Demons within : maleficent manifestations in the Hare Krishna movement

Drawing on participant-observation research I carried out with Hare Krishna converts in Sydney, Australia, and which extended to India as I travelled with an international contingent of Hare Krishna pilgrims to the movement’s sacred centers there, this chapter explores the place of demons in Hare Krishna lived experience. I begin by establishing some key points about the nature and reality of demons as I have come to understand them in the context of Hare Krishna cosmology. I also provide an overview of the different manifestations of demon that have tormented the Hare Krishnas during the history of their movement. Following my fieldwork itinerary, at least in part, I then spend some time describing experiences of demons in the ISKCON temple in Sydney, before relating a chance encounter I had with a real-life demon-slayer in Kuala Lumpur airport, as I waited in transit with my Australian Hare Krishna companions for our connecting flight to India. As I proceed, I conceptually situate my demons in relation to monster theory and the new anthropology of monsters announced with the publication of this volume.