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A Collection of Research on the Practices of the Hindu Community of New Vrindaban The Global Leadership Center, Ohio University For the Harvard Pluralism Project

Index of Papers

Karma and Reincarnation Page 3 By Jackie Bavaro, Miaomiao Shao, and Kial Smith Marriage, Sexual Relations and Child Rearing Practices at New Vrindaban Page 14 and the Relation to America’s Religious Landscape By Erica Fletcher, Natalie Mercuri, and Monique Pelletier Vegetarianism at New Vrindaban Page 30 By Alison Davis, Roman Suer, and Jackie Wurzelbacher Gender Roles in the New Vrindaban Community Page 37 By Nina Bressau, Nicole Bersani, and Guru Amrit Khalsa Deity Worship and Worship Practices at New Vrindaban Page 52 By Laura Bevington, Tylah Deal, and Andrea Harless Prasadam in the Context of New Vrindaban Page 64 By Heather Farr, Jenna Garchar, and Michael Lupsa The Sanctity of the Cow in the Vaishnava Tradition and Page 81 This Practice at New Vrindaban By Krista Liles, Melissa Papic & Bethany Scott

Introduction His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and original leader of the Hare Krishna movement, first arrived in America in the midst of the cultural turmoil of the sixties. Swami Prabhupada’s objective was to deliver a new consciousness and raise awareness of the Hare Krishna movement, which attracted the counterculture of the western world increasingly hungry for eastern philosophy. After opening a house first in New York and then in San Francisco, Prabhupada opened the community in Marshall County, West Virginia, known as New Vrindaban (Cerrone, 2009). Traditionally, Krsna-bhakti, love of Krishna, had been known only in India, however, in the late 1960s the teachings and practices of the Hare Krishna faith sparked a new religious movement in the United States. The beliefs in karma and reincarnation are an integral part of the Hare Krishna movement in New Vrindaban. This can be seen in the daily practices of each of the devotees’ lifestyles, which are intended to demonstrate their commitment, sacrifice, and love for Lord Krishna and Krishna consciousness. In this paper we will explore the beliefs of karma and reincarnation in the New Vrindaban community as well as explain how the basic principles of karma and reincarnation influence the lives of each of the devotees. Karma and Reincarnation In the New Vrindaban community, the belief in reincarnation influences the decisions of each devotee and his or her every action. Reincarnation is the belief that when a person dies, his or her soul is “transmigrated,” or moved, from one physical body to another. The soul is defined as “a non-material, eternal spiritual entity present within any living being” (Dasa, 2010). The belief of karma is how a person acts during their lifetime. This directly affects what one is

reincarnated as in his or her next life. In order to achieve good karma, one must fulfill his or her dharma. Dharma is the relationship between an object or person and its role in the material world. It is the eternal truth, which holds all existence in proper relationships. For example, “the dharma of fire is to burn, of water is to quench, of a mother to care for her child, and so on. Thus the innate and essential nature of a thing is its dharma” (Baba, n.d). Fulfilling one’s dharma and performing one’s required role in the material world, helps to obtain good karma and continue on the spiritual journey to one day live with Krishna. The Bhagavad-Gita text is one of several foundations of the Hare Krishna movement in New Vrindaban and across the world (Olivelle, 2010). In the Bhagavad-Gita Krishna says, “Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings, nor in the future will any of us cease to be” (Bhagavad-Gita 2.12). The soul is an eternal driving force within each of us that has always existed, even before our bodies. Jagannatha Dasa, a devotee at the Columbus [Ohio] Krishna House, explained the relationship between the body and soul as being comparable to a car and its driver. The car represents the body and the soul is the driver. Though the driver is inside controlling the car, the two are separate entities. As time goes on, the car gets old and worn until it is no longer usable and the driver moves on to a new vehicle. The soul, like the driver, is a separate entity within our bodies that controls the physical being until that body grows old and worn and can no longer sustain life. The body then dies and the soul recycles into a new one. When the soul moves to a new body, it does not remember the previous life, but keeps the karma that it has earned. One belief concerns why the soul would forget its memories of its previous life upon reincarnating. One cannot remember details about events that happened weeks ago let alone years ago in a previous life. However, one does carry impressions of lessons

cows, humans, and finally demigods (Ananda Vidya, personal communication, September 29, 2010). For any being under the level of a human in the hierarchy, karma is not accumulated because that being has no free will. Without free will, the being is driven only by basic instincts: Sleeping, eating, breeding etc. The animal does not know better than to kill another animal, nor does it know devotion, and for this reason it evolves through the hierarchy until it inhabits the human form where it is to consciously reach for enlightenment (Dasa, 2009). The cycle continues until that goal is reached and the soul can escape the ties of material form to join the spiritual world. To obtain this goal, the devotees of New Vrindaban take several daily steps according to the teachings of Krishna. They attempt to free themselves of karma by performing tasks according to their temple duties, living righteously in consideration of others, constantly seeking knowledge of the divine truth, and respecting all living organisms by eating only plant- based foods from a non-violent source. Vegetarianism and the Universal Laws of Karma and Reincarnation One way the beliefs in karma and reincarnation are practiced throughout the Hare Krishna community in New Vrindaban is by following a vegetarian lifestyle that offers foods from a non-violent source in a mood of devotion to Krishna. Due to this, the Hare Krishna devotees have been the forerunners of the modern vegetarian movement in the west since the 1970s. Moreover, the Hare Krishna movement is sometimes referred to as the “kitchen religion” because of its emphasis on cooking and distributing vegetarian food (Sullivan, 1996). The vegetarianism of their devotion is based on several passages in the Bhagavad-Gita , which instructs faithful followers to eat only foods from a nonviolent source and to cook food in a

mood of devotion to God (Krishna). Thus, the Hare Krishnas believe that food is a direct way of uplifting one's consciousness, while respecting all living entities. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains much about the philosophy of Krishna consciousness in relation to vegetarianism, the nature of God and the logic of reincarnation throughout the Bhagavad Gita. Prabhupada sternly warns about the karmic danger of animal slaughter in his Bhagavad-Gita commentary stating that, “every living creature is the son of the Supreme Lord, and He does not tolerate even an ant being killed. One has to pay for it” (Rosen, 2004). It is further stated, “all those who are connected to the killing of an animal are liable - the person who gives permission for the killing, the person who kills, the person who helps, the person who purchases the meat, the person who cooks the flesh, and the person who eats it” (Smith, 2004). According to the laws of karma and reincarnation, “if an animal is killed before its allotted time in that particularly body, then it has to take birth again in the same type of body in order to be promoted upwards to the next species” (Rosen, 2004). Thus its evolution upwards through the different species of life is interrupted and slowed down. Therefore, the killing of animals to satisfy the demands of the palate is an act of both material and spiritual violence (Rosen, 2004). The book Holy Cow: The Krishna Contribution to Vegetarianism and Animal Rights, explores the spiritual dimensions of vegetarianism, with a special focus on the Hare Krishna diet. This book explains that before eating any type of food, the devotees of Krishna perform a ceremony where they offer their food to God. This religious performance sanctifies the food and frees the persons eating it from the karma involved in the collection and preparation of the ingredients.

all Hare Krishna communities including New Vrindaban, the guru is a disciple of Krishna and a spiritual master who presents the words and lessons of Krishna to each devotee (Klostermaier, 2007). A devotee advances in spiritual life by regular chanting and following the instructions given by his or her Guru in order to achieve love of Krishna. According to Hari Nam, a devotee at New Vrindaban, the Guru does not always live in the same community; most Gurus are in the renounced order. They might have a base in a particular city, but most of the time they travel from place to place spreading spiritual knowledge. The Guru does not misinterpret the words of Krishna, but transmits them exactly as they were spoken. The Guru’s business is to see that no human being suffers in this material world and no more birth, no more death, no more old age, no more disease continues. Thus the Guru takes on a very great responsibility because he must guide his disciples and enable them to become an eligible candidate for the perfect position-- immortality. Krishna says that “He delivers one from all sinful reactions after surrendering unto Him” (Bhagavad-Gita, 18. 66). At the time of initiation, a Guru accepts all karma from his devotees. As a result, a devotee is relieved of his previous karma, with the understanding that from this point on to proceed with caution. When the Guru accepts a particular person as his or her disciple, the Guru takes responsibility for that person and his or her spiritual progress. Every devotee will suffer from his or her karmic reactions and the Guru also suffers reactions due to the inappropriate behavior of his disciples. According to Vedanta-sutra , the scripture text that systematically sets forth the philosophy in a logical order, a reporter once asked Srila Prabhupada about the purpose of life. His quick reply: “The purpose of life is to enjoy” (Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12, quoted in Srimad- Bhagavatam 9.24.58, Purport). To achieve this unlimited and imperishable happiness, devotees

at New Vrindaban chant Hare Krishna everyday. They believe that they can achieve pure consciousness from chanting and hearing what sages of ancient India have for millennia called, “The Great Chant for Deliverance,” or the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. This simple sixteen-word mantra is comprised of sound vibrations powerful enough to awaken the natural happiness within everyone: “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare” According to devotees at New Vrindaban, they have learned how to chant the Hare Krishna mantra and experience this true, spiritual happiness. It is the most popular mantra in India, the homeland of meditation (Klostermaier, 2007), and differs from other systems in two ways. First, the complete mantra is chanted, and second, the mantra is chanted aloud. The Hare Krishna Chanting was introduced by the original leader of the Hare Krishna movement, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Prabhupada said that there was “nothing higher” than the happiness experienced from chanting Hare Krishna. He believed that chanting frees devotees from all karma. Devotees at New Vrindaban explained that they try to avoid all karma: good or bad. They believe that having any types of karma binds them to take another birth in the material world, which disrupts their journey to ultimately obtain pure consciousness and serve Krishna since having karma means an inevitable life cycle. The law of karma means that for every material action performed, nature forces an equivalent reaction upon the performer. The Bhagavad-Gita states, “Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer in sacrifice, whatever you give, whatever you practice as austerity, O Arjuna, do it as an offering unto Me” (Bhagavad-Gita, 9. 27). According to Tapa Punja , a Krishna devotee at New Vrindaban, followers of Hare Krishna believe that material activities can

References Cerrone, D.P. (2009). An Unexpected Journey. Winter, 28. Baba, K. (n.d.). Dharma. Retrieved from http://www.sanatansociety.org/yoga_and_meditation/hinduism_philosophy_dharma_ethics.htm Dasa, M. (2009, June 02). Changing bodies. Retrieved from http://krishna.org/changing-bodies/ Dasa, M. (2010, February 06). The scientific theory of the soul. Retrieved frok http://krishna.org/the-scientific-theory-of-the-soul/ Dasi, D-K.D. (n.d.). A sanctified union. Retrieved from http://www.krishna.com/sanctified-union Klostermaier, K.K. (2007). A survey of hinduism. Albany, NY: State of University of New York. Olivelle, P. (2010). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved October 13, 2010, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/312474/karma Prabhupada, A.C. (1972). Beyond birth and death. Singapore: The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc. Prabhupada, A.C. (1973). Choosing a spiritual master. Retrieved from http://www.harekrishna.com/col/books/SRE/SSR/guru.html Rosen, Steven. (2004). Holy cow: the hare krishna contribution to vegetarianism & animal rights. New York, New York: Lantern Books. Smith, Scott. (1991). The bhaktivedanta book trust international. Retrieved from http://198.66.252.231/col/books/VEG/ht/ Stanford, A. (1970). The bhagavad gita a new verse translation. New York: Herder and Herder New York. Sullivan, Karin. (1996, August). Hare krishnas feed the world-hare krishna food for life program. Retrieved from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0820/is_n228/ai_

Marriage, Sexual Relations and Child Rearing Practices at New Vrindaban and the Relation to America’s Religious Landscape Erica Fletcher, Natalie Mercuri, Monique Pelletier Ohio University

The Laws of Manu , Manusmrti , is an ancient text given as a religious discourse by Manu, the progenitor of mankind, as transcribed by a group of seers also known as Rishis. These laws were passed on to Manu from the god Brahma and were to be a written as a book of regulations for living a proper life (Cush, Robinson, York, 2008, p. 491). Besides the Manusmrti , the four Vedas as well as the Srimad Bhagavatam provide the devotees with the proper steps to go about courting, proposing marriage and performing the marriage ritual. It also includes the proper ways to live a fulfilling and meaningful life as a devotee. In an interview with Shankaranand Das, an ISKCON (International Society of Krishna Consciousness) council member and a member of the New Vrindaban community, what most guides the devotee’s way of living is the three modes of goodness, passion and ignorance. The three aforementioned modes each contain 6 of the 18 Puranas as established in the Vedic scriptures. Each mode provides instructions on how to live one’s life. These modes will be further discussed in the section about sexual relations (S. Das, personal communication, October 27, 2010). Courting Unless a man chooses to renounce his life and live as a Sannyasi , or hermit, he is required to marry. Although the women who follow the Sanatan Dharma religion are required to take the same steps as men, in order to obtain Moksha , they are all expected to marry and it is only in very rare instances that a woman would take up the life of a Sannyasi. Within the New Vrindaban community their way of living does not differ too significantly from traditional American way of life. Dating usually takes place before a couple commits to marriage and having children. However, the proper steps must be taken before the courting can take place. To begin dating there is a web of permission that a man must obtain before he asks the woman on a date. If the woman is living in the temple the man must first ask the temple president, then the

closest male (either father or eldest brother, if the father is unavailable) and finally the mother for permission to date her daughter and if permission is granted from all three of those people then the couple can begin courting. This is not only a sign of respect but also creates awareness for the community. It is taboo for a couple to date without obtaining permission and if the couple is seen holding extended conversations or engaging in any type of relations they will no longer be able to participate in any of the rituals or services of the community/temple (S. Das, personal communication, October 27, 2010). Courting Rituals As with the Sanatan Dharma tradition, Krishna Consciousness requires that once a woman marries she is expected to leave her parents and begin a new life in her husband’s home (Jarayam, 2010). This is not typically the case at New Vrindaban because there are not very many extended families. Normally, once a couple marries at New Vrindaban they find their own home on or near the temple grounds (S. Das, personal communication, October 27, 2010). One requirement that Krishna’s devotees must follow before going through with their marriage is the rite of Siddhanta, or Vedic astrology. This practice is fundamental to the success of any relationship. Shankaranand Das emphasized the importance of being astrologically compatible with one’s partner for the growth and development of a relationship to take place. If a couple is not compatible it is likely that a Purohit , or a devotee entitled to perform a marriage ceremony, may or may not marry the couple. The purpose of marriage is to fulfill the needs of the soul in order to elevate one’s consciousness. Within the Hare Krishna community those who decide to marry outside of normal traditions or take part in any action that is deemed inappropriate for devotees are said to be engaging in Preya. Preya is the practice of letting one’s impulses guide his or her decision-making. While these deviant actions may or may not bring one any physical

Daiva marriage. Stephanie Jamison the author of Sacrificed Wife/Sacrificer’s Wife: Women, Ritual and Hospitality in Ancient India notes, “What distinguishes these types from each other are the occasion and circumstances under which the bride comes into the groom’s possession” (as cited in Cush, Robinson, & York, 2008, p. 210-211). Brahma marriage is the most recognized marriage within Sanatan Dharma /Hare Krishna in which the father honors his daughter by giving her away to a man of Vedic learning and high moral standing. The Daiva rite is the gift of an ornamented daughter, who decided along with the groom they wanted to be married, to a priest who officiates a proper ceremony. Arsa marriage is recognized as a legal practice in India today where the bride is given as a gift to a bridegroom in exchange for a bull and a cow. The Prajapatya marriage is when the bride’s father gives her to a man with the stated and understood expectation that they will live together to fulfill their religious duties. These four marriage rites are recognized as legal practice by ISKCON as well as in most countries, while the later three are considered to be illegal means of marriage although some religious texts state otherwise. The Asura rite is historically the most practiced Sanatan Dharma marriage rite and is the same as the dowry system wherein the groom gives the bride’s family as much as he can afford then the bride is given away to the groom. The Gandharva rite is a marriage that arises from lust in which the couple will marry in order to consummate their relationship so that they may engage in sexual intercourse. Rakshasa marriage is the forced abduction “of a maiden, weeping and wailing, from her house, after smashing and cleaving and breaking (her relatives and household)” (Cush, Robinson, York, 2008, p. 211). Finally, Pishacha marriage, as stated in Manusmrti 3:34, is defined as, “When a man by stealth seduces a girl who is sleeping,

intoxicated or disordered in intellect”; or basically raping the woman after which he is required to marry her (Buhler, 1886). Homosexuality While New Vrindaban openly welcomes people of all race, religion and sexual orientation it is not seen as an acceptable behavior to engage in any homosexual relations. In an interview with Madhupati Das, a devotee and member of the New Vrindaban community since its inception, he referenced the idea that what one does in the privacy of his or her own home is their personal behavior and there are no “gay police” to monitor their actions. According to the teachings of Srila Prabhupada, the leader of the Hare Krishna movement in America, a man is the protector of his family, community and self. When a man or woman engages in homosexuality s/he cannot engage in rightful sexual and relational behavior, thus s/he cannot fulfill her/his spiritual duties and will be unable to reach Moksha (M. Das, personal communication, October 27, 2010). Divorce In relation to remarriage and divorce the regulations about the appropriate means for leaving one’s spouse are also outlined in the Manusmrti. Contrary to the teachings in the Manusmrti , the Vedas emphasize that if one follows the correct procedures suitable for marriage, such as the astrological compatibility, then there will be no conflict that the couple cannot resolve. At New Vrindaban, specifically, marriage is a rite in which all the community comes to participate and reaffirm the union. When a couple decides to divorce it is seen as disrespect not only to the community but to the gods as well who were called upon to bless the wedding (M. Das, personal communication, October 27, 2010).