Le Cow Quote Du Jour # 96

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Modern warfare waged between capitalists and communists is due to their

avoiding the advice of Srila Rupa Gosvami regarding atyahara. Modern

capitalists accumulate more wealth than necessary, and the communists,

envious of their prosperity, want to nationalize all wealth and property.

Unfortunately the communists do not know how to solve the problem of wealth

and its distribution. Consequently when the wealth of the capitalists falls

into the hands of the communists, no solution results. Opposed to these two

philosophies, the Krsna conscious ideology states that all wealth belongs to

Krsna. Thus unless all wealth comes under the administration of Krsna, there

can be no solution to the economic problem of mankind. Nothing can be solved

by placing wealth in the hands of the communists or the capitalists. If a

hundred-dollar bill is lying on the street, someone may pick it up and put

it in his pocket. Such a man is not honest. Another man may see the money

and decide to let it remain there, thinking that he should not touch

another's property. Although this second man does not steal the money for

his own purposes, he is unaware of its proper use. The third man who sees

the hundred-dollar bill may pick it up, find the man who lost it and deliver

it to him. This man does not steal the money to spend for himself, nor does

he neglect it and let it lie in the street. By taking it and delivering it

to the man who has lost it, this man is both honest and wise.

 

Simply transferring wealth from capitalists to communists cannot solve the

problem of modern politics, for it has been demonstrated that when a

communist gets money, he uses it for his own sense gratification. The wealth

of the world actually belongs to Krsna, and every living entity, man and

animal, has the birthright to use God's property for his maintenance. When

one takes more than his maintenance requires -- be he a capitalist or a

communist -- he is a thief, and as such he is liable to be punished by the

laws of nature.

 

The wealth of the world should be used for the welfare of all living

entities, for that is the plan of Mother Nature. Everyone has the right to

live by utilizing the wealth of the Lord. When people learn the art of

scientifically utilizing the Lord's property, they will no longer encroach

upon one another's rights. Then an ideal society can be formed. The basic

principle for such a spiritual society is stated in the first mantra of Sri

Isopanisad:

 

isavasyam idam sarvam

yat kinca jagatyam jagat

tena tyaktena bhunjitha

ma grdhah kasya svid dhanam

[iso mantra 1]

 

"Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled

and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things

necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and should not

accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong."

 

Krsna conscious devotees know very well that this material world is designed

by the complete arrangement of the Lord to fulfill all the necessities of

life for all living beings, without their having to encroach upon the life

or rights of one another. 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. Unfortunately, materialists who have neither faith in the plan of

God nor any aspiration for higher spiritual development misuse their

God-given intelligence only to augment their material possessions. They

devise many systems -- such as capitalism and materialistic communism -- to

advance their material position. They are not interested in the laws of God

or in a higher goal. Always anxious to fulfill their unlimited desires for

sense gratification, they are conspicuous by their ability to exploit their

fellow living beings.

 

When human society gives up these elementary faults enumerated by Srila Rupa

Gosvami (atyahara, etc.), all enmity will cease between men and animals,

capitalists and communists, and so forth. In addition, all problems of

economic or political maladjustment and instability will be solved.

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => NoI 2