To understand the adherents of the religious movement, new to Europe (and Russia in particular), it is necessary to find out who Krishna is. Is it God, a prophet, or one of the many idols of the Hindu pantheon? Let's figure it out. Are Hare Krishnas adherents of monotheism or do they profess polytheism? They say the cult comes from India. But the Hare Krishnas themselves declare that they believe in one God. Moreover, they assure that there is no fundamental difference between their religion and Christianity. After all, even the names of the Messiah were the same. Krishna and Christ, according to some worshipers, are two forms of the same God. Which one? Learn from this article.
What is Krsna?
Photos printed in religious literature often present to our eyes a figure of a person with a strange skin color. Translated from Sanskrit, “Krishna” means dark blue. And in religious texts, the skin color of this God is described as "similar to the blue clouds." This is what he is portrayed on the pages of the Bhagavad-gita, a book which, no doubt, can be called the Bible of Krishnaism.
But God is also a character in other religious texts. These are the Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu Purana, Mahabharata, and Harivamsa. And there is confusion for the European. In some texts, Krishna is a charming kid, playfully stealing oil from his mother, in others - a cowherd of cows and an ideal lover or courageous warrior who gives instructions to his friend Arjuna. But above all, he is the eighth avatar of Vishnu. And this last one is one of the key gods of the Hindu pantheon.
Krishna's story
According to the sacred texts, in the fourth millennium BC, Vishnu descended from the spiritual world into the material world, having been born in the form of a person in the city of Mathura, as the eighth child of Vasudeva and his wife, Princess Devaki. He came to show people his religious principles and show divine deeds. In the episode of the birth of Krishna, many similarities with the biography of Jesus Christ are indeed traced. So, his mother’s brother was predicted to die at the hands of the eighth nephew. And this king did everything to kill his sister’s child. In a slightly different way than Christ, he was saved from the death of Krishna. It was a mystical transfer of a baby to foster parents - the shepherd Nanda and his wife Yashoda. During this period of life, Krishna is portrayed as an ideal young man playing with cowherd girls and his beloved Radha. When he matured, he returned to Mathura, killed his uncle and returned the throne to his grandfather. After this, Krishna became friends with Prince Arjuna and gave him moral instruction before the Battle of Kuruksetra. But a hunter with the eloquent name "Old Age" (Jara) wounded him with his arrow.
Attributes and names of Krishna
The various branches and teachings within Hinduism give this deity different names. Avatar of Vishnu is often referred to as Gopala or Govinda. These names directly indicate a cowgirl and an ideal lover. And for the inhabitants of Orissa, Krishna is Jagannath. Vishnu has more than a thousand names, many of them are inherent in his avatar. But the Hare Krishnas have their own interpretation of the name of the deity. If you emphasize the letter “a,” the name translates as “dark blue.” And if on “and”, then Krsna means “attracting”. The attributes of the deity also depend on this interpretation. Govinda is portrayed as a beautiful dark-skinned youth, often with a flute. He stands in a relaxed position, legs crossed. Often it is painted in the company of beloved Radha. But sometimes Krsna displays the divine attributes of Vishnu - many hands, heads, or chakras.
From polytheism to monotheism
The earliest evidence of the existence of a cult of this Hindu Olympus character dates back to the fifth century BC. But gradually, the qualities of Krsna began to distinguish him from other gods. In the ninth century AD, his cult became extremely popular in South India. And after three hundred years, such religious schools as Srinathji (Rajasthan), Vithoba (Maharashtra) and Jagannath (Orissa) formed and crystallized. Krsna was endowed with such qualities as “eternal youth”, “radiating radiance”, “truth”. And finally, in the last exodus - Gaudiya Vaishnavism - he is attributed the attribute of the one God - the so-called Absolute Truth.
Western Hare Krishnas: Who are They?
In the sixty-sixth year of the last century, the preacher of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada founded the religious organization International Society for Krishna Consciousness. He fulfilled the will of his mentor Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and translated the principles of Naudiya Vaishnavism into English. At that time, Roman Christianity was in crisis. New trends have captured thirsty sacred with their exoticism. The founders of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness first registered in the USA, then similar organizations began to appear in Western Europe. With the fall of the so-called Iron Curtain, religious communities began to appear on the territory of the former Soviet Union. But these people in white and saffron robes, shaving their heads, are not the only ones who believe in Krishna. The Society of Consciousness is just one of the many religious movements within Vishnuism. They call Krsna the supreme deity, the Absolute.
Cult
As with all Hindu religions, adherents of this teaching gather in ashrams. This is not a temple in the Christian sense of the word. An ashram can be an ordinary apartment or a house. This is the place where the community gathers to engage in spiritual practices under the guidance of a guru. The word ashram itself means protection. That is, they come under the guardianship that the attracting Krishna gives. The photos, which depict ashrams, show that there is a sculptural image of a deity, often not one, but with a friend Radha. By the way, she is associated with the feminine persona of Krishna. Believers are presented with prasadam to the deity, a ritual meal that is prepared out of love for God and his children.