Bhaktivedanta Ashram ISKCON Adelaide

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ISKCON, or the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, is a worldwide spiritual and religious movement that promotes the worship of Lord Krishna and the practice of bhakti yoga, which is the yoga of devotion and love for God. Commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement, ISKCON is well-known for its distinctive practices, including the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra and its vibrant, joyful festivals.

ISKCON is a global spiritual movement that focuses on devotion to Lord Krishna through practices like chanting, worship, and service. It has played a vital role in promoting the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita and the practice of bhakti yoga around the world. ISKCON continues to be a vibrant and active religious organization with a strong commitment to spiritual growth and the well-being of all beings.

ISKCON is part of the Gaudiya, or Chaitanya Vaishnava, tradition, which hails from the eastern regions of India. Gaudiyas place special emphasis on the teachings of 16th Century saint and avatar, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Gaudiya Vaishnavism in turn gave rise to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), which was founded by Srila Prabhupada in 1966.

God is known across the world by many names including Allah, Jehovah, Yahweh, Rama, etc. ISKCON devotees chant God’s names in the form of the maha-mantra, or the great prayer for deliverance: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Members of ISKCON practice bhakti-yoga in their homes and also worship in temples. They also promote bhakti-yoga, or Krishna Consciousness, through festivals, the performing arts, yoga seminars, public chanting, and the distribution of the society’s literatures. ISKCON members have also opened hospitals, schools, colleges, eco-villages, free food distribution projects, and other institutions as a practical application of the path of devotional yoga.

ISKCON belongs to the Gaudiya-Vaishnava sampradāya, a monotheistic tradition within the Vedic or Hindu culture. Philosophically it is based on the Sanskrit texts Bhagavad-gītā and the Bhagavat Purana, or Srimad Bhagavatam. These are the historic texts of the devotional bhakti yoga tradition, which teaches that the ultimate goal for all living beings is to reawaken their love for God, or Lord Krishna, the “all-attractive one”.