The Seven Purposes of ISKCON

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada incorporated the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in 1966 with seven explicit purposes.

This list of purposes (below) was one of the official documents incorporating ISKCON as a charitable organization. At the time, the movement had few followers in the West and was operating out of a rented storefront in New York City. One of the pressing needs at the time was to facilitate donors who wanted to give tax-deductible donations to establish a temple for Lord Krishna in New York City.

In the years that followed, Srila Prabhupada expanded ISKCON’s mission and activities beyond some of the details listed in the incorporation documents, while remaining consistent with its principles. For example, ISKCON has established many more than one “holy place of transcendental pastimes dedicated to the personality of Krishna”, with temples in major cities around the world. “To bring the members closer together for the purpose of teaching a simpler, more natural way of life”has inspired the development of self-sufficient farm communities,ashrams and spiritual retreat centers.

Srila Prabhupada’s plan to re-spiritualize society through the distribution of sanctified food is not mentioned in the original incorporation documents. Yet he established Food For Life and Govinda’s vegetarian restaurants, and the Sunday Feast has become the weekly happening at every ISKCON center.