ISKCON / The Hare Krishnas
Special Guest: Dani Morningstar
Dani started going to the Hare Krishna temple in Christchurch, New Zealand, as a child, to take part in their Sunday Feast with her single mother. She soon decided that she wanted to join, and started spending more and more of her time there. While she was only involved for a few years, now in her 40s Dani is discovering aspects of the teachings that still impact her life today.
EPISODE DETAILS
Written and Hosted by Sarah Steel
Music by Joe Gould
Part 1
February 12th, 2025
37 mins 2 secs
Part 2
February 19th, 2025
46 mins 51 secs
Season 7
Transcript released with Part 2
Episode presenting partner:
ABOUT THIS EPISODE
When asked about the Hare Krishnas, most people will conjure images of dancing, chanting people with colourful robes and joyful dispositions. Members of the general public, whom Hare Krishnas refer to as 'karmis', may have encountered devotees through their vegetarian food offerings at music festivals or city restaurants. Their anti-LGBTQI+ and patriarchal beliefs, as well as the darker aspects of their history – including horrifying stories of abuse, and even murders – come as a surprise to many.
If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you’re in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com).
EPISODE LINKS
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada – Biography and Teachings — The Gaudiya Treasures of Bengal, accessed January 2025
Srila Prabhupada Lectures — excerpts on Vaniquotes, accessed January 2025
Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in the USA — by Ramai Swami, 27 September 2021
Srila Prabhupada Japa 16 Rounds 1728 - Hare Krishna Maha Mantra — Swami and Mission YouTube channel, 24 May 2023
The Perils of Succession: Heresies of Authority and Continuity In the Hare Krishna Movement — by Tamal Krishna Goswami, ISKCON Communications Journal, Vol. 5, No. 1, June 1997
GEORGE v. INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS OF CALIFORNIA (1992) — Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division 1, California
Authoritarian Culture and Child Abuse in ISKCON — by Nori J. Muster, Cultic Studies Review, 3(1), 2004
Children of ISKCON vs. ISKCON complaint — Plaintiffs’ original petition in the Dallas lawsuit, Surrealist.org, filed 25 October 2001
How I Once Was a Hare Krishna… — by Christopher Fici, Medium, 7 January 2023
Satya’s Statements — Lokanath Swami’s Child Molestation Case, 11 July 2010
ISKCON GBC DECISION REGARDING LOKANATH SWAMI — Lokanath Swami’s Child Molestation Case, 20 July 2022
Holy Cow, Swami — documentary by Jacob Young, 1996
Governing Body Commission Resolutions — ISKCON, March 1987
'It's latent misogyny': Hare Krishnas divided over whether to allow female gurus — by Jordan Blumetti, The Guardian, 4 June 2019
Chicago television interview with Prabhupada — audio recording via Vanisource, 9 July 1975
Women–Materially Speaking–Are Less Intelligent than Men — Krishna.org, accessed January 2025
ISKCON Imposes Ban on Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami for Sexual Abuse of Minor and Leadership Abuse — ISKCON News, 14 November 2022
History — ISKCON Child Protection Office, accessed January 2025
Subject: Resignation from the Position of ISKCON UK Child Protection Director — Dakshina Prabhu’s resignation letter, shared by Vedic Inquirer on Facebook 10 January 2025
GBC Statement on the Enhanced Approach for Child Protection — undated, Dandavats, accessed January 2025
GBC EC Releases Statement on Enhanced Approach for Child Protection — ISKCON News, 24 January 2025
GBC’s Untruthful “Account of Incident” — Lokanath, 25 February 1999
Here Comes the Sun: The Spiritual and Musical Journey of George Harrison — by Joshua Greene, Bantam, 2006
ISKCON Revival Movement — restoration sect website, accessed January 2025
Child Abuse in the Hare Krishna Movement: 1971-1986 — by E. Burke Rochford, Jr. with Jennifer Heinlein, ISKCON Communications Journal, Vol. 6, #1, June 1998
ISKCON's Response to Child Abuse: 1990-1998 — by Bharata Shrestha dasa, ISKCON Communications Journal, Vol. 6, #1, June 1998
Children of ISKCON vs. ISKCON Timeline — Surrealist.org (Nori Muster’s website), accessed January 2025
A Test of Faith: Allegations of past child abuse threaten Hare Krishnas' existence — by Don Lattin, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 February 2001
Holy abuse — by Peter Brandt, Salon.com, 2 July 2001
Tortured Souls — by Mark Donald, Dallas Observer, 6 December 2001
Jagadananda Das Statement on Child Abuse in Mayapur Gurukula — recorded on Surrealist.org from Facebook, 23 May 2016
Dial Om for Murder — by John Hubner & Lindsey Gruson, Rolling Stone, Issue 497, 1987
Stuck in the Middle: Research and Religion Clash as Scholar E. Burke Rochford Uncovers Uncomfortable Truths — by Kim Asch, Middlebury College Magazine, Vol. 75, No. 4, 2001
ISKCON’s listings in Australia’s National Redress Scheme — accessed January 2025
Hare Krishnas in trouble — The Religion Report, ABC Radio National, 20 February 2002
Tarnished leader — by Martin Daly, The Age, 18 June 2000
Factsheet: Iskcon and the Hare Krishna movement — New Religion Media Centre, 3 July 2019
Belief: Hare Krishnas in contemporary Australia — ABC Education, 29 March 2022
Child Abuse Victims to sue ISKCON — by Arthur J. Pais, Rediff, 15 June 1999
Frequently asked questions — ISKCON Revival Movement, accessed January 2025
Religion: Control Stressed at Krishna Children’s School — by Eleanor Blau, The New York Times, 25 November 1973
CPO Office Donations — by Jiva Goswami Dasa, Vaishnava News, 1 March 2004
ISKCON Leaders were Forced to Come to the Table — by Gadadhar Das, Harekrsna.com Editorials, 5 March 2012
MM Ep.18 Educate the Children with Love-Spotlighting Child Protection' with Dhira Govinda Das — Many Moons podcast, 28 February 2023
Young Victims of Krishna Consciousness — by Julia Lieblich, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 1999
The Meaning of "Prabhupada" — The Prabhupada Connection, accessed January 2025
Biography of Srila Prabhupada — ISKCON GBC, accessed January 2025
Srila Prabhupada — ISKCON Founder-Acharya, accessed January 2025
Letter to Bali-mardana — from Prabhupada, Bombay, 31 December, 1972
ISKCON Cult Unveiled — blog by former ISKCON member, accessed January 2025
Why ISKCON Needs to be on Guard Against “Cultic Behavior” — by Anuttama Dasa, ISKCON News, 26 July 2024
The Krishna Cult — by Paul Ford, Mad After Krishna, 1994
GBC Members — ISKCON Governing Body Commission website, accessed January 2025