ABOUT

Through this website, we share ancient knowledge based on scriptures and teachings of spiritual masters. This knowledge comes from the Vedas, which form the foundation of ancient Vedic Culture. These teachings reveal eternal principles of life, our true identity, and the process of self-realization, which aims to elevate our consciousness to a spiritual level.

If you already have some spiritual practice and experience, you will find many useful tools and resources here to support your growth.

​What is this knowledge?

Word «Veda» – means knowledge.
The Vedic scriptures are the literature o the ancient culture, written in the Sanskrit language. They are comprised of a huge collection of books which include material (mundane), religious (ritualistic) as well as spiritual (monotheistic) knowledge.

According to the Vedic history, Vedas were written down about five thousands of years ago. The knowledge contained in these scriptures was existing a long time before it was written down.

OUR ORGANISATION

Popularly known as the “Hare Krishna’s”, we are a worldwide organisation officially called ISKCON (the International Society for Krishna Consciousness). 

ISKCON was founded by Srila Prabhupada and his followers in 1966. Srila Prabhupada’s aim was to create a global association of Krishna devotees based on the teachings of ancient scriptures such as the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam on the nature of the self and our relationship with the Supreme Person.

ISKCON has since grown into a worldwide organization of individuals, communities, temples, farm projects, schools, and restaurants, each centered on the ideal of devotional service to the Supreme Person, who is known by unlimited names but whom the Vedas refer to as Krishna, “the all-attractive one.”

FOUNDER

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, following in the footsteps of his great spiritual predecessors, edicated his life to spreading Krishna consciousness. In 1965, he left India for the United States to introduce Krishna consciousness to the people of the West. Srila Prabhupada was undaunted by his advanced age and the many other obstacles that faced him.

Relying fully on the mercy of Lord Krishna, he started what was to become a worldwide movement, in the form of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Between 1965, when Srila Prabhupada came to America from India, and 1977, when he passed away from this world, he conveyed the fullness of spiritual life through his lectures, letters, books, and tape recordings, as well as his personal example. He established more than one hundred temples, translated nearly eighty volumes of transcendental literature, and initiated almost five thousand disciples.

Srila Prabhupada was motivated by a sense of urgency, because he could see that the world needed India’s great spiritual culture, which was rapidly disappearing. In India he saw that leaders who had neither faith in the Vedic teachings nor knowledge of how to apply them were trying to solve essentially spiritual problems with material solutions. He saw the young generation of Indian people turning away from their sublime spiritual heritage in favor of Western materialism, at the same time that many people in the West, disillusioned with materialism, were looking for a new life with a higher set of values.

Srila Prabhupada was keenly aware of the problems of both India and the West, and he offered a sensible solution. He compared India, which still has some spiritual vision, but lacks widespread technology, to a lame man; and the Western countries, which excel in technology but lack spiritual vision, to a blind man. If the seeing lame man sits on the shoulders of the walking blind man, they become like one man who sees and walks. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness is this seeing and walking man, using the best of both India and the West to revive Vedic culture in India and spread it to the rest of the world.

PRACTICE

Bhakti-yoga

Yoga is more than just a physical exercise. The word “yoga” comes from the Sanskrit root, Yuj, which means to link up with or combine. The word “bhakti” is derived from the Sanskrit word, bhaj, which means loving service. Bhakti-yoga means to connect to the Supreme by means of loving devotional service.

And of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.
Bhagavad-Gita 6.47​

Today, some yoga practitioners consider the physical benefits of yoga to be the end in themselves. But according to the traditional yoga systems, physical exercises are just one step on the path of God realization. The Bhagavad-Gita (the core spiritual text of the Hare Krishna movement) explains bhakti-yoga (the path of dedication and love) as the culmination of other yoga practices. Bhakti-yoga focuses on developing our dedication, service and love for Krishna.

Bhakti-Yoga, has been faithfully handed down through the ages for the benefit of humanity. The Vedic culture considers a person who caters to the whims of the body and mind, neglecting the needs of the soul, to be infected with the disease of materialism. As doctors prescribe a medicine and a special diet for a disease, the Vedic knowledge recommend the chanting of Krishna’s holy names as the medicine for the materialistic disease, and Prasada (Food offered to Lord Krishna) as the diet.

Holy Names

The process of transcendental chanting can be easily performed by anyone. This simple method of chanting the maha mantra (Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare) is recommended by scriptures and acharyas for the current age (Kali Yuga). It helps overcome the contamination in our hearts and revives our eternal spiritual consciousness.

Due to material activities over many lifetimes, we have acquired various misconceptions about our true self. Chanting the maha mantra purifies our consciousness from these illusions and awakens our original spiritual awareness. Through this practice, we can experience the happiness and peace that are inherent to our nature, without the need for artificial methods to imitate them.

Spiritual Diet

The devotees of the Lord, who are in Krishna consciousness, offer food to Krishna and then eat – a process which nourishes the body spiritually. By such action not only are past sinful reactions in the body vanquished, but the body becomes immunized to all contamination of material nature. When there is an epidemic disease, an antiseptic vaccine protects a person from the attack of such an epidemic. Similarly, food offered to Lord Krishna and then taken by us makes us sufficiently resistant to material affection, and one who is accustomed to this practice is called a devotee of the Lord. Therefore, a person in Krishna consciousness, who eats only food offered to Krishna, can counteract all reactions of past material infections, which are impediments to the progress of self-realization. The material world is full of contaminations, and one who is immunized by accepting prasādam of the Lord (food offered to Viṣṇu) is saved from the attack.”

When Krishna asks us to offer Him food, we should understand that He is inviting us to reawaken our eternal loving relationship with Him. Initially, we comply out of a sense of duty mixed with faith; however, as our realization deepens, our offerings become infused with affection and love. Just as anyone naturally offers the best they have to their beloved, the devotee offers Krishna their wealth, intelligence, life, and vegetarian food.

MISSION

In ISKCON’s incorporating document, Srila Prabhupada imparts the “Seven Purposes of ISKCON”:

1. To systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to society at large and to educate all peoples 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 Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam.
3. To bring the members of the Society together with each other and nearer to Krishna, the prime entity, and thus to develop 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 Sankirtan movement of congregational chanting of the holy name of God as revealed in the teachings of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
5. To erect for the members, and for society at large, a holy place of transcendental pastimes, dedicated to the personality of Krishna.
6. To bring the members closer together for the purpose of teaching a simpler and more natural way of life.
7. With a view towards achieving the aforementioned purposes, to publish and distribute periodicals, magazines, books and other writings.