ISKCON / The Hare Krishnas

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