does anyone know who lord Krishna is? is he the focus of Hare Krishna or is that different?

Answer 1

"Hari" means "Lord" in the language of India. So Lord Krishna and Hari Krishna are the same person.

Answer 2

In Hinduism, the national religion of India, Lord Krishna is seen as a living emodiment of God -- the 8th physical manifestation of Vishnu, who is the top of the pile when it comes to the thousands of Hindu deities. You could compare Krishna to Jesus, though obviously with some massive cultural differences.

The Hare Krishnas are a modern offshoot of Hinduism. Unlike traditional Hindus, they are interested in converting more followers, which is why you see many non-Indian Hare Krishnas (while non-Indian Hindus are quite rare, and definitely not so visible).

But, yes, both Hindus and Hare Krishnas see Lord Krishna as divine.

Answer 3

Krishna is the name of the eighth avatar of Vishnu, the preserver god of hinduism.

The Krishna worshipped by the Hari Krishnas is not the same guy, however. He's a 27 year old computer programmer from Bangalore who plays a lot of World of Warcraft. His mother is always bugging him to get married, and several arranged marriages have already fallen through.

The Hari Krishnas think he is really important for some reason, and his would-be disciples can be found on the streets of major cities all over the world chanting their distinctive mantra. They also tend to congregate in front of Krishna's apartment, giving him no peace, day or night. Sometimes he can get to work without being seen, but there's always a crowd of them waiting outside his office. They ask him advice on spiritual matters, their personal lives, etc. Krishna just growls at them as he makes his way to his cubicle. You would think they would be discouraged, but they seem to find meaning and enlightenment in his grunts and mutterings.

Answer 4

In Brahma Samhita, Lord Brahma says in the fifth chapter, verse one that, "Krishna who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes".

Lord Krishna is the speaker of Bhagavad-gita. He supports the above statement by the creater Brahma,"I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts". Bhagavad-gita(10.8)

Hare Krishna movement was started by Srila Prabhupada, the founder-acharya of ISKCON(International Society for Krishna Consciousness). He popularized the Hare Krishna mahamantra which is given in the Vedas as the process for Self-realization and God-Consciousness in this iron age of Kali-yuga filled with quarrel and hypocrisy.

Bhagavad-gita is spoken by Lord Krishna.
Srimad Bhagavatam is spoken about Lord Krishna, His activities and Hid devotees, though Krishna also speaks considerably.
The above two books give lot of information about Lord Krishna and the Hare Krishna movement(ISKCON) is based on these.

Answer 5

Krishna , according to various Hindu traditions, is the eighth avatar of Vishnu. In the Bhagavad Gita (e.g., 10.15 and 15.19), he is seen as the Supreme Person and the highest God. Thus, according to traditions such as Gaudiya Vaishnavism, he is the origin of all other incarnations.
Krishna and the stories associated with him appear across the spectrum of Hindu philosophical and theological traditions. Though they sometimes differ in details reflecting the concerns of a particular tradition, some core features are shared by all. These include a divine incarnation, a pastoral childhood and youth, and life as a heroic warrior and teacher. The immense popularity of Krishna in India also meant that various non-Hindu religions that originated in India had their own versions of him.

The Hare Krishna mantra, also referred to reverentially as the Maha Mantra ("Great Mantra"), is a sixteen-word Vaishnava mantra, made well known outside of India by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (commonly known as 'the Hare Krishnas'). It is believed by practitioners to bring about a higher state of consciousness when heard, spoken, meditated upon or sung out loud. According to Gaudiya Vaishnava theology this higher consciousness ultimately takes the form of pure love of God (Krishna).

Answer 6

One of the incarnations (avatars in Sanskrit) of Vishnu. The Hare Krishnas (not their proper name, but okay) focus on Krishna, and I'm not totally sure how they fit in with normative Hinduism. They have a great little vegetarian cookbook though.

Answer 7

No, he is in the Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu story or prayer book. I think I spelled it right. Why don't you google or wikipedia it ?(Krishna, that is).

Answer 8

Hare Krishna believe in every religion... in every prophet... but they only follow their guru... i don't like the way they create idols of God and pictures saying it is God...

Answer 9

In certain forms of Hinduism, he is the Supreme Personality of Godhead....the greatest incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Yes, his name is chanted by the Hare Krsnas...he is the focus of their devotion in Bhakti Yoga (the yoga of devotion).

Answer 10

Yes by all means read the Bhagavad Gita it is immediately useful practical spirituality which speaks to many.