Hare Krishna (Sect within Hinduism)
- "Krishna is a name of the Supreme. It means "all- attractive." Anything that might attract you has its source in the Supreme. Therefore the Supreme is also known as Rama (rhymes with "drama"). "Rama" means "the highest eternal pleasure. All of us are pleasure-seeking creatures. So you can say that directly or indirectly we are all seeking Krishna. Chanting Hare Krishna is a way of seeking Krishna directly." http://www.harekrishna.com/col/philo/phi-what.html
- Hare Krishnas teach that we are living in an evil age, the age of Kali, but can attain salvation and a "return to Godhead" by means of permanent Krishna-consciousness. Krishna-consciousness can be accomplished through ethical living and the "Hare Krishna" chant. http://www.religionfacts.com/hare-krishna
- International body: The International Society for Krishna Consciousness
- The Hare Krishna came under criticism during the anti-cult movement in the 1970s and 1980s, and still remains under the watchful eye of anti-cult organizations today. The identification of ISKCON as a cult is usually based on the abuses committed by some of its leaders and allegations by some former members of brainwashing and isolation from family and friends. In 1998, the organization published an official report detailing abuse of children in ISKCON boarding schools in the US and India in the 70s and 80s. The movement was sued by a number of former students and actively sought to identify victims who had not sued in order to compensate them as well.
To prevent future abuses, ISKCON has established a worldwide child protection office to screen out actual or potential abusers and educate children and adults on child abuse, and has made other organizational changes to increase the transparency and accountability of ISKCON leadership.(http://www.religionfacts.com/hare-krishna) - "Temple-based" or full members of the Hare Krishna movement live in temples and are expected to lead austere and ascetic lifestyles in which they follow these four regulative principles:
- eat no meat, fish, or eggs;
- drink no alcohol and take no drugs (including caffeine);
- do not gamble, and
- remain celibate except for purposes of procreation within marriage.
The reason for these prohibitions is that "indulgence in the aforementioned activities disrupts physical, mental and spiritual well-being, and increases anxiety and conflict in society."
- Hare Krishnas are expected to chant the mantra for 16 rounds of a rosary of 108 beads (i.e. 1,728 times) every day.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2009/may/27/cults-definition-religion (What makes a cult)
Buddhist Monks
Buddhists do not believe in God. There are several reasons for this. The Buddha, like modern sociologists and psychologists, believed that religious ideas and especially the god idea have their origin in fear.
The Discipline of a Buddhist monk is refined and is intended to be conducive to the arising of mindfulness and wisdom. This code of conduct is called the Vinaya. While it is not an end in itself, it is an excellent tool, which can be instrumental in leading to the end of suffering.
Buddhism
(http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhistworld/layguide.htm)
https://www.yelp.co.uk/search?find_loc=London&start=0&cflt=buddhist_temples - Buddhism appears to have a strong presence in London, with many buddhist temples. Constituencies in the UK according to the most prevalent religions: http://www.may2015.com/ideas/what-are-the-most-christian-muslim-jewish-hindu-buddhist-and-sikh-constituencies/
(Shaolin)
Shaolin monks can take different forms. Not every monk you see in and around the temple is a brilliant warrior. A Shaolin monk is simply a monk. They follow the life of a Buddhist monk. That is the key thing here. They give their life over to their religion, following strict rules, including celibacy, abstaining from meat and alcohol. Traditionally, monks would be given a bowl would have to beg for food as one of the rules was to only accept what was given.
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