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Prometheus1776
Op ·
5 yr. ago

There is a big difference between being an observer and a player on the field. The HKs chew people up and spit them out when they are no longer useful to their agenda. Sunday feasts are the frosting on a rotten maggot filled cake. They do not represent the darker inner workers of the organization. I was in from 1981-2004. I've seen them at their absolutely worst.

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ckaninnyjenny
·
5 yr. ago

What lead you to the HKs and not any other organization?
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Prometheus1776
Op ·
5 yr. ago

Actually I was interested in Buddhism and meditation, I was a martial arts student. They "told" me that it was like Buddhism but with a belief in God. The art was mind blowing and certain books that the distribute to the general public such as the Science of Self Realization presented their philosophy in a way that was appealing. The reality is that there are differences in what they teach to the uninitiated public and the actual members. There's also mostly unknown to till a few decades ago till the Founder's Prabhupada's conversations were transcribed and put into written form many things he discussed in private conversations and letters to HK officials that were not for average members to know and certainly not the general public to learn.

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Prometheus1776
Op ·
5 yr. ago

They don't have "scripts" but they do employ using philosophical arguments. But they only stick to general philosophical arguments and they NEVER reveal their more bizarre doctrines until you are very deep in. You spend more than two hours a day (16 rounds of 108 =1,728 mantras) chanting the Maha Mantra. The constant chanting arrests the discursive mind and allows you to be influenced in ways not ordinarily possible. Then they start indoctrinating you deeper and to more unbelievable things that NO rational person could believe. They also indoctrinate you through a sense of fear and loathing for this world and for being human. The goal is always over the horizon and the reason why you haven't achieved the goals is always your fault. The goals don't exist and never have. It's all self delusion.
shna Movement. He is ultra orthodox and an absolutely no nonsense leader. [danavirgoswami.com]

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dnofear
·
5 yr. ago

Thank-you for your kindness to share your experience and the truth with others.

I see on your facebook page that you shared an album of documents relating to Chris Butler I have made a subreddit just a couple of days ago to collect links relating to him [www.reddit.com] He was controversial in ISKCON and still is.

By the time you left in 2004 what do you think was the main problem with ISKCON? When you were preaching at universities was there much interest? Was there anything dishonest about recruiting? Do you believe that there is any 'brainwashing' or 'coercive tactics' that get and keep people in ISKCON? Did you have any problems leaving or any pressure to come back?
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Prometheus1776
Op ·
5 yr. ago

I kept a loose affiliation with them, (friends) not the organization itself till 2004. As far as coming back, I was inactive from 1994-1998 and came back actively for about 3 years and I joined the reserves and then volunteered for active duty in 2004 and just faded out. They aren't Scientologists that they have people bring you back. Some people come back because they (the people, not the organization) are the only people who can relate to you. Most of the people in ISKCON are good, caring and generous people but the organization and the leadership are very sociopathic, manipulative and greedy. There are also splinter groups but they are just manipulative or in some cases even worse, Science of Identity is one such group.
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jumperforwarmth
·
5 yr. ago

Thanks for doing this.

Were you aware of any “tactics” that the HK used to obtain new recruits? And if so, did you realise they were used on you?
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Prometheus1776
Op ·
5 yr. ago

They have a few different tactics: one is the Bhakti Yoga Center tactic where they lure people in low cost yoga lessons, Indian Kirtan music and vegetarian food. Another tactic is Krishna West which preaches the philosophy mainly at universities without "Indianized trappings" such as clothes, music and food.

Another is home programs geared towards Indians who are their major financial contributors. They are usually 10 people or less. The congregational members usually invite family members and Indian friends. They are now the financial blood of the Hare Krishna Movement. They bilked Indians in India of $22M for their Vedic Planetarium to prove the Earth is the center of the Universe and the Sun revolves around the Earth.

They had other ways as well in the past, they had Punk Rock groups such as: Youth of Today, The Cromags, 108 and they would prey on the "straight edge" punk rockers.

They also have food distribution programs, they have one at the University of Florida since 1972. In 2010 they had 60 new converts at UF.
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Prometheus1776
Op ·
5 yr. ago

STUDENTS AND PARENTS BEWARE!

Krishna West is now officially a part of ISKCON. It's sole goal is to preach Krishna Consciousness in a Western context while holding to it's original core principles. Their unmentioned target is university students. Their goal is not to "Indianize" converts in regards to food, dress and music but rather to get them to adhere to the basic core principles and the four regulative principles.

"The intended integration would involve presenting Krishna consciousness in the West without any of what Maharaja calls its “ethnically Indian” trappings, such as dress, music style, and cuisine." [iskconnews.org]
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Prometheus1776
Op ·
5 yr. ago

The Bhakti Center is a Hare Krishna front group that poses as a yoga and meditation studio. It basically is a Hare Krishna center for hipsters and yuppies. It often hosts talks by serial child abuser Dhanudhara Swami. [bhakticenter.org]
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Prometheus1776
Op ·
5 yr. ago

This is their Indian centric home program:

How does ISKCON infiltrate the greater Indian community. Bhakti Vriksha is their Trojan Horse, this is their own description of how to cultivate smaller groups. [www.iskconcongregation.com]
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Prometheus1776
Op ·
5 yr. ago

I explained how I joined in a previous post.
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Prometheus1776
Op ·
5 yr. ago

ISKCON and its Vedic Cultural Center hoax, basically they are attempting to rebrand to Indians because Westerners are simply not interested in imitating a culture that is simply not theirs. [harekrishnacultexposed.blogspot.com]
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AyLilDoo
·
5 yr. ago

60's counter-culture is dead but New Age yoga shit is alive and thriving.
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Prometheus1776
Op ·
5 yr. ago

Absolutely, they use yoga lessons and free vegetarian dinners as bait. Mamu coties also have Festivals of India that are geared to attract new people as well and always near universities. The NYC Festival of India is across from NYU, Boston is near MIT, Harvard, Berkeley School of Music, Wellesley College (where they snagged my ex-wife) and many other smaller schools in Boston. Florida is at the University of Florida, Atlanta is near two major universities. They target college students and wealthy Indians.
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Prometheus1776
Op ·
5 yr. ago

The sect is about 500 yrs old but ISKCON is 51 yrs old. Vaisnavism is thousands of years old. The HKs are part of Gaudiya branch of Vaisnavism and they started their own branch in 1966 in NYC. I could not possibly outline all their beliefs especially their most cultish one in one post. Here is a link with the basics, for the secret stuff go to my fb page. [www.religionfacts.com]
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LittleBill12Pill
·
5 yr. ago

They seem very interesting! Why shouldn't I join them? It something I have been thinking baout.
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Prometheus1776
Op ·
5 yr. ago

Well, some people "don't get IT till IT gets them" good luck with that.
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LittleBill12Pill
·
5 yr. ago

I have no idea what that means but I bet that if you had a point to make then you would actually make it! That being said, it seems like the Hare Krishnas spread the love of God! They seem happy and I feel like their use of mantra provides followers with a powerful and useful practice for getting closer to God. Why shouldn't I believe these things?
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Prometheus1776
Op ·
5 yr. ago

Perhaps you should ask the tens of thousands of people who have left. Go to my page on FB...it's on the thread and find out from all the people who have fled it. They chew you up and spit you out. Don't get sick, married or need to pay bills; they will kick you to the curb. Secondly, they don't tell you what they REALLY BELIEVE till you are in neck deep? Do you believe god is is a giant pig who flies through space killing blond haired demons with a club? Do you want to wake up a 430 am to worship a plant? Google: Tulasi Puja. Do you believe god was curse to take birth as a rock (Shalagram Shila) to marry a plant Tulasi? Did you believe that before. For more reasons...go to my FB page.

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Prometheus1776
Op ·
5 yr. ago

Go to the above site and read the articles by former members. I was in for 23 years and I was an ordained priest in ISKCON....but what would know. They have an abysmal child abuse record, Out of their 11 precious successor Gurus, 8 were excommunicated, 1 is permanently suspended , 1 temporarily suspended and one medically retired due to a stroke. Prabupada had 10K disciples each Guru had about the same....the HK movement has about 2 K members most in Florida. Where's the other 130K people? Math does not lie.