Le Cow Quote Du Jour # 96

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> Dandavad. Prabhupada kijaya!

>

> Despite reading this passage and many others like it for many years I

> still am confused on certain points. Srila Prabhupada says:

>

> > This complete arrangement

> > affords the proper quota of wealth for everyone according to his real

> > needs, and thus everyone may live peacefully according to the principle

> > of plain living and high thinking.

>

> My question is how do we know what is our "quota" or what are our "real

> needs"? On the purely physical level, we do not "need" anything more than

> what a primitive, tribal, type of life provides. When Srila Prabhupada

> says "plain living" how plain does he mean? How far "back to nature" are

> we meant to go?

 

Prabhupada gave the example of the bag of rice, and that the greedy

mentality or the human tendency to hoard means imbalance of resources, and

hence the trouble the world faces today. If the humans are engaged according

to their nature, they would naturaly be happy in their engagement. Happy

workers produce abundantly, and the ksatria manages the abundance which is

produced over and above the needs of the individual families, which is

distributed as required or stored for emergencies. The whole idea is based

on the instructions we find in the Gita regarding our right to work but no

right to the fruits of our action.

>

> Where, in this economic vision, does the creation of new wealth come? New

> wealth involves

> the organization of human power and natures supply towards productive

> activity. Generally this requires leadership and some sacrifice.

 

Absolutely! Who is going to do all this if the leaders don't set the

example. I feel that is why simple living is so unpopular, everyone wants to

be a wealthy jet setting Swami! The drive should come from renounced people

who actualy live up to the Bhagavad Gitas teachings.

>

> Either there must be some personal self-interest or direction from a

> higher power. IN the above statement there seems to be no scope for

> self-interest beyond just basics to live on. That leaves us with higher

> power. HOw does that higher power manifest to tell us how far to endeavor

> for creating new wealth? Or are we meant to find some sort of perfect

> balance with nature and remain there?

 

The higher power comes when people recognise that they need to accept the

authority of a higher power. Good citizens deserve good leaders, cheating

citizens get cheating leaders, we get what we deserve. When you have

'higher' powers that thrive from the legacy of purity set by previous

acaryas, but exploit such legacy for their own comfort or aggrandizement,

then people loose faith in 'spiritual' authority, mistaking the imitation

for the real thing.

 

> Where does that leave the creative urge?

Not everyone has a creative urge in the full sense of the term.

 

Or the urge to minimize suffering

> on account of old age, disease and death, if not for ourselves, for those

> we are attached to?

 

This is the urge of the true Ksatria, to protect others. Such an urge is the

tell tale sign of ksatriya dharma.

>

> Finally, how does this model fit with the model of "dovetailing" one's

> material desires with the desires of Krishna? IN other words, channeling

> the urge to create wealth, and enjoy a more opulent life into a lifestyle

> centered on the opulent service of the Deity and Harinam? Where do we draw

> the line between creating wealth for Krishna's service and enjoying the

> "remnants", and taking more than we "need"?

 

Generaly ones guru should be available to help people discern their level of

requirement, and general position in society. Of course in the situation we

are now in, it is very difficult to know what the standard should or could

be. A lot depends on where you are goegraphicaly.

 

> My answer is that we must be conscious of the principles of

> sustainability, stewardship, and equity, to make sure we don't create

> wealth by stealing from the future or from our social capital or from

> fellow inhabitants of this planet.

 

Right!

 

> However, this does not really answer the question. How do I know what is

> my quota?

 

In general it seems that Prabhupadas idea was that we only take as much as

we need to keep body and soul together, and to have the faith that Krsna is

really there, and that he will take care of his devotees, just as he takes

care of all the animals. This whole arrangement also supposes that the

Ksatriya will be there to help out if there is an emergency so people will

not starve. But the premise is that such a society of enlightened people are

going to win the favour of the Lord, and that problems will be minimised,

and in fact there will be heaven on earth! Its just a matter of how much

faith we have in the words of the acarya!

 

If we dont have the faith that Krsna will take care of us, then we must have

faith in our own abilities to survive, a lot of which depends on how good we

are at aquiring more than we need and selling it at a profit. This mentality

assures that we will have a lot of anxiety. This is the current scenario.

 

I dont think we are going to see much simple living or varnasrama

development until enough people act on their supposed acceptance of Krsnas

mercy and love for his devotees.

 

Just think of the automatic abundance that would result from people situated

according to their natures, working happily and without attachment to the

result, for the sake of pleasing Krsna, and the kind of grace and

enlightenment such a society of people would be awarded. I guess it is a

case of the 'proof of the pudding is in the eating'.

 

> I am looking forward to hearing from the enlightened souls of this

> conference.

 

Well this is my dogmatic and theoretical understanding, if only we could see

it happening! But then I dont think we ever will until someone decides to

really give it a good go. Prabhupada wanted our leadership to do it, but I

guess anyone who does give it a go, becomes a leader.

 

Your servant

Samba das

 

PS I got much of the understanding for this worldview from Dhanesvara

prabhus excellent paper.