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Hare Krishna
The Hare Krishna religion or mantra is also referred to as Maha Mantra and according to theology this faith allows adherents to reach a higher plane of consciousness which takes the form of pure love of God or Krishna. Since the 1960s, the mantra has been made well known outside of India by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and his International Society for Krishna Consciousness (commonly known as "the Hare Krishnas").
The mantra is in the form of a verse which is recited as a religious chant. The mantra is repeated, either out loud (kirtan), softly to oneself (japa), or internally within the mind. A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami describes the process of chanting the Maha Mantra as follows:
Krishna consciousness is not an artificial imposition on the mind; this consciousness is the original energy of the living entity. When we hear the transcendental vibration, this consciousness is revived. This chanting is directly enacted from the spiritual platform, and thus this sound vibration surpasses all lower strata of consciousness - namely sensual, mental, and intellectual. As such anyone can take part in the chanting without any previous qualification. The mantra originated approximately 1500 CE when the mission began to be spread worldwide. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, it became confused with the hippie subculture which couldn’t be further from the truth as one of the doctrines was no intoxicants.
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