Krishna Consciousness Movement is Not a Sectarian Movement - an essential subject

It is not a sectarian movement meant for a certain class of men, but it is a necessary movement for all humanity irrespective of caste, creed, or color. So far I am concerned, I am a humble disciple of His Divine Grace, Om Visnupad Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja, who was the original pioneer of spreading this movement in the Western world. During his lifetime, up to 1936, he started 64 main centers all over the world, including centers in Berlin, Germany, and London, England. His Divine Grace entrusted me to spread this movement in the Western countries, and since 1965, I am trying in my humble way to spread this movement in this part of the world. I am recognized Acarya of this movement, as will be evidenced by the enclosed copies of different branches of the Gaudiya Math institutions.

Srila Prabhupada's books, lectures, conversations and letters offer a comprehensive presentation of this essential subject as seen in the Vaniquotes Krishna Consciousness Movement is Not a Sectarian Movement category. An introduction from his teachings is given below in the following 8 quotes.

Quotes from Srila Prabhupada's teachings


vanipedia.org 		This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that we are inducing people to understand the problem. It is not a sectarian movement or so-called religious movement. It is not a religion. It is educational cultural movement. Every man has to understand the goal of life. Every man has to understand why there is struggle for existence, if there is any remedy, if there is any process where we can live very peacefully without any disturbances. These are the things to be learned in human life. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta Lecture, 8 July 1976, Washington D.C.)



vanipedia.org 		Everyone can understand. As soon as that living force is out of this body, this body has no longer any value. It is thrown away on the street. So without any knowledge of the living force within this body, if we simply take care of our body, it is just like decorating a dead body. So do not take this movement as a sectarian, religious movement. It is practically a movement to bestow the essential knowledge of life to the human society. (General Lecture, 29 April 1972, Tokyo)



vanipedia.org 		We have experience that some students come to join us, but because of being biased in some particular type of faith, they leave our camp and become lost in the wilderness. Actually, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not a sectarian religious faith; it is a teaching process for understanding the Supreme Lord and our relationship with Him. Anyone can join this movement without prejudice, but unfortunately there are persons who feel differently. It is better, therefore, not to instruct the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness to such persons. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3,32,40)



vanipedia.org 		This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a sectarian religious movement. It is a scientific philosophical movement. Try to understand it. But the process is very simple. The process is by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. We are not magician, but we ask our students "Simply you chant this transcendental vibration," and he becomes gradually cleansed of all dirty things within the heart. (Bhagavad-gītā Lecture, 16 July 1972, Edinburgh)



vanipedia.org 		This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is postgraduate position of all religions. It is not any sectarian religion. You accept Christianity—very good. You accept Muhammadanism, Islamism—very good. You accept Hinduism—that's all right. We have no quarrel with Hindus and Muslims or Christians or Buddhists. But our objective is that religion means there is connection, relationship with God. Take, for example, Christian religion. They accept God: "God created this," the beginning of Bible. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Lecture, 2 December 1968, Los Angeles)



vanipedia.org 		So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is specifically meant for educating people about the spirit soul. It is not a sectarian religion. It is a science. Don't take it as a type of religion. It is a course of education which is understandable by the human society, not by the cats and dogs. If I call a dog, "Please come here, read this book," how he will understand spiritual nature? It is not possible for him. But if I call a human being and I ask him, and if he agrees to understand what is spiritual nature, it is possible. (Bhagavad-gītā Lecture, 31 May 1974, Geneva)



vanipedia.org 		Those who are thinking that we are preaching Hindu religion—no. We are not preaching Hindu religion. Therefore while registering the association I purposely kept this name, "Kṛṣṇa Consciousness," neither Hindu religion nor Christian religion nor Buddhist religion. Kṛṣṇa does not belong to any sect. Those who are thinking that we are sectarian, they're wrong, because Kṛṣṇa does not belong to any sect. (Bhagavad-gītā Lecture, 18 February 1974, Bombay)



vanipedia.org 		Māyāvādīs greatly fear the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and accuse it of spoiling the Hindu religion because it accepts people from all parts of the world and all religious sects and scientifically engages them in the daiva-varṇāśrama-dharma. As we have explained several times, however, we find no such word as "Hindu" in the Vedic literature. The word most probably came from Afghanistan, a predominantly Muslim country, and originally referred to a pass in Afghanistan known as Hindukush, which is still a part of a trade route between India and various Muslim countries. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 12.73)


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Vanipedia has now over 903 introductory articles compiled from Srila Prabhupada's books under the series titled Essential Subjects. All these articles can be seen in the Table of Content on the right side of this article and also here in this Umbrella Category. Browse through them to relish the breadth and depth of Srila Prabhupada's teachings - There is a subject for everyone.


   
 

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