The Hare Krishna's are the biggest scam in religion since Scientology.
I actually have more respect for Scientology as at least some of it's practises make psychological sense (talking therapy, auditing, reading,
studying) but HK is just a money making thing that doesn't even build on Hinduism. It's not even true Krishna worship. Sri Prabuhadha was a fraud and
I read his whole Gita. Dang that took awhile.
So much editing he did.
He made it up to like 1000 plus pages.
As far as Hare Krishna not being Hinduism, all I can say is South Africa (particularly Durban) has one of the biggest Indian populations outside
India, and I've yet to meet a Hindu who argues that Srila Prabhupada was a deliberate phony, even if they don't belong to the Vaishnava or Bhakti-Yoga
branch of Hinduism.
Neither have I ever been pressured into making vows, living in an ashram (in fact they prefer congregational members these days) or giving money.
Neither have I ever heard of family members being ghosted or shunned because they became atheists or joined another faith.
In fact, that stuff usually happens the other way, for example some Christian and Muslim parents disinheriting their kids because they chant Hare
Krishna.
I have participated in free festivals and Food For Life vegetarian food distribution, which remains one of the largest feeding schemes to the poor in
South Africa.
But hey, I'm just a "fringe devotee".
Hare Krishna!
And one only needs to recall how Prabhupada's interpretation of Bhagavad-Gita was defended by India when fascist Russia tried to ban it to see
what status it truly holds amongst the Hindu community. en.wikipedia.org...
So each to their own, but a lot of the sweeping statements in the post above mine are simply not true according to my humble experience.
edit
on 2-11-2022 by halfoldman because: (no reason given)
Actually the Bhagavad-Gita is not that long.
(Usually not more than 600 pages with commentary)
Not to dismiss anything, but compared to the Bible or Koran it's relatively short.
In Sanskrit - Song of the Lord.
It can be sung or chanted in under 3 hours.
Essentially one long dramatic poem.
Just one chapter of the wider Vedas.
edit on 2-11-2022 by halfoldman because: (no reason given)