und noch eine positive Bemühung

[Guest guest]

New Hope for Implementing Varnasrama Dharma

by Yudhisthira das

 

Posted May 30, 2006

 

All glories to Srila Prabhupada! Please accept my humble obeisances.

 

My name is Yudhisthira das, and I was initiated at New Vrindaban in 1972. In

the years since, I have tried to follow Srila Prabhupada's instructions for

developing self-sufficient farm communities "... depending on Natures gifts

and

milk from the cow," with the view to become ..."independent of modern

civilization, which may collapse at any moment."

 

Back at the turn of the century, [2000] my wife Vandevi and I purchased 22

acres from New Vrindaban, and embarked upon the task of transforming a

densely

forested hilltop into a self-sustaining homestead. [A work in progress.]

 

Several other families have subsequently bought land adjoining ours, and

altogether, we own 100 acres directly across the valley from the Palace of

Gold.

 

It is here that Big Wheeling Creek forms an oxbow, creating a "peninsula"

containing flat bottom lands with deep, rich topsoil, and sloped woodlands

that

rise 200 feet to a gently rolling plateau. Several springs, a stand of

mature

tulip poplar, a large pond site, garden and orchard areas, and the location

for

a proposed Temple, all nestle upon this rock-rimmed promontory. There is

ample

timber and stone on the premises to erect the Temple and many other

structures,

and the potential is excellent for generating our own electricity from wind,

solar, hydro, and even natural gas. In short, Krsna has provided an ideal

setting here for a number of people and animals to live in a self-sufficient

manner.

 

We few residents here could continue to develop our little homesteads as we

are

now doing, but have decided to reach out to the devotee community at large,

to

see if there is anybody out there who has a genuine interest in helping to

bring into fruition Srila Prabhupada's dream of creating villages of ideal

Vedic life, following the principles of Varnasrama Dharma.

 

If the response to our inquiry is sufficiently enthusiastic, we are prepared

to

form a nonprofit corporation, to be called S.P.A.R.R.O.W. Inc. [srila

Prabhupada's Agrarian Rural Retreats Organization Worldwide]

 

Our purpose, ultimately, would be to open these rural retreats wherever

devotees live in the world, but to construct the first experimental

self-sufficient village here in the hills of West Virginia where we enjoy a

temperate climate with a growing season that lasts from May thru October.

 

We would work independently of, but, hopefully, in cooperation with, the New

Vrindaban community, who owns property ideally suited for such a

development,

on the other side of the creek.

 

Some of our plans include producing organically grown vegetables, grains,

fruits and herbs, dairy products, maple sugar, sorghum and flowers,

utilizing

draft animal technology exclusively. We would like to construct a village

square, encircled by attractive shops, erect cabins on wooded lots, and,

most

importantly, build a beautiful temple of timber and stone.

 

We are considering the implementation of a life-estate system wherein the

members would receive a residential lot, business location in the central

marketplace, a share in the agricultural enterprises, and a "reservation" at

the community shelter to be built into the basement of the new temple.

 

We are canvassing for serious-minded souls who would like to participate in

this exciting venture, and are looking for financial investors, architects

and

planners, craftspeople, farmers, builders and others who are willing to work

together as a team, with the common goal of creating a place to live the

philosophy of Krsna Consciousness in a simple country setting.

 

We are confident that the reader will see the urgent need to establish these

rural retreats around the globe, in order to preserve the Vedic Way, so that

future generations can live peacefully, execute their devotional service,

perfect their lives, and return Back Home Back to Godhead.

 

If you are interested in learning more about SPARROW, call me at

304-547-4453,

or Vrindaban das at 304-547-5823 You can also reach me by email at

absolute108 (AT) cs (DOT) com<absolute108 (AT) cs (DOT) com>

 

Thank you for your consideration of this very important subject matter. We

look

forward to hearing from you.

 

Your servant,

Yudhisthira das Adhikary