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American converts find solace at Iskcon temple
More and more Americans, even Hispanics, are thronging Chicago's Iskcon temple.
For years, an African American, now called Murari Caitanya Das, had been in search of salvation. He says he has finally found answers to his spiritual quest at the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon).
Born into a Lutheran family, the former high school teacher is now the assistant administrator of the Iskcon temple here.
After trying transcendental meditation, new age spiritual ventures and tarot cards to quench his spiritual thirst, Caitanya chanced upon the Bhagavad Gita, one of Hinduism's popular scriptures, at a library.
"I found the Bhagavad Gita answered all the questions I had been asking all my life," he says.
Caitanya is not the only American at the temple. Increasingly, more and more Americans, even Hispanics, are thronging the temple that was first opened in a Chicago suburb in 1971 before moving to its current location in 1979.
Another enthusiastic convert to the Iskcon movement is Sunil Madhav Das, now the president of Chicago centre. According to Sunil, the four basic tenets of the sect - no meat, no intoxication, no illicit sex and no gambling - is "not easy" to follow.
"To follow these principles in our society is very difficult," Sunil says.
"All your associates (in the outside world) eat meat, drink or gamble. Those of us who are here have the support of the congregation."
There are 20 full time devotees residing in the temple - three Americans, six Hispanics and the rest Indians. They all follow a strict regimen - getting up before sunrise for prayer rituals.
Sunil says he chants the beads 16 times every day. "The chanting focuses the mind on god. Otherwise one could be easily caught in 'maya' (material world)."
The administrator of the temple, Abhimanyu Das, is an American who converted from Christianity in 1978. Abhimanyu says he was attracted by the teachings of Swami Prabhupada, founder of the Iskcon movement.
"I found his message of 'You can change your life' more compelling than the biblical message -'As you sow, so shall you reap'," he says.
The Hindu concepts of karma and reincarnation also attracted him.
"When we have been given the opportunity to serve god in this life, we should take it. After all, there is no guarantee that one will be born as a human in the next life. I want to liberate myself from the material world in this life itself."
Abhimanyu, who looks after the temple gift shop and assists in fund-raising, says he is impressed with the Indian American professionals' "ability to balance their spiritual life with the demands of materialism".
