Our class’s visit to the Radha Kalachandji temple of Dallas was based around learning the ideology behind the ISKCON movement. We were instructed in these ideas by Nityananda Chandra. Chandra brought us into the sanctuary where there were many artistic representations of Krishna. The front of the sanctuary was occupied by an idol representation of Krishna, shown in the photo. Using our surroundings as visual aids, Chandra introduced us to the spiritual concepts behind the movement. We were taught about the nature of the spirit and the nature of Krishna. Throughout Chandra’s talk, I was struck by how Chandra’s language was accessible to the uninitiated. I think that the way he explained his spiritual ideas has roots in how the movement was started.
Thomas J. Hopkins explains the beginnings of the movement in his article “ISKCON’S Search for Self-Identity: Reflections by a Historian of Religions.” In this article he explains that the movement was started by a man now known as Prabhupad. The movement gained momentum in its storefront temple in New York where young, American followers were initiated by Prabhupad into the movement. Hopkins explains that one of the challenges early on was to teach enough knowledge to the young followers so that ISKCON could stand on its own after Prabhupad’s death. Hopkins tells a story about how the early followers at the New York knew little about the origins and spiritual background of the movement after already joining. Yet these devotees in their twenties and thirties were committed to the teachings of Prabhupad. The teachings had to be accessible to a young group of followers so that the movement had the potential for worldwide growth.
The way we were taught the teachings of Krishna Consciousness was meant for a western audience. The literature scattered and displayed throughout the temple was written in both Sanskrit and English so that we could understand the meaning behind the scripture. Also, the paintings of Krishna communicated how the deitiy’s worship is based around different forms of love. Overall, I was impressed by how easy it was to understand the spiritual background for the movement. Chandra helped us to understand the religious reasons for the dietary restrictions that devotees adhere to. While our conversation with Chandra could have been interpreted as an attempt to proselytize, I interpreted it as a vehicle for understanding. Though the Hare Krishna movement is very young, it is based on Indian Hindu culture. By learning the spirituality of the movement from a devotee, I feel that I got a perspective on the culture that cannot be attained in the classroom. By eating the temple’s food and having discourse with Chandra, I was exposed to a movement that has a rich and diverse history. Most importantly, our visit to the temple left me with a desire to learn more about the culture and religion behind the movement. I can say this because I had visited the temple once before for a previous class based on food through history. Had I not visited the temple previously, I don’t think I would’ve been as interested in taking a class on the history of India.
Works Cited
Hopkins, Thomas J. “ISKCON’s Search for Self-Identity: Reflections by a Historian of Religions.” Ed. Graham Dwyer and Richard J. Cole. The Hare Krishna movement: forty years of chant and change. London: I.B. Tauris & co, 2007. N. pag. Print.
