2:16 PM RELS : ISKCON Attendance No Announcements Review of last class Spiritual Quest of Generation X Hare Krishna

2:16 PM Review of last class Why did recent cults emerge? Response to cultural change Change in values Social structure Surrogate families Deinstitutionalization Religious institutions Expression of cultural continuity American Great Awakenings every 60 years or so. History of Religions: It’s always been this way.

2:16 PM Asian Influence in the USA Turn to the East in Asian Exclusion Act 1924 Asian Exclusion Act until Hinduism 4 million practicing Transcendental Meditation in the US at one point Ragneesh (“Osho” from 1989 on) Pete Townsend Pete Townsend (the Who) “Between 1969 and 1971 Townshend, along with other devotees to Meher Baba, recorded a trio of albums devoted to the yogi's teachings: Happy Birthday, I Am, and With Love.” See O ParvardigarMeher BabaHappy BirthdayI AmWith LoveO Parvardigar

1893: World Parliament of Religions Next to the World Fair in Chicago Attended by thousands Dominantly Christian, but some Shinto, Zen, Hindu practitioners. Small, unassuming Hindu was the star: Vivekananda

2:16 PM ISKCON (Hare Krishna) MantraMantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare George Harrison (After the breakup of the Beatles) My Sweet Lord All his love songs: he’s not singing to a woman. Boy George

History of Hare Krishna A sect of Hinduism. Not really a NRM. Only new to us in North America. “Hinduism” is multi-form, although now it is becoming homogenized. Krishna Consciousness is from the Middle Ages in the form of Gaudiya Vaishnava.Gaudiya Vaishnava ISKCON founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupadaA.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

2:16 PM Two styles of Hinduism: Monism & Bhakti Monism Philosophical The One (Theosophy) Rooted in the Upanishads (5 th Century BCE) Brahman is One. Chandayoga Upanishad: “Tat vam asi” “That art thou” Become ready for this by practicing yoga. Surrender to a guru. Humiliation to show non-egoism Key to salvation is knowing (knowledge) Only when you have correct knowledge do you know how to love.

2:16 PM Two styles of Hinduism: Monism & Bhakti Bhakti Devotion ISKCON falls into this category Like Christianity, with a God of Love. Out of true love comes knowledge. Bhagavad Gita Krishna plays a flute, advises Arjuna: Arjuna has a dilemma: killing relatives in battle. Lesson: no choice but to fight and fulfill your social duty as a warrior. Do your duty without concern for personal benefit. How? Focus attention on me & I will assist you to do it with purity & detachment.

Medieval Origins Krishna bhakti movement founded by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu A late medieval saint from NR India, travelled all over India; popular. Revival in late 19 th Century Caitanya initiated sankirtana a practice requiring followers to dance in the streets, singing praises of Lord Krishna.

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Had been manager in a chemical form, until his retirement in Had published in English Spiritual master was Bhaktisiddhanta (died 1936) Instructed ACB to carry the teachings of Krishna Consciousness to the West. Published Back to Godhead magazine, used to promote his movement in America. Took order of sannyasa (religious ascetic, dedicated to religious cause) at age 59.

2:16 PM Growth in America On a steamer, Prabhupada came to New York in 1965 with $50 in his pocket. Wanders around Greenwich Village Bumps into hippies, who become his first disciples. By 1967, dozens of centres 1987: 50 temples in US, 1775 other temples around world Recruited alienated youth from the counterculture. Membership began to decline in 1974 As a missionary movement, ISKCON was opportunistic in its recruitment strategies.

Appearance Sikha: Men shave head, To avoid vanity except for a tuft at the end. Signifies surrender to guru and Krishna

Appearance Dhoti: Men wear robe: white Saffron if far along. Formal wear in India. Sari Women wear traditional Indian garb Any colour, but modest

Appearance Tilak Dab of clay down the middle of forehead Reminder that body is temple of lord. Body must be pure, in all you eat & do.

2:16 PM Practices Kritan Chanting for hours to get into a state Centre of religion Prasadam Free food distribution Famous for its cuisine All food is an offering to the Lord Also, giving to emergency relief, like Red Cross.

2:16 PM Beliefs Not sophisticated doctrine Until recently, women had to hope for reincarnation as a man Emphasizes orthopraxis over orthodoxy.

2:16 PM Teachings 1. Find blissful consciousness is this lifetime. 2. We are spirit souls, parts of God. 3. Krsna is omni-everything, father & sustainer 4. Absolute truth is in all great scriptures, 1. But the Bhagavad Gita is oldest, the literal record of God’s actual words. 5. Learn from an unselfish focussed guru 6. Offer food to Krsna before entry 7. All actions are for Krsna, not for our sense gratification. 8. To achieve love of God, recommended chant Lord’s names, e.g., mantra We are in the end times; The universe is near its end (Apocalyptic)

Krishna Krsna is worshipped in one of his manifestations: a charming young man living in a village. Beautiful, mischievous, girls all in love with him. Approachably human, metaphoricized as love. You’re supposed to fall in love with him. Radha the gopi receives special favour.

2:16 PM Nature of humanity Traditional Hindu view. We are spirit souls Obtain release from this material existence if you can. A world of sadness, woe. Reincarnation is not a good thing Karma Death & the Afterlife (escaping samsara) One ceases to exist & becomes one with Krishna.

2:16 PM The Good life Highly prescriptive, puritanical religion Ascetic. Wear this, get up at this time, chant this number of mantras. Very strict dietary rules. Men & women live separately; highly chaperoned. In favour of children. The ritual is not magical; it reminds you of what your inner discipline is. Pacifist; communal.

2:16 PM Overall Particularistic religion. It’s the ultimate religion. Good book: Canadian Susan Palmer, Moon Sisters, Krishna Mothers, Rajneesh Lovers: Women's Roles in New Religions.

2:16 PM Decline Charges of brainwashing from anti-cultists Media portrayed it as a dangerous cult. Alternate fundraising Had been bookselling Branched into music, art. Dressed as Santa Claus soliciting donations Movement became financially-driven, rather than principle-driven (spreading the movement) Now, ISKCON’s sectarian lifestyle has given way to domesticity: jobs, families, etc. ISKCON’s temples are used by thousands of East Indian immigrants in North America. “A faith too accomodated to worldliness lacks power for conversion” (Rodney Stark)

Homework For Monday: Read chapter 4 in Comprehending Cults (note the change) Write quiz on Chapter 4 at For Wednesday: Read the reading on “Unification Church” and write “Reading Quiz on the Unification Church” on Moodle

2:16 PM Announcement

2:16 PM Joining NRMs: Who and Why? Stark & Bainbridge say not: Gullible Losers Everyone Not the dregs; more like the best & brightest.

2:16 PM One early theory 1. What were people lacking? 2. What does the movement offer? 3. Where do they overlap? That is where the ‘reason’ is to be found. Derived from deprived classes converting to Christian sects.

2:16 PM Then: the 60’s NRMs The converts in the 1960’s were privileged. So the theory was modified by Glock: Relative deprivation: Economic Social Organismic (health, physical, & mental) Psychic (love & affection) Ethical (dissatisfaction with dominant values)

2:16 PM 1965 Lofland & Stark John Lofland & grad student Rodney Stark Best early work on conversion. Studied a group called “Divine Precepts” (Unification Church) The very first cell of “Moonies” of them. Stark: Recent book Rise of Christianity. Predisposing conditions: 1. Tensions 2. Religious orientation 3. Seeker (already reading, investigating) Situational Contingencies: 4. Encounter 5. Bonds-making 6. Bond-breaking 7. Interacting

2:16 PM Who joins? Join through social networks. They liked the people. Left when people disappointed them. People without: Ideological alignment Other commitments (family, mortgage) With history of seekership People looking for rewards & compensations: Needs Meaning Status Other: hostile environment (Christianity?) Competition

2:16 PM Characteristics Young Even younger in the 1970’s Middle-upper middle class No appeal to working class Higher educated Balanced male-female Although Moonies started male More secular religious backgrounds But large Jewish representation, especially in Zen.

2:16 PM 1984: Two Resources Radical Departures, by Saul Levine. North American psychiatrist Good for parents of cult members. 800 interviews The Making of a Moonie by Eileen Barker British sociologist Interviewed/surveyed all Moonie attendees for 10 years. Compared with a control group.

2:16 PM Levine and Barker’s findings: Barker Respectable families Overachievers Disrupted at university (disappointed with larger world) Levine No more psychopathology than normal Overacheivers Quietly suffering in frustration for years Identify too strongly with parents They like their parents. Try to please them No strong romantic relationship in adolescence No all-nighters stoned, pondering metaphysics. 90% of joiners left voluntarily in less than 2 years.