Cow Quote #17

[Guest guest]

Letter to Hayagriva 14 June 1968 (Montreal)

 

As we passed correspondence previously, that we should live together either

in India or in this part of the world for publication of so many Vaisnava

literatures. But if you want to develop New Vrindaban, I can spare you for

that purpose, and it may be that we can live there together. For the time

being, if you actually want to develop such ideal asrama, we must have

sufficient land, and all other things will gradually grow. For raising crops

from the land, how many men will be required--that we must estimate and for

herding the cows and feeding them. We must have sufficient pasturing ground

to feed the animals all round. We have to maintain the animals throughout

their life. We must not make any program for selling them to the

slaughterhouses. That is the way of cow protection.

 

Krishna by His practical example taught us to give all protection to the

cows and that should be the main business of New Vrindaban. Vrindaban is

also known as Gokula. Go means cows, and kula means congregation. Therefore

the special feature of New Vrindaban will be cow protection, and by doing

so, we shall not be loser. In India of course, a cow is protected and the

cowherdsmen they derive sufficient profit by such protection. Cow dung is

used as fuel. Cow dung dried in the sunshine kept in stock for utilizing

them as fuel in the villages. They get wheat and other cereals produced from

the field. There is milk and vegetables and the fuel is cow dung, and thus,

they are self-independent in every village. There are hand weavers for the

cloth. And the country oil-mill (consisting of a bull walking in circle

round two big grinding stones, attached with yoke) grinds the oil seeds into

oil. The whole idea is that people residing in New Vrindaban may not have to

search out work outside.

 

Arrangements should be such that the residents should be self-satisfied.

That will make an ideal asrama. I do not know these ideals can be given

practical shape, but I think like that; that people may be happy in any

place with land and cow without endeavoring for so-called amenities of

modern life--which simply increase anxieties for maintenance and proper

equipment. The less we are anxious for maintaining our body and soul

together, the more we become favorable for advancing in Krishna

Consciousness.

 

Hoping you are well.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami