FAQ::

Are you a cult?
The actual definition of the word "cult" is a system of belief and worship. We fit that definition. But today the word "cult" has taken on negative connotations. We're not that kind of cult--a dangerous group of people with a charismatic lea der, a group that will capture people's minds and seduce them into joining and doing things harmful to the well-being of themselves and others. That's not us. The Krishna consciousness movement is a bona fide spiritual path coming from one of the oldest, most respected religious traditions in India . Far from being a dangerous cult, Krishna consciousness teaches people how live a life of high morals and ethics and to respect the integrity of all beings. We practice a process of self-realization that cleans the mind of all unwanted things, such as greed and hate. Krishna consciousness helps a person develop his individuality and realize his highest potential. People are sometimes fearful of the unfamiliar. Trying to make sense out of things they don't understand, they sometimes conveniently label them and put them into boxes. One of those boxes happens to be the cult box. Because people are uninformed or misinformed, the Krishna consciousness mo vement sometimes erroneously ends up in such a box.

Why Don't You Eat Meat?
In the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna says that everything we eat should first be offered to Him, and He eats only vegetarian food. Besides that, a vegetarian diet has numerous benefits, not the least of which is compassion for other creatures

Who do you worship?
We worship the one Supreme Being. There can be only one supreme person, and that person is God, known by infinite names and possessing infinite attributes. The Vedic scriptures state that of all the aspects and names of God, Krishna i s the supreme name and form of God. Krishna means "all attractive." We accept Krishna as the supreme being. Everything about Krishna attracts the pure soul: Krishna 's beauty, His smile, His compassion, His humor, His speech, His dress, His kindness, and on and on through His unlimited qualities God is one. Krishna is the same God worshiped in the Bible, the Koran, and any bona fide scripture. However, those scriptures give little information about who God is. We learn, for example, that God is good and God is great, but not much more. By contrast, the Vedic literature, ancient scriptures dating over 5,000 years, describe God in great detail. We learn what He looks like, where he lives, what activities He perform, who His family and friends are. The goal of life is to love God, and the more we know about Him, the more we'll be inclined to love Him.

What do you believe?
While the philosophy of Krishna consciousness is very extensive and requires years of intensive study, the basics are simple. First of all, we are taught that we are not this material body. The body is only a temporary vehicle for the eternal soul, part of the Supreme Soul, God, or Krishna . Though we (souls) are tiny and God is infinite, we share to a limited degree His qualities of being eternal, full of happines s, and full of knowledge. Our original, or constitutional, nature is to serve God in the spiritual kingdom. God is the supreme enjoyer, proprietor, and our dearest friend. Our desire to be separate from Krishna brought us to the material world, a perverted reflection of our real home. Krishna gives us independence and free will. By misusing our independence, we choose to enjoy separately from the Lord, and are brought to the material world. God gives us whatever we want, so this world is a chance for us to try to enjoy apart from Him. Though this is actually not possible, He creates the illusion in this world that we can enjoy without Him. This illusion keeps us here, just as the carrot keeps the donkey moving forward. When we become fortunate, we can understand the pitfalls of living in the material world. Sensual pleasure is temporary and fleeting. We suffer from old age, disease, and eventually die. We are responsible for the results of wha t we do, and the reactions to our activities, or karma, compel us to take repeated births, where we try vainly to fulfill our desires. Without the grace of God our material births are endless. Our spiritual life begins when we try to make a spiritual solution to our material suffering. Enlightenment involves coming in contact with a realize soul, or guru, who can teach us the limitations of material life, give us a process to purify our material conditioning, and reestablish our love and service attitude for God. In the current age that process is to chant the holy name of God, the Hare Krishna mantra, in the association of
like-minded spiritual seekers, or devotees of Krishna .

What's that mark on your forehead?
It's called tilak. Of all the things that may be different about a devotee of Krishna, like a shaved head, dhoti (the men's robes), sari, or even the philosophy, the tilak is especially noticeable. Tilak is made with sacred clay from a holy place in India , and it marks the body as a temple. It is worn to remind the wearer, and everyone else, that within this body resides the individual soul, and the Supreme Soul as well. The body is holy and should be used to serve God's purpose. The body should be used for spiritual pursuits, and must not be defiled by unholy foods, thoughts, or actions. Wearing tilak is considered an act of devotion, as it purifies both the person wearing it, and those who see it.

Why do Hare Krishna men shave their heads?
For cleanliness and simplicity and to help move the focus from bodily beauty to the beauty within--to the soul and God. The shaved head also symbolizes renunciation of the material way of life and dedication to spiritual pursuits, which culminate in love of God. Shaving one's head is not a strict rule, and is done mostly by men living in an ashram. Most Hare Krishna men live and work outs ide Krishna communities and don't shave their heads.

why do you dress like you do?
We dress in the way of the Vedic tradition, men in dhotis (robes) and kurtas (shirts) and women in saris and cholis (blouses). These clothes remind us that we are servants of God. Srila Prabhupada compared the devotees' clothes to a uniform. A soldier can fight without a uniform, but it identifies him and helps him feel the part. Similarly, one can be a devotee of Krishna without wearing devotiona l clothes, but they can help one identify with the soul instead of the body. Everything we do should remind us of our spiritual identity as an eternal soul, part of God, whose sacred duty and honor is to assist Him in His activities.