In your opinion what are some of the biggest misconceptions about being a Hare Krishna?
Porcell: Seriously, the biggest misconception that people jump to again and again is that it is some kind of “new” religion or cult that was started in the 60’s. Vaisnavism (the proper sanskrit name for the “Hare Krishnas”) is thousands of years old and has a very extensive, elaborate philosophy that pre-dates Christianity and Buddhism. It’s funny, because when I became a devotee 20 years ago, much of the practices of Krishna consciousness were considered weird, but with the rise in popularity of yoga, things like chanting, meditation, self-realization, and study of Vedic literature has actually become cool and accepted! For a great read on the modern day Hare Krishna movement, check out this Details magazine article… http://www.details.com/culture-trends/critical-eye/201405/hare-krishna-returns-modern-religion-cult
Who actually came up with the name Youth Of Today?
Porcell: I can’t remember if it was me or Ray, but we were discussing names and wanted something that would let people know that we were hardcore, because a lot of bands were growing out of thrash at the time, but we still loved it. “Youth Of Today” was a line in songs by Cause For Alarm, the Abused and the Avengers, so we adopted it as our own.
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