Hare Krishna Movement in the Brazilian Way
Keywords:
Hare Krishna, identity, community, conflictAbstract
The purpose of this essay is to present a brief outline of the Hare Krishna movement in Brazil. Initially, it shows the extent to which the Hare Krishna movement was able to fit into the context of Brazilian society, during the nineteen-seventies when its presence was first perceived. This is followed by a description of a case concerning a specific Hare Krishna temple in the south of Brazil, Porto Alegre. Tensions were observed among the followers of the Hare Krishna doctrine in Porto Alegre, especially between a family of devotees who financially supported the Temple – functioning in their vegetarian restaurant – and the ISKCON’s leadership and its congregation. Finally, a short analysis is made on the idea of considering the Brazilian Hare Krishna movement a typical way of doing a traditional Hare Krishna movement – in Brazilian societal attributes. In other words: Is it possible to consider the Hare Krishna movement originally rooted and traditionally genuine in any country?
References
<li>Adami, Vítor Hugo (2005), Transgressions and Concessions of a Westbound Hinduism: An Ethnographic Study About the Hare Krishna Movement, Master Dissertation PUCRS, Porto Alegre.
<li>Guerriero, Silas (1989), The Hare Krishna Movement in Brazil: the Religious Community of Nova Gokula, Master Dissertation, PUC, São Paulo.
<li>Markey, John F. (1926), “A Redefinition of Social Phenomena: Giving a Basis for Comparative Sociology”. The American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 31, No. 6, May, pp. 733-743.
<li>Rochford, E. Burke Jr. (1985), Hare Krishna in America, Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, New York.
<li>Silveira, Marcos (1999), Hari Nama Sankirtana: An Ethnographic Study of a Ritual Process, Doctoral Thesis, UNB, DF. Brasília.
</ul>