The Meaning Behind New Vrindaban
The Meaning Behind New Vrindaban
"Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare"
-This chant is regularly uttered by devotees of the Hare Krishna faith. It is uttered during prayer, usually while kneeling with one's head on the floor, or laying prostrate in submission to Krishna.
What is the Hare Krishna Movement?
The Hare Krishna Movement, also known as Krishna Consciousness and/or The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), was founded by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in 1966 in New York City. It is a division of the monotheistic tradition in Vedic/Hindu culture known as Gaudiya-Vaishnava sampradāya. The teachings of the Hare Krishna movement are based on the Bhagavad-gītā, a specific book in the bhakti yoga tradition. The movement spreads globally consisting of 500 major centers globally. [9]
The Principles of the Hare Krishna Faith
The Hare Krishna devotees believe that goal of all people should be to reawaken their love for God (god being Krishna).
They believe that eating and cooking are both sacred experiences. The preparation and consumption of food is based on compassion, non-violence, and balance. This means that devotees subscribe to a vegetarian life style. Additionally, devotees offer their food to the god Krishna prior to consumption to free their soul of sin.
They also believe that the soul is reincarnated after death. It is believed that when someone dies their life plays out before them; it then stops on whatever they care most about in this world and the soul is then reincarnated into that moment for their next life.
Karma and karmic debt govern the beliefs and actions of Hare Krishna devotees. Karma is believed to be a universal law that keeps the world in balance. When someone acts in pious ways they are rewarded with good karma. If someone is impious and sinful they are punished with an accumulation of bad Karma. Karma carries from one life to the next, and the ultimate goal of reincarnation is to eventually reduce karmic debt to nothing. Individuals can free their souls of perpetual karmic action and reaction through devotion, bhakti-yoga, and spiritual acts of service to Krishna. These acts are believed to purify the soul and eventually awaken the innate love of Krishna. When this occurs the soul will no longer chose to inhabit a material body (which is by nature destined to enter the karmic cycle of action and reaction) and the soul will exist in a world beyond the physical.
The Hare Krishna devotees also adhere to the belief that cows are sacred. They believe that female cows are maternal figures because they nourish people with their milk and should be treated as a mother would be. The male bull is viewed as a paternal figure and should be respected for their labor in tilling the fields.
They also believe in Bhakti Yoga which allows a devotee to connect to Krishna through loving devotional service.
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Physical Location/Environment
New Vrindaban was built on a remote farm in West Virginia, after Kirtanananda purchased a 99 year lease on the property, through what is widely considered questionable means. The location was appealing in part because of its isolation and openness.
It is surrounded by forests and initially was inaccessible by car. The only way to reach New Vrindaban was by a 2 mile walk primarily uphill.
Now the center of New Vrindaban, the Radha Krishna Temple, Swan Lake, and Prabhupada's Palace of Gold, are surrounded by the expansion and history of the development of New Vrindaban itself. West of the Palace of Gold are the frames of temples being currently contrasted.
Significance
Spiritual- New Vrindaban is a spiritual community dedicated to the god Krishna and founder Swami Prabhupada. It was intended to be a spiritual community in which devotees could live, worship, and find inner peace. Many of the components that make up New Vrindaban are of spiritual significance, with spiritual symbolism and monuments throughout the community. Devotees dedicate themselves to a life without drugs, sex, alcohol, and meet and pray routinely while siting the Hare Krishan chant (see above).
Historical- Though New Vrindaban was supposed to be a community of peace and love its founder, Kirtanananda, engaged in many illegal activities that ultimately lead to his arrest and, subsequently, had detrimental impacts on New Vrindavan's legacy and population. New Vrindaban was raided by the FBI in 1987 and enough evidence was gathered to file the largest trademark infringement case in US history. Historically New Vrindaban has been analyzed as an example of cult power and the effects of "deranged devotion."
Cultural- The Hare Krishna movement was brought to the United States by Swami Prabhupada in 1965. He wanted to expose the western world to Indian and Hindu traditions, culture, ways of life, and spirituality. New Vrindaban stands as the largest Hare Krishna temple in the western world. Kirtanananda attempted to combine aspects of western culture and Christianity, with the Hindu culture and faith to create a unique culture at New Vrindaban. New Vrindaban was also intended to be an entirely self-sufficient, utopian society and act as an example for the rest of the world.
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Changes to Physical Loaction of New Vrindaban
Initially the land was a farm owned by Richard Rose and was relatively untouched.
The original design for New Vrindaban was 7 temples on 7 hills.
By 1988 the land had been altered to fully support the lives of 600 devotees on 2,500 acres of land.
Presently the land has been altered by the building of the Radha Krishna Temple, the palace gift store, Govinda’s restaurant, Govardhan Dairy, lodging, and Prabhupada's Palace of Gold.
At the center of the community is Swan Lake a man-made body of water, as well as two large statues depicting Sri Sri Gaura Nitai.
Roads have been established to make the journey to New Vrindaban more accessible, a cow sanctuary has been created, and a peacock shelter has been built.
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