Can tell you that all sorts of people show up at the huge Krishna bashes. I hung out at a couple during my student years. All sorts of prosyltizing goes on, and not just from the ISKON group.

Am pretty sure that the colorful, crowded swirl of a mass ISKON event would afford perfect cover for plenty of non ISKON groups or individuals to connect with each other.

I was reading the thread on:
Sex Scandal: Rishi Taavi Kassila, Amma Amritanandamayi's Promoter

This clearly shows that cults are not just a magnet for those seeking spiritual shelter from the darkness of this world, but also attract perverts, criminals and other predatory characters that are motivated to prey upon the former who are encouraged by the leaders and the cults themselves to be more open, to let their guards down or to let go wherever the spiritual guidance leads them to, thus become more vulnerable and easier to manipulate. This maybe is one aspect of religious cults that is oftentimes overlooked. We always think of the cult leaders and the elite members to be the likely abusers, which are oftentimes true. But they are the obvious. The predators in religious cults are spread out even among the rank and file. My experience with Haribol, looking back — the people who are most eager, over friendly and moved up very quickly in the rank are most likely the ones the vulnerable members should be wary of. Cults are like a water hole in the wilderness. It attracts preys to drink and to wallow, and in turn, the gathered preys attract predators like a banquet of goodies. A no-brainer. So when people join a religious cult like the Haribol, to escape the darker side of society, and think of a safe haven or a kumbaya-like family? Think again. At least in society children are taught or are exposed to the uglier side of life; children who were born in the cult or were dragged in by their parents at a very young age are actually more vulnerable to predation because of the very deceptive nature and closed door environment religious cults provide.

I just found a quote, supposedly from Aristotle, the famous Greek philosopher, which reads something like this:

Earthquakes and natural disasters are the result of too much corruption in the world.

Oh, yeh, the world has become a very corrupt place, for those who have the eyes to see ... not only greedy cult leaders, but also corrupt religious leaders, politicians, and government officials including the lowly policeman plus all those greedy lawyers/judges of the very corrupt legal system ... and every one of them is chasing the almighty dollar ... But it seems that the almighty dollar is collapsing before our very eyes! All it takes now is a massive natural disaster, and the old system of power and control could come to an end.... yeeehaaaa! Fasten your seat belts, people... it's gonna be a wild ride!

This is a very old idea.

Quote

GLOUCESTER

These late eclipses in the sun and moon portend
no good to us:
though the wisdom of nature can
reason it thus and thus, yet nature finds itself
scourged by the sequent effects: love cools,
friendship falls off, brothers divide: in
cities, mutinies; in countries, discord; in
palaces, treason

I have lived on Dharma Farms previously for several months. Attended the Krishna gatherings, been around the people, worked the noni farm, and read books written by Chris Butler on reincarnation. Any questions for me? I have an insider's perspective.

Aloha Farms seems more dangerous than Dharma. Many, many young girls pressured into chanting to fit in. Working for Krishna.

Hey Dharmafarmer ~ How is the vibration at the Krishna farm on the big island? Is it a vibration of compassion, fellowship, joy and abundance for all ... OR is it a vibration of exploitation, condemnation, judgmentalism and we-are-the-only-ones-who-know-g0d type of vibration? oh yeh ... and all-the-profits-go-to-Mr.-Butler kind of thing?

It is a friendly, loving, compassionate environment.

All profits are kept quiet. We asked where all the money goes, and it took a few inquiries to finally get a, "All profits are put towards educating others about Krishna."

Dharmafarmer,

I'm just curious about the new generation of Haribols now, are they as fanatical as their parents, or are they more secular? Thanks.

They appear faaaar from fanatics. I say appear, because I do not know what they do at home. Kirtans and working they seem harmless enough.

Secular.

Good. I'm very worried about the children, but somehow in the back of my mind, I knew the children today are not as gullible as we were. That simply means that you cannot organize a belief; when you do, it becomes rigid and stale. That proves that gurus know nothing about the Truth; if they do, they wouldn't organize or structure any form of beliefs. I'm also putting my faith on reason which I believe the now generation are more knowledgeable of than the generations of the dreadful 60s and 70s. I guess cults like the Haribols will continue to decline. Thanks for the info.