Hare Krishna

Xenu Xenu Xenu

Well-known member

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.
 

SuperstarNeilC

Well-known member
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
 
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Zertel

Well-known member
He does a good job of pointing out the abuses and cult aspects of Hare Krishna. Not to be too critical but I couldn't help but notice his Krishna-like body language if there is such a thing with slow, deliberate hand movements, hand clasping and so on. For most people if their ear itches they quickly scratch it and continue talking. lol

In the late 1970's I was living in LA and studying and co-auditing at ASHO. In the course of events I came across some Krishnas marching around on a sidewalk and I decided to talk to one of them. At the time I never proselytized but I believed I was on the right path and that everyone should eventually "do scientology" and since the Krishnas were obviously cultists I might "impinge" on one of them by discussing scn. The dude I spoke with knew a bit about scn and we had a bit of a chat. His basic criticism of scn was, as he put it, "Philosophy without God is empty" so he wasn't ready to convert.
 
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Zertel

Well-known member

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.
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.
 

I told you I was trouble

Suspended animation.
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


Yes, it's beautiful ... the whole of that Concert for George is brilliant.

 

Zertel

Well-known member
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 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."

One time I sat down and hummed and chanted along with it and got up to 80 repetitions. Not for everybody - haha

 
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Cat's Squirrel

Well-known member
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.)
 
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Zertel

Well-known member
The ex emphasises, however, that 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. 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.
 
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Xenu Xenu Xenu

Well-known member
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.
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.
 

SuperstarNeilC

Well-known member
A question for the ex might be does he believe that chanting to other deities is also spiritually beneficial.
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.”
 

Zertel

Well-known member
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.”
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.

People perceive a "Creator" in many different forms as perceived through their cultural filters. A scn friend told me his brother was some form of born again Christian. He would get on the telephone with one of his other born again friends and they would say and even shout "Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!" back and forth at each other, maybe hoping to go into some form of ecstasy or rapture or something. Chanting the Hare Krishna mantra or some other mantra would be a much more subtle version to say the least.
 
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Zertel

Well-known member
Since the subject came up I looked into what was the meaning of the Hare Krishna mantra. From some snippets from Wiki it seems that it's chanting three synonyms or maybe two synonyms and a calling or addressing of "God".

From wiki:

Harā refers to "the energy/shakti of Supreme Personality of Godhead" while Krishna and Rama refer to Supreme Godhead Himself, meaning "He who is All-Attractive" and "He who is the Source of All Pleasure".[9][10] In the hymn Vishnu Sahasranama spoken by Bhishma in praise of Krishna after the Kurukshetra War, Krishna is also called Rama.[11]


Here is the chant with a commentary.

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami describes the process of chanting the Maha [Great] Mantra as follows:

Krishna consciousness is not an artificial imposition on the mind; this consciousness is the original energy of the living entity. When we hear the transcendental vibration, this consciousness is revived ...[]... This chanting of 'Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare' is directly enacted from the spiritual platform, and thus this sound vibration surpasses all lower strata of consciousness – namely sensual, mental, and intellectual ...[]... As such anyone can take part in the chanting without any previous qualification.[13]

 
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Zertel

Well-known member
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.
 
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Zertel

Well-known member
I wonder what Michael would think if he knew that his video is being discussed on a Scientology message board. He might be happy to know that his criticism of Hare Krishna has spread to another corner of the internet. Maybe someone will inform him.
 
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Zertel

Well-known member
Just to ramble on a bit longer, at some time in the 1980's which was some years after I split scn I tried Transcendental Meditation for about two months but got bored with it. Compared to scn auditing it wasn't too exciting.

In TM a teacher or whatever they're called gives you a "sound" which you think over and over while meditating and taking it "deeper and deeper". When the internet came along I did some research and it turns out that my "sound" was the name of some Hindu goddess. I guess they figured I didn't need to know that when I signed up. 😇
 
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Xenu Xenu Xenu

Well-known member

I apologize for all their “change ups” which is stealing… the compromising principles in order to bring in money…. for them hiding that they were devotees on sankirtan…. for how they mislead people with wrong definitions and obvious untruths…..

For them harassing people because they wanted the amount of sleep that is scientifically proven to be necessary for good health, especially for young people…

I apologize for the devotees who did NOT get medical treatment… especially one who was a beautiful person who needlessly died as a very young man….

Yes I know that sometimes there are two sides to the story but after being in the Scientology cult, I tend to be very suspicious of any cult and I do not believe there is such a thing as a harmless cult. At the very least, a person is wasting precious time that they will never get back.

The above excerpts sound predictably similar to a certain cult that I do know something about.


Hare Krishna Cult Recruiting in Haight Ashbury San Francisco (culteducation.com)

2017 The Hare Krishna Sect Is In San Francisco -- Targeting Tourists Not Flower Children.

Friends, if you have met a Hare Krishna outreacher, you need to know that they are taught to lie to outsiders in order to recruit them.

A Hare Krishna outreach person will charm you and delight you, will be intelligent and lucid.

That person will not tell you the full history of the Hare Krishna movement.

He or she may not know that full history themselves -- because their own recruiters did not tell them, and once in the cult, they are kept too busy to do outside reading - or research.


Yeah, sounds familiar.
 

Zertel

Well-known member
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.)
(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:

"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?"
 

Cat's Squirrel

Well-known member
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?"
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).
 
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D

Deleted member 51

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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.
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.

And yet the good feeling/energy and openness is amplified by having others around sharing in the same good vibes and peaceful relaxation.
 
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