Eastern Europe seems to be really big for ISKCON right now. It's logical ,,, quite similar in a few ways to Eastern Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, etc.
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The curse of "converts"
- Thread starter Nyingjé Tso
- Start date
Shantanu
Well-Known Member
It would appear that the essence of Bhagavad-Gita resonates with what spiritual people experience in their daily lives and it is so peaceful and celebratory of God, the Creator and Preserver. So I am not surprised at the spread of ISKCON.
Personally, I was surprised, but given many there might not be able to read English, I can see how they wouldn't have read about all the earlier troubles. Hopefully, this time, wisdom from previous mistakes will prevail. Here in the west, the immigration factor has greatly reduced many of the problems, like the overt proselytizing.
Yes, the Eastern Orthodox Church has a deeper and older mystical philosophy than western churches.
It's just the style that I noticed. I live in an area of this country where there were a lot of rural Ukrainian settlements with the 'Onion' churches, as my kids used to call them. I've been inside a few, and they feel similar to ISKCON. That's what I'm going on. Course I could be really wrong.
No, you’re right. I was Eastern Orthodox for about 10 years and see it. The theology is different, of course, but the eastern churches are much more devotional than the western. And of course everything is chanted and sung and highly ritualized and symbolic. That is, the icons are created according to strict rules and are a conduit to the spiritual world.
One I went to even had the 'priest's only' section at the front. Still, they had pews, but also standing room. These were pioneer churches, mind you.
I'm curious as to how it will go, or continue. We have a couple of Russians in my sampradaya. ISKCON has also been a stepping stone for some. It's also a bit of a way to emigrate to the west. I've met Eastern European ISKCONites in Vancouver. The Russian government, as you know, tried to ban distribution of the BG, but that was unsuccessful. Hard to tell from way over here if they have the radical hard-sell proselytizing they used to here.
I wouldn't be surprised if there's a growing blending and blurring of practices and theology. I don't think it's a horrible idea if :
1. It works for some people, i.e. they can make it work; and
2. They don't call it Hinduism or Christianity, because it's neither.
After all, lots of religions are syncretisms, especially Afro-Caribbean w/ Catholicism. But they're neither traditional Catholicism of African or indigenous Caribbean.
Some context, Aup. Not appreciate what?
Context is Jai's post above wherein he mentioned "blending and blurring of practices and theology".
As a movement within ISKCON and some sects of Christianity only. Playing out a thought experiment, if a fusion or syncretism came about it would be a different religion. But I'm not encouraging it or advocating it, just making an observation that it could happen. If it stays contained as such I don't think it would be much different that the Afro-Caribbean religions I mentioned.
I don't know how much ISKCON in eastern Europe does that. As with many things, I'm too far away geographically and spiritually to have any depth of observation. So who knows? Better to not jump to conclusions at all that to error in hypothetical analysis.
Aupmanyav
Be your own guru
Agree with your post. Irrespective of whether I like it or not, such things happen.
Well, there's no test.
There are some common beliefs and practices that bind Hindus together and define Hinduism. This pretty much sums it up Basics of Hinduism
Aupmanyav
Be your own guru
None. The person should have views similar to one of the many Hindu philosophies and should follow 'dharma', which means he/she should fulfill responsibilities and engage in righteous / humane action.
Not really, but neither is it an open book. Obviously one should have most beliefs in line with some 'branch' or sect from within Hinduism. Anyone can say 'I'm a Hindu' but id that doesn't match with some actions, or beliefs pertaining to Hinduism, nobody's gong to believe it.