What is Hare Krishna?

Krishna is a name of the Supreme. It means “all-attractive”. Anything that might attract you has its source in the Supreme. Therefore the Supreme is also known as Rama. “Rama” means “the highest eternal pleasure.”

All of us are pleasure-seeking creatures. So you can say that directly or indirectly we are all seeking Krishna. Chanting Hare Krishna is a way of seeking Krishna directly.

As for the word “Hare”, it's a call to Krishna's divine energy. Just as the sun shines forth to us through its energies like heat and light, the Supreme reveals Himself through His multitude of energies. If the Supreme is the source of everything, then whatever we see – and even what we don't see – belongs to the energy of the Supreme.

Now we're trying to exploit that energy, but the more we try the more entangled we get and the more complex our life becomes. But when we place ourselves in harmony with Krishna and Krishna's energy, we return to our natural, pure state of consciousness. This is what we call “Krishna consciousness.”

Krishna consciousness is not something imposed on the mind. On the contrary, it's already inside of each of us, waiting to come out, like fire in a match. Chanting Hare Krishna brings out that natural, pure state of mind.

The chant is called a mantra, a vibration of sound that cleanses the mind, freeing it from anxiety and illusion. And this is a mantra anyone can chant. It's for people of all religions, all nations, all colors, and both sexes. No need to pay any fees, join any group, or turn your life upside down. Whoever you are, whatever you do, you can try the chanting for yourself and experience its result.

Krishna and His energy are fully present in the sound of the mantra, so even if we don't know the language or intellectually understand how it works, by coming in touch with Krishna we'll become happy, and our life will become sublime.

You Are Not Your Body

life we're living now is not our only one. We've been through many. The spark of awareness within us – the self, or soul, or whatever you want to call it – has no beginning and no end. No knife can cut it, no fire can burn it, no wind can blow it away.

But that spark of life keeps moving on from one body to the next. At one time you have the body of a child. Then you move on to a young person's body. Then to a middle-aged body and then to the body of an old person. Yet in all those bodies you feel yourself to be the same you. Because you are the same you. Only your body has changed.

Your body changes, and you're always the same. So you and your body are different. You are not your body.

The final change of body is what we call “death”. But it's not really final. It's only another transition, another move. Just as you change from childhood to youth to old age, at death you move on to go through the cycle again, with birth in another body.

What we do in this life sets us on our way to the next, just as what we do in school gets us ready for where we go when our schooling is over. In our next life we can go up, or we can go down. Or we can get free from the cycle altogether.

A Pure Way of Life

All initiated devotees of the Hare Krishna movement vow to follow four rules:

No gambling

In Krishna consciousness, you're trying to purify your mind to make it clear and steady for spiritual realization. But gambling makes the mind cloudy. It agitates the mind. You start thinking: What are my chances? How much could I walk off with? What could I do with my winnings? Even if you just play for the sake of playing, gambling pulls the mind away from thinking about the real purpose of life.

No intoxication

No drugs, no liquor, not even coffee, tea, or cigarettes. The world is already high enough – high on illusion, high on greed, high on false power and false ego. The devotee of Krishna wants to be thoughtful, sober.

Material substances like drugs are useless for spiritual realization. They can bend the mind, but they can't free it. They may take you up, but sooner or later they let you down.

The self within is by nature joyful. So we don't need any material stuff to make us happy. We just need to purify ourselves and uncover the happiness that's already there.

No meat-eating

No meat, no fish, no eggs. Devotees of Krishna avoid needless violence. They see other creatures as spiritual living beings. Though these creatures may be less intelligent than we, they are also God's children, our brothers and sisters. So why should we kill them? If a child were to kill a less intelligent brother, do you think the father would be pleased?

By the subtle laws of karma, the suffering we cause others will come back looking for us.

By nature's arrangement we have plenty of fruits, vegetables, grains, milk products, and other innocent food. We should content ourselves with this and be happy.

No illicit sex

Everything has its place, and that includes sex. When sex takes place within marriage, and for the sake of having children, it's fine. You're accepting the pleasure, and you're accepting the responsibility.

Otherwise, sex brings about entanglement, exploitation, disappointment, and illusion. For spiritual advancement, you want to simplify your life and bring your mind and senses under your control. Being temperate about sex helps you.

Lord Krishna, Source of Immortal Wisdom

Though Krishna, transcendent, exists beyond the limits of time, space, and matter, He had come to this world to play the role of Arjuna's charioteer and to enlighten him.

At the onset of a battle, a battle between Arjuna and his own friends and relatives, Arjuna lost his composure. Surveying the two armies, he was overwhelmed by the pointlessness of what was about to occur. His skin shivering, his mind reeling, tears welling into his eyes, he dropped his bow and sank to the seat of the chariot.

Then, in the midst of the two armies, Lord Krishna spoke to Arjuna the words that have come down to us as the book known as Bhagavad-gita.

Lord Krishna spoke about the meaning of life, the subtle workings of creation, and the understanding of a self- realized soul. He spoke of the science of yoga in all its forms – the path of work, the path of knowledge, the path of mysticism, the path of devotion.

And at last Lord Krishna revealed Himself before Arjuna as the source of everything, the eternal form of the Supreme, the Personality of Godhead.

The Best Food in the World

The Hare Krishna people live on food that's natural, healthy, nonviolent, and – yes – cheap. And for taste alone, it's great!

On the menu: wholesome foods like fruits, grains, vegetables, milk products, made into meals of countless varieties. No meat, fish, or eggs. And you don't miss them. (You're too satisfied.)

This is a diet that respects the earth and its creatures – and you.

No fads here, no experimental diets. This is a way of eating that people have thrived on – physically and spiritually – for tens of centuries. It has stood the test of time.

When Krishna devotees cook, they cook with devotion, because they're cooking for Krishna. The food is first for Krishna's enjoyment. Then you enjoy it, and the spiritual taste comes through. You can taste it every week at the Sunday feast held at every Hare Krishna center. Or visit one of the justly famous Hare Krishna restaurants.

If everyone ate like the Hare Krishna people, the world would be happier, healthier, more peaceful, and more pure. The Krishna diet. Try it! 

About Books

The Hare Krishna philosophy comes from books people have turned to for enlightenment for thousands of years. Going beyond mushy religious faith and dry intellectual speculation, these books present a science of spiritual understanding, at once practical and profound.

They address the most important questions in human life: Who am I? Why am I here? What is the purpose of life? At the same time, they delve into psychology, politics, love, art, cosmology, yoga – the list of topics could go on and on.

These books are classics of spiritual understanding – Bhagavad-gita, the Upanisads, the Puranas. Written originally in Sanskrit, they have been given to us by Srila Prabhupada with the original text, a clear English translation, and an explanation for each verse.

Scholars honor these books. Readers seeking to understand themselves and the world more deeply will find these books invaluable.