SuperstarNeilC
Well-known member
Why I Left The Hare Krishna Cult
There is a compelling and maybe hypnotic appeal with that type of music or chanting. I guess it depends on how far you take it. I enjoyed it and listened to it a few times over.
As one of the world's most fanatic Beatle's fan; I gotta say I never understood just where George Harrison stood with this cult. He helped them out financially and in other ways but was he ever a member? He never had to shave his head, he messed around a bit with women, smoked, had the occasional beer, and even got into snorting coke. And yet many leaders of this cult were among his lifelong friends. When he was in airplanes other passengers would have to put up with his chanting.
He sort of struck me as a cross between Chick Corea and Will Smith. He straddled the line between being a member and being his own person. One thing that was consistent was his refusal to eat meat.
In spite of all that, he is George Harrison and he is missed.
According to the ex, in the video above, Hare Krishna cult founder Prabhupada was “evil”.
The ex emphasises, however, that chanting the Hare Krishna mantra is spiritually beneficial.
George Harrison used the mantra as a central hub of his song My Sweet Lord.
Here’s a wonderful moving version, with his son, Dhani, on guitar
A few years ago I was doing a study of Buddhism and came across this chant. The version I saw had an English translation and it was quite nice, "Homage to The Buddha, the Great Teacher of gods and men . . . etc."There is a compelling and maybe hypnotic appeal with that type of music or chanting. I guess it depends on how far you take it. I enjoyed it and listened to it a few times over.
A question for the ex might be does he believe that chanting to other deities is also spiritually beneficial. If not then he may be in the "Hare Krishna Freezone" with other beliefs being unaçceptable. He ends the video with prayer hands and says "Hare Krishna". He's identified the worst parts of the organization and people involved but apparently still favors the basic belief which I guess is a "Love of Krishna" which he mentions is his belief. Krishna Consciousness.The ex emphasises, however, that chanting the Hare Krishna mantra is spiritually beneficial.
This was a 45 (remember them?), from the summer of 1970 and part of an album produced by George Harrison. He plays acoustic guitar on it somewhere, or so I've read. At the time, Rolling Stone Magazine gave it a favourable review. The writer said that it reminded him of the Moody Blues or King Crimson. In some strange way it reminds me of the Beatles.There is a compelling and maybe hypnotic appeal with that type of music or chanting. I guess it depends on how far you take it. I enjoyed it and listened to it a few times over.
l asked him, in the comments section under the video, “Does he think chanting the Hare Krishna mantra is spiritually beneficial ?”A question for the ex might be does he believe that chanting to other deities is also spiritually beneficial.
Thanks! It's good to know that he's not stuck in Hare Krishna as a one size fits all religious belief and practice. He's apparently spent a lot of his adult life studying, contemplating and practicing some forms of Hindu philosophy and religion and is willing to accept variations. Like all ex cultists it seems he is still working things out and says he is going to make another video.l asked him, in the comments section under the video, “Does he think chanting the Hare Krishna mantra is spiritually beneficial ?”
He replied:
”Yes I think its equally helpful as chanting things like Om Namo Narayana, Namo Amithaba, Om Mani Padme Hum, La Illaha Illah La. Whichever religion you choose.”
When there used to be a programme on BBC Radio 4 looking into the various cults, the cultwatch (or whatever it was called) spokesperson said that the Krishnas were right at the top of their list of undesirable cults simply because their regime is so harsh and spartan. They're on their feet 12 or more hours a day, chanting and trying to make converts.
On the other hand, I loved their vegetarian restaurant "Govindas" whenever I was in London. Not only was the food good and excellent value for money, but possibly because of the spirituality of the people working there there was a tangible sense of peace that used to envelop you whenever you went in there (the restaurant was in the basement of the London Temple in Soho Square). Oh, don't call it food while you're there btw; it's "prasadam".
Apart from George Harrison, another very prominent member was the singer of the punk rock band X-Ray Spex, Polly Styrene. Her mentor in the cult was a woman who used to be in the Israeli army, so she certainly didn't have it easy.
(I think Boy George might have been as well, though I'm not sure.)
Trivia update - While scanning the Haight Ashbury link Xenu Xenu Xenu posted I came across this comment:(I think Boy George might have been as well, though I'm not sure.)
Yes, as someone said above it's not clear how strictly Harrison adhered to the ISKCON precepts. I don't think he ever had a teacher as such in the faith, so he more or less decided for himself what to do and what not to (he went vegetarian, for instance, and I believe he gave a lot to charity).Trivia update - While scanning the Haight Ashbury link Xenu Xenu Xenu posted I came across this comment:
"Despite their wholesome hippie image of sandal-wearing vegetarians who like nothing more than wandering through the streets chanting and hitting drums, ISKCON have some rather socially-regressive views on sexuality. Though there are LGBT-affirming trends within ISKCON, the general attitude towards homosexuality is that it goes against the teachings of Krishna. The pop star Boy George was rejected by the group because of his sexuality and told that he must either become celibate or marry a woman.[5]
That said, it isn't just gay sex they don't like: non-procreative heterosexual sex is bad too. Not big fans of sex in general then. Rather a strange religion for the writer of "Love You To", no?"
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being in a relaxed, accepting state. The problem is when those around a person encourage the state in order to impose their opinions or selfish motives or some sort of control over the person.As an aside someone once posted an article to the effect of "What are we doing to ourselves with meditation?" It suggested that taking some forms of meditation to the extreme could put one in a form of self hypnosis or other states of mind with possible negative effects. That was one of the few negative commentaries I've read about meditation and it might also apply to chanting. Michael, the ex Hare Krishna, makes some mention of people in his group saying how happy and wonderful they felt when to his observation that wasn't the case and they were easily thrown off track.