farming with no quams

[Guest guest]

-

billy bob buckwheat <d_4h (AT) hotmail (DOT) com>

Cow (Protection and related issues) <Cow (AT) pamho (DOT) net>

Wednesday, May 23, 2001 9:06 AM

farming with no quams

 

 

>

> Dear anyone,

> Hare Krsna, AGTSP,

>

> Yesterday, I was in an agriculture meeting for the farm to which we come

> forth with different topics every week and try to rectify problems or

> improve on the standards and facilities. Some times often I become

agrivated

> because it seems each individual has their own idea of how things should

be.

> And this goes the same outside this meeting to the whole community. maybe

> there is some simularities but there is many, many differences. To the

point

> that if you followed one or the other the outcome would be completely

> different as for a society.

> Then this same logo goes outside here and spreds for the entire Iskcon

> movement.( I'm refering to simple living in KC)

> So how is it that anything will come to a head? Even if it was a very wide

> head, would be a possitive angle.

>

> Now, to break away for a moment..

> Yesterday after feeling discouraged, like there is hardly a chance in the

> world for there to be "some kind of uniform goal" as for simple living

> standards, Like an Iskcon culture.,,, I went down the road maybe a mile

> from the farm to an Amish farm where I've been a couple times to check

> things out and offer barter of favors if needed.

> When I pulled up, he was out plowing with his horses 4 abreast. He was

> sitting on a double direction plow and it looked very much like a picture.

> when he came back around for the next run and gave his horses a break, we

> talked a little. I told him that to just be there and watch and walk

behind

> his plow while he is digging, that this was very inspirational for me and

> that I came over for that purpose. He looked at me a little curious and

> asked "inspirational", as to how could what he is doing be so

inspirational

> for me. It would take me a few hours to explain even a little to him but I

> wouldn't disturb his mind with it. I just shrugged my shoulders.. So he

> continued and I just walked behind in the furrow, and chanted some rounds,

> back and forth, back and forth, and it was great.

>

 

Comment:

It was peaceful to you because you could recognize it was being done as it

should be.

Most of the older ISKCON farms have gone through a peroid when we worked

oxen in the field and were progressing along the path to self sufficent life

style. Wood stoves, lanterns, hand pump, etc. it was hard work and it ended

up a few doing a lot of the work and others sort of hanging on. Then someone

decided lets put electricity in the temple room so the deities will have

nice light without smoke from the lanterns, before long there were hotwater

tanks, electric churns - to save time. Well now you see the result.

 

Many questioned why we were taking this step backward, trying to live like

people did hundred years ago. I believe that some lost faith that simple

living was what Srila Prabhupada was really advocating. They were not saving

time for chanting, they were even working harder and longer hours.

 

> ( hope I'm not afending or boring anyone)

>

> Something that I could see there that helped inspire was the system and

> determination with the standard he lives by, and not even based on so much

> strong philosify, but still driving on. I overlooked the faults, and

looked

> on him as an individual that has desires and a capacity to make decisions,

> and wondered what makes him carry on so strongly without just getting fed

up

> and endulge in buying a tractor and a car and microwave and tv with

> satilite, taking the kids to disneyworld.. I knew alot had to do with his

up

> bringing as a cultural strength helped, but anyone can become polluted if

> their not chanting the names of God. Yet There is a whole simple standard

> like no zippers, and no rubber tires, no this and that, which in the end

if

> you knock out the new system of little motors and air power, looks very

> simple and peacful materialy. What a nice condusive peace for a village of

> devotees, yet, even more so, if that were, because of cow protection and

of

> all animals and plants being engaged in gods service.

> As I walked down the main farm road to his barn so he could put the horses

> away, The road had no signs of car travel and you could feel that along

with

> the no electric atmophere and on either side the feilds that were worked

> with the animals. There was a great comfort and feeling of peace and being

> in another time.

>

> So, as I left that day going back down the road to my car which I left at

> the end of the property as a feeling of respect and to not polute the

> atmosphere, I reflected on this conference and the farms and the devotees.

> And thought, why is it that these Amish jointly for the most part live a

> cirtain way, without much reason other than following the forefathers ( if

> you ask'em), and here the devotees with the highest and strongest of all

> knowledge and a great Acarya like Prabhupada describing what to do, and

yet

> there is no co-operation even to get to aleast the level of the Amish as

for

> simplness and standard. Why is there soo many different interpretations of

> what to do from the same instruction? Everything is an experiment after

some

> time that everything has already been done somewhere else. trying to

> recreate that which is already going on or has been done is stagnating

> though it seems. Just my thoughts of the day. I'm sharing them so any can

> tear them apart and answer, correct or comment, or have something to add

> into the thought tank.

 

Comment:

The answer you are seaking for is found on pages 72 - 79 of Hinduism and

Ecology, Seeds of Truth by Ranchor Prime. I have scanned it, see attachment.

This is a summary of an interview Ranchor Prime (English devotee) had with

Santish Kumar (a follower of Gandhi who had moved to the west were he is

publisher and speaker on spiritual ecology).

ys, Rohita dasa

[Guest guest]

>I heard a quote recently perhaps even on this conference that 50% of amish

>families have a second means of living apart from farming.

 

 

Thats pretty good! .. What is our ratio?

 

 

>There is a statement that 'if you keep doing what you are doing you will

>keep getting what you are getting'. For us I would read that as saying if

>we

>keep doing our farms in same way as we always have then we will keep

>getting

>the same result. ie. a farming system that doesn't sustain anybody.

 

 

Completely correct...

 

 

>We must be looking for a new 21st century model to keep the next generation

>or even more important than that even keep the present generation on the

>farm. There must be a living from farming that gives good butter on the

>bread or only the cari's are going to do it and not the hastha's.

>

>ys syam

 

Yes, It takes a culture to create such a situation. Such a culture of its

own is very conducive for spritual life. If you give an Amish man som money

or if they earn some money, They will invest that into there simple

situation to make things even more independant. And if you look at the ones

that are making money,, its so little that they charge that you feel guilty

and want to give them more.

For the most part if it were not for mortgage on land they wouldn't need

this.

Before land was soo expensive they practicaly bartered everything or just

helped out.

 

The butter comming from the cows is just fine on bread, the problem is there

isn't enough country dwellers, there is more city slickers and computer

heads. Its conditioning that has to be widdled out through the generations..

If the temples whom had some land would engage the land for house holders

with no politics and for free other than some produce then they would never

have to buy bhoga or milk again. The land would be engaged and maintained,

children could get the chance to join the temple become Cari's. Every way

you look at it, its good and works out. For those who still must have

motorboats and carribian vacations this doesn't appeal. It wont apeal for

all.. so let those who are ingaged in the " must " of making Laxmi,

especialy if its in there karma, Buy land to expand this ideal and distribut

it to the Hasta's so they can live simply. Eventualy We'll own the most land

and cover the most area and be the biggest influence in all aspects.

" Keep dreamin,, right..?"

 

ys, Derek-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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> Yes, It takes a culture to create such a situation. Such a culture of its

> own is very conducive for spritual life.

 

I was traveling for the last 5 days, and there is a mountain of stuff here

on this conference all of a sudden, some that I would love to get into if I

had time, but I thought that this statement sort of sums things up.

 

It is the whole cultural thing that is important.

 

We have to want this kind of culture of simple life.

 

The idea really is that the life of simplicity is for those who really do

want spiritual advancement, but recognise that they are not ready to just be

pure sadhus, and wander from village to village.

 

If we want to make lots of profit for the sake of a luxurious life, then the

simple living model will not appeal.

 

It should not be that there is a bunch of people trying to push others into

a situation they dont want. In a way a lot of the argument here is needless.

 

Better to look into our own hearts and see what drives us.

 

There may be many levels of simple living. From those that want to make a

good living from farming, to those that recognise that they have to perform

action, but that want to be detached from the fruits of their labour.

 

It seems to me that the ideal that Prabhupada wanted to set up was based on

people with the latter mentality. But he tolerated anything that headed in

that direction.

 

As has been mentioned, we just need a few good examples of people living the

land, just like the example we just heard from the Amish. If we had a farm

like that where devotees lived the example, I am sure it would be very

inspirational for us all.

 

Anyway if enough of us desire it, and we are sincere, surely Krsna can help

us to do it? It may not have been done yet, but Krsna is the controller.

 

There is a good opportunity at the farm at New Vrajamandala now for this to

happen, we just need people who are inspired in this way.

 

Your servant

Samba das