The (ISKCON) Hare Krsnas I know, are not so much interested in "recruiting" anybody anymore. That is, they're not interested in recruiting anybody other than wealthy Indian Hindu immigrants who might make large donations. Even then, the wealthy Hindus who are "recruited" own and live in their own homes and depend on the temples for nothing. My local temple does not have an ashram, and nobody lives in it, not even pujaris. They're not hitting the streets on harinam and recruiting kids who they can get back to the temple so they can shave them up, anymore. The old days are over. This is 2021, not 1971.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 04/30/2021 10:22PM by The Whirlwind.

Sounds progressive, in a sense !

Mantras, japa, chanting, it can only do so much before wearing off.

Truth Wins says it has much power, which it does.. George Harrison hits the nail on the head:

[youtu.be]

A power that wears off when breaking the repetitive chain.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/01/2021 02:07AM by facet.

That's why I laugh when I read things about how the Hare Krsnas are trying to "recruit" the kids off the streets of major cities in North America, as if we are living fifty years in the past. Recruit them to what? Becoming repeat customers at the temple restaurants? Being donors to the planetarium? For the most part there's nothing to recruit anybody TO, at least not anymore. :-)

Yeah, you'll see devotees out chanting on the streets sometimes (and frankly sometimes I am among them), but they're not trying to "recruit" you. At most, they're trying to encourage people to chant God's Names according to whatever tradition they subscribe to, and to take up vegetarianism. Maybe give away some books, and that is about it. They're not trying to get people to move into a temple and shave up, because most temples in North America will not just allow people to move in anymore. So there's nothing much to "recruit" anybody TO.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/01/2021 03:22AM by The Whirlwind.

The Whirlwind Wrote:
>
> Yeah, you'll see devotees out chanting on the
> streets sometimes (and frankly sometimes I am
> among them), but they're not trying to "recruit"
> you. At most, they're trying to encourage people
> to chant God's Names according to whatever
> tradition they subscribe to, and to take up
> vegetarianism. Maybe give away some books, and
> that is about it. They're not trying to get
> people to move into a temple and shave up, because
> most temples in North America will not just allow
> people to move in anymore. So there's nothing
> much to "recruit" anybody TO.

"The religion preached by Mahaprabhu is universal and not exclusive. The most learned and the most ignorant are both entitled to embrace it...The principle of kirtana invites, as the future church of the world, all classes of men without distinction of caste or clan to the highest cultivation of the spirit." --Srila Bhaktivinod Thakura



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/01/2021 09:03AM by The Whirlwind.

The Whirlwind Wrote:
>
> "The religion preached by Mahaprabhu is
> universal and not exclusive. The most learned and
> the most ignorant are both entitled to embrace
> it...The principle of kirtana invites, as the
> future church of the world, all classes of men
> without distinction of caste or clan to the
> highest cultivation of the spirit." --Srila
> Bhaktivinod Thakura

"There is nothing very extraordinary, rationally speaking, in chanting the Name of Krishna in the company of bona fide devotees. It is the simplest conceivable form of worship in which a number of persons can actually and fully join. It is possible to induce other people to join in the function by substituting the names Allah and Jesus in place of Krishna. But even so there are not a few persons who, although they put up with much in their own religion that is regarded as conventional, will refuse to repeat a new name in company as being nothing short of a silly performance instead of being the highest religion."

--Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura Prabhupada, 1932



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/02/2021 08:08AM by The Whirlwind.

The Whirlwind Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Whirlwind Wrote:
> >
> > "The religion preached by Mahaprabhu is
> > universal and not exclusive. The most learned
> and
> > the most ignorant are both entitled to embrace
> > it...The principle of kirtana invites, as the
> > future church of the world, all classes of men
> > without distinction of caste or clan to the
> > highest cultivation of the spirit." --Srila
> > Bhaktivinod Thakura
>
> "There is nothing very extraordinary,
> rationally speaking, in chanting the Name of
> Krishna in the company of bona fide devotees. It
> is the simplest conceivable form of worship in
> which a number of persons can actually and fully
> join. It is possible to induce other people to
> join in the function by substituting the names
> Allah and Jesus in place of Krishna. But even so
> there are not a few persons who, although they put
> up with much in their own religion that is
> regarded as conventional, will refuse to repeat a
> new name in company as being nothing short of a
> silly performance instead of being the highest
> religion."
>
> --Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura
> Prabhupada, 1932

"...there is no difference between the name and the person whose name we are chanting. Thus when we chant the Holy Name of God, like the name Krsna, Krsna is personally present. One need not chant the name Krsna; one may chant any name that he knows is God's. God has many names, which may be chanted with the same effect in different languages and in different countries. Actually God has no name, but names are given to Him according to His activities. For example, we are chanting God's name 'Krsna' because 'Krsna' means 'all-attractive.'"

--A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada: January 1, 1975



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/02/2021 08:20AM by The Whirlwind.

To whom it may concern: I posted the above quotes (from Prabhupada and some of the other acaryas) in order to demonstrate the truly non-sectarian nature of Vaisnava philosophy, not to preach anything to anybody. I want to make that clear. So how did Prabhupada's mission go from being a non-sectarian spiritual society, to a Hindu sect (or worse yet, a Hindu cult)? ISKCON is openly describing itself as a Hindu organization now. How did that happen? Don't they pay attention to Prabhupada's own words?

"Our Krsna consciousness movement does not try to make Hindus into Christians or Christians into Hindus. That is not our purpose. Our only request to you is this: every one of you, try to understand God, love Him and be happy."

--A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada: January 1, 1975



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/02/2021 08:18AM by The Whirlwind.

Quote
So there's nothing much to "recruit" anybody TO.

That’s a point, definitely, maybe for some, but it isn’t so across the board.

In particular local groupings do use the medium of giving the books and engagement in conversation on the streets as a means to recruit.

Why are the pretty books simply not on a drop down menu and pumped out free via the web? If it’s just word? Targets must be spotted, and chosen. It is not the other way around.

Local groupings also rent a space in most cases, even though they may move around many times and appear like there is no base.. there is a base, it is just more fluid so it can be said there isn’t any thing to base from.

Great way to keep the overheads down and try to throw off the cult behaviours scent ! Doesn’t wash with me though.

Youngest target observed? Age 11.

Trust eliminated.

Why are the pretty books simply not on a drop down menu and pumped out free via the web? If it’s just word? Targets must be spotted, and chosen. It is not the other way around.

They are free via the web, every single one of them. Obviously you are not familiar with the Vedabase. Every single word that Prabhupada published is right there on the Web, free for the taking. What planet have you been on, that you've never heard of the Vedabase?

[vedabase.io]

Local groupings also rent a space in most cases, even though they may move around many times and appear like there is no base.. there is a base, it is just more fluid so it can be said there isn’t any thing to base from.

I've been hanging out with Hare Krishnas for thirty years, and I've never seen anything like this. The local temple has no ashram and nobody lives in it, not even the priests. So, there's no place for somebody to move into, if they were to be "recruited", and nobody I know is going to let some stranger move in with them.

You make it all sound so sinister, facet. The Hare Krsnas, at least where I live, are not trying to "recruit" anybody. Recruit them to what? There's no place to move into!

Now, facet, that's not to say that the local temple where I live is not without its abuses. In their way, the management of it is quite abusive and almost completely lacking in meaningful accountability. I hate to say it, but it's definitely a Hindu cult. They assemble and distribute files, dossiers on devotees who they've targeted for abuse (the management in Dallas, I mean). Please see my thread on ISKCON of Dallas for more details. All I am saying, is that they are not so interested in "recruiting" anybody anymore. Any assertion that they are, is nonsense. Frankly, that is an absurd proposition. They'd rather "recruit" repeat customers to their restaurant, than preach Krsna Consciousness.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/03/2021 10:41PM by The Whirlwind.