About Us
ISKCON of Charlotte
ISKCON Charlotte center is open for congregations and groups of devotees in neighbouring towns and cities . ISKCON Charlotte center maintains daily high-standard Deity worship, Lord Jagannath, Baldev, Subhadra deity worship, home programs, festivals, daily liturgical programs.
ISKCON Charlotte community exists to facilitate sat-sanga (spiritually-based relationships) and teach Bhakti (Devotional /Service) based lifestyle to local people, according to the principles, values, and spirit that Srila Prabhupada delineates in his 7 principles of ISKCON.
✨ Our Mission at ISKCON of Charlotte, INC ✨
✅ Free Food Relief – Supporting Hare Krishna Food for Life (FFL), the world’s largest vegetarian food relief program, providing millions of free meals daily both worldwide and locally.
✅ Free Yoga & Meditation – Experience yoga, meditation, and wellness programs designed to relieve stress and promote inner peace.
✅ Sustainable & Cruelty-Free Living – Encouraging vegetarianism, compassion, and eco-friendly lifestyles for a balanced and harmonious life.
✅ Spiritual & Community Unity – Hosting kirtans (spiritual singing), meditation, and scriptural study to foster universal brotherhood.
✅ Serving the Community – Engaging in food distribution, educational programs, and interfaith collaborations to uplift society.
✅ Volunteering for Kids – Helping children develop motor skills, patience, and responsibility through gardening, fostering a deep connection with nature.
✅ Character Building – Cultivating ethical values, self-discipline, and a strong moral foundation through spiritual teachings and practical engagement.
✅ Book Distribution – Sharing the wisdom of Vedic scriptures, including the Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam, to inspire and uplift society.
💛 Join us in spreading love, devotion, and well-being for all! 🌎✨
Our Founder Ācārya : Srila Prabhupāda
Srila Prabhupada was an Indian spiritual teacher and the founder of the popular international Bhakti Yoga Movement known as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), also known as “the Hare Krishna movement.”
He was a rare personality who appeared on the earth and dedicated his life to spreading God consciousness, bringing a spiritual dimension to the lives of thousands of followers all over the world.
Born and raised in Kolkata, he met his spiritual inspiration and guru, Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati, there. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami was married and raised several children before becoming a renunciate monk in his later years. He traveled to America in 1965 (at the age of 69) and established ISKCON in 1966.
One of the world’s most prominent teachers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, a school of Vaishnavite Hinduism based on the teachings of 16th-century Saint Sri Krishna Caitanya, he is especially noted for his determination to share the message of Bhakti Yoga outside of India. He is renowned for his prolific translation of sacred texts and his significant role in the Western counterculture of the 1960s and 70s. Before his death in 1977, at age 81, he circled the globe 14 times on lecture tours, accepting thousands of people on six continents as his disciples.
Followers of ISKCON today look to him as their prominent spiritual guide and inspiration, and his many books serve as a philosophical foundation for understanding and practicing Bhakti Yoga.
Our Mission
Our Vision
Our Values
THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS
ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna consciousness, also known as the “Hare Krishna movement,” was founded by Srila Prabhupada and his followers in 1966. Srila Prabhupada’s aim was to create a global association of Krishna devotees based on the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam on the nature of the self and our relationship with the Supreme Person. ISKCON has since grown into a worldwide organization of individuals, communities, temples, farm projects, schools, and restaurants, each centered on the ideal of devotional service to the Supreme Lord, who is known by unlimited names but whom the Vedas refer to as Krishna, “the all-attractive one.” ISKCON is an extension of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s sankirtan movement for spreading the chanting of the names of God, specifically the Hare Krishna mantra, as widely as possible.
The aim of ISKCON is to acquaint all people of the world with universal principles of self-realization and God consciousness so that they may derive the highest benefit of spiritual understanding and love. The Vedic literature recommend that in the present age of Kali-yuga the most effective means of achieving self-realization is to always hear about, glorify, and remember the all-attractive Supreme Lord Sri Krishna. Therefore, it recommends the chanting of the Holy Names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. This sublime chanting puts the chanter directly in touch with the Supreme Lord through the sound vibration of His Holy Name.
The mind is always busy, restless and cannot be stopped. Meditation and yoga help us rise above the mind’s chatter. What we meditate on now creates our future life.
In fact the very word “Mantra” means that which delivers us (tra) from the mind (man).
Mantra meditation involves the repetition of a mantra (sacred Vedic sound in Sanskrit) in prayer, meditation, or incantation and concentrating the mind on that sound vibration.
There are two types of mantra meditation, Japa and Kirtan. Japa is a quiet and personal meditation where one chants on prayer beads. Kirtan on the other hand is a joyous congregational meditation on the same sound vibration, in a call-and-response style, with pulsating musical instruments.
There are many mantras, but of all, the Hare Krishna Mahamantra is particularly recommended as a means of deliverance for this age.
hare krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare hare
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare
iti sodasakam namnam kali-kalmasa-nasanam
natah parataropayah sarva-vedesu drsyate
“The sixteen words of the Hare Krsna Mahamantra are especially meant for counteracting the sins of age of Kali. To save oneself from the contamination of this age there is no alternative but to chant the Hare Krsna Mahamantra. After searching through all the Vedic literature, one cannot find a method of religion more sublime for this age than the chanting of Hare Kåñëa.” (Kali-Santarana Upanisad 5-6)
The Hare Krishna Maha Mantra is made up of three words – Hare, Krishna, and Rama:
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare – the beautiful energy of the Lord
Krishna – the all attractive one
Rama – the one who gives happiness to all
These simple yet profound words help attune our consciousness to the treasure of spiritual happiness that already exists in our hearts.
The Maha Mantra descends from the spiritual world – “Golokera prema dhana harinam sankirtana”. This chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra is enacted from the spiritual platform, and thus this sound vibration surpasses all lower strata of consciousness—namely sensual, mental, and intellectual. There is no need, therefore, to understand the language of the mantra, nor is there any need for mental speculation nor any intellectual adjustment for chanting this maha -mantra. It is automatic, from the spiritual platform, and as such, anyone can take part in the chanting without any previous qualification. In a more advanced stage, of course, one is not expected to commit offenses on the grounds of spiritual understanding. (Srila Prabhupada – Founder Acarya of ISKCON)
