Major
Bioinformatics
Anticipated Graduation Year
2025
Access Type
Open Access
Abstract
I visited the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple for my engaged learning project. ISKCON is a Vaishnavite Hindu temple that focuses on Lord Krishan. The movement was introduced to the Western world by A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in 1965 and, from there, has rapidly spread over the last few decades, with millions of followers currently. As stated on their website, the Bhagavad Gita is their core philosophical text, focusing on the spiritual nourishment of the soul to obtain inner happiness and contentment (ISKCON Chicago). I was excited to explore this community because it is close to the Loyola Lakeshore Campus. Growing up in rural Nebraska, I didn't have temples I could visit, much less a community like this to be a part of. I hoped that in visiting and interviewing devotees, I could better understand their mission and the community they have built here in Chicago and how that has modified their practices from our in-class learning. I also hoped to take that knowledge and reflect on what this means in terms of Loyola's mission of global awareness. Exploring other cultures and thought systems allows us to be more accepting and conscious of our choices, providing an excellent example of how we are all interrelated and interdependent.
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THEO299: Engaged Learning Project Chicago's ISKCON Temple
I visited the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple for my engaged learning project. ISKCON is a Vaishnavite Hindu temple that focuses on Lord Krishan. The movement was introduced to the Western world by A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in 1965 and, from there, has rapidly spread over the last few decades, with millions of followers currently. As stated on their website, the Bhagavad Gita is their core philosophical text, focusing on the spiritual nourishment of the soul to obtain inner happiness and contentment (ISKCON Chicago). I was excited to explore this community because it is close to the Loyola Lakeshore Campus. Growing up in rural Nebraska, I didn't have temples I could visit, much less a community like this to be a part of. I hoped that in visiting and interviewing devotees, I could better understand their mission and the community they have built here in Chicago and how that has modified their practices from our in-class learning. I also hoped to take that knowledge and reflect on what this means in terms of Loyola's mission of global awareness. Exploring other cultures and thought systems allows us to be more accepting and conscious of our choices, providing an excellent example of how we are all interrelated and interdependent.