Back to the Land
Convinced the planet’s oil supply is dwindling and the world’s economies are heading for a crash, some people around the country are moving onto homesteads, learning to live off their land, conserving fuel and, in some cases, stocking up on guns they expect to use to defend themselves and their supplies from desperate crowds of people who didn’t prepare.
The exact number of people taking such steps is impossible to determine, but anecdotal evidence suggests that the movement has been gaining momentum in the last few years.
These energy survivalists are not leading some sort of green revolution meant to save the planet. Many of them believe it is too late for that, seeing signs in soaring fuel and food prices and a faltering U.S. economy, and are largely focused on saving themselves. go to story
Letter to Hansadutta, Vrindaban, 7 September 1974: Regarding the farm, the exhibition is there in New Vrindaban. Kirtanananda Maharaja has organized very nicely. The same principle you can follow and organize it in Germany. Let the people be happy with self-sufficient food grown in the field with milk products. When I was in Frankfurt round our place I was so happy to see the farms and the cows. Unfortunately they will kill the cows. So if we organize a farm without killing any cows, that will be a great example in that country. Instead of killing cows, if we let them live, we can get so many nutritious foodstuffs filled with vitamins. I have seen in New Vrindaban how happily our devotees are living there with fresh air, fresh vegetables, and ample milk. Simple living in cottages. What you want more? We should not neglect the upkeep of the body, and we should save time to chant Hare Krishna. This mission should be propagated. Save time and chant Hare Krishna.
No question of poverty
excerpt from letter to Rupanuga, Bombay, 18 December 1974
Our farm projects are an extremely important part of our movement. We must become self-sufficient by growing our own grains and producing our own milk, then there will be no question of poverty. So develop these farm communities as far as possible. They should be developed as an ideal society depending on natural products not industry. Industry has simply created godlessness, because they think they can manufacture everything that they need. Our Bhagavad-gita philosophy explains that men and animals must have food in order to maintain their bodies. And the production of food is dependent on the rain and the rain of course is dependent on chanting Hare Krishna. Therefore let everyone chant Hare Krishna, eat nicely and keep their bodies fit and healthy. This is ideal life style. We do not condemn modern civilization but we don’t like to get it at the cost of God Consciousness, that is suicide. Your farm in Pennsylvania sounds very nice.
Unnecessarily increasing the bodily demands
excerpt from conversation, Nairobi, October 28, 1975
PRABHUPADA: Yes. Because this is necessary. You must have some shelter; you must eat; you must cover. That is necessary. So you do it. Grow food first of all to feed yourself sumptuously. You must get strength, and that is needed. But not for trade. The policy should be that you should be self-sufficient and save time for advancing in Krishna consciousness. That is wanted. Yavad-artha prayojanam. Yuktahara-viharasya yogo bhavati siddhi-dah. You shall eat whatever you require for proper upkeep of the body, not eating too much and sleeping whole day. Don’t do that. Eat only what is absolutely necessary. Then you’ll never be in want. People are engaged in material civilization means they are increasing the bodily demands, unnecessary. Just like this park. Why we have come to this park? We like this atmosphere. So similarly, in villages, everyone, if he has got some land, he can live simply without any gorgeous building. What is the use? Just have a cottage and have garden. You’ll live very peacefully. But they’re constructing big, big skyscraper building in the downtown, and they will have to come here by car for some peace of mind, and in the meantime, accident, police. This is the civilization, nonsense civilization. At weekend they will go to the village, country, and during the week-time they will work hard. This is their civilization, with the risk of life, running motor car eighty miles’ speed. Every moment there is risk. What is this civilization? Most ludicrous civilization. So farming means if you live in a farm… Just like in New Vrindaban they are doing. Produce your own food, live peacefully, fresh vegetable, fresh grains, fresh milk, and prepare so many nice milk preparation, kachori, halava with ghee. Offer to the Deity. Eat sufficiently. What is the use of going outside? Simple life and chant Hare Krishna. If you can organize that, that will be very nice.
JNANA: A nice program here.
PRABHUPADA: Yes. What is this rascal civilization, whole day “Where is money? Where is money? Where is money? Where is money? Where is money?” Everyone. Busy means “Where is money? Where is money?” Just like the hog, he is busy: “What time…? Where is stool? Where is stool? Where is stool? Where is stool? Where is stool?” That is not civilization. If you remain always busy, “Where is stool?” like the hog, then what is your civilization? Whole day working, night, nightshift, dayshift, whole day, the same, like hog.
BRAHMANANDA: They hold more than one job. They have two jobs.
PRABHUPADA: Yes. Get money and then drink wine and eat meat and do all nonsense things. This is their civilization.
Artificial way of banking will be collapsed
excerpt from conversation, Bhuvaneshwar, January 21, 1977
RAMESVARA: The difference between Vedic culture and…, the Krishna conscious culture and the modern culture is very, very dramatic, very big difference. So the transforming of society…
PRABHUPADA: And besides that, if we concentrate in farm project there will be no need of exchange, because I’ll be satisfied with my products. That’s all. There is no need of exchange. Whatever I need, I get in my farm.
RAMESVARA: Weaving, cloth.
PRABHUPADA: Everything I get. So I haven’t got to go outside for exchange. If you are satisfied in your farm—I am satisfied—then where is question of exchange? There is no need of artificial… So this banking, “fanking,” everything will collapse automatically. There is no money, who is going to keep money in the bank?
HARI-SAURI: Who needs it?
PRABHUPADA: [laughs] So this artificial way of banking, that will be also collapsed.
HARI-SAURI: This is revolutionary.
RAMESVARA: It’s very hard for the mind to…
PRABHUPADA: No, simply do this.
RAMESVARA: Such a dramatic transformation of society.
PRABHUPADA: Yes. Whatever it may be… We should be satisfied locally by our food, by our cloth, by our milk. That’s all. Let the whole world go to hell. We don’t care. If you want to save yourself also, you do this. Here is an example. If you want artificial life, city life, and hellish life, you do. But we shall live like this. This is the ideal life.
The exact number of people taking such steps is impossible to determine, but anecdotal evidence suggests that the movement has been gaining momentum in the last few years.
These energy survivalists are not leading some sort of green revolution meant to save the planet. Many of them believe it is too late for that, seeing signs in soaring fuel and food prices and a faltering U.S. economy, and are largely focused on saving themselves. go to story
Letter to Hansadutta, Vrindaban, 7 September 1974: Regarding the farm, the exhibition is there in New Vrindaban. Kirtanananda Maharaja has organized very nicely. The same principle you can follow and organize it in Germany. Let the people be happy with self-sufficient food grown in the field with milk products. When I was in Frankfurt round our place I was so happy to see the farms and the cows. Unfortunately they will kill the cows. So if we organize a farm without killing any cows, that will be a great example in that country. Instead of killing cows, if we let them live, we can get so many nutritious foodstuffs filled with vitamins. I have seen in New Vrindaban how happily our devotees are living there with fresh air, fresh vegetables, and ample milk. Simple living in cottages. What you want more? We should not neglect the upkeep of the body, and we should save time to chant Hare Krishna. This mission should be propagated. Save time and chant Hare Krishna.
No question of poverty
excerpt from letter to Rupanuga, Bombay, 18 December 1974
Our farm projects are an extremely important part of our movement. We must become self-sufficient by growing our own grains and producing our own milk, then there will be no question of poverty. So develop these farm communities as far as possible. They should be developed as an ideal society depending on natural products not industry. Industry has simply created godlessness, because they think they can manufacture everything that they need. Our Bhagavad-gita philosophy explains that men and animals must have food in order to maintain their bodies. And the production of food is dependent on the rain and the rain of course is dependent on chanting Hare Krishna. Therefore let everyone chant Hare Krishna, eat nicely and keep their bodies fit and healthy. This is ideal life style. We do not condemn modern civilization but we don’t like to get it at the cost of God Consciousness, that is suicide. Your farm in Pennsylvania sounds very nice.
Unnecessarily increasing the bodily demands
excerpt from conversation, Nairobi, October 28, 1975
PRABHUPADA: Yes. Because this is necessary. You must have some shelter; you must eat; you must cover. That is necessary. So you do it. Grow food first of all to feed yourself sumptuously. You must get strength, and that is needed. But not for trade. The policy should be that you should be self-sufficient and save time for advancing in Krishna consciousness. That is wanted. Yavad-artha prayojanam. Yuktahara-viharasya yogo bhavati siddhi-dah. You shall eat whatever you require for proper upkeep of the body, not eating too much and sleeping whole day. Don’t do that. Eat only what is absolutely necessary. Then you’ll never be in want. People are engaged in material civilization means they are increasing the bodily demands, unnecessary. Just like this park. Why we have come to this park? We like this atmosphere. So similarly, in villages, everyone, if he has got some land, he can live simply without any gorgeous building. What is the use? Just have a cottage and have garden. You’ll live very peacefully. But they’re constructing big, big skyscraper building in the downtown, and they will have to come here by car for some peace of mind, and in the meantime, accident, police. This is the civilization, nonsense civilization. At weekend they will go to the village, country, and during the week-time they will work hard. This is their civilization, with the risk of life, running motor car eighty miles’ speed. Every moment there is risk. What is this civilization? Most ludicrous civilization. So farming means if you live in a farm… Just like in New Vrindaban they are doing. Produce your own food, live peacefully, fresh vegetable, fresh grains, fresh milk, and prepare so many nice milk preparation, kachori, halava with ghee. Offer to the Deity. Eat sufficiently. What is the use of going outside? Simple life and chant Hare Krishna. If you can organize that, that will be very nice.
JNANA: A nice program here.
PRABHUPADA: Yes. What is this rascal civilization, whole day “Where is money? Where is money? Where is money? Where is money? Where is money?” Everyone. Busy means “Where is money? Where is money?” Just like the hog, he is busy: “What time…? Where is stool? Where is stool? Where is stool? Where is stool? Where is stool?” That is not civilization. If you remain always busy, “Where is stool?” like the hog, then what is your civilization? Whole day working, night, nightshift, dayshift, whole day, the same, like hog.
BRAHMANANDA: They hold more than one job. They have two jobs.
PRABHUPADA: Yes. Get money and then drink wine and eat meat and do all nonsense things. This is their civilization.
Artificial way of banking will be collapsed
excerpt from conversation, Bhuvaneshwar, January 21, 1977
RAMESVARA: The difference between Vedic culture and…, the Krishna conscious culture and the modern culture is very, very dramatic, very big difference. So the transforming of society…
PRABHUPADA: And besides that, if we concentrate in farm project there will be no need of exchange, because I’ll be satisfied with my products. That’s all. There is no need of exchange. Whatever I need, I get in my farm.
RAMESVARA: Weaving, cloth.
PRABHUPADA: Everything I get. So I haven’t got to go outside for exchange. If you are satisfied in your farm—I am satisfied—then where is question of exchange? There is no need of artificial… So this banking, “fanking,” everything will collapse automatically. There is no money, who is going to keep money in the bank?
HARI-SAURI: Who needs it?
PRABHUPADA: [laughs] So this artificial way of banking, that will be also collapsed.
HARI-SAURI: This is revolutionary.
RAMESVARA: It’s very hard for the mind to…
PRABHUPADA: No, simply do this.
RAMESVARA: Such a dramatic transformation of society.
PRABHUPADA: Yes. Whatever it may be… We should be satisfied locally by our food, by our cloth, by our milk. That’s all. Let the whole world go to hell. We don’t care. If you want to save yourself also, you do this. Here is an example. If you want artificial life, city life, and hellish life, you do. But we shall live like this. This is the ideal life.
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excerpt from conversation, Bhuvaneshwar, January 21, 1977
Anuttama