From the Microsoft Book shelf 98 encyclopedia

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> Hare Krishna (ISKCON), religious sect derived from Vaishnavism, or

> devotion to the Hindu god Vishnu. The focus of devotion is the Hindu god

> Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu. The Krishna movement was founded in the

> United States in 1966 by Indian religious teacher A. C. Bhaktivedanta

> Swami Prabhupada, and it quickly spread throughout many major Western

> cities. Prabhupada claimed to be the latest in a line of spiritual masters

> dating from 15th-century Indian mystic Chaitanya.

> ISKCON adherents, called Hare Krishnas, devote themselves to Krishna and

> his mortal representatives in order to achieve personal peace and

> happiness. Their central text is the Bhagavad-Gita, an episode in the

> ancient Sanskrit epic the Mahabharata. Members live communally and rise at

> 3 AM for worship. They lead an ascetic, monastic life, abstaining from

> meat, drugs, and gambling. They also vow to refrain from sexual activity,

> except for the purpose of having children. They chant mantras such as

> "Hare Krishna, Hare Rama," both in private for personal purification and

> in public street processions. Men who are members of ISKCON often have

> shaven heads and wear orange robes. Women members also wear robes and must

> cover their heads. Nonreligious activities include community work,

> recruitment, and occasionally various jobs. Hare Krishnas have been

> criticized for directing their aggressive recruiting methods specifically

> toward young people. However, many Western and Indian Hindu communities

> accept Hare Krishnas as authentic Hindus.

>

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