Replies to Le Cow Quote Du Jour # 90

[Guest guest]

> Harkering on in a reactive way about present farming

> and social systems is useless. Talking about the ideal

> is useless unless a plan is in place that takes us

> there. But this plan needs a dose of slap-in-your-face

> reality.

 

You really hit the nail on the head with that one! Nicely summed up.

 

Without a long term plan, without being prepared to live really simply,

without development of or research regarding ITK and without figuring out

what is actualy possible with local government, we will never be able to do

it. Sometimes with a lot of sincerity, and a lot of stubborness you can get

exceptions on govt restrictions, as the Amish did with their school system

and other things.

 

It really takes a lot of faith, surrender, and hard work, and as far as I

can see that was what Prabhupada wanted.

 

One thing though that prabhupada does mention here and there, is that we can

bring in donations for specific uses sometimes. Because he understood that

in the begining we need to produce an ideal unit. If Govt taxes become a

problem we could meet the need with donations. The idea is to liberate lands

from the commercial realm, and use them for what they were meant. It may not

be possible to demonstrate this if the community has to generate X thousands

of dollars for taxes, so this could be met by donations from sympathisers or

other sources. Also one of the reasons for doing all this is preaching. The

only other justifiable expense that I see right now would be pilgrimage, and

for that a family may be able to generate enough funds by selling nicely

packaged value added products on the market.

 

We also have to remember that the varnasrama simple living ideal is an item

amongst many of the Krsna Consciousness movement, other items such as

festivals and major preaching are very much interactive with the modern

world.

 

It appears to me that Prabhupada was thinking along the lines of subsidising

the simple living to the degree that is required to allow it to happen,

without sacrificing the principles of hard work, and the real internal

functioning.

 

YS Samba das