cruel silk

[theist]

Clothing from Cocoons

-

 

The silkworm is the caterpillar of the moth Bombyx mori.

The caterpillar feeds voraciously on mulberry leaves, becomes big and, and about a month after it has hatched, starts weaving its silken cocoon.

The cocoon stage lasts two weeks and then the moth emerges from the silken case. When the moth comes out, the silk is damaged. This cannot be allowed to happen if the silkworms are being reared for the production of silk. So the pupae are killed by dropping the cocoons in hot water or heating them to a high temperature for a short while.

The silk is obtained by unravelling the cocoons. Each cocoon gives an unbroken thread, around 900 m long. It takes about 110 cocoons to make a silk tie, about 630 to make a blouse and 3000-4000 to make a kimono or sari.

 

 

[stonehearted]

An old friend of mine, Brishni, was a sculptor when he joined. He was enlisted by Gocinda dasi to help fashion the Pancha Tattva Deities for the Honolulu temple. Some years later, when he was living here on the Big Island, he got an idea of raising silkworms as a business. (There are some places where there are lots of mulberry trees.) Srila Prabhupada wanted him to make a business of making Deities, or working on diorama projects. He gave Brishni plenty of advice about "doll making," as he called it. When Prabhupada was asked about Brishni's silk idea, he replied, "I ask him to make dolls, and he wants to be a butcher?"

 

I prefer cotton, but silk is better for my puja because it doesn't have to be washed every day. I try hard to ensure that I get ahimsa silk. When I visited India ('80 & '82), it was readily available at several shops in Vrindavan and at Khadi Bhavan.

[theist]

I have heard of that but kinda forgot about it. Never really understood what it is or how it is made. Maybe you could tell us something Babhru.

 

I remember meeting Brishni a few times long ago. Can't even remember what he looked like. I think he was married to Lilasuki or Lilasuka dasi. I never knew Their Lordships were fashioned by him.

[stonehearted]

As far as I understand, it's made after the moths leave the cocoon. Because the lengths of the threads are irregular, it is a little rougher in texture than other silk.

 

Where did you meet Brishni? He's about 6 feet tall, wiry, reddish (now graying) hair, and he probably had a beard when you met him. His wife's name is Leelasukhi (that's how Srila Prabhupada spelled it).

[theist]

After they leave the cocoon and fly away. That is nice.

 

Oh I met him in Honolulu a few times at the ISKCON temple. He would come sporadically. I never really knew him I just remember the name.

[Guest guest]

Haribol. If you see Brishni and leelasukhi, give them my regards. Such nice folks. I remember when they were staying with govinda dasi in Puako, I visited them, bought his truck, and some nice Gaura-nitai dieties. When I came to honolulu in 1972, they had just left to go to SA, but I still have the insert, New Nabadvipa News, that Hawaii ISKCON placed in BTGs, showing Jivan (still with long hair), sasishekar, siddha and brishni jammin electrically.

 

Though I didnt meet him until later, when I think of brishni, I think of Mckinley Street temple, what a fine place that was, how much Srila Prabhupada loved to come there (for the mangoes, the special mapalehus that grew all over the neighborhood). Nrsimha the cat, the way cool kirtans at the international marketplace, the sattelite temples on all the islands, Ookala, Kapaa, Wailuku. Goursundaras pamphlets and lectures, and Sri Kartamasayee, the original deity from San Francisco. (Do you know what became of Lord Kartamasayee, Babhru?)

 

Waxin a little nostalgic, eh. But say haribol to Brishni and lila if you hear from them, hare krsna, ys, mahaksadasa

[stonehearted]

Brishni and Leela live near Sherwood, outside Portland. They spent three weeks here in July and August. They stayed with us and with Ginger (formerly Krishna) John in Kalapana. Brishni told me that the first night they stayed with us he had a really nice dream about Srila Prabhupada (probably the first he has ever had). I'll give them your regards.

 

Yeah, all those "old-days" people and places make me remember being young. (sigh)

 

Govinda dasi still worships Kartamisha at her home in Hauula.

[Guest guest]

now theres a memory. Next youll tell me kanva das is living in the cave at Napoopoo=;-)

 

mahak

[stonehearted]

Boy, that would be amazing! Last I heard, Kanva is somewhere on Oahu, and he has spent much of his time in some sort of campaign to reform preaching. I've seen some of his stuff from time to time, but I can't remember just what his approach is.

 

And John doesn't live in a tree house in Kona any more. He owns about 200 acres in Puna, which he farms organically and according to premaculture principles. His life still seems simple, with work at the center, and his lifestyle is also still rather simple and low-tech.