CENTRAL EUROPEAN JOURNAL FOR CONTEMPORARY RELIGION
CENTRAL EUROPEAN JOURNAL FOR CONTEMPORARY RELIGION

Central European Journal for Contemporary Religion is a scholarly journal published both by the Hussite Theological Faculty of the Charles University and Karolinum Publishers, which aims to serve as a publication platform for Comparative Religion and related disciplines. It focuses mainly on contemporary religious phenomena with special (but not exclusive) focus on Central and Eastern Europe. It should serve both as a source of information on te religious life in the region and as a supply of scholarly studies focused on contemporary lived religion at large. It is published semi-annually both in print and online (free access). Its goal is to bring thought-provoking contributions related not only to current established religions and religious movements new and old, but also to contemporary spirituality in its wider context, including the New Age milieu, Neopaganism and pop-cultural spirituality. The journal also covers the latest theoretical and methodological trends in Comparative Religion, Ritual Studies and other disciplines. The editorial board consists of scholars from most Czech Comparative Religion departments, as well as experts on the most important religious traditions across the globe.

CENTRAL EUROPEAN JOURNAL FOR CONTEMPORARY RELIGION, Vol 2 No 1 (2018), 29–55

Before and after of the Gurukula phenomenon

Jitka Schlichtsová

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14712/25704893.2018.2
published online: 28. 05. 2018

abstract

The article’s goal is to gather information about the general idea, principles and ways of education as practiced by the International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness (ISKCON). First, the text summarizes the foundations and theoretical concepts of ISKCON’s education and compares them with the traditional Vaishnava education. Second, the article explores the historical development of Hare Kṛṣṇa education in the Gurukula context, explains the problem of child abuse and presents the available information about the current state of Gurukula education around the world. Finally, the text briefly mentions the Czech Gurukula project in Kršnův dvůr (1995–1997) and reconstructs the failed applications of the Czech devotees to include the Gurukula in the list of schools and educational institutions of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic.

keywords: Gurukula; Hare Kṛṣṇa Movement; International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness; Prabhupāda; education

references (47)

1. Asvahari dása, "Gurukula v Mayapuru" ["Gurukula in Mayapur"], Náma Hatta (1/1997): p. 6–9.

2. Bhaktin Miriam, "The Persistent Child Abuse Problem in the Hare Krishna Movement" (online), Chakra Discussions, August 2004, accessed February 2016, available online at http://www.chakra.org/discussions/GurAug01_04.html.

3. Bhaktivedanta Academy (online), accessed January 2018, available online at http://bhaktivedantaacademy.com/.

4. The Bhaktivedanta Gurukula and International School (online), accessed January 2018, available online at http://www.bgis.org/.

5. Bhaktivedanta manor: Home of the Hare Krishna (online), acccessed February 2016, available online at http://www.bhaktivedantamanor.co.uk/home/?tag=gurukula.

6. Bharata Shrestha dasa, "ISKCON's Response to Child Abuse: 1990–1998" (online), ISKCON Communications Journal VI (1/1998), available online at http://content.iskcon.org/icj/6_1/6_1bharata.html.

7. Bhurijana Dasa, The Art of Teaching: A Guide for Training Our Children in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, Vrindavana Institute for Higher Education 1995, 506 p.

8. Bryant, Edwin F., and Maria Ekstrand, The Hare Krishna Movement: The Postcharismatic Fate of a Religious Transplant, New York: Columbia University Press, 2013, 496 p.

9. Deadwyler, Gabriel, "Fifteen Years Later: A Critique of Gurukula", ISKCON Communications Journal (1/2001): p. 13–22.

10. Fárek, Martin, "Gurukula jako zkouška: Ohlédnutí za úsilím založit školu hnutí Haré Kršna"["Gurukula as a Challenge: Looking Back at an Intent to Found a Hare Kṛṣṇa School"], Dingir (2/2001): p. 20–21.

11. Fárek, Martin, Hnutí Haré Kršna: Institucionalizace alternativního náboženství [The Hare Kṛṣṇa Movement: On the institutionalization of alternative religions], Praha: Karolinum 2008, 208 p.

12. "Fundacao Bhaktivedanta", (online), Facebook.com, last updated January 2012, accessed January 2018, available online at https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=284695558244334&id=151919578188600.

13. "Gurukula 1/4", Náma Hatta (2/2009), p. 25.

14. "Gurukula 2/4", Náma Hatta (3/2009), p. 22.

15. "Gurukula 3/4", Náma Hatta (4/2009), p. 30–31.

16. "Gurukula 4/4", Náma Hatta (5/2009), p. 23.

17. [An interview with Prabhupada] (online), Mumbai, 19th December 1975, accessed March 2018, available online at https://prabhupadabooks.com/conversations/1975/dec/morning_walk/bombay/december/19/1975.

18. Jalangi déví dásí, "Děti jsou velice citlivé" ["Children are very sensitive"], Náma Hatta (4/2008), p. 14–15.

19. Jóga Májá déví dásí, "Škola základ života" [School, the Basis of Life"], Náma Hatta (4/2008), p. 12–13.

20. "Letter for Satsvarūpa Dāsa no. 71-11-39 (25. 11. 1971)", in "Letters from Śrīla Prabhupāda Vol. III, 1970–1972" (online), The Vaishnava Institute, Culver City 1987, p. 1808, available online at http://www.krishnapath.org/free-ebooks-audiobooks-of-srila

21. -prabhupada/prabhupada-letters/.

22. "Letter for Bhanutanya Dasi no. 72-11-21 (18. 11. 1972)", in "Letters from Śrīla Prabhupāda Vol. IV, 1972–1975" (online), The Vaishnava Institute, Culver City 1987, p. 2155, available online at http://www.krishnapath.org/free-ebooks-audiobooks-of-srila-prabhupada/prabhupada-letters/.

23. "Letter for Satsvarūpa Dāsa no. 73-4-20 (19. 4. 1973)", in "Letters from Śrīla Prabhupāda Vol. IV, 1972–1975" (online), The Vaishnava Institute, Culver City 1987, p. 2268–2269, available online at http://www.krishnapath.org/free-ebooks-audiobooks-of-srila-prabhupada/prabhupada-letters/.

24. "Letter for Tirthanga dasa no. 75-3-18 (14. 3. 1975)", in "Letters from Śrīla Prabhupāda Vol.V, 1975–1977" (online), The Vaishnava Institute, Culver City, 1987, p. 2777, available online at http://www.krishnapath.org/free-ebooks-audiobooks-of-srila-prabhupada/prabhupada-letters/.

25. "Letter for Ramesvara no. 76-1-64 (23. 1. 1976)", in "Letters from Śrīla Prabhupāda Vol. V, 1975–1977" (online), The Vaishnava Institute, Culver City, 1987, p. 3055 – 3056, available online at http://www.krishnapath.org/free-ebooks-audiobooks-of-srila-prabhupada/prabhupada-letters/.

26. Paṇḍita Cāṇakya, "Niti-Saara – Collection of Subhashitas – Sanskrit English" (online), accessed March 2017, p. 12, available online at https://ia802606.us.archive .org/26/items/Niti-sara-CollectionOfSubhashitas-SanskritEnglish/Niti-sara-CollectionOfSubhashitas.pdf.

27. Prabhupada, A. C. Bhaktivedanta, Beyond Birt h and Deat h (online), The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust 1972, 68 p., available online at http://prabhupadabooks.com/pdf/Beyond_Birth_and_Death-Original_1974_edition_scan.pdf.

28. Prabhupada, A. C. Bhaktivedanta, Bhagavad-Gītā As It Is, 2nd ed., Los Angeles et al: The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust 1989, 924 p.

29. Prabhupada, A. C. Bhaktivedanta, Life Comes from Life (online), Bhaktivedanta Book Trust 1973, 137 p., available online at http://www.krishnapath.org/free-ebooks-audiobooks-of-srila-prabhupada/life-comes-from-life/.

30. Prabhupada, A. C. Bhaktivedanta, The Nectar of Devot ion: The compl et e Science of Bhakti Yoga: A Summary Study of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī's Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (online), The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust 1969, 502 p., available online at https://

31. ebooks.iskcondesiretree.com/pdf/Nectar_of_Devotion_with_Sanskrit/Nectar_of _Devotion_with_Sanskrit.pdf.

32. Prabhupada, A. C. Bhaktivedanta, The Science of Self-Realization (online), The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust 2008, 233 p., available online at http://www.krishnapath.org/free-ebooks-audiobooks-of-srila-prabhupada/the-science-of-self-realization/.

33. Prabhupada, A. C. Bhaktivedanta, Śrīmad Bhāgavatam canto 1–10 (online), The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust 1972, available online at https://krishna.org/srimad-bhagavatam-original-edition-pdf-download/.

34. "Prabhupada on Gurukul" (online), March 2018, available online at https://krishna.org/srila-prabhupada-on-gurukul/.

35. Rochford, E. Burke, "Education and Collective Identity: Public Schooling of Hare Krishna Youths", in Susan Palmer and Charlotte Hardman, Children in New Religions, New Brunswick, N. J.: Rutgers University Press, 1999, p. 29–50.

36. Rochford, E. Burke, "Family Development and Change in the Hare Krishna Movement", in James R. Lewis and Jesper Aagaard Petersen, Controversial New Religions, New York: Oxford University Press 2005, xii, p. 101–117.

37. Rochford, E. Burke, "Family Formation, Culture and Change in the Hare Krshna Movement", ISKCON Communications Journal (2/1997): p. 61–82.

38. Rochford, E. Burke, and Jennifer Heinlein, "Child Abuse in the Hare Krishna Movement: 1971–1986", ISKCON Communications Journal (1/1998): p. 43–69.

39. Rochford, E. Burke, The Hare Krishna in America, New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press 1985, 324 p.

40. Rochford, E. Burke, The Hare Krishna Transformed, New York: New York University Press 2007, 285 p.

41. Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, Prabhupada: Your Ever Well-Wisher, Los Angeles et al: The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust 1995, 370 p.

42. Schlichtsová, Jitka, "Pán Kršna a oddané děti", Dingir (3/2013): p. 74–76.

43. New Govardhana Australia (online), accessed February 2016, available online at www.newgovardhana.net/gurukula.

44. Schlichtsová, Jitka, Výchova a vzdělání v hnutí Haré Kršna, unpublished M. A. thesis, Praha: Hussite Theological Faculty, Charles University 2013, 72 p.

45. "Schools" (online), ISKCON Ministry of Education, accessed February 2016, available online at http://iskconeducation.org/category/schools/.

46. Sri Mayapur International School (online), accessed January 2018, available online at www.mayapurschool.com.

47. Štampach, Ivan O., "Problémy náboženské autority: Nalézt rovnováhu ve vztahu k autoritě" ["Problems with Religious Authority: Finding a Relationship with an Authority"], Dingir (1/1999), s. 14–15.

Creative Commons License
Before and after of the Gurukula phenomenon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

157 x 230 mm
periodicity: 2 x per year
print price: 180 czk
ISSN: 2533-7955
E-ISSN: 2570-4893

Download