sorts of contexts.

 

[stvdv]

Call it what you wish. Such labels are somewhat meaningless to me though.

And what I said, is a fact. No matter if it's recognised or not.
It is out-of-this-world magical nonsense.

It is completely out of touch with commonly observable reality.
That makes it magical nonsense.

I have observed that some seem to find it hard to follow RF rule #8. You seem to belong to that group

 

[stvdv]

Please explain why you included my quote with that remark.
I was not dissing any group or lifestyle, I was saying that obsessive behaviour can be found in all sorts of contexts.

I found your reply good. Did never think you were dissing (I would not have given your reply a like). I included it to give the context for my reply.

 

[Howard Is]

I found your reply good. Did never think you were dissing (I would not have given your reply a like). I included it to give the context for my reply.

Ah, no worries. It perplexed me