Everyone should grow his own food–SP – Prabhupadanugas Worldwide

“So let us try to make an attempt to organize a New Vrindaban scheme, and I shall request all my students to develop this idea and show a good example to this Western part of the world where people are always engaged in ugra-karma, asuric-karma.”

“Everyone has to earn his livelihood by agriculture,..”

“Every man must possess a piece of land..”

“The first necessity is that you should be self-sufficient. That is God’s arrangement.”

“There are so many land. Come here and grow food. Grow fruit. That is… That is the desire of Krsna. Annad bhavanti bhutani. Produce food and eat in sufficiently, be strong, and chant Hare Krsna. That is our philosophy.”

“When men are uncivilized, they do not how to grow food, they kill animals in the jungle and eat. When they are civilized, they know how to grow food now and the nice food grains, fruit, flowers”

“There is a proverb: agriculture is the noblest profession. Is it not said? Agriculture is noblest, and Krsna was farmer, His father”.

“I wish to introduce this ideal now. Then if we are successful this cheating civilization will stop.”

“ The beginning of life is how to become cent percent obedient to guru.”

“We want two favours. One from guru, one from Krsna. That’s all. We don’t want anyone’s favour. “

Hare Krsna-below and above we have compiled some quotes and realizations based upon these quotes and the application in our personal life of these quotes or instructions by Srila Prabhupada. Everybody knows-chant Hare Krsna and be happy. How that instruction was to be applied as the days move more into kali yuga can be found within this article.

Hare Krsna

damaghosa das

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Srila Prabhupada explains why everyone should grow their own food—this is to be done gradually- because for so many lifetimes we are addicted to city living

May 28 1974 Rome

Yogeśvara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, the way you’ve been describing our solutions to the problems of the world, they seem to be on two levels. One is the extended solution, that is to say, the ultimate solution of Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Prabhupāda: No, there is no question of extended. You keep yourself in a limited solution. And then, when it is appreciated it will be automatically extended. You don’t touch the extended. You become ideal civilized man. Others will follow.

Yogeśvara: Well, for example, ultimately, we want to live locally. These cities are not necessary.

Prabhupāda: No, you make the best use of a bad bargain. We shall depend more… Just like in New Vrindaban. They are coming to the city for preaching. So not absolutely we can abstain immediately because we have been dependent so long, many, many lives. You cannot. But the ideal should be introduced gradually. And make it perfect more and more and more and more. But there is possibility. Possibility if you live locally and make your arrangement, you get your foods… The real necessity is, bodily necessity is, eating, sleeping, mating and defending. This is necessity. So if you can eat locally, you can sleep locally, you can have your sex life also locally and you can defend locally, then what is the wrong? These are the necessities. We are not stopping this. We are not stopping, “No more sex life.” That is nonsense, another nonsense. You must have. Marry. That’s all. So you can marry locally and live. Where is the difficulty? Defend. If somebody comes to attack, there must be men to defend. And eating and sleeping. Where is your difficulty? Manage locally, as far as possible. After all, these are the necessities of body. So it can be solved locally. Is it impossible? To solve the bodily necessities? What do you think? Is it impossible?

This one below Srila Prabhupada is telling us how everybody in kali yuga is lazy, all sudras, and nobody wants to work. And then so much land is then laying fallow-empty of food growing there.

March 12 1974

Make a small unit of community and show ideal life, not idle life. Ideal life. Then this mis… That… Now in Bombay, they have refused. Because they are under the impression that “They, these Europeans have come here under some sentiment, and what is the use?” They have taken some plea and rejected our… [break] …is there. As we are making counterpropaganda against māyā, the māyā is also very strong. She will also make propaganda against you, very strong. So unless you become very sincere devotee, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14], then it will not be possible to conquer over māyā. You’ll be succumbed. Hare Kṛṣṇa. [break] …taranti te, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. In India the, the brāhmaṇa class, they say, “Oh, I am born in brāhmaṇa family. Why shall I do this work?” You see. Therefore the whole society has gone to hell. In your country still, they accept any kind of work. It doesn’t matter. And here, in India, if he happens to be a brāhmaṇa, he’ll not take any kind of work. Means… Just like plowing. He’ll not agree. Therefore so much land. The kṣatriya is thinking, “I am kṣatriya.” The brāhmaṇa is thinking, “I am brāhmaṇa.” And the land is lying fallow. There is no production. He will go to the office and fight with the pen as a kṣatriya. And instead of studying Vedas, he’ll study the rules and regulations given by the office. But he’ll not come to plow. Therefore this scarcity of food. He’ll go to a mill to work as ordinary laborer. (Hindi) He’ll not come. So much land we see lying unutilized. And they’re crying for grain.

The above conversation Srila Prabhupada is telling us that everybody-be he a so called brahmana, ksatriya vaisya or sudra-nobody wants to work growing their own food. He says the so called brahmanas will work in some office and study the rules of that job, but to the plow he will not come-and so much land is laying empty. The ksatriya will fight with a pen, the brahmana will study office rules and regulations, but to the plow, neither of them will come!! So to me this means that he wants everybody to grow their own food and stop wasting time doing useless occupations meant to only make others rich. This is an emergency situation right now with the vast majority of the population (95%) living in cities and only 5% living out of cities and many of them not even growing food ! We all know kalau sudra sambhava-in this age everybody is born a sudra. Only by samskara does one elevate himself beyond that status. So if we get the brahmana threads around our neck, and we still are not doing the actual day to day work of a brahmana, then we are brahmanas in name only. One has to work and be qualified in that occupation to be called a brahmana. Prabhupada used the example of a lawyer-he gets the law degree, but if he doesnt work as a lawyer, then he is not a real lawyer. So why the strong emphasis above by Srila Prabhupada for all the castes-brahmana ksatriya Vaisya sudra if none of them can “come to the plow”. He says they all will refuse to do this kind of work. And what is the result of that?

So much land laying vacant and food prices only on the rise as less people grow food and more people have to eat. In emergency times the actual brahmanas can do the work of vaisyas if nobody is doing that, or the work of a ksatriya, but he never accepts the position of servant to anyone else, like the sudra.

June 6 1974 Geneva

So anyway, the whole world situation is degrading, that people are not producing their own food. This is the problem, real problem. Kṣetra-kṣetra-jña. This example is given. As every man must possess a piece of land… Therefore this… Because it is very common thing, this example has been given. Kṣetra-kṣetra-jña.

So as we till our land and gets foodstuff according to my labor, according to my intelligence... Food grains I can produce once twice, thrice, if I work hard. Generally, they work two times: three months, three months. And those who are very lazy, they work three months. But even working for three months, they can acquire foodstuffs for the whole year. That I have seen…

My practical experience is that we grow about 80% of our food needs here, on our own land of what we offer and eat. The little I have to spend at some store for that other 20% is far far less than what the karmis are paying. When I go thru some store checkout, I usually pay about $10-15 dollars for maybe some fruit, or milk, or nuts, etc like that but the karmis right ahead of me in line are forking over at least

$200-300 dollars for their shopping cart full of processed foods filled with chemicals, additives, pesticides, insecticides , fillers and GMO products.

And they usually do this once a week-that adds up 4 times a month. So all that time they are spending at some “job” which they do not like, nor their “boss”, usually 40 hours per week , plus drive time, car expenses to do that, stress on the mind and body in freeway traffic, smog, pollution they breathe in daily, etc etc. This is your reward for being an obedient servant to maya- by not being self independent.

740602mw.gen Conversations 364211/530501 Prabhupada: Wasteful, yes. Therefore I say they have no brain All, they are rascals. Rascal leaders. A little labor in agriculture will be sufficient to produce the family’s food stock for the whole year. You can stock. You work only three months, and you get sufficient food for your whole family. And less nine months, you chant Hare Krsna. But these rascals will not do that. They will work hard like ass simply for eating. Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma yad indriya-pritaya aprnoti. They will not accept easy life.

oct 2 1975 Mauritius

So I see in your this Mauritius land, you have got enough land to produce food grains. You produce food grain. I understand that instead of growing food grains, you are growing sugar cane for exporting. Why? And you are dependent on food grains, on rice, wheat, dahl. Why? Why this attempt? You first of all grow your own eatables. And if there is time and if your population has got sufficient food grains, then you can try to grow other fruits and vegetables for exporting. The first necessity is that you should be self-sufficient. That is God’s arrangement. Everywhere there is sufficient land to produce food grains, not only in your country. I have traveled all over the world—Africa, Australia, and other, in America also. There are so much land vacant that if we produce food grains, then we can feed ten times as much population as at the present moment. There is no question of scarcity. The whole creation is so made by Kṛṣṇa that everything is pūrṇam, complete. Pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate, pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate [Īśo Invocation]. If we don’t produce food grain—you require it—and put unnecessarily men into scarcity, that is sinful. That is sinful. Everything, every instruction for our happy life and to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and make life perfect .

In this conversation Srila Prabhupada is telling us we should all be self sufficient-rely upon nature and Krsna for our needs. This makes one strong in body, strong in mind, builds character, and a much more dependent servant of the Supreme Lord. He says “that is Gods arrangement”. He also tells us at the end that if we don’t grow our own food, this puts men into scarcity which is sinful. There is a saying that God helps those who help themselves, to which Prabhupada explains this to mean -helping ourselves means putting ourselves under His protection. Means doing what He wants us to do, not what we want to do, independently of Him and His plans for mankind.

August 22 1968 montreal

So fortunately, one of our students, he has taken a very large tract of land in West Virginia to develop a society like that, that simple life, eat simple things, grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, and save your time for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don’t be implicated in the ugra-karma. Modern civilization is implicated in ugra-karma—vast machinery, everything complicated. The government complicated, the society complicated, economics rule complicated, foreign exchange complicated. Everything has become complicated. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung very nice song. Satsaṅga chāri kainu asatye vilās, ei kāraṇe lāgila more karma bandha-phāṅsa. Because we have given up Kṛṣṇa consciousness, therefore we have been entangled in the different varieties of material activities. Now we have to simplify it. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to simplify, to save the valuable life, to save the time of valuable life. This human form of life is very valuable. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante [Bg. 7.19]. After many, many births we have got this important life. So we have to save our time to utilize it for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That should… So far we have got this material body, we want to maintain it. The body and souls live together. That is all right. For that, Kṛṣṇa has given every chance. Anywhere you sit down, you have got land and cow. You produce something and cow’s milk. That is sufficient for maintenance. So let us try to make an attempt to organize a New Vrindaban scheme, and I shall request all my students to develop this idea and show a good example to this Western part of the world where people are always engaged in ugra-karma, asuric-karma. Things are becoming very implicated, complicated.

This was way back in 1968 that Srila Prabhupada wanted his disciples to buy land and start growing their own food. He says he requests all my students to develop this idea, which by so doing will show by example how good this idea is and how bad is ugra karmic work . Practical action is better than precept.

May 3 1973 LA

Now, after the attachment increases to some degree, then next degree is find out nice apartment to live together. That is another increase of attachment. Then we have got an apartment. Find out some means of earning money. Formerly, they were earning…, there were no factories. Everyone has to earn his livelihood by agriculture, kṣetra. Ato gṛha-kṣetra. First of all, apartment must be maintained by working, by earning something, gṛha-kṣetra.

April 23 1976 melbourne

Guest: If we produced all of the foods that we could produce and we literally gave them away to other countries that need them, we’d produce a tremendous disincentive in those countries for their own production. I don’t think it’s as easy, the world…

Prabhupāda: Production…. You take the total land as God’s property, and all the population, they are sons of God. Then whole problem solved. Everything solved. If economic problem is solved, then social, political, religious, philosophical, everything is solved.

This conversation is particularly interesting because the first necessity is food to eat and he says by so doing that, then all the other important functions of society (social, political, religious,etc) will all be taken care of nicely. All these other problems solved-in one stroke ! “Be thous happy by the performance of this yajna because by its performance it will bestow upon you all beneficial things. BG 3.10

►750403mw.may Conversations

There are so many land. Come here and grow food. Grow fruit. That is… That is the desire of Krsna. Annad bhavanti bhutani. Produce food and eat in sufficiently, be strong, and chant Hare Krsna. That is our philosophy. Why you are producing bolts and nuts, tire and tubes? Eat. Rascal. They do not know that first of all you must eat. No, everyone is engaged in industry. Why? Krsna does not say that “Take to industry.” Krsna says, “Produce foodstuff.” Annad bhavanti bhutani. If you produce foodstuff, then both your animals, yourself, will be happy, becoming strong. Why do they manufacture other things?

Everyone is trying to become fortunate. Now, Cāṇakya Paṇḍita gives three things, formula, “If you want to be fortunate, then do these three things.” What is that? Mūrkhā yatra na pūjyante: “Do not give any credit to the rascal.” That is first qualification. Don’t be carried away by the rascal. Mūrkhā yatra na pūjyante. If you worship a rascal, then your life is spoiled. You must worship a really learned representative of God. That is very good. And dhānyaṁ yatra susañcitam: “Food grains, they are properly stocked.” Not that for your foodstuff, getting your food grain or earning your livelihood, you have to go hundred miles, fifty miles. No. At home, you produce your food grain and stock it. In India still, they work for three months during this rainy season, and they get their food grains for the whole year. You can save time so nicely. So these things are required for happy home. There must be food grains. You cannot be happy without eating. That is not possible…

and the third thing, most important, dampatyoḥ kalaho nāsti: “There is no disagreement between husband and wife.” If these three things are there, then you haven’t got to pray to the goddess of fortune, “Kindly be merciful.” She will automatically come. “Here is a very nice place. I shall stay here.”

Extra quotes if not sufficiently convinced yet…..

►740524r2.rom Conversations … Yes, naturally. If this man is fed up with this industry, he can go back to village and produce his own food. But he is attached to this industrial activity because he is thinking that “We are getting more money for wine and woman and meat. Let me enjoy.” That is the perfect, imp… But if he chants Hare Krsna maha-mantra, his consciousness will be purified and he will be made not interested this kind of work. He will go back to village and produce food.

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►740525mw.rom Conversations … That is yajna. So in the Kali-yuga the yajna is made very easy. Chant Hare Krsna. So anywhere you go, chant Hare Krsna, and see that there will be clouds, there will be rainfall, and just work little, you get your foodgrains, and chant Hare Krsna.

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740524r2.rom Conversations 1/1 eatables to the animals and to the men, then everything is prosperous. So where is that arrangement? There is enough land, enough possibility, enough water. Now utilize them and produce food grain, eat nicely and live peacefully and chant Hare Krsna and go back to home, back to Godhead. This is our philosophy. Why there should be industry? You want to eat after all. Instead of eating this flesh, killing poor animals, why don’t you produce food grains, fruits, flowers, food grain, and take milk from the animals and produce milk products, all nutritious food, all nice food, and be happy and remember God for His kindness. This is civilization. What is this nonsense civilization? Now there is petrol problem. I see so many buses, and not a single man, one or two men. And for two men a big huge bus is being run, and so much petrol is consumed unnecessarily. I have seen. I went from Nairobi to London in a plane–only five passengers. Out of that, four passengers we were. Why? Why this nonsense? And there is petrol problem now. They are creating simply, the so-called advancement of civilization, creating problems, that’s all. And that is due to these rascal leaders. Andha yathandhair upaniyamanas te ‘pisa-tantryam uru-damni baddhah. They do not know what is the ideal of life, what is the aim of life. They are creating

hodge-podge civilization and putting the mass of people in chaotic condition. This is the sum and substance. I do not know whether you’ll agreed with me, but this is my study of the whole situation.

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►740525mw.rom Conversations Prabhupada: Yes. (break) …encouraging in our society to take to agriculture to support this center. I am purchasing land in Vrndavana and Mayapura to become self-sufficient. Whatever production you make, you be satisfied. Little vegetable, little grain and little milk. That is sufficient.

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►740525mw.rom Conversations Prabhupada: Yes, that was Gandhi’s philosophy, village organization. These people, they are attracting villagers to work in the factory, and they are exploiting them…. our philosophy. Make your life successful. By becoming Krsna conscious, you become free from all these troubles of material condition. This is our education. Don’t be after these motorcars, television, and all nonsense things, sporting, wine, women. Don’t be after these. Simply eat sufficiently, keep your health nicely, chant Hare Krsna, realize Krsna, and go back to home This is our philosophy…

———————— ►740525mw.rom Conversations Prabhupada: Stick to your own place and grow your food. There is no question of transport. Little transport is required, that bullock cart. Krsna was being carried on bullock cart. There is no use of petrol. Use simply the bull. They are already there. Utilize them.

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740527mw.rom Conversations 363471/53050 Dhananjaya: So in fact, Srila Prabhupada, we should start using bullock carts. Prabhupada: Yes. No, first of all you start the community project, as we have already started in New Vrindaban. Make this perfect. ——————————

740527mw.rom Conversations 1/2 newspaper, nonsense newspaper, huge, huge quantity? So everything will be nice provided you become ideal. Live in community. Produce your own food. Even you can produce your own paper. You don’t require printing of so many books. If there is one book, others can …

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►740527mw.rom Conversations … Keep amongst yourself and produce. Produce food grain, produce cotton, mustard seed. Self dependent, no use… And we don’t require motorcar. Bullock cart is sufficient. There is no need of going anywhere…

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►740527mw.rom Conversations Prabhupada: No, no. These varieties… Suppose you grow half a dozen different types of vegetables. So from this half a dozen you can make three dozen varieties. If you are a good cooker. So the varieties of enjoyment will be fulfilled. We have got some desire of different quality of varieties. That you can make. From milk, vegetable, grains, the three things, you can make three hundred varieties.

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►740527mw.rom Conversations Prabhupada: Yes, it will go on, but when they will see that your ideal community is better than city life, people will take to it. Param drstva nivartate. When one gets a better standard of life, naturally he will give up the lower standard of life.

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►740528mw.rom Conversations So you have to set up real human society in a small scale so people will see, “Yes.” Because man has got intelligence. Just like, although I am … my preaching. So why you are coming? So if you stick to your position, real human civilization, people will come, gradually. Because they have got the sense….

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►740528mw.rom Conversations Prabhupada: No, there is no question of extended. You keep yourself in a limited solution. And then, when it is appreciated it will be automatically extended. You don’t touch the extended. You become ideal civilized man. Others will follow.

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740602mw.gen Conversations 364211/530501 Prabhupada: Wasteful, yes. Therefore I say they have no brain. All, they are rascals. Rascal leaders. A little labor in agriculture will be sufficient to produce the family’s food stock for the whole year. You can stock. You work only three months, and you get sufficient food for your whole family. And less nine months, you chant Hare Krsna. But these rascals will not do that. They will work hard like ass simply for eating. Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma yad indriya-pritaya aprnoti. They will not accept easy life.

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740605r2.gen Conversations Prabhupada: Sacrifice means to satisfy God. So you satisfy God. By God’s mercy there will be sufficient rain. And when there is sufficient rain you produce sufficient food, food grains, and both th animals and men eat and live in God consciousness.

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►740611r2.par Conversations Prabhupada: No, we have to make this propaganda because we are servant of Krsna. And Krsna orders, krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam. So we must take to agricultural work to produce food and give protection to the cows. And if there is excess product, we trade. This simple thing we must do. Therefore I’m anxious to take outside Paris this center. Our people should live there peacefully, produce food grains, give protection to the cows, and work hard. And if there is excess product, you can make money also.

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►740611r2.par Conversations Therefore I’m anxious to take outside Paris this center. Our people should live there peacefully, produce food grains, give protection to the cows, and work hard. And if … this point. We can make good money. We’ll not be loser. Krsna conscious men, they’ll be never loser by following the instruction of Krsna. They’ll live comfortably without any material want, and tyaktva deham punar janma naiti, and after leaving this body, go to, directly back to home…

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►740619rc.ger Conversations Prabhupada: My idea is that all our centers should be self-supported. We do not like that idea that for your support you have to go 100 miles to get your bread. That is a very dangerous drawback. You produce your food locally and then support yourself. The main problem is what to eat, where to sleep. So we get some place and support ourself by producing our own food. We have already begun in New Vrindaban, New…, West Virginia, Virginia, and similarly in other centers, we are producing our food, grains, vegetables, fruits and milk. That is sufficient.

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►740621mw.ger Conversations Prabhupada: Most unnatural life. City life, most unnatural.

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►740709mw.la Conversations Prabhupada: (laughs) Yes. Murkhayopadeso hi prakopaya na santaye. If you advise rascals, they’ll be angry. No good result. Murkhayopadeso hi prakopaya na santaye, payah-panam bhujanganam kevalam visa-vardhanam. So we have to become very strong preacher. Then this movement will stay. If you simply take the temple worship, it will not stay very long. Just like…

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►750401mw.may Conversations … don’t distribute. You live only, till the ground and take your food. Where is the question of distribution? Whatever you can till, you take so much land. God has enough land. Why do you possess more? One acre of land is sufficient for producing your food. Why do you take more?

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►750403mw.may Conversations There are so many land. Come here and grow food. Grow fruit. That is… That is the desire of Krsna. Annad bhavanti bhutani. Produce food and eat in sufficiently, be strong, and chant Hare Krsna. That is our philosophy. Why you are producing bolts and nuts, tire and tubes? Eat. Rascal. They do not know that first of all you must eat. No, everyone is engaged in industry. Why? Krsna does not say that “Take to industry.” Krsna says, “Produce foodstuff.” Annad bhavanti bhutani. If you produce foodstuff, then both your animals, yourself, will be happy, becoming strong. Why do they manufacture other things?

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►750403mw.may Conversations Prabhupada: Therefore we are offering this place. Come here. Why do you not come here and live with us? Then this is… The Krsna consciousness movement is… This is the movement, that you come here, live with us, and produce your food, produce your milk, be happy, healthy, and chant Hare Krsna. This is our movement. Therefore we are creating New Vrindaban and farm, and we are trying to purchase… This is our movement, that we give you sufficient food, shelter, health, philosophy, religion, character, everything, purity. Come here. Why don’t you come? They come here on the weekdays, and then fly away, go away. You see? We are giving such nice room, but they will not live here. They will go to the hubble-bubble of the city. They like to come here. Therefore they spend so much money for gas and … here. They will go to the hubble-bubble of the city. They like to come here. Therefore they spend so much money for gas and come here. But because they are not accustomed, they go back again. Return ticket. From hell to heaven, and again hell (laughter) Return ticket–coming back to hell again, not going back to God.

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►760912rc.vrn Conversations Prabhupada: No, they’re thinking that so many people are coming to the cities, how we shall provide them? That’s a problem. After all government has to supply them rations. Where is so much foodstuff? And if they are not supplied, then there will be resentment. That’s a fact. What they are doing in the city, so many scooter (makes motor sound), going here and there. Actually no engagement. The girls are loitering in the street by dressing. It will become more and more problems, city life. So this is the solution, that they must go back to the village. But they are trained up to enjoy the facilities, so-called facilities, of the city. They are not going to village. But if we can introduce this hari-sankirtana, and if they have little taste, that is success. It’s a great program. And that taste will come–ceto-darpana-marjanam. If he simply becomes little sober that “I want to eat, I have to sleep, I want some sense enjoyment and defense. So if I can get easily in the village, why shall I go three hundred miles away? Just keep in mind the psychology. So that simple life will be possible if one is bhakta. Bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir anyatra syat. Only by devotion. Not by otherwise. Not by artificial means, by manufacturing toilet. Only bhakti. If they get little attachment for

Krsna the questions will be solved automatically. And they will be happy. Undoubtedly. That is the Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s first instruction. Ceto-darpana.

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760916rc.vrn Conversations 452281/530501 Prabhupada: Yes, also. Otherwise, we have seen in our childhood how happy people were. They were. Simple. If one has five rupees income per month he’s happy. I’ve seen it. Husband, wife, a small family. If he has got five rupees income, they can maintain very nicely, happily. Why not? Suppose he has got five rupees income. The rice was selling at four rupees. So two person, say one-fourth kg., one-fourth share each. A gentleman cannot eat more than that. So means half a share. And the whole month, fifteen share. It is about one rupee eight annas. And further, one rupees eight annas add for vegetables and other things. With three rupees they can maintain, the husband and wife. And two rupees still there. He can spend for other purposes. I have seen it. Fresh vegetables, rice, this and… Just like with banana leaf. The pots were of earthen, the wife is cooking and she’s utilizing dry foliage as fuel, a little temperature, everything is cooked. The husband takes one banana leaf and spreads, and the wife gives sufficient rice, vegetables. And things were so cheap. I have seen it. And fresh.

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►760916rc.vrn Conversations Prabhupada: Otherwise, within the village you can get everything. Village economy. Everything very cheap. And as soon as they got these transport facilities, the local men, they could not eat, and these lazy rascals, they are getting everything. Big, big cities like Calcutta, Bombay, they (have) millions of population. They are not producing anything. The producer is different man. They are simply artificially cheating them by paper money and they …

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►760926rc.vrn Conversations … other important members said, “Why Abhaya Babu is living separately? He should be the president of the Bombay.” I never said, but they said. I was living separately. Then Prabhupada … ll do himself everything. You haven’t got to recommend him.” These very words. (break) …Krsna require any president or any GBC. He’s giving chance to everyone, that’s all. Otherwise thousands of presidents and thousands of GBC may come and go, His work will go on. Krsna is complete Himself. He doesn’t require anyone’s help. That is Krsna. (break) …sei hetu pracara. One who has got life, he can preach.

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►761016iv.cha Conversations … Bhagavad-gita, krsi-go-raksya vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhava-jam. That you must produce enough food grains by agriculture and give protection to the cows. That means if you have got enough food grains to eat and if you have got enough milk to get fatty substance, then your whole economic question is solved. Annad bhavanti bhutani. If you get sufficient food there is no question of agitation. Everyone is satisfied. Animal and man. So you must produce. That is recommendation in the Bhagavad gita.

————-

►761102rc.vrn Conversations Prabhupada: How they can defeat us? We have got so solid ground. How they can defeat, these rascals? We consider them simply rascals and fools. And we call them rascals and fools. What do they know of religion? What do they know of God? They know slaughterhouse and killing and illicit sex, and killing the fetus. That’s all. What do they know? They are not even civilized. We have come to make them civilized. They should understand. They are not civilized. They do not (know) how to eat even. The first principle of life is eating. They do not know how to eat. We are teaching them how to eat. They simply challenge, that’s… When men are uncivilized, they do not how to grow food, they kill animals in the jungle and eat. When they are civilized, they know how to grow food now and the nice food grains, fruit, flowers, now why should say, “You eat the meat.” The meat-eating is meant for the most uncivilized persons. That means they do not know even how to eat. They do not know how to eat. How to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex. Nothing. They’re having sex like cats and dogs.

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►761102rc.vrn Conversations Prabhupada: No, we don’t care for Indians and Europeans. We care for Krsna, that’s all. I didn’t care for anyone. I simply care … s protection, that’s all. That is wanted. Guru-krsna-krpaya paya bhakti-lata-bija. We want two favours. One from guru, one from Krsna. That’s all. We don’t want anyone’s favour.

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760814rc.bom Conversations 446983/530501 Prabhupada: :So people are being trained up to become mad, pramattah. And do anything, bring money. This is the modern civilization. Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma. Things which are forbidden, they are doing that. Why? Indriya-pritaya aprnoti, only for sense gratification. They have no other ambition. Bring money and gratify senses. This is modern civilization. This is the exact explanation–nunam pramattah kurute vikarma. Black money, white money, this money, that…, never mind, bring money. Indian Doctor: (laughter) By any way. Prabhupada: Yes, this is modern civilization. Big man, big rich man means bring money some way or other. This is big man. This is Kali-yuga. Because if you have got money, you have got respect, you have got honor, you are recognized. So therefore they are after money. Bring money, that’s all right. When I shall get money, I may have done black money, force money, this money, nobody will remember it. Bas. This is modern civilization. Bring money and enjoy sense. Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma. What for it is, struggle so much working

hard? Yad indriya-pritaya. Only for the satisfaction of the senses. They have no other ambition. Because most of them, they do not believe there is next life. Most of them, 99.9 percent, they do not believe. Big, big professor, I have talked with so many big, big men in Europe. ————————————–

760817iv.hyd Conversations 447289/530501 Interviewer (5): You have some project here. Can you kindly explain what is that? Prabhupada: Our project is Bhagavad-gita, learn Bhagavad-gita and apply it practically in your life.

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►760817iv.hyd Conversations Prabhupada: Our project is Krsna consciousness. Come here, live peacefully, keep your body fit, and work for yourself, you produce your own food, you produce your own cloth, don’t be very much anxious for artificial necessities, and save time, and be advanced in spiritual life.

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►760731r2.par Conversations … little cottages, grow little vegetable, little barley or wheat and milk. That is sufficient. We don’t require much. We don’t want luxury. We want just to subsist. Yavad artha prayojana. We hate the idea of luxury, unnecessary.

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►760802rc.par Conversations … of how to utilize the whole land. The situation is very good, good prospect. I want that self-independent here, as far as possible. But you have got enough materials. With woods you can make cottages. Then land becomes clear, then utilize it.

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►760802rc.par Conversations Prabhupada: Plan is that we have got woods. Cut the woods, make small cottages, and engage them for growing fruits, flowers, grains, and make the complete arrengement nicely…

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►760802r3.par Conversations And if there are several brahmanas, so each one of them will cook his own food. In Calcutta, mostly the rich men they used to keep the collector’s darwans, they … family, they used to take, accept the job. But each of them, even in police, I have seen, they are cooking separately. They take bath thrice, cook their own food, very strictly. The government had to give them a big hall for cooking. So, it will not take much space, say, little space. One small oven and demarcated: “This, you see, is mine, and then I, you get, this is yours, this is yours.” So within that space they’ll sit down and cook dal, capatis, rice, one vegetable, and cook, and immediately all the utensils will be cleansed and washed, and the space washed and kept. You’d like to eat, they cook so nicely, although simple. And I have got practical experience, if you cook your own food, whatever it may be, it is healthy. ——————–

►760802r3.par Conversations .And they can make hundreds of devotees. In this way we can expand. Are you realizing that there is no civilization? Actually civilization we are introducing. Except Aryan civilization, Vedic civilization, there is no civilization–animal society. What do you think? Are you convinced about it?

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►760803r2.par Conversations … peas, grow fresh. Eat very nicely, keep strong, drink milk, chant Hare Krsna. Bas. Don’t depend on this outside work and then gradually become debauch, thief, rogues, prostitutes. Is that civilization? They cannot imagine that … go without all these things. Do they not? Slaughterhouse, brothel, cheating, diplomacy, roguery, drinking–without this, no civilization. We are quite opposed. We want to show it is possible, yes. You can stop all this nonsense and still you go on as a perfect civilized man. With character, knowledge, satisfaction, everything……

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►760803r3.par Conversations Prabhupada: So show the simple example that how by simple living and thinking of Krsna, one can become perfect and happy. ————————-

►760812mw.teh Conversations Prabhupada: No, that work is recommended. Your question is how Krsna is giving you instruction. Just like food, Krsna says annad bhavanti bhutani. You produce anna. Krsna never said that you produce tire tubes. Never says.

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.►760714iv.ny Conversations … So we get enough milk, enough food grains, enough fruits. So there is no economic problem. Our purpose is to save time from unnecessary necessities of life, from unnecessary necessities of life, to save time and utilize the time for developing Krsna consciousness. And so far the body is concerned, as much as it … is required take and maintain the body. That’s all.

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690511rc.col Conversations 321594/53 Prabhupada: Yes. Farming, agriculture, that is nice. There is a proverb: agriculture is the noblest profession. Is it not said? Agriculture is noblest, and Krsna was farmer, His father.

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►770527rc.vrn Conversations … There will be more water for gardening, and it will be moist, and then produce fodder for the animals and food for you. And animal gives you milk. That is … .. Don’t bother about big, big buildings. It is not required. Useless waste of time. Produce. Make the whole field green. See that. Then whole economic question solved. Then you eat … is beneficial. Even the stool is beneficial. Therefore I am asking so much here and…, “Farm, farm, farm, farm…” That is not my program–Krsna’s program. Annad bhavanti bhutani. Produce greenness everywhere, everywhere. Vrndavana. It is not this motorcar civilization.

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►760610r3.la Conversations Prabhupada: All fresh vegetable, fresh milk, this is celestial. Who has got the opportunity in the city? Automatically.

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►760423rc.mel Conversations Prabhupada: Production…. You take the total land as God’s property, and all the population, they are sons of God. Then whole problem solved. Everything solved. If economic problem is solved, then social, political, religious, philosophical, everything is solved.

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760427rc.auc Conversations 419704/530501 Prabhupada: Not only one, you hundreds of temples construct. Village to village, town to…. At the same time, man. And it will revolutionize the whole rascal situation. At the present moment, it is rascal situation. They’re simply satisfied by driving the motor…. putputputputputputputputput! (Prabhupada makes the sound of a roaring motor). They are thinking, “Oh, how highly I am situated.” All crazy. But this has been taught to them that “This is civilization. If you have got a motorcycle and you can come like the wild cat, (all laugh) then you are civilized.” They are thinking how great civilized they are; we are thinking how wild cat he is. And what is the difference between wild cat and running dog and this motorcycle? Put-put? What is the difference?

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►760120mw.may Conversations Prabhupada: A devotee will never accept materialism, even if he dies of starvation. You’ll see so many still. They are sticking … that. They don’t care for any bodily care. “Some food comes; I shall eat. Never mind.” Still you’ll find. They are sitting in their place and chanting or meditating …

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Prabhupada: Hm? Yes. So you have to preach all over the world that “You are simply wasting time by so many department of knowledge. You are so foolish, rascal.” Srama eva hi kevalam. Simply wasting time. I think I explained that to that gentleman last morning? He said in one hour, two hour you should devote… Not two hour. Twenty-four hour. Did I not say? Yes. Because that is the only business. We have no other business. Our Society is practically demonstrating that this is the only business and no other business. We therefore do not try even to earn our livelihood. That is the natural instinct of every animal. But we do not try even for that. Is it not? Prabhupada: Yes. Let them see practically. We are not busy how to go to the office, how to the business place. We are not interested. We are simply interested for mangala arati, for class, for chanting, dancing. That’s all. Practically see. We are not going to any office or any business.

►751103mw.bom Conversations Prabhupada: No, no, no. That is not the fact. If you are actually spiritually advanced, you don’t care for it. Deha smrti nahi yar samsara bandhana kahan tanra. It is just like Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. He had no spiritual… er, material con… He was eating … quantity of butter. That’s all. How he was living in Vrndavana? So when one is perfectly on the spiritual platform, there is no bodily necessities. That is the sign.[not to be imitated, however] Therefore our civilization is to decrease the bodily necessities, not to increase. Control. Control, from the brahmacari, control, control, control. Ultimately completely control. That is perfectional stage. Tyagena.(renunciation)

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►760731rc.par Conversations Prabhupada: Vasan danto guror hitam. The beginning of life is how to become cent percent obedient to guru. That is Gurukula. That training should be given. The whole process is that our life will be successful when we strictly follow guru and Krsna. Guru means Krsna; Krsna means guru. Not Mayavada, but guru means one who follows Krsna, he is guru. ————————–

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Conclusion: The above quotes were selected from the Make Vrndavana Book Set which came entirely from Srila Prabhupadas conversations. Over and over Srila Prabhupada stresses the great importance of making ones own personal lifestyle as simple as possible, and of becomming economically independent from the system called “the rat race”- by its own occupants. And also of the benefits that this lifestyle provides to oneself–the most important of which is —more TIME for spiritual life.

Since real life is spiritual life, the best way towards that goal is to minimize ones daily wants and needs, and a very important step of that is done by growing one’s own food. Our philosophy is summed up thusly—

SIMPLE LIVING AND HIGH THINKING.

Either is hard to obtain without the other.

We would also like to invite all interested devotees, not presently doing most or any of the above, to move here to the very fertile Skagit Valley County in Washington state and take up this transcendental lifestyle alongside us here. We will all be happy.

Jan 15 1975 SF

mūrkhā yatra na pūjyante

dhānyaṁ yatra susañcitam

dampatyoḥ kalaho nāsti

tatra śrīḥ svayam āgatāḥ

(Canakya pandit sloka)

So three things: one thing, that at home no rascal should be received or given credit… According to Vedic system, at home a sannyāsī is welcome, a brāhmaṇa is welcome. Because they will give good instruction, so they are welcome. Just like when Gargamuni came to Mahārāja Nanda, Nanda Mahārāja’s house, how nice reception he gave him. That is the… Especially… Of course, any guest is welcome, but especially a brāhmaṇa, a sannyāsī, is very well received. Still in Indian village, if a sannyāsī goes, he has no problem for eating or staying, residence. Everyone will request, “Swamiji, today you take prasādam at my place.” So there are many villagers. So he can stay three days, four days. So there is no scarcity. Still they will invite you, “Please come. Take prasādam.” So because… Why this system? Because sannyāsī means he will give good instruction, spiritual knowledge. But that is his business, parivrājakācārya, wandering all over the world and giving good instruction. Therefore parivrājaka. Parivrājaka means wandering, and ācārya means teacher. Parivrājakācārya. This is sannyāsī’s business. So they must be well received. At the present moment, if a sannyāsī is trying to enter in some householder’s house, immediately the doorman, “Please get out. Get out. Get out.” Because some of the sannyāsīs, they have taken this dress as a means of livelihood. But still in the village, any sannyāsī—he may be a cheater, still he is welcome. In the cities, of course, in India, they are now doubtful, “Whether he is actually sannyāsī or to fill up his belly he has taken this dress?” So this is the formula. So very learned men, the… generally, the sannyāsī and brāhmaṇas, they should be worshiped, not the fools and rascals. So mūrkhā yatra na pūjyante and dhānyaṁ yatra. Dhānyam means paddy, rice, well-stocked. Perhaps you have, in your country also what is called, barn? That, you keep…

Devotee: Silo.

Prabhupāda: So you have got big, big stock. That is required. There may be scarcity at times, but if you keep stock, then there is no trouble. This one, no foolish rascal should be worshiped, food grains should be nicely stocked, and the third thing, most important, dampatyoḥ kalaho nāsti: “There is no disagreement between husband and wife.” If these three things are there, then you haven’t got to pray to the goddess of fortune, “Kindly be merciful.” She will automatically come. “Here is a very nice place. I shall stay here.”

Statements by Srila Prabhupada advocating a simple way of life.

►720527SB.LA Lectures

… you can say that “If we are engaged in real business, then how the

economic question will be solved? We have to work.” That’s all right,

you work. But … there is milk, there is fruit, there is flower.

Anywhere, you can live peacefully. Whole economic question is solved.

►750403mw.may Conversations

Prabhupada: Yes. Why don’t you solve? There are so many land. Come

here and grow food. Grow fruit. That is… That is the desire of

Krsna. Annad bhavanti bhutani. Produce food and … ask, “You have to

pay this price.” And you have to pay. And if you grow your own food,

there is no such question. The simple economic problem, solution, this

rascal cannot take…..

750801SB.NO Lectures 1/9

►750801SB.NO Lectures

… a nice place. And the grhasthas may come here, have some small

cottage, and grow your own food grains, vegetables, and have your

cow’s milk. Get nice foodstuff, save time. Why should you go … and

again hundred miles come back and take unnecessary trouble? Stick to

this spot and grow your own food, your own cloth, and live peacefully,

save time, chant Hare Krsna. Very nice program. …….

►751002SB.MAU Lectures

… I see in your this Mauritius land, you have got enough land to

produce food grains. You produce food grain. I understand that instead

of growing food grains, you are growing sugar cane for exporting. Why?

And you are dependent on food grains, on rice, wheat, dahl. Why? Why

this attempt? You first of all grow your own eatables. And if there is

time and if your population has got sufficient food grains, then you

can try to grow other fruits and vegetables for exporting. The first

necessity is that you should be self-sufficient. That is God’s

arrangement. Everywhere there is sufficient land to produce food

grains, not only in your country. I have traveled all over the

world–Africa, Australia, and other, in America also. There are so

much land vacant that if we produce food grains, then we can feed ten

times as much population as at the present moment. There … purnam

adah purnat purnam udacyate, purnasya purnam adaya purnam

evavasisyate. If we don’t produce food grain–you require it–and put

unnecessarily men into scarcity, that is sinful. ………….

690323LE.HAW Lectures 245873/530501

We have created a civilization that one must earn thousands of dollars, then he can

live like a gentleman. Is that successful life? And for earning that

thousands of dollars he has to work so hard, just like animal, beast.

No. That is not successful life. Successful life is that, that we

should make our bodily necessities of life as far as required, not

more than that. I want to eat something. God has given sufficient

food. You grow. You live anywhere. You grow foodstuff. You grow

grains. You grow fruits. You grow vegetables. Keep cows. Take milk.

You can live anywhere. You haven’t got to go fifty miles off with a

car to attend your office at six o’clock with velocity of hundred

miles’ speed. Is that successful life, do you think? So where is

successful life? We are proposing successful life.

730722rc.lon Conversations 339138/530501

Prabhupada: And yajnad bhavati parjanyah. And when we regularly

perform yajna, then there is regular cloud in the sky. And when there

is cloud in the sky, there is regular rainfall, and when there is

regular rainfall, there is sufficient production of food grains,

fruits and other vegetables so that both the animal and the human

beings, they eat sufficiently, they grow strength, they become happy

and again perform yajna. And the animals supply, the cow supplies

milk. In this way, the whole society becomes happy. These are the

prescriptions, or directions, given by the Vedic literature. So if

people take advantage of this instruction, as you have mentioned in

your article “The Great Seers,” so if we follow their instruction, the

whole history of the human being can be changed. There is no

difficulty. But whether the people will accept or not, that is the

business of the leaders of the society.

751028mw.nai Conversations 400991/530501

Prabhupada: If you open farm for financial help, then it will not be

successful. You should take to farming for supporting yourself. That’s

all. Grow your own food. Grow your own cloth. There is no need of

financial help from outside. You get your food grains sufficiently,

rice, dahl, wheat, vegetables, milk, sugar. Bas You get everything.

From these five, six items you should be economically free. That you

have to do, not for trade to get money. Then it will be failure.

740314mw.vrn Conversations 354470/530501

Prabhupada: Business means if you have got extra grains or extra

foodstuff, you can sell where there is necessity, there is want. That

is business. We are not going to open mills and factories and… No.

We are not going to do that. That is sudra business. The real business

is that you produce enough food grains, as much as possible, and you

eat and distribute. That’s all. This is business. He does not require

any so high technical education. Anyone can till the ground and grow

food. Is it difficult? This is the business. The first thing is that

everyone, man and animal, especially the cows, they must be properly

fed so become very stout and strong. Cows will supply milk, and man

will work hard, without being suffered by dysentery. He must work

hard. Any capacity. Work as a teacher or work as a ksatriya, work as a

ploughman. Or work as general assistant. He must work. Everyone should

be employed. And his employment will be provided from any of these

groups, according to his capacity. Either as a brahmana, or as a

ksatriya, or as a vaisya, or as a sudra.

751019mw.joh Conversations 400136/530501

Lazy intelligent means brahmana, and busy

intelligent means ksatriya. So the catur-varnyam maya srstam. The

society should be divided into four classes. The sudras, they are busy

fools. Therefore they are to be guided. They are to be guided. If

there are, hundred workers are there, then one leader must be there to

give the direction: “Why you are doing this? Why you don’t do this?”

Otherwise he’ll create havoc. Busy fool. So the whole world is full of

busy fools. That’s all. In the Bhagavad-gita you will find that for

brahmana, samo damah satyam saucam titiksa arjavam, jnanam vijnanam

astikyam brahma-karma sva… There is no recommendation that “You work

hard day and night.” The brahminical qualification is controlling the

senses, controlling the mind, truthful, clean, knows everything

nicely, practical application of the knowledge, full faith in sastra

and Bhagavan. Jnanam vijnanam astikyam. These things are recommended,

not that a brahmana should become very busy whole day and night for

getting food. So sastra says, “There is no use of becoming busy for

your food. Food is there already.” Food is already there. He’ll get

his food. That is arrangement by God. But they are busy fool. They do

not understand the God’s arrangement. Only for food they are busy

whole day and night like cats and dogs. Now this land is there. You

can… Everyone can grow food if he works for two months. Everyone can

grow his whole year’s foodstuff. There is so much land. But no,

they’ll not grow food. They will grow hammer, manufacturing it. You

see? Tire tube, then atom bomb, then this and that. They are busy.

They are busy fool. Actually they are fools, and they are very busy.

Everyone is busy. There are so many parts in the motorcar, three

thousand part, and they are busy in manufacturing three thousand parts

of motor parts. So everyone is busy in producing things unwanted. But

they have created a society in such a way that they have to do that.

770215ed.may 472194/530501

Prabhupada: Yes. Farm project is very nice. Krsna gives.

Krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhava-jam. This is economic

problem solved. And brahmana, brain problem solved, and ksatriya,

protection problem solved, and sudra, labor problem solved. Four

things combined together, live peacefully, happily. Chant Hare Krsna.

Introduce this farm project. In America there is enough scope. So much

land is lying vacant

770322rc.bom 477642/53050

As Krsna

says, catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma. There must be ideal

brahmana, ideal ksatriya, ideal vaisya, as Krsna says. That is Krsna

consciousness movement. It is all-inclusive. Economic question? Annad

bhavanti bhutani. Grow food. Practical. Just like when I was going to

the pandals, millions of clerks were coming–“Education. Educated.”

And who is growing food? And they have to be provided in these pigeon

holes and depend on ration. Is that civilization? And throngs of

people are coming, just like machine, ants. Ants are coming. I saw

like that. And go to the village side–all vacant land. Nobody’s

interested to produce food. Everyone is interested to live within the

city, in these pigeonholes, and go to the cinema and go to the

brothel, go to the club and learn how to drink, how to become

gentleman. Is that civilization? Human life’s aim is lost. You do not

know why you are going to the office, why you are eating, why you

are… Keeping them all pet animal’s mentality, doggish mentality.

SB 7.14.5 P Ideal Family Life 2/5

A wise man, however, learns from the sastras and

guru that we living entities are all eternal but are put into

troublesome conditions because of associating with different … under

the laws of material nature. He therefore concludes that in the human

form of life he should not endeavor for unnecessary necessities, but

should live a very simple life, just maintaining body and soul

together. Certainly one requires some means of livelihood, and

according … is the basic principle of Vedic civilization. One

should be satisfied with whatever means of life comes automatically.

The modern materialistic civilization is just the opposite of the

ideal civilization. Every … the so-called leaders of modern society

invent something contributing to a cumbersome way of life that

implicates people more and more in the cycle of birth, death, old age

and disease.

731125SB.LON Lectures 216069/530501

So our Krsna consciousness movement is not a sentimental movement.

It takes care of all-found social organization. It is not something

like religious sentiment. Everything should be take care of. Therefore

we say cow protection, cow protection. Here it is said, kamam vavarsa

parjanyah sarva-kama-dugha mahi. Mahi means land, bhumi. Agnir mahi

gaganam ambu marud-disah… Mahi. This is mahi. In another,

Brahma-samhita, it is said, mahi.

agnir mahi gaganam ambu marud-disas ca

kalas tathatma-manasiti jagat-trayani

yasmad bhavanti vibhavanti visanti yam ca

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

This mahi word is used there is Vedas, Brahma-samhita. What is that

mahi? Agnir mahi. You require fire. You require land. You require sky.

Agnir mahi gaganam ambu. You require water. Agnir mahi gaganam ambu

marut. You require air. You require space. These are requirements.

Agnir mahi gaganam ambu marud-disas ca kalas tathatma. Atma, atma

means this body, atma means the mind, and atma means the soul. So in

the Brahma-samhita you see, agnir mahi gaganam ambu marud-disas ca

kalas tathatma-manasiti jagat-trayani yasmad bhavanti. Yasmad

bhavanti. All these things, wherefrom they are coming? They do not

know. Can the scientist say wherefrom so much water has come, so vast

ocean, seas? But it has come from Krsna. Krsna says in the

Bhagavad-gita,

bhumir apo ‘nalo vayuh

kham mano buddhir eva ca

ahankara itiyam me

bhinna prakrtir astadha

Bhinna me prakrtih. It is Krsna’s energy, Krsna’s energy.

So the mahi, the land, the land is there. Just like in America or

in Australia there are so much land. In Africa, so much land lying

vacant. But they do not know that this land can produce all the needs

of life. Sarva-kama-dugha mahi. Sarva-kama, whatever you want.

Actually we are getting… Just like this Western civilization has

created so may slaughterhouse for eating purposes. But wherefrom they

are getting? From mahi, from the land. If there is no pasturing

ground, grazing ground, wherefrom they will get the cows and the

bulls? That is also… Because there is grass on the land and the cows

and bulls eat them, therefore they grow. Then you cut their throat,

civilized man, and eat, you rascal civilized man. But you are getting

from the mahi, from the land. Without land, you cannot. Similarly,

instead of cutting the throat of the cows, you can grow you food. Why

you are cutting the throat of the cows? After all, you have to get

from the mahi, from the land. So as they are, the animal which you are

eating, they are getting their eatables from the land. Why don’t you

get your eatables from the land? Therefore it is said,

sarva-kama-dugha mahi. You can get all the necessities of your life

from land. So dugha means produce. You can produce your food. Some

land should be producing the foodstuff for the animals, and some land

should be used for the production of your foodstuffs, grains, fruits,

flowers, and take milk. Why should you kill these innocent animals?

You take. You keep them muda, happy, and you get so much milk that it

will moist, it will make wet the ground. This is civilization. This is

civilization.

That was being maintained during the time of Maharaja Yudhisthira.

That is being described. Maharaja Yudhisthira maintained this standard

of civilization. Just see how the economic problems will be solved

simply by one movement, this Krsna consciousness movement. Try to

understand. Mahi. Because mahi will produce everything. Just like here

in this Letchmore Heath there are so many, so much land lying vacant.

You produce you own food. Why you are going to London, to the

factories? There is no need. This is wrong civilization. Here is land.

You produce your food. If you produce your food, there is no need of

going hundred miles, fifty miles on your motorcycle or motor to earn

your livelihood. Why? There is no need. Then you require petrol. And

petrol there is scarcity. Then you require so many parts, so many That▒

means you are making the whole thing complicated unnecessarily.

Unnecessarily. There is no need. Simply you keep to the land and

produce your food, and the cows are there. They will supply you milk.

Then where is your economic problems. If you have sufficient grains,

sufficient vegetables, sufficient milk from the land where you are

living, where your economic problem? Why you should go to other place?

That is Vedic civilization. Everyone should remain in the spot and

produce everything as he requires, and God will help you.

770508r3.hri 484715/530501

Prabhupada: Duty, profit, so on, so on. And all these big, big

millionaires, they are exacting money from the poor like that, and

when they have got money, they spend little for daridra-narayana. “Oh,

very big man.” And our program? Why you making daridra? Daridra? Our

policy is this, that “Why should you make him daridra?” First of all

make him daridra, and then take credit–“daridra-narayana”? Just see

how cheating is going on. But we are projecting this path for them:

let them remain in their home, produce their own food only and cloth

and chant Hare Krsna. This is our policy. Our policy means Krsna’s

policy. Let them have sufficiently to eat, and they’ll be all

satisfied. If the mind is Krsna conscious, then they don’t want

anything, either liquor or meat or anything. No. This is the

advantage. And this is not social… What is that? That first of all

drag him from the innocent life of village and engage him in the

factory in the hope of getting more money, and then he’s habituated to

liquor. When he cannot pay, they purchase this poison and die.

3 August, 1975

Detroit
Letter to Mahamsa Swami

“The village organization is that the local people produce their necessities like grain, vegetables, milk, and cloth; and for recreation they have the chanting of Hare Krishna. They should live there comfortably and have spiritual recreation. They should not come to the cities.

I wish to introduce this ideal now. Then if we are successful this cheating civilization will stop. They have made these cities as hell. If people do not cooperate with them, then how will the factories run on? And, if the people are satisfied by this arrangement, then what will the communists do?”