The Life And Times Of Bhakta Jim

Bhakta Jim encounters the Hare Krishna organization (or ISKCON - the International Society of Krishna Consciousness) in the Chicago area after the death of its founder. He's called Bhakta because he never took religious vows but remained in a probationary period for two years.He was attracted to the movement from meeting a female devotee and the book is not only an account of someone hanging out with the Hare Krishna movement but also a bittersweet romance. Bhakta Jim never really moves into the temple because he has a computer programmer's job that he doesn't want to give up.Jim manages to stay on the fence about taking the strict vows despite being haranged by the local guru at group meetings and in private, but he still manages to be involved enough to scare his parents into a deprogramming attempt. Even though he does not live in the temple ashram, he still attends morning services that run from 2am until 8am, goes to work for an 8 hour day and often returns to the temple at night for an evening service. It sounded like he came into the morning service late, but still... that's a significant commitment.This book is not a work of high art but more of a matter-of-fact account of what happened to the author. Jim's book is more about his social interactions and relationships with other people in the temple and not so much on the technicalities of the religious rituals and routine. He does spend some time on the practice of sankirtan - the aggressive sale of literature to outsiders and the various unscrupulous activities tied to that.If you find this book interesting, you might also enjoy _Mad About Krishna_ by Paul Ford, a former devotee on the West Coast who took religious vows and lived in the ashram or community homes for 5 years.

I found this book to be a real page-turner. That could be because (starting in the 1990's) I used to regularly visit their restaurant in Los Angeles, have friendly conversations with some of the devotees there and 'tried out' some of their practices for myself. However my previous experience with a Christian cult had made me cynical enough to not get in as deep as Bhakta Jim did. Based upon my experience Bhakta Jim's story is completely probable. Based upon my research I think that he has more than adequately supported his conclusion that ISKCON is a cult. A person that has never been associated with ISKCON can still be entertained by his far-out story and learn what techniques cult leaders (and some political organizations) use to manipulate their followers. I recommend this book if you are in any way interested in the subject matter and it is a must-read if you or someone you know has ever been associated with ISKCON. Another must-read about ISKCON (which Bhakta Jim also mentions favorably) is a book by a couple of investigative reporters which is based primarily upon law enforcement reports and sworn testimony and reads like a thriller novel;  Monkey on a Stick: Murder, Madness, and the Hare Krishnas

Having read the book, one gets to know about things in ISKCON that aren't usually openly discussed by its members (e.g. their fundamentalist interpretation of the scripture, the infallibility of Prabhupada, or their dubitable guru system.) The book is a page-turner. What I find to be its weakness though, is its authors statement that ISKCON nowadays is "less cultish" with no explanation in what regard. I think this is an important point because the movement's PR strategy has changed, but what else could have changed with Prabhupada's infallibility and his word being the final authority? But the book is overall very enjoyable, in spite of being rather raw in its form. Maybe it's also one of the factors that make the story so captivating and spontaneous.

As a long-time member of the "cult" he discusses – and admittedly, it went through its cultish phase as its young members grew up – I found the book a little embarrassing but quite entertaining, until he got into his anti-cult diatribe. That was disappointing and I found myself skimming ahead to see if there was anything else worth reading. Glad he made his life into what he wanted it to be. Sorry he doesn't get the girl – I think.

I enjoyed reading it even if i came to different conclusions from my experience than the author did. There are many interesting books coming out from former devotees and this is another one of them. A heart felt story. I will probably read it again.

Loved this book. Gave me such insight into the early days of the Hare Krishna movement. I felt like at times I was also there as the writer shares his heart and also daily life in a Temple. Could not stop reading. Loved the "where are they now" at the end of the book as I could not help but wonder also what happend to the other devotees. Recommend.

Thus fellow has a story of spiritual adenture that he tells with humility, awe and humor. This one is a keeper.

Liked this book for it's honesty, authenticity and writing skills. Got a good appreciation about 'life' as a Hare Krishna, the betrayals, the brainwash, the slavery. Also learned about the phenomenon of deprogramming and snapping. Great read.

The book by Bhakta Jim allows you to take a deep look into the "black box" ISKCON of the 70s and to get an impression of the real everyday life of the disciples. The book is interesting and pleasant to read.