RURAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
The purpose of rural community development is to:
Give the world a practical example of spiritual life following Lord Krsna's
example in Vrndavana.
Teach people how to be happy, peaceful and free from anxiety by living simply.
Usher in a new way of life.
Establish a local self governing village.
Implement varnasrama.
Solve economic problems.
Teach cow protection by example.
Attract philosophically minded people.
Attract and induce the surrounding villagers to be Krsna conscious.
Save time for spiritual life.
Conversation New Vrindaban, June 28, 1976
If you simply boil little milk and little grain, whole day, so much sweet rice, you take--bas. You don't require any more. And if you add little apples and fruits, oh, it is heavenly. Your whole day free from any food anxiety, and you can work. And you can work. You can chant Hare Krsna. Make this ideal life here. America has got good potency. We have got so much land here. We can have hundreds of New Vrindabans or farms like that. And people will be happy. And invite all the world, "Please come and live with us. Why you are suffering congestion, overpopulation? Welcome here. Chant Hare Krsna." Make that. Indian culture and American strength make the whole world happy. That logic even I have given? Andha-pangu?
Letter to: Kirtanananda Swami : 75-11-10
I am glad also that you have a new gosala. Let other farms see what is our behavior for the cows and how we derive benefit from them and that will be the living example to persons who are using cow flesh rather than cow milk.
Letter to: Hayagriva : 68-06-14
It may be an ideal village where the residents will have plain living and high thinking. For plain living we must have sufficient land for raising crops and pasturing grounds for the cows. If there is sufficient grains and production of milk, then the whole economic problem is solved...Actually, joyful life is on the spiritual platform, therefore we should try to save our valuable time from material activities and engage them for Krishna Consciousness. But at the same time, because we have to keep our body and soul together to execute our mission, we must have sufficient (not extravagant) food to eat, and that will be supplied by grains, fruits, and milk. So if you can develop this place to that ideal life and the residents become ideal Krishna Conscious men, in that part of your country, I think not only many philosophically minded people will be attracted, but they will be benefited also. The basic principle of our life in Vrindaban will be cow keeping. If we can keep cows sufficiently and grow our necessary foodstuffs, then we shall show a new way of life to your countrymen completely spiritual life in healthy atmosphere in divine consciousness.
Letter to: Hamsaduta das : 74-09-07
I have seen in New Vrindaban how happily our devotees are living there with free 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 Krsna. This mission should be propagated. Save time and chant Hare Krsna.
Letter to: Karatieya : 75-10-19
Now, our next program will be to organize farming land to set an example to the whole world how people can be peaceful, happy, and free from all anxieties simply by chanting Hare Krishna Maha-mantra and living an honorable life in Krishna Consciousness. In India especially people are religiously inclined. They like to live in village and also like to love Lord Rama, Lord Krishna. This idealism is running through their blood and veins. We have to organize their natural tendency and elevate them again back to Home, Back-to-Godhead. Please think over these points very seriously and as soon as I return we shall take up the program.... My beloved sannyasi disciple Swami Pusta Krishna has promised to give me a car, and as soon as I get it I shall move from village to village along with some selected assistants and organize this farming village development program.
Letter to: Balavanta : 77-01-04
Try to concentrate on these farm projects. Let the villagers come and hear, and distribute prasadam. In this way draw their sympathy and gradually they'll become our associates. Then they can come to live with us and work with us. In this way let them be induced. In the evenings you can hold kirtana and invite them to come and distribute prasadam. We are doing this now on our farm near Hyderabad. Gradually they may be invited to come and live and work with us. We will give them food, clothing and shelter and they can live simply and save time for developing their Krsna consciousness. Do this and then our Movement is successful. Our only motive is how to interest people in Krsna consciousness.
Letter to: Kirtanananda Maharaja : 73-07-27
Yes! Go on acquiring the surrounding lands and in this way we will establish a local self governing village and show all the world a practical example of spiritual life as Krishna Himself exhibited in Vrindaban.
Give the world a practical example of spiritual life following Lord Krsna's
example in Vrndavana.
Teach people how to be happy, peaceful and free from anxiety by living simply.
Usher in a new way of life.
Establish a local self governing village.
Implement varnasrama.
Solve economic problems.
Teach cow protection by example.
Attract philosophically minded people.
Attract and induce the surrounding villagers to be Krsna conscious.
Save time for spiritual life.
Conversation New Vrindaban, June 28, 1976
If you simply boil little milk and little grain, whole day, so much sweet rice, you take--bas. You don't require any more. And if you add little apples and fruits, oh, it is heavenly. Your whole day free from any food anxiety, and you can work. And you can work. You can chant Hare Krsna. Make this ideal life here. America has got good potency. We have got so much land here. We can have hundreds of New Vrindabans or farms like that. And people will be happy. And invite all the world, "Please come and live with us. Why you are suffering congestion, overpopulation? Welcome here. Chant Hare Krsna." Make that. Indian culture and American strength make the whole world happy. That logic even I have given? Andha-pangu?
Letter to: Kirtanananda Swami : 75-11-10
I am glad also that you have a new gosala. Let other farms see what is our behavior for the cows and how we derive benefit from them and that will be the living example to persons who are using cow flesh rather than cow milk.
Letter to: Hayagriva : 68-06-14
It may be an ideal village where the residents will have plain living and high thinking. For plain living we must have sufficient land for raising crops and pasturing grounds for the cows. If there is sufficient grains and production of milk, then the whole economic problem is solved...Actually, joyful life is on the spiritual platform, therefore we should try to save our valuable time from material activities and engage them for Krishna Consciousness. But at the same time, because we have to keep our body and soul together to execute our mission, we must have sufficient (not extravagant) food to eat, and that will be supplied by grains, fruits, and milk. So if you can develop this place to that ideal life and the residents become ideal Krishna Conscious men, in that part of your country, I think not only many philosophically minded people will be attracted, but they will be benefited also. The basic principle of our life in Vrindaban will be cow keeping. If we can keep cows sufficiently and grow our necessary foodstuffs, then we shall show a new way of life to your countrymen completely spiritual life in healthy atmosphere in divine consciousness.
Letter to: Hamsaduta das : 74-09-07
I have seen in New Vrindaban how happily our devotees are living there with free 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 Krsna. This mission should be propagated. Save time and chant Hare Krsna.
Letter to: Karatieya : 75-10-19
Now, our next program will be to organize farming land to set an example to the whole world how people can be peaceful, happy, and free from all anxieties simply by chanting Hare Krishna Maha-mantra and living an honorable life in Krishna Consciousness. In India especially people are religiously inclined. They like to live in village and also like to love Lord Rama, Lord Krishna. This idealism is running through their blood and veins. We have to organize their natural tendency and elevate them again back to Home, Back-to-Godhead. Please think over these points very seriously and as soon as I return we shall take up the program.... My beloved sannyasi disciple Swami Pusta Krishna has promised to give me a car, and as soon as I get it I shall move from village to village along with some selected assistants and organize this farming village development program.
Letter to: Balavanta : 77-01-04
Try to concentrate on these farm projects. Let the villagers come and hear, and distribute prasadam. In this way draw their sympathy and gradually they'll become our associates. Then they can come to live with us and work with us. In this way let them be induced. In the evenings you can hold kirtana and invite them to come and distribute prasadam. We are doing this now on our farm near Hyderabad. Gradually they may be invited to come and live and work with us. We will give them food, clothing and shelter and they can live simply and save time for developing their Krsna consciousness. Do this and then our Movement is successful. Our only motive is how to interest people in Krsna consciousness.
Letter to: Kirtanananda Maharaja : 73-07-27
Yes! Go on acquiring the surrounding lands and in this way we will establish a local self governing village and show all the world a practical example of spiritual life as Krishna Himself exhibited in Vrindaban.
Comments