ox-powered cropping is no way economically feasilbe

[Guest guest]

some times the local people ask me why I am keeping my 3 female cows. They

say that the only useful animal is the bullock.

 

But that is exactly the mentality in our days. "What is in it for me?Is

it profitable?"

 

I keep the cows, because they are my responsibility. They were given to me

for life. I have to protect them.

Just like my children, without my protection, they would go hungry. if I

don't cook lunch for one day, they will go hungry and cry.

 

The same thing with the cows. However, I sell the excess milk and maintain

them that way. Also it saves by not having to buy milk.

 

By using the bullock for transportation, I may not make any , but I save a

lot of money. If I had another bullock, I could plow and cultivate more land

for cash crops and make some Laxmi that way.

 

Just yesterday, one villager came to me for help. He was in great distress

because one of his bullocks is limping and can not plow. The man said to me:

"Mataji, If my bullock can not plow, I don't eat. Please help me contact the

doctor right away. In the mean time, can I borrow your ox to help me out?"

 

These villagers are totally depended on their bullocks for their livelihood.

This particular man does not even have any milk cows.

 

There is also the varnasrama preaching aspect. Srila Prabhupada was very

eager to establish farm projects.

**********

 

 

Srila Prabhupada was most enlivened to hear the report of New Govardhana

Farm. His Divine Grace in the last month or so has been stressing the

importance of these farm projects, and said, "This is the next aspect of

Krsna consciousness which I wish to push forward. If I am able to travel

again, then I shall visit the farms and make them perfect. On these farms

we can demonstrate the full varnasrama system. If these farms become

successful then the whole world will be enveloped by Krsna consciousness.

 

"From your letter I can understand how nice this farm is. I am very happy

to see fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, grains, the devotees taking

sumptuous prasadam and chanting Hare Krsna. This is the actual meaning of

human life. It is a very good farm, from your letter I can understand.

Whatever you build, get the building materials locally. If you can

manufacture tiles locally, then your house problem is solved. Build up

bamboo frame, and on it place tiles. In any event get everything locally.

I wish to make a farm tour and then I shall surely visit your farm."

 

I suggested to Srila Prabhupada that he was the Farm Acarya, but Srila

Prabhupada said, "Krsna is the Farm Acarya. Baladeva is holding a plow,

and Krsna is holding the calf. Krsna advised Nanda Maharaja not to perform

Indra puja but to worship the land, Govardhana because it was supplying

all foodstuffs for the residents of Vrndavana and the cows as well." So

Srila Prabhupada wants you to develop this farm very nicely as it will be

the future program to present to the world as the ideal of Krsna

consciousness. In the cities, we are interested for preaching but we

cannot present the ideal varnasrama system, this is only possible at the

farms, so they are very important.

 

-- Letter from Tamal Krsna Goswami, Secretary to Srila Prabhupada

to Hari Sauri dasa, ISKCON Melbourne,

10 August 1977 (sent from Krsna Balarama Mandir, Vrndavana)

 

********

 

 

As soon as Krsna and Balarama were a little grown up, They were meant for

taking care of the calves. Although born of a very well-to-do family, They

still had to take care of the calves. This was the system of education.

Those who were not born in brahmana families were not meant for academic

education. The brahmanas were trained in a literary, academic education,

the ksatriyas were trained to take care of the state, and the vaisyas

learned how to cultivate the land and take care of the cows and calves.

There was no need to waste time going to school to be falsely educated and

later increase the numbers of the unemployed. Krsna and Balarama taught us

by Their personal behavior. Krsna took care of the cows and played His

flute, and Balarama took care of agricultural activities with a plow in

His hand.

 

***********8

 

 

Later, Nanda Maharaja himself married a vaisya girl, Yasoda.

Therefore his family is celebrated as a vaisya family, and Krsna,

identifying Himself as their son, took charge of vaisya activities (

krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam [bg. 18.44]). Balarama represents plowing the land

for agriculture and therefore always carries in His hand a plow, whereas

Krsna tends cows and therefore carries a flute in His hand. Thus the two

brothers represent krsi-raksya and go-raksya.