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Haridasa Thakur (born 1451 or 1450[1]) was a prominent Vaishnava saint, instrumental in the early appearance and spread of the Hare Krishna movement. He is considered to be the most famous convert of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, apart from Rupa Goswami and Sanatana Goswami themselves, and the story of his heroism in the face of torture is told in Chaitanya Charitamrta, Antya lila. Besides being an ex-Muslim, he is famous because of his dedication to the religious practice of constantly chanting the names of God. Haridasa Thakura and Advaita Acharya are two senior and well-respected religious personalities of Gaudiya Vaishnavism in the local area of Mayapur, prayed for the descent of the yugavatara, (avatara of the era) believed to be Chaitanya. As an associate of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, he is named the acharya of the holy name and he embodied concern for others. Its believed that Chaitanya himself installed Haridasa as His n?m?carya, meaning the 'teacher of the Name', disregarding the fact that he was Muslim-born. Haridasa Thakura, was a devotee of Lord Krishna and had practiced chanting the names of the Lord, Hare Krishna, 300,000 times daily. The Muslim name of Haridasa is not known. ... Read more

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Chapters: International Society for Krishna Consciousness Religious Figures, Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, Bhaktisvarupa Damodar Swami, Jayapataka Swami, Radhanath Swami, Bhakti Tirtha Swami, Suhotra Swami, Gopala Krishna Goswami, Sacinandana Swami, Indradyumna Swami, Steven J. Rosen, Romapada Swami, Hanumatpresaka Swami, Sivarama Swami, Tamala Krishna Goswami, Visnujana Swami, Bhakti Caitanya Swami, Bhakti Charu Swami, Radhika Ramana Dasa, Saunaka Risi Dasa, Mukunda Goswami, Smita Krishna Swami, Gour Govinda Swami, Jayadvaita Swami, Giriraja Swami, Hridayananda Dasa Goswami, Hridaya Caitanya Dasa, Richard L. Thompson, Bhakti Narasimha Swami, Yadunandana Swami, Urmila Devi Dasi, Kadamba Kanana Swami, Ravindra Svarupa Dasa, Kenneth R. Valpey, Jayananda Dasa, Bhakti Dhira Damodara Swami. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 156. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Satsvarupa das Goswami (IAST , Devanagari: ) (born December 6, 1939) is a senior disciple of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), better known in the West as the Hare Krishna movement. Serving as a writer, poet, and artist, Satsvarupa dasa Goswami is the author of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's authorized biography,Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta. After Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's death, Satsvarupa dasa Goswami was one of eleven disciples selected to become an initiating guru in ISKCON. Satsvarupa dasa Goswami, (Sanskrit: ), is one of the first few westerners ordained by Prabhupada in September 1966. He has been since established as a prolific Vaishnava writer and poet. While traveling, lecturing on Krishna consciousness, and instructing disciples worldwide, he has published over 100 books including poems, memoirs, essays, novels, and studies based on the Vais...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=2012172 ... Read more

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Chapters: American Hare Krishnas, Belgian Hare Krishnas, British Hare Krishnas, German Hare Krishnas, Hungarian Hare Krishnas, Indian Hare Krishnas, New Zealand Hare Krishnas, Nigerian Hare Krishnas, Spanish Hare Krishnas, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, Bhaktisvarupa Damodar Swami, Ranchor Prime, Jayapataka Swami, Radhanath Swami, Kirtanananda Swami, Hayagriva Swami, Bhakti Tirtha Swami, Harikesa Swami, Suhotra Swami, Gopala Krishna Goswami, Sacinandana Swami, Indradyumna Swami, Romapada Swami, Sivarama Swami, Arthur Rhames, Tamala Krishna Goswami, Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami, Visnujana Swami, Bhakti Caitanya Swami, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Radhika Ramana Dasa, Poly Styrene, Mukunda Goswami, Smita Krishna Swami, Gour Govinda Swami, Jayadvaita Swami, Giriraja Swami, Hridayananda Dasa Goswami, Hridaya Caitanya Dasa, Hansadutta Swami, Yadunandana Swami, Jayatirtha Dasa, Ramesvara Swami, Urmila Devi Dasi, Ravindra Svarupa Dasa, Lora Logic, Jayananda Dasa, Bhakti Dhira Damodara Swami. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 188. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Satsvarupa das Goswami (IAST , Devanagari: ) (born December 6, 1939) is a senior disciple of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), better known in the West as the Hare Krishna movement. Serving as a writer, poet, and artist, Satsvarupa dasa Goswami is the author of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's authorized biography,Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta. After Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's death, Satsvarupa dasa Goswami was one of eleven disciples selected to become an initiating guru in ISKCON. Satsvarupa dasa Goswami, (Sanskrit: ), is one of the first few westerners ordained by Prabhupada in September 1966. He has been sinc...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=2012172 ... Read more

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Chapters: Hare Krishna in Popular Culture. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 42. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Contributions to popular culture involving direct reference to the Hare Krishna mantra, or the Hare Krishna movement include the following: After coming in contact with the Hare Krishnas in 1969, several of the Beatles took interest in the movement. This interest is reflected in songs later recorded by the band. In the 1980s, several bands and individuals from the punk-related straight edge subculture took interest in the Hare Krishna doctrines, leading to a number of prominent straight edgers becoming official members of the movement. Due to the influence of a Hare Krsna named Larry Pugliese, Krishna Consciousness found its way into the New York hardcore scene in the mid 1980s and became known as Krishnacore. Pugliese established a house in nearby northern New Jersey for fellow devotees to live in, and sponsored free food distribution (in Tompkins Square Park) and clothing drives as well as concerts for the punks and skinheads hanging out in what was then a rough and tough Lower East Side. Early devotees included John Joseph and Harley Flanagan of the band Cro-Mags, Ray Cappo of Youth of Today, and Vic DiCara, former guitarist for Los Angeles band Inside Out, who established quite possibly the most famous of all of the newly dubbed bands, namely 108. Krishnacore bands sing about Krishna and Krishna Consciousness the same way that a Christian band would sing about Jesus. Other notable Hare Krishna punk and hardcore musicians include: Shelter, Cro-Mags, Run Devil Run, Request Denied, Poly Styrene and Lora Logic of X-Ray Spex. ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=4585432 ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 1000 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Signed essays ranging from 500 to 2,500 words, written by subject experts and edited to form a consistent, readable, and straightforward reference. Entries include subject-specific bibliographies and textual cross-references to related essays. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Mystical Maze
* What Does the Bible say about reincarnation?
* Should a Christian practice yoga or TM?
* Doesn't the Bible tell us to meditate?
* How do you share the love of Christ with someone who's into TM, Hare Krishna, Sun Moon or Buddhism?

These questions represent an important new challenge to today's Christian. With over one million Americans involved in Transendental Meditation, with one-third of all college students adopting a mustical view of God, the growing influence of eastern mysticism throughout western society is a startling reality.

Unfortunately, many Christians themselves have been deceived by the subtleties of the eastern mindset. Other Christians have wanted to help those caught up in the maze of mysticism, but lacked the knowledgfge or tools to be effective.

Pat Means' new book The Mystical Maze details the explosion of new spiritual counterfeits in this country and challenges Christians to understand the growing interest in eastern influences from a biblical perspective. The Mystical Maze provides practical suggestions n how best to communicate the Christian message to those involved in meditation or mysticism. It includes a complete reference section of eastern mystical terms, groups and research and reveals important new information on Transendental Meditation.
--- from book's back cover ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

I Couldn't Put it Down!!!!!
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RJBTZ8B396Q4I

Not a work of fiction, unfortunately
I was raised in New Vrindaban from 1971-1985. I lived with the very characters discussed, knew most every name in the book. Everything resonates.

Poorly written
I am temporarily working in Marshall County and recently
saw Krishnas dancing on the sidewalk in Moundsville. After
doing some online research, I found this title, and really
wanted to read it. Since it's out of print, I checked the
local libraries. Both required a $20 deposit to check out
the book, as copies had been stolen off the shelves or not
returned. So, after jumping through a few hoops (paying
for an out of state library card, going to another desk to
pay the deposit and check out the book) I eagerly
went home to read it.

The subject matter had so much potential, it could have been
as riveting as Helter Skelter. Unfortunately, the writing was
terrible. The authors should have stuck to the facts instead
of trying to fictionalize parts of the story. And the gratuitous
sex scenes randomly thrown in were ridiculous. No wonder it's
out of print.

Glad I Didn't Join
I was a devotee of Krishna back in 1971, to the point of attending evening prayer (I worked across from the street from the Detroit ISKCON temple at the time) and went to everything ISKCON-related on weekends. My exposure to ISKCON lasted only a few months as I finally decided that Krishna Consciousness was not for me.


After reading "Monkey On a Stick", I was really glad that I didn't join. The whole scandal and killings down at New Vrindaban (West Virginia) relly shocked me since I was never abused or treated badly in any way. Also, it creeped me out since before I took my leave of the ISKCON temple in Detroit, there was talk of my spending some time at the Temple, then going to New Vrindaban. I suspect that I would have ended up dead because I know I'd be yelling to high heaven after learning of the sexual abuse and other criminal activities.

This is a great book to read--in it you can see the destructive paths that many cults end up traversing (for another scandal of this sort, google "Christ of the Hills Monastery"). From what I have heard, AC Bhakhtivedanta was a very nice, sincere man and it was after his death that everything started to fall apart.

Since my short time with ISKCON was in the early 70s, reading "Monkey On a Stick" (a reference to something said by Bhakhivedanta) was definitely an eye-opener. I suppose that the story came as such a shock to me because I had found them a nice, peaceful lot, albeit a bit wacko. I certainly could not have foretold what took place in the years after I gave up on ISCON for good. I certainly didn't expect pedophilia, drug-running, or murder.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to see how at least part of a religious group could and did go astray.

Greed and Violence Corrupt Religion
Monkey On a Stick is a bizarre story of how "...people who had set out to make peace and love ended up molesting children, running drugs, and committing murder" (page 392). It's a fascinating and bizarre true story that will keep any true-crime fan up late turning the pages.

One of the best things about Monkey On a Stick is that it is an "action" book. By that, I mean that there are plenty of bizarre happenings to keep you interested throughout the book. The authors, Hubner and Gruson, are good at pacing; though they recount the history of the Hare Krishnas, they do so in such a way that you never bog down.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the book is the degree to which the Krishnas became involved in crime. You will be amazed that they constantly ran scams in order to raise money. As time passes, the movement's gurus became greedier and more arrogant; somewhat unbelievably, the movement slid into committing murders, dealing drugs, and molesting children - all with the knowledge of (some) of its leaders.

Though I greatly enjoyed Monkey On a Stick, the book has a few limitations.

Though the book is always readable, the narrative is a bit choppy. The authors choose to start with a long section on the Krishnas' criminal activities in West Virginia during the 1980s. Then, they go back in time for a long section on the history of the Krishna movement. At the end, they return to West Virginia. Some readers will find the sequencing of Monkey On a Stick to be cumbersome.

I would also add that Monkey On a Stick is, first and foremost, a crime book. The authors do not spend much time on the positive sides of the faith. The book is very negative about the entire movement and you will come away with little sense of why someone might join the Krishnas.

On the whole, however, I recommend Monkey On a Stick to anyone who wants to read a true-crime page turner.
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Greatest Inspirational Stories in the World ... Read more

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RENNER Studies on New Religions is an initiative supported by the Danish Research Council for the Humanities. The series was established to publish books on alternative spiritual movements from a wide range of perspectives. The books will appeal to an international readership of scholars, students, and professionals in the study of religion, theology, the arts, and the social sciences. It is hoped that this series will provide a proper context for scientific exchange between these often competing disciplines."Simply stated, the authorAes main contention is that the two onewo religions under scrutiny - TM and ISKCON - are, despite their common rootedness in Vedic Hinduism, fundamentally opposed to each other. As presented here, they are fundamentally opposed particularly in their attitudes toward modern Western science, which world-affirming TM celebrates and would assimilate ...and world-denying ISKCON rejects as an illusion...in sum this book is both instructive and provocative" - C. MacCormick, Wells College. ... Read more