When I began my doctoral work at Harvard, I quickly learned that ISKCON was a laughing stock in my department. Devotees would come to Harvard Square to jump and run around, banging on drums. We all know the story.
… Can we move off the margins, and be seen more than a fringe group?
Many ISKCON leaders are urging that we give much greater support to ISKCON rural development and cow protection. These are noble goals indeed, but here are some real, practical problems in fostering such a “change of consciousness” among devotees: … Facing the Reality and ISKCON Rural Communities
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It is well known that to get a clear understanding of Prabhupada’s view on a particular topic, we must look at all his statements on that topic. Prabhupada clearly taught that we follow guru-sadhu-shastra, and he made equally clear that … Species Equality Does not Lead to Social or Political Equality
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It is well known that to get a clear understanding of Prabhupada’s view on a particular topic, we must look at all his statements on that topic. Prabhupada clearly taught that we follow guru-sadhu-shastra, and he made equally clear that … What is Shastra?
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I feel it’s an unfortunate aspect of ISKCON culture that it marginalizes raganuga-sadhana (particularly in madhurya-bhava) to the point it appears non-existent and even undesirable.
Regarding the statement that Raganuga-bhakti is marginalized, that may be a good thing because it should be, literally, at the margins, and not in the center of a large, sprawling, and largely neophyte spiritual society. A margin is “an edge or border” not in itself pejorative, though the verb “marginalize” may have negative connotations.
… Raganuga-bhakti in ISKCON
