Comment Section for ‘Where Did Justine Go?’ One Woman Disappears Into Devotion - The New York Times

The webpage from The New York Times shares the story of Justine Payton, a woman who joined the Hare Krishna movement, drawn by the yoga, meditation, and vegan meals offered by an ashram in Philadelphia. She initially found joy, purpose, and community in the movement, but the experience eventually turned into what she described as emotionally and spiritually abusive. Payton had been working intensively in a cycle of cleaning, cooking, teaching, worshipping, and selling books on the street, while living under strict rules and receiving no income from her book sales. She was manipulated emotionally by the ashram's leader, Mangal-arti, who told her she had borderline personality disorder. She began to doubt her instincts and even contemplated suicide. After being quarantined with Covid, Payton was left alone for a sustained period, which gave her time to reflect on her situation. She called her father, and her parents came to retrieve her from the ashram. In 2021, Payton and three others filed formal complaints against Mangal-arti with ISKCON’s governing body, which eventually ruled that Mangal-arti must apologize in writing and refrain from leading any ISKCON event for three years. Payton has since disassociated from the Hare Krishna movement and is rebuilding her life in North Carolina, but she remains affected by her experiences.