The Movement

The Movement

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is a global religious community also known as the Hare Krishna Movement. ISKCON belongs to the Gaudiya-Vaishnava sampradaya, a monotheistic tradition within the broader Vedic, or Hindu, family of faith and cultural traditions.
ISKCON's system of belief and practice is based on the *Bhagavad-gita*, "The Song of God," which, according to tradition, is 5,000 years old. The speaker of this sacred text is Krishna, who is revered as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The text explains what is the soul, Supreme Consciousness, the systems of yoga, karma, and reincarnation. It proclaims that the ultimate goal of life is to develop love of Krishna, which is most easily realized in this age through the practice of *bhakti*, the science of devotional service.
In the 16th century, a Bengali saint and avatar, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu revitalized the *bhakti* tradition across India. Central to this renaissance was Chaitanya’s emphasis on the chanting of Krishna’s name. Underlying this simple practice was a profound, intellectually comprehensive theology.
In 1965, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada left India, and at the age of 70 travelled to America under the order of his teacher, to propagate Krishna consciousness in the western world. He opened his first temple in New York City in 1966, and from a humble storefront presence, ISKCON has grown to be a vibrant global community of temples, rural projects, educational institutes, congregations, and vegetarian restaurants.

7 purposes of ISKCON

1

To systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to society at large and to educate all people in the techniques of spiritual life in order to check the imbalance of values in life and to achieve real unity and peace in the world.

2

To propagate a consciousness of Krishna, as it is revealed in the great scriptures of India, Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam.

3

To bring the members of the Society together with each other and nearer to Krishna, the prime entity, thus developing the idea within the members, and humanity at large, that each soul is part and parcel of the quality of Godhead (Krishna).

4

To teach and encourage the sankirtana movement, congregational chanting of the holy name of Krishna, as revealed in the teachings of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.