Our mission is to bring the members of the Society together
with each other and nearer to Krishna, the prime entity, thus
developing the idea within the members, and humanity at large,
that each soul is part and parcel of the quality of Godhead
(Krishna). Working for Krishna is the ultimate perfection of
all our activities.
ISKCON Seshadripuram stands as a beacon of spiritual
enlightenment, nurturing the souls of its followers and
inspiring them to cultivate a deeper connection with Krishna.
Through its various activities and programs, it aims to foster
personal growth, promote values of love and compassion, and
encourage individuals to lead a spiritually fulfilling life.
Seven Purposes of ISKCON
When Prabhupada began the International Society for Krishna
Consciousness (in New York City in 1966), he formulated a
clear mission statement. Thus the 7 Purposes of ISKCON are as
follows:
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To systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to
society at large and to educate all people in the
techniques of spiritual life in order to check the
imbalance of values in life and to achieve real unity and
peace in the world.
The purpose is to educate people from all
backgrounds, races, and ethnicities on the importance of
spiritual life and how to practice spiritual life. The aim
is to give people genuine spiritual knowledge that we are
all spirit souls and that there is a spiritual world beyond
this material world. Examples of how this can be achieved
are by distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books which present
the most scientific and the most authentic understanding of
spiritual reality in a very simple way, and by inviting
people to talks/seminars by spiritual teachers to understand
the purpose of spiritual life. Hearing about the purpose and
the goal of spiritual life will enable people to become more
peaceful, content, and self-satisfied from within.
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To propagate a consciousness of Krishna (God), as it is
revealed in the great scriptures of India, Bhagavad-gita
and Srimad-Bhagavatam.
The purpose is to present the specifics of who
God is as revealed in the scriptures. Srila Prabhupada has
presented knowledge about Krishna, the Supreme Being, by
translating great scriptures such as the Bhagavad-gita and
Srimad Bhagavatam. Krishna (God) knows everything. He is the
Supreme controller; He controls everything. He is smaller
than the smallest and greater than the greatest, and He is
maintaining everyone. Thus, learning about the Supreme and
our relationship with Him will allow us to move forward and
make progress with our spiritual lives.
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To bring the members of the Society together with each
other and nearer to Krishna, the prime entity, thus
developing the idea within the members, and humanity at
large, that each soul is part and parcel of the quality of
Godhead (Krishna).
The purpose is for people to come close
together to become part of an institution whose focus is
centered on Krishna. It is the nature of the soul to want
knowledge of the Supreme Being and to learn about our
relationship with Him. Feeling a sense of belonging in a
community and making friendships with like-minded people
further fosters and solidifies our connection with Krishna.
The focus is to get on the spiritual path and to help others
onto the path back to Godhead too. This movement is not a
static movement. The word ‘movement’ means that we are
moving along the path of bhakti, and giving knowledge of
Krishna consciousness to others.
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To teach and encourage the sankirtana movement,
congregational chanting of the holy name of God, as
revealed in the teachings of Lord Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu.
The purpose is for everyone to come together to
glorify Krishna and to chant the holy name, the Hare Krishna
Maha-mantra, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare
Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. The aim is to
distribute the holy name to everyone, everywhere; and to
help spirit souls reawaken love for God through
congregational chanting of the holy name.
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To erect for the members and for society at large a holy
place of transcendental pastimes dedicated to the
personality of Krishna.
The purpose is to provide for the community a
place where Krishna’s glorifications manifest. This can be
achieved by providing spiritual educational institutions to
hear about Krishna and His pastimes. For example,
establishing ISKCON temples/centers around the world, and at
places of historical spiritual significance such as Sri
Vrindavana and Sri Mayapur.
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To bring the members closer together for the purpose of
teaching a simpler, natural way of life.
The purpose is to ensure that our day-to-day
living does not take up too much of our time and energy, so
that we have enough time to practice Krishna consciousness.
Srila Prabhupada stressed simple living, and high
thinking.
The point is to simplify our life and make it
less complicated in order to have more time to think about
Krishna. This has inspired the development of
self-sufficient farm communities.
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With a view towards achieving the aforementioned
purposes, to publish and distribute periodicals,
magazines, books and other writings.
The purpose is to provide educational material
that can be easily accessed by people from all walks of
life. Srila Prabhupada published volumes of books, several
of which have been translated into more than 70 languages.
The distribution of Srila Prabhupada’s books has become one
of the biggest activities for the Krishna consciousness
movement. Srila Prabhupada encouraged us to write articles
and essays for newsletters, write books, and so on, as this
very process of meditating on Krishna and His qualities
enables one to become purified. Distributing spiritual
wisdom to society at large will enable people to realize the
importance of Krishna consciousness.
Ultimately, the “7 Purposes of ISKCON” are to
help each one of us to become Krishna conscious and to be able
to share this message of Krishna consciousness with others.
