“ISKCON is fiercely monotheistic and expects its devotees to live their lives rigorously . . . this all adds up to a very austere religious and cultural lifestyle.”

“By far, the most important event in the development of ISKCON was the death of Prabhupada in 1977 . . . the transfer of power in ISKCON was a messy affair, particularly because the eleven gurus who became his successors were largely too inexperienced to assume their new responsibilities.  Thus, within just ten years, seven out of these gurus ‘fell from grace’, through a combination of drug-taking, illegal arms and drug dealing, and heavy-handed management . . . the result was a great deal of disenchantment for many devotees who had suffered under the young gurus, plus a very tarnished public image of ISKCON as a whole.  The problem continues to the present, with a small but vocal group of dissenting ISKCON followers . . . claiming that Prabhupada’s succession has still not been resolved.”

“ISKCON at the beginning of the 21^st century is quite different from what it was in its first flush in the early 1970s . . . Increasingly, in the United States and Britain, support for ISKCON comes from diasporic Hindus, who have been turning to ISKCON as an authentic expression of their ancestral religious traditions.  Hence, the development of ISKCON has been to reconcile its status as a traditional Hindu Vaishnavite organization with an international missionary drive.  The future is likely to see it retain both elements, but to be seen increasingly as a global Hindu organization.”

excerpts from an article entitled : ISKCON (Hare Krishna Movement) by Malory Nye
a sub-chapter in a book entitled: New Religions: A Guide    Oxford Press, 2004               emphases added