The ISKCON Krishna Consciousness Handbook (1970) PDF Download
This is the first annual edition of The Krishna Consciousness Handbook. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) was founded in 1966 by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and is now becoming firmly established, with centers in thirty major cities around the world and world headquarters in Los Angeles, California. The goal of the Society’s members is to attain love of God by following the principles of bhakti-yoga, as taught by the Vedic scriptures and the disciplic succession of spiritual masters, and to spread love of God to all people through the process of sankirtana (public chanting of the holy names of God). Another important goal of the Society is to present authoritative literature on the science of God in English and other major languages.
To download The Krishna Consciousness Handbook please click on the book cover image on the left.
The purpose of this handbook is to show interested persons the full scope of ISKCON’s activities. ISKCON is not concerned with accumulating financial assets, but aims at producing men and women of sublime character.
This is possible only by plain living and high thinking based on the principles of devotional service to the Supreme Lord.
Sincere souls everywhere are taking to this genuine movement of God realization. As is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, “This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.”
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- A Brief History of ISKCON – 1
- Teachings of ISKCON – 3
- Brief Biography of the Spiritual Master – 8
- Parampara (Disciplic Succession) – 11
- Ministers for Krishna Consciousness. Qualifications, Activities, Duties and Personal Code – 12
- Transcendental Aspects – 15
- The Qualifications and Curriculum of the Divinity Student – 21
- Qualifications of a Devotee – 25
- Principles of Devotional Service – 26
- New Vrndavana – 31
- Tilaka – 40
- ISKCON Press – 42
- Preface to Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead – 44
- On Chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra – 48
- Books by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami – 52
- Calendar for 484 of the Caitanya Era – 53
- Devotional Prayers – 65
- Procedure for Performing A Krishna Conscious Marriage – 95
- Recognition of ISKCON – 106
For more information about ISKCON, contact ISKCON Press, 38 N. Beacon St. Boston, Massachusetts 02134. Attention: Svarupa das Brahmacari, secretary.
On The Cover: ISKCON World Headquarters, 3764 Watseka Ave.
Los Angeles, California 90034
About the Author
Madhudvisa dasa My first contact with a Hare Krishna was a most merciful Mataji in Oxford Street, London who sold me a "Higher Taste" cook book in 1984 while I was on holidays there. I started seriously reading Srila Prabhupada's books in Australia 1985 and by 1986 Srila Prabhupada had convinced me "Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead" and "we should surrender to Krishna." I joined the Hare Krishnas in Perth, Western Australia in 1986. Since then I have been chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, reading and distributing Srila Prabhupada's books and preaching as much as I can. That's my life and full-time occupation now really. I like it more than anything I've ever experienced before. Srila Prabhupada's books are so amazing... Even after reading them all many times they're still fresh and new. They are truly transcendental! That's it really. Now I'm just hankering to once again see the world chant Hare Krishna, dance and feast and float away in the ecstasy of Lord Caitanya's Sankirtana movement as it did in Srila Prabhupada's physical presence. Let the whole world drown in the ecstatic flood of love of Krishna!
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Hari Bol prabhu!
I had a question regarding the Gaurabda calendar. I want to follow the fasting more strictly and also understand the calendar. When I go through this handbook of 1970, at page 53 you’ll see the calendar for the year 1970 which corresponds to 484 Caitanya Era.
My questions:
-Why does the first day of the month Visnu (which is Caitra in Hindu calendar) correspond with 24 march in western calendar?
-Lord Caitanya was born on 18 februari, why is then the 24th of march (the 1st day of Visnu month in Gaurabda) called Caitanya appearance day?
-There are apps in the Google playstore: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.acd.calendar for example I use now. Is it OK?
-I just want to know how to understand the Vedic calendar system. Isn’t it also so that each year, days fall differently unlike western calendar?
I thank you for your reply.
Hare Krsna,
Jaya Srila Prabhupada!
Hare Krishna Visala
Srila Prabhupada established the system of following the Mayapur Vaisnava Calendar all over the world. Later on, after Srila Prabhupada left our material vision, the GBC decided to change this system and introduced a different calendar specially calculated for every different location on the planet. This is not bona fide. It is GBC nonsense speculation.
We should be happy to accept Srila Prabhupada’s system of following the Mayapur Vaisnava calendar all over the world.
As far as the reason the days on the Vaisnava do not correspond with the days on the Western calendar is because Vaisnava calendar is a lunar calendar. The month is 28 days from one new moon to the next. That is one month. Western calendar is a solar calendar, based on the 365 day revolution of the sun around the earth. So the months in the Western calendar are based on where the sun is in its revolution around the earth. It is to complex to explain here and I am not an expert on calendars anyhow. But this is the reason for the difference. Vaisnava calendar is a lunar calendar and Western calendar is a solar calendar.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna
Prabhu
Ji
please help me , how to pronounce Hare Krishna mahamantra correctly.
such as We should chant Ram(राम) or
Rama(रामा)
and Krishna(कृष्णा) or
Krishn(कृष्ण)
im chanting it …but after reading a article …Im confuse about it.
now im chanting like
Hare Krishna(कृष्णा) Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Ram(राम) Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare.
I have listened Prabhupada Japa but actually our sense is imperfect…so it making me confused
Hare Krishna
Listen to Srila Prabhupada. There are thousands of hours of recorded classes, conversations, morning walks, bhajans, kirtans, etc…
So just hear from Srila Prabhupada and you will know how to perfectly chant Hare Krishna…
I suggest you get the Ultimate Prabhupada Audio Collection:
https://krishnastore.com/prabhupada-ultimate-audio-collection-dvdrom-set-h-krishna-3226.html
Listen to that and you will then have no problems chanting Hare Krishna perfectly… [it is Krsna, not Krishna and the rsn letters have dots underneath them. You can read the Sanskrit pronunciation guide in the back of Srimad-Bhagavatam or Bhagavad-gita…]
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hari Hari Bol !!!
When I visited to ISCKON TEMPLE BANGALURU I HAD FEEL VERY NICE WITH PEACE AND DEVINE
Hare Ramalu Hare Ramalu Hare Krishna Hare Hare….
Very peacefully words
I am from karnataka YADGIR. Dist
hari krishna