George Harrison on the ISKCON Gurus

In 1987, 10 years after physical departure of His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the Hare Krishna movement (ISKCON), George Harrison was interviewed by Sunday Tribune. Among other topics, they have discussed his involvement in the Hare Krishna movement. The following is a quote from this interview:

At the turn of the Seventies, George became a benefactor to the Hare Krishna movement. He not only made records with them and talked about them publicly but also forked out a quarter of a million pounds to buy them a 15-room Elizabethan mansion with 17 acres of land. Since then, George's friend His Divine Grace Guru Bhaktivedanta Swami, the leader and founder of the International Society For Krishna Consciousness, who was 77 when they met, has died. George feels that some of the remaining Krishnas have at times abused his patronage, and he cites letters from people who wrote saying that they were hassled at airports by devotees using Harrison's name. Nevertheless, he still subscribes to "the Swami's ancient Vedic way of having God consciousness. "The technique of chanting, just like the monks and Christians, they do it too really but it's just using beads and chanting these ancient mantras... they do have great affect. I wouldn't knock them at all. I am always a bit dubious about organisations and since the swami died it does seem to be chaotic, with all kinds of guys thinking they're the gurus. To me, it's not important to be a guru, it's more important just to be, to learn humility." And George still chants. "I've still got my bag of beads and they're really groovy now, all polished up."

The Sunday Tribune October 18 1987
source: http://www.bpfallon.com/article_harrison.html