economic development

ng dasa · March 31, 2006

I was having a discussion with a senior family member about what is the goal of human life.

The response given was, "that for today's world the goal is economic development. To rise the standard of living for all human beings."

I would much appreciate some balanced spiritual comments on this response. Comments based either from AC Bhaktivedanta's teachings or from an over all Hindu perspective is fine. Thanks.

April 1, 2006

All living entities are in a constant struggle to survive – some more so than others. To ask if economic development is important is really asking the wrong question. Its like asking if eating food is important. The question is what sort of economic development is best for society.

If we look at the world we will see that man has operated under a sort of cannibalistic economic system for thousands of years. We “feed” off of lower levels. Under a Darwinian worldview this is the natural and preferred order. Through this the strong consume the weak, the weak perish and the strong move forward. This form of economic development will only lead to a great suffering for most people with great pleasure for a few.

The Vaisnava economic view is nicely stated in the first verse of Sri Isopanishad:

“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 one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.”

Under the Vaisnava economic system one is taught to cultivate a higher more comprehensive worldview. Darwinian thought (whether biological or economic) causes one to dwell upon the lowest, animalistic tendencies. We fight and destroy our competitors not just to survive but to thrive. Under such a system peace cannot exist. Higher, more subtle ideas such as Mercy have no room in such a Darwinian economic system.

We are in fact instructed to cultivate higher thoughts and higher deeds. Thoughts and deeds that at first seem unnatural. Mercy is unnatural for an animal. Lifting up the poor would be counterproductive to Darwinian theory. Yet when we have a more comprehensive world view we realize that all life springs from a common source. All life is interconnected. That connection is the fountain of life itself – God. If we can understand the interconnectedness of all life to one another through God then we can move beyond base economics and cultivate something higher.

The Lord says “Time I am, Destroyer of the World.” Even with an economic system in place that places God in the center ultimately everything will be devoured by time. Our bank accounts, our youth, our titles will all be stripped away at the time of death. The purpose of life is to understand God and our true identity as His servants. To the extent that an economic system fosters such an understanding it is better. To the extent that economic development causes us to dwell on baser thoughts and deeds the worse it is.

ng dasa · April 1, 2006

The Vaisnava economic view is nicely stated in the first verse of Sri Isopanishad:

“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 one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.”

Thank you for your clear and balanced response, I have read it thoroughly this morning. It is interesting that last night, I continued this discussion briefly with my family member and the above Isopanisad verse was very clearly prompted in my mind. It is a sad thing indeed that in the particular environment of an economy based climate, that we are surrounded by here, that spiritual life seems to take a second place. I am saying this purely from personal encounters with the environment where I live. I have begun a re-study of some of AC Bhaktivedanta's small books and I would like to quote the small book, Beyond Birth and Death, final paragraph in chapter three, Liberation from material planets:

We should be very serious about attaining our eternal life full of bliss and knowledge. We have forgotten that this is actually our aim of life, our real self interest. Why have we forgotten? We have simply been entrapped by the material glitter, by skyscrapers, by big factories, and political play, although we know that however big we build skyscrapers, we will not be able to live here indefinately. We should not spoil our energy in building mighty industries and cities to further entrap ourselves in material nature; rather, our energy should be used to develop Krsna consciousness, in order to attain a spiritual body whereby we may enter Krsna's planet. Krsna consciousness is not a religious formula or some spiritual recreation; it is the most important part of the living entity.

It is interesting to read your post where it says that without God percieved as the center and fountain of all life that we can lose the quality of mercy and develop more Darwinian survival instincts. Therefore it would seem that without God consciousness as central for the living entity, any economy centered activities may possibly only increase suffering on this planet, in the long run.

So yes, the real question is, what sort of economic development is best for society? And the verse from Isopanisad answers this so nicely.

April 6, 2006

Here is an enlightening paragraph from Srila Prabhupada:

Perfection of human civilization is made possible by utilizing the gifts of nature in their own way. As we find herewith in the description of its opulence, Dvärakä was surrounded by flower gardens and fruit orchards along with reservoirs of water and growing lotuses. There is no mention of mills and factories supported by slaughterhouses, which are the necessary paraphernalia of the modern metropolis. The propensity to utilize nature's own gifts is still there, even in the heart of modern civilized man. The leaders of modern civilization select their own residential quarters in a place where there are such naturally beautiful gardens and reservoirs of water, but they leave the common men to reside in congested areas without parks and gardens. Herein of course we find a different description of the city of Dvärakä. It is understood that the whole dhäma, or residential quarter, was surrounded by such gardens and parks with reservoirs of water where lotuses grew. It is understood that all the people depended on nature's gifts of fruits and flowers without industrial enterprises promoting filthy huts and slums for residential quarters. Advancement of civilization is estimated not on the growth of mills and factories to deteriorate the finer instincts of the human being, but on developing the potent spiritual instincts of human beings and giving them a chance to go back to Godhead. Development of factories and mills is called ugra-karma, or pungent activities, and such activities deteriorate the finer sentiments of the human being and society to form a dungeon of demons.

(Srimad Bhagavatam 1.11.12)

protectacow · April 8, 2006

Since there are numerous quotes for "Economic" within our Protectacow website, i am posting the link for all of the times when Srila Prabhupada uses that word in our published posts. Also here are some quotes from Srila Prabhupada's Protect a Cow farm website (click on them to get the full quote).......

this quote is a link, click on it :smash: Just see how the economic problems will be solved simply by one movement, this Krsna consciousness movement. Try to understand. Mahi. Because mahi will produce everything. Just like here in this Letchmore Heath there are so many, so much land lying vacant. You produce you own food. Why you are going to London, to the factories? There is no need. This is wrong civilization. Here is land. You produce your food. If you produce your food, there is no need of going hundred miles, fifty miles on your motorcycle or motor to earn your livelihood. Why? There is no need. Then you require petrol. And petrol there is scarcity. Then you require so many parts, so many.... That means you are making the whole thing complicated unnecessarily. Unnecessarily. There is no need. Simply you keep to the land and produce your food, and the cows are there. They will supply you milk. Then where is your economic problems. If you have sufficient grains, sufficient vegetables, sufficient milk from the land where you are living, where your economic problem? Why you should go to other place? That is Vedic civilization. Everyone should remain in the spot and produce everything as he requires, and God will help you. Because you can produce from the land anywhere.