Fourteenth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

Since 1967, the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has been a leading force in spreading the path of devotion around the world. While ISKCON initially attracted North American youth interested in Asian philosophies, in recent decades, the South Asian diaspora have been sustaining the movement. However, existing scholarship has overlooked the impact of ISKCON on the lived experiences of the South Asian diaspora. This paper explores how ISKCON influences the perception of belonging among the South Asian diaspora in Canada. It offers a historical overview of this transnational religious movement and the place of first- and second-generation South Asian immigrants within ISKCON. Drawing on ethnographic data, it argues that feelings of home are a great contributor to understandings of belonging amongst members of the South Asian diaspora and their conceptualization of the space of the temple. It outlines three key elements that contribute to such feelings: food (prasādam), home programs, and deity viewing (darshan). Additionally, an analysis of ISKCON teaching materials underscores the centrality of belonging to God within the movement. Nevertheless, the concept of belonging manifests differently for individuals and is not always synonymous with a feeling of inclusion. Thus, this paper highlights blind spots within ISKCON that contribute to sentiments of not-belonging, embedded both within the physical space of ISKCON temples in Canada and ISKCON’s philosophy regarding themes of gender and sexuality.