Guest guest Posted September 24, 2001 Report Share Posted September 24, 2001 Haribol prabhus, pamho agtsp I read with interest and appreciated the points made and would like to offer the following to the discussion. There is at present a concern over the different levels of spiritualisation as otherwise persons can develop within the existing karmi rural economy apart from animal slaughter. Certainly people need time to develop their spiritual life, but the essence of living in a devotee community is that it is aspiring to come to some standard - not a policing situation but where you feel that people are striving genuinely for Krsna consciousness. Otherwise we will probably encounter some or recycle some old problems. I would genuinely not like to develop with a community not aiming for the above, and would probably fair better outside of that model. It has caused problems already. Also although we acknowledge cow protection as the central pivot of rural existence or development, the sustainable rural model will allow for diversification of rural economic practice in related areas, therefore making it viable for people to develop realistic incomes. The 21st C model is currently not working for small commercial farmers because they have become boxed into bad practice. Therefore if there is good practice it follows that it will be sustainable and the repeatability factor will continue but this needs to be developed. So rural development will have primary cow protection development and secondary rural economic activities either as spin-offs, diversification through necessary related skills such as relief programmes, or other secondary skills such as cottage industry. This is a sustainable method of rural development. To ensure that there is the 21st C apsect to it for example in setting up cottage industry, there is assistance available in some cases, but not all. Finally, householders may indeed be the key, but it needs more to maintain the links. Most farming families maintain a small proportion of their children in farming practice here at the moment. The statistics for farming in devotee households are weaker. The problems encountered to date are where householders don't secure their own premises rather than seek the option of purchasing temple lands. If householders strive sufficiently to provide a place themselves, they usually place more value on it and are sometimes more likely to develop it. This is our personal experience. However there needs to be some type of system to assist families who cannot secure but direct sales may not be the solution in the initial stages perhaps some controlled leasing - which devotees already didn't take kindly to here. There needs to be real education in vaisya skills and the marketing of products and services, then the practical work becomes financially sufficient. This takes a cooperative approach or good individual marketing skills. It may also take specialisation if an income is what people are looking for, otherwise it will only work on the self-sufficiency scale whereby excess can be disposed of by a variety of methods. I think there could be a debate about what the general mass of devotees think farming is, as there is a growing percentage who feel it is producing some part of their food needs etc, but not necessarily going the whole way. ys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 2001 Report Share Posted September 28, 2001 I think there could be a debate about what the > general mass of devotees think farming is, as there is a growing percentage > who feel it is producing some part of their food needs etc, but not > necessarily going the whole way. > > ys > Even the brahmanas grew some of their food, but vaisyas who would grow grains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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