Potential ISKCON Sticky

[smaranam]

Namaste,

This is a good sticky, and i am not a member of ISKCON, but would like to add that any beginner who wants to be a part of ISKCON should simply go to http://www.krishna.com

On the main page, i would suggest concentrating on these two:

1. DEFN: "Krishna consciousness is both a "practice" and the goal of the practice. The goal is to be Krishna conscious. The practice is to always stay conscious of Krishna."

2. Then before diving into details, on the main home page, point the mouse on "About Krishna" on the Flute Pull-down menu, and click on "The Reading Room"
Then scroll down and click on "Overview" which brings you here :
http://www.krishna.com/overview

Read "Bhakti: the means and goal" for day-to-day hands-on actual ISKCON practice.

Under this title, in particular,
>>Nine bhakti practices
>>The five most powerful bhakti practices
>>To advance in spiritual life, what things should I avoid? What basic qualities should I try to cultivate?
>>I want to do something to improve my spiritual life. Any suggestions?
>>Are there any things I should avoid, if I want to become Krishna conscious?
****>>Qualities of a pure devotee of Krishna

This sums up the simplest instruction from Bhagvatam, Rupa Goswami's Bhakti RasAmrt Sindhu (Nectar of Devotion) and UpadeshamRta.

Also, Offering Food to KRishna

Then of course there is the books, philosophy, and more details one can look into slowly:

Overview of Krishna Consciousness

Basic Premises
We Souls
Krishna
Spiritual World
Material World
The Goal of Life
**Bhakti: the means and the goal
Bhakti Worldview
What is the Hare Krishna Movement?

This website (they reorganized it recently) is very comprehensive, based off of Alachua Florida, supported by the BBT (Bhaktivedanta Book Trust) and i believe initiated by Jayadvaita Swami and group. They have everything under the Sun one wants to know about following ISKCON lifestyle. They also have a forum , blogs, live help (chat), e-mail help, kids activity page, e-classes, KrishnaStore, and wonderful kind helpful devotees.

Hare KRshNa ~
praNAm

[Believer]

Thank you Samaranam for all the additional information and various links, for the members/visitors to dig into the subject more.

[smaranam]

You are welcome, BelieverJi. It is a pleasure to be able to serve the devotees.

praNAm

[smaranam]

Hare KrushNa

Would like to clear some myths:

1. ISKCON is not a sect by itself. It is a senapati* organization in the disciplic succession of Gaudiya VaishNav paramparA (tradition) started by Shri Chaitanya MahaPrabhu, a shaktyavesha avatAr of KrushNa in the bhAv (mood) of Radha. - This is also stated in the OP of this thread.

2. ISKCON did not cook up a philosophy around VishNu, they are just in the paramparA (disciplic succession), and in fact one of the organizations representing the umbrella of VaishNav dharma.

praNAm

Govindam AdiPurusham Tam aham bhajAmi ~
JagannAth swAmi nayana path gAmi bhavatu me ~

_______

* senapati : Lord Chaitanya had predicted that one day , through His senapati bhakta , HarinAm SaNkirtan will spread worldwide. Did His prediction come true ? It had to. Guess who that senapati bhakta is ? A. C. BhaktivedAnta Swami PrabhupAd. He was also blessed with associates like Shrila NArAyaN MaharAj and Shridhar Maharaj.

[smaranam]

P.S. The VaishNav sampradAy (line of disciplic succession) that ISKCON comes under, is BrahmA-MAdhav-Gaudiya sampradAy which is one of four major VaishNav sampradAy that follow the Ved-Upanishad-BhramasUtra-PurAN scriptures of SanAtan Dharma

Hare KRushNa
praNAm