Srimad Bhagwatam 9.14.44-45 | 9th June 2018
In an interview, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was questioned if or not in culminating the philosophies of the Koran, Bible, Tora, etc, the Hare Krishna philosophy suffers contradictions of the various truths depicted in these scriptures. To this he simply replied that he doesn't find any conflicts, because the ultimate goal is God. Religion is about loving God , he said. ISKCON thrives vibrantly because of its openness in believing that all the scriptures teach us the same thing - devotional service to god. Srila Prabhupada believed that if we read these scriptures As it is or in an unadulterated format under the guidance of an authentic authority, we'll be able to understand that the aim of this life is to serve god. For this, he himself wrote various books, after deeply studying them throughout his life and under the guidance of his spiritual master who was also a great scholar, providing people with the real essence of Bhagvad-Gita. ISKCON follows the teachings of the Vedas and the Vedic scriptures, including Bhagavad-gita and the Bhagavata Purana; it teaches and practices Vaishnavism, or devotion to God in the supreme personal aspect of Radha and Krishna. The society receives these teachings through the preceptorial line known as the Brahma Madhva Gaudiya sampradaya. This well established traditional line descends through the respected teacher Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (AD 14861534), the full incarnation of Sri Krishna, whose philosophy and practices unify the teachings of all four major Vaishnava Acharyas: Sri Madhvacharya, Sri Ramanujacharya, Sri Vishnuswami, and Sri Nimbarkacharya. ISKCON embraces the chanting of the holy name of Krishna as a primary practice and accepts the concepts of transmigration, karma, vegetarianism (ahimsa), worship of the deity (Shri Vigraha), and the preceptor-disciple (guru-sishya) relationship. Initiated members vow to refrain from gambling, illicit sex, intoxicants, and non vegetarian food. The core philosophy of ISKCON, however, lies in keeping god as the centre of all the activities and performing tasks in order to please him. The teachers in the society practice what they preach and mould the humans, making them realize that loving god is more important than fearing him. Once, a person starts loving the supreme personality of godhead, he/she automatically develops a compassionate and generous attitude towards all, keeping in mind the fact that god resides inside every human. The philosophy thus establishes a sort of Real United Nations, where people chant, dance, work and enjoy, irrespective of their gender, caste, creed, nation and race.