The Hare Krishna movement made landfall in the United States in the latter half of the 20th century, a time when counterculture facilitated new growth in America’s urban centers.  It’s leader, Prabhupad, brought “Krishna Consciousness” to the forefront of his spirituality, focusing on his devotion to Krishna rather than the traditional Hindu pantheon. A simple, sensation-driven philosophy guides this movement which made it supremely attractive to young, dissatisfied Americans. As a result, Prabhupad was “at least forty years older than all but one of his disciples(1).” He trained those early members how to recruit others, helping propagate Krishna worship across the country.

Forty years after it began, one of those men continues Prabhupad’s work in Dallas, Texas. I had the opportunity to meet Prajapati in conjunction with my “Civilization of India” course at Southern Methodist University.  Prajapati has been working with Dallas’ Hare Krishna temple for decades, and has deep personal knowledge of the movement and practice.  He took us all into the temple’s main worship space. Sensation playing such an important role in the Hare Krishna experience, burning incense fills their primary room to activate smell. Barefooted, devotees shuffle into the temple, feeling the floor beneath them as a reminder of their connection to the physical world. Chanting and singing stimulate the ears, and myriad decorations provide visual stimulus.  Prajapati explained how critical it was to be as engaged in worship as possible; this is not a passive believe, but rather one which requires active participation. Bhakti yoga thus serves as a powerful religious tool, focusing on the purest form of devotion to god.

Prajapati clearly believed that other religions suffered from distractions that conflated ritual with genuine devotion.  In specific reference to Christianity, he commented that he believes Jesus spoke about the very things preached by Hare Krishna devotees. The core message being that love, devotion to god, and complete harmony with the human condition serve as the ultimate spiritual tools available to human beings regardless of their trappings. According to our guide, focusing on these fundamental beliefs enables him to embrace the fundamental teachings of other religions.

As we learned about the religion during active worship, we had the opportunity to see it in practice.  No one seemed to mind our class while they prayed, as there was no set rhetoric nor order to follow. A young man with a little girl watched our semicircle for some time before he encouraged the girl to interact with us. She was carrying around a flower, which she proceeded to offer to each person in turn. In keeping with such a strong emphasis on the physical connection a person has to the planet and all living things, her flower served to engaged our noses as well as provide interpersonal communication.

The Hare Krishna movement is relatively new to this country, arriving at the perfect time to take hold and make a significant impact. By emphasizing sensation, the practice constantly reminds its followers of their temporal connection to the physical universe. To exist on Earth is to be wholly part of its community, and to recognize and embrace that is to be wholly human.

It’s core message of love, devotion to Krishna, and harmony with the human condition makes it both attractive and easy-going, providing the community an accessible and adaptable world view.

 

1. Hopkins, Thomas J. “ISKCON’s Search for Self-Identity: Reflections by a Historian of
   Religions.” The Hare Krishna Movement: Forty Years of Chant and Change. Ed. Graham
   Dwyer and Richard J. Cole. London: I.B. Tauris, 2007. 171-92. Print.