Tenets of Vaishnava Philosophy 

The following is a humble attempt to provide a concise list of Vedic scriptural teachings handed down through the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Sampradaya, or disciplic succession, which dates back thousands of years. Fortunately, these beliefs of spiritual knowledge have been preserved through the ages in this unbroken lineage. Within the past fifty-some-odd years, these teachings have been made available worldwide through the tireless work of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and his dedicated disciples.  The organization he founded in 1966, The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), has grown internationally with millions of followers. Eventually, these Tenets will be further explained so that you may have a more thorough understanding of each one. 
  1. There is one Supreme God, all-loving, unlimited, all-knowing, immutable, and eternal. He is described as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, complete in Himself of all opulence.
  2. Lord Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He came to Earth some 5,000 years ago and taught the Science of Self-Realization found in the Bhagavad Gita (the holy scripture accepted by millions worldwide).  
  3. The Vedas and subsequent works of literature, such as the Upanishads and Puranas, provide an understanding of God.
  4. Krishna again accented as the Avatar Lord Caitanya in Bengal, India, in 1486 to propagate the Chanting of the Hare Krishna Mantra.
  5. This authentic science of God-Realization is practiced and must be followed through disciplic succession from Krishna and is validated by the teachings of Guru (the instructor), Sastra (Vedic scriptures), and Sadhu (saintly persons).
  6. Chanting God's holy names is the best means for Self-Realization and God-realization in this age. God is absolute, and the sound vibration (an incarnation of Him) of His name is no different from Him.  
  7. The most effective Mantra for elevating and purifying the conditioned soul is the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra (Great Mantra). It is as follows:                     Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare,                                                                                                                                                       Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare 
  8. There are three primary levels of “God-realization”
    • Brahman, the all-pervading impersonal feature of God
    • Paramatma, the omnipresent God within the heart of all conditioned souls
    • Bhagavan, the highest realization of God, is the Eternal Supreme Being
  9. Regarding the soul, we are not this body, mind, or intelligence but an eternal spirit being (therefore, identification with race, religion, or ethnicity is a sign of the conditioned soul’s illusion), and our real identity (being Sat, Chit Ananda – eternal, blissful, and full of knowledge) is that of an eternal servant of God, Krishna.
  10. The human form of life is meant for self-realization, and the soul’s free will is awakened in the human form.
  11. Everyone has an eternal relationship with the Lord; this personal relationship now illudes the conditioned soul.
  12. The conditioned soul is subject to four primary defects
    • One makes mistakes
    • One is subject to illusion
    • One has a cheating propensity
    • One has imperfect senses                                                                                                        
  13. We understand that the soul is eternal and transmigrates from one body to another.
    • To interfere in this process through such acts as abortion is prohibited 
    • Sexual intercourse is meant for procreation
  14. Unlike animal life, human life is subject to Karma (the Law of action and reaction) for our good and bad actions.
  15. Our current age, Kali Yuga, is marked by “Quarrel and Hypocrisy. “
  16. A true religion’s purpose is to bring one to the point of love of God.
  17. We understand the Varnashrama societal system as the natural arrangement for human civilization to live peacefully with God at its center.                 There are four stages of life and four natural divisions of society 
    • The four stages of life are:
      1. Student life for study and practice of austerity (ages up to 25)
      2. Householder or Married life for raising children (ages 25 to 50)
      3. Preretirement and time for learning detachment (ages 50 to 75)
      4. Renunciant and devotion to God (ages 75 and beyond)                                              
    • The divisions are determined by one’s abilities and nature, not by birth. They are:
      1. Brahmans (intellectuals)
      2. Kshatriya (Warrior, Military, Governing Leaders)
      3. Vaishya (commercial and agricultural occupations)
      4. Sudra (working class)
  18. The fabricated ideas that reject God, such as Socialism and Communism, are atheistic and are dismissed.
  19.  The conditioned soul wishing to purify one's consciousness refrains from meat, fish, eggs, coffee, tea, and all intoxicants. 
  20. The killing of innocent animals is forbidden, and such acts create an adverse karmic reaction.
  21. The eleventh day of the moon's waning and waxing, known as Ekadashi, is a suitable time for fasting to purify the mind and body for cultivating devotion to Krishna, God.