Hare Krishna!

[satay]

What can one say about a group of devotees that call themselves with the name of the supreme being?

Hare Krishna! Yes, indeed...Krishna is the Hari and just chanting the name of the organization gives some sort of spritual calmness to the mind.

I have a kind of a love/dislike relationship with the ISKCON though I will be very honest and say that I have never interacted directly with any of the devotees in person.

Love because they show such passion for Bhagwan that each and sometimes I feel envy because I lack that in my being.

Dislike because I don't know why but I don't like the 'preaching' part also I think the current org has become too 'business' like and it could be that that was not what sri prahbupada wanted.

Hare Krishna!
satay

[mikehk2007]

dear mr satay,

it is good to know you. it is quite natural for human to form liking and disliking on anything based on the superficial peceptions. so don't feel ashamed for such feelings on ISKCON. but the bottom line is your love for Sri Hari.

when you say they have become more commercial, they may have to do something to exist on this mundane world. this movement is sustaining lots of families who seek refuge under Krishna. When i see those dasas and dasis with their kids who have totally surrendered to the Lord and chose to live under His shadow they also need some source of sustenance and they are doing it. Moreover they offer regular prasad to the devotees or visitors whoever visit the temple, maintain the temples in a very clean fashion.It all needs mundane activities from them.

but in return what they are offering? constant flow of Hari Bhakti.

hare krishna hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare

jai sri ram. May Lord Sri ram who is the embodiment of all purity and perfection and power will give you the total wisdom and unflinching devotion for sri Hari.

nsrajan

[satay]

namaste nsrajan,
Welcome to the forums! Hope you will enjoy it here and become a regular contributor.

satay

[Sudarshan]

I have heard some ISKCONs claiming that chanting the Krishna name is three times superior to Rama's name, which is three times superior to Vishnu's name? Is that correct? If true, I find it hard to beleive such claims.

The preaching part is OK, as long as it is done in a fair and correct manner.

[mikehk2007]

hi sudharshan,

i to your question i would like to answer you with a story from puran.
in thretha yug, sri ram and mata sita blessed hanumanji to be siranjeevi in this mundane world and dwell wherever ram bhakti is there. at the end of yuga sri ram went to vaikunth abode but hunumanji lives for ever in this world in in this kali yug.

in dwapara yuga Sri krishna wished to welcome hanumanji to his abode in dwarka and sent garud to invite him. even though hanumanji knew ,as he is an embodiment of pure knowledge, that Sri ram and sri krishna are both same he refused garuda's invitation message.he put a condition that unless sri ram and sita appear for him at dwarka he is not interestede in visiting sri krisna's palace.

but you know sri krishna is mere a servant to his devotees and he sent the invitation back to hanumanji that sri ram himself would be present and bless hanumanjis visit.

why i am telling this story. hanumanji didn't intend to insult or belittle sri krishna. he wanted to tell the world to be firm in your prem or love to sri hari in any of his form. he will be your servant. i myself even though worship sri krishna, my heart always go to sri ram and whatever sri ram can give me is enough. i am not goijng to weigh which deity will give me more benefit.

so if we are going to see who is more powerful or which name is going to give you more benefit it will give you nothing. follow your heart and be firm in your love. after all love doesn't expect returns.

in vishnu sahasranaam it says,

sri rama rama ramedhi rame raame manorame,
sahasra nama dattulyam, rama nama varannane.

saying ram with love is equal to saying all 1000 naam of sri hari.

hare krishna hare krishna krishana krishna hare hare
hare rama hare ram rama rama hare hare.

jai sri ram jai sita ram

[Singhi Kaya]

I generally have a respecful view of the organisation mainly because they are the only hindu organisation who "convert" non-hindu's.

Apart from that I'm hardly aware of their philosophy, but virtual interaction has been negative from my angle. It seems their version of krishna and hinduism is very abrahamic. But may be my idea's are wrong.

O Arjuna, how can a person who knows that the Spirit is indestructible, eternal, unborn, and immutable, kill anyone or causes anyone to be killed?

Considering also your duty as a warrior you should not waver like this. Because there is nothing more auspicious for a warrior than a righteous war.

Treating pleasure and pain, gain and loss, and victory and defeat alike, engage yourself in your duty. By doing your duty this way you will not incur sin.

Hari Om

[satay]

I generally have a respecful view of the organisation mainly because they are the only hindu organisation who "convert" non-hindu's.

They don't convert they just preach.

Apart from that I'm hardly aware of their philosophy, but virtual interaction has been negative from my angle. It seems their version of krishna and hinduism is very abrahamic. But may be my idea's are wrong.

Yes, your idea is wrong. Their philosophy is not abrahamic. They believe in every word of Gita and Krishna as the supreme personality and God head.

satay

[sarabhanga]

ISKCON philosophy is Dvaitavada, and their only Yoga is Bhakti.
The vast majority of Jews, Christians, and Muslims, are Dvaitins and their primary Yoga is Bhakti.
And so it seems quite reasonable to suggest that ISKCON is fundamentally similar to the Abrahamic religions.
And I am sure that there are many who have experienced conversion attempts by ISKCON members, whose tactics are often very similar to those used by Christians. They do not generally try to convert other Hindus to their sect, but they do target likely non-Hindus.

[satay]

from 'abhramic' religions, I was thinking more along the lines of 'an aristrocrat' god who gets mad if you don't do bhakti to him alone. In that sense, 'krishna is the only way' is not same as 'abhramic god is the only way'.

satay

[Pankaja]

ISKCON philosophy is Dvaitavada

We actually follow the Philosophy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu:


This theory of simultaneous oneness and difference between the individual soul and the Supersoul is propounded by Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as the philosophy of acintya-bhedabheda-tattva.
SB: 2.1.39p www.vedabase.net