ISKCON (Hindu Temple in Missouri)

he Hare Krishnas are a movement rooted in a 5000+ year old tradition, though they have called Rogers Park home since 1979, when the temple relocated from its previous site in Evanston. The movement was introduced to the western world by His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in 1965 and it rapidly spread all over the world in a matter of 12 years. Since then the movement has quadrupled in size and continues to impact the lives of millions of people around the world.

FEATURES

The Hare Krishna movement is about inclusiveness and joy in the discovery of the innate spiritual nature in all of us. We do this through a consistent exploration of life through mantra meditation (japa), musical meditation (kirtan), karma-free food (prasadam), philosophy and festivals

WHAT WE’RE ABOUT

Our philosophy begins with the understanding that we are not this body. Rather we are conscious spiritual beings residing in these varieties of material bodies resembling humans, aquatics, plants, etc. The soul and the body occupied by the soul are different. We all have that desire to love and be loved. But looking for love on the basis of the body only leads to disappointment, since the body, as anything in this world, is temporary, subject to ever-shifting conditions. Real happiness and love can be achieved only on the platform of the spirit, just like a fish can derive happiness only in water, not outside on land. We are spirit souls and our happiness comes from loving relationships with other spiritual beings, what to speak of the joy that is experienced when we are connected to the supreme spiritual being, Krishna. Yoga means “to connect” in the ancient language Sanskrit. Connection of the soul with the supreme through loving devotional service is called Bhakti Yoga. By practicing Bhakti Yoga, we can experience the highest happiness by being connected with our source. The Bhagavad Gita As It Is, our movement’s core philosophical text, focuses on the spiritual nourishment of the soul, thereby guaranteeing inner happiness and contentment for the sincere practitioner. The simple process is to connect our daily lives with the supreme spiritual personality, Lord Krishna. So the food we eat, the music we hear, the object of our meditation and the basis of our relationships with one another are all centered around the same focal point – to achieve the perfection of yoga.

WHAT TO EXPECT

As soon as you step foot through the double doors into the grand temple room, you are transported to another time and place. The scent of incense wafts through the air, the gentle tinkling of bells mixed with ancient chants surrounds you, and your eyes feast on the beautiful and timeless form of the temple’s main deities, Krishna Balaram. It is here that you can appreciate the eternal principle of unity in diversity. With over 40 nationalities represented in the congregation, this principle is illustrated as we all serve together, dance together, learn together and build strong friendships forgetting our superficial differences. If you come on any Sunday throughout the year, we have our weekly Sunday Feast program from 5-8pm, where hundreds of people gather in a colorful and festive atmosphere to sing and dance in lively, soul-stirring musical meditation (kirtan), hear timeless philosophical truths, and eat a sumptuous (and free!) dinner feast that will leave you wishing you had three stomachs. ISKCON St Louis offers many regular spiritual educational programs throughout the stlouis area. These programs help people understand how to become happy and how to live a life in harmony with the laws of nature. This process of Krishna Consciousness is simple, joyful, and natural. Because of its scientific approach to spirituality, it is very quickly expanding all over the world to every town and village giving millions of people the genuine happiness that we all seek. We invite you to experience this happiness. Give it a try by coming to one of our Sunday Feasts at the temple or a study group near you.