June 17 1974 Germany Conversations
Prabhupada:…After all, nature is producing. We do not know how to deal with nature. Therefore there is scarcity, and we say, “over-population.” There is no question of over-population. There are so many hundreds and thousands of birds within this forest, other animals. They have no problems of over-population. Eh? (pause) All these men, who are living in these villages, so what is their means of livelihood? Agriculture or industry? Or service?
Haṁsadūta: I think mostly they work at some… Well, some service, yes.
Prabhupāda: Factory.
Haṁsadūta: Employed at some factory. But very few people actually work on the land. And we can see so much land. No one is working. ‘Cause by machine, they can work so quick on the land. [break]
Prabhupāda: This should be exemplary, that our community shall live in this way and save time for spiritual advancement of life. This example should be shown to the whole world, that “Here is a community. They have no problem, and they are simply interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.” This will be the idea. Is it possible?
Haṁsadūta: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Yes. “They do not do any industry. They do not kill cows. They do not go to cinema. They do not have illicit sex. They don’t drink. No problems. Simply they’re eating very nicely and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.” Show this example. At least, in this fool’s paradise. They are thinking it is paradise. And the paradise is lost every ten years or fifteen years by the bombing. German bombs the France, and France bombs the… This is their paradise. So let them understand that “You are all fools. You are fool’s paradise.This is life, what we are doing.” Teach them so that the fools will understand what is life. They are manufacturing atom bomb. Russia is hiding himself.
Devotee: Now they’ve found out, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that India has been, over the past few years, spending crores of rupees to develop the…
Prabhupāda: Hm. And people are starving for want of. There was a cartoon that some public came to some minister: “Sir, we are starving. Give us our food.” So the reply was: “Of course, that’s a problem, food problem. But I can assure you that from next week you’ll have television.” (laughter) These rascals are like that. “Next, from next week, you’ll have television, atom bomb. Never mind. Starve.” (laughter) So that is also becoming fool’s paradise. Jaḍa-vidyā jato māyāra vaibhava. In this way, the more we increase sense, sense gratification by advancement of material…, the more we forget Kṛṣṇa. And more we forget Kṛṣṇa, we are more fools. (aside:) Don’t come so near.
Some Conclusions–Srila Prabhupada says above..” This should be exemplary, that our community shall live in this way and save time for spiritual advancement of life.” But no, the devotees will not do this and would rather instead work and slave in the cities and then buy the latest computers, cell phones, or any other gadget that strikes their sensory fancy.
Hare Krsna
damaghosa das
—————————–
Below–just a fraction of this summers harvest, which Krsna so kindly gives to us