Hare Krsna-
Above is some of simple vegetables and fruit I picked while chanting my rounds this morning sitting under the Kiwi Arbor. As you can see, some beans, some carrots, some corn on the cob and a few apples and some flowers. I will steam the beans and carrots in a lower tray, and add the corn in an upper tray later as they all cook in a time sequence. The apples will be offered to the Deities along with the dahlia flowers at tomorrow mornings mongol arotik.
It is really that simple-simple living and high thinking-but who is doing this among our devotees these days? Instead of driving to some store and buying these items, I simply go around to the different gardens and pick what is available for Krsnas morning offering and later on His dinner. It is fresh, it is organic, and it is what Krsna gives us to offer to Him on a daily basis.
Isn’t this very simple? How much more simple can it get? But we wont do it. We would rather work at some “job” collect our paycheck, then go to some store and transfer the cash into food, which is doubtful how nutritious it really is, then drive back home, and cook it. Which way is simpler? You decide.
Below Srila Prabhupada give us the reasons who can and who cannot do this.
Hare Krsna
damaghosa das
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Simple Living-the psychology behind it all
Sept 12 1976
Prabhupāda: I have seen, Gandhi wanted to organize a program, village [break] …in the field, that this program for constructing toilet in the village, they have spent so much. You know that? The first business was toilet. To restrict them to pass stool here and there, they must have. Now in constructing that toilet paraphernalia, (indistinct), they… Therefore it failed, village organization. Not for that purpose. There were many purpose. Because they had no engagement, so why they should remain in the village? There are so many attraction in the city, and they get money. The factory-wallas, they’re inviting, “Come here. You shall get twenty rupees per day.” Why shall he remain in the village? So if you can organize in the villages, they are interested in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and getting nice prasādam, then… One must have some attachment. In the city there are so many artificial attachments. So on what ground they’ll remain in the village? Mind, always remember this. Unless you have got some attachment, there is no possibility. Gandhi’s program was very nice, village organize so that they may not come to the city and help the capitalists. Remain satisfied in the village. But where is that satisfaction? That is the failure.
Lokanātha: If they add the holy name to their lives, they will…
Prabhupāda: Yes. If they could understand that. That will be helpful if you chant. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s statement will never be false. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. If they chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then gradually the dirty things accumulated within the heart will be cleansed. And if he comes to the understanding, clear idea, that “I want to eat something and my necessities… So if I get my necessities, primary necessities of life, and satisfaction of mind, then why shall I go to city?” That they can have very easily. If they follow the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, that “Your first necessity is food.” So produce food here. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyam [Bg. 18.44]. And you’ll find here so much land is lying vacant. Because they have gone to the city for twenty rupees daily to manufacture Goodyear tire. And who will work here? Now I have seen in Delhi, the government is advertising, “Go back to the village.” Rascal, you are manufacturing wine and keeping them engaged whole day in the work. So after being tired, he requires some wine. And why he’ll go? And no spiritual education, no cleanliness. Simply inviting “Go to the village” they will go?
Lokanātha: Just a propaganda.
Prabhupāda: No, they’re thinking that so many people are coming to the cities, how we shall provide them? That’s a problem. After all government has to supply them rations. Where is so much foodstuff? And if they are not supplied, then there will be resentment. That’s a fact. What they are doing in the city, so many scooter (makes motor sound), going here and there. Actually no engagement. The girls are loitering in the street by dressing. It will become more and more problems, city life. So this is the solution, that they must go back to the village. But they are trained up to enjoy the facilities, so-called facilities, of the city. They are not going to village. But if we can introduce this hari-saṅkīrtana, and if they have little taste, that is success. It’s a great program. And that taste will come-ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. If he simply becomes little sober that “I want to eat, I have to sleep, I want some sense enjoyment and defense. So if I can get easily in the village, why shall I go three hundred miles away? Just keep in mind the psychology. So that simple life will be possible if one is bhakta. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt [SB 11.2.42]. Only by devotion. Not by otherwise. Not by artificial means, by manufacturing toilet. Only bhakti. If they get little attachment for Kṛṣṇa the questions will be solved automatically. And they will be happy. Undoubtedly. That is the Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s first instruction. Ceto-darpaṇa.
Aug 22 1968…So fortunately, one of our students, he has taken a very large tract of land in West Virginia to develop a society like that, that simple life, eat simple things, grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, and save your time for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don’t be implicated in the ugra-karma. Modern civilization is implicated in ugra-karma—vast machinery, everything complicated. The government complicated, the society complicated, economics rule complicated, foreign exchange complicated. Everything has become complicated. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung very nice song. Satsaṅga chāri kainu asatye vilās, ei kāraṇe lāgila more karma bandha-phāṅsa. Because we have given up Kṛṣṇa consciousness, therefore we have been entangled in the different varieties of material activities. Now we have to simplify it. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to simplify, to save the valuable life, to save the time of valuable life. This human form of life is very valuable.
Some Conclusions-Srila Prabhupada explains why the government program to get people back to the villages in India failed. First they got so many to move to the cities, work in their factories, and make more “rupees”, later they found out so many just sitting idle and having a problem feeding them all, needing “rations”, so they then said-no- now go back to the villages and we will even provide you with toilets, all over the place. It did not work because their natural attachment for all sorts of things was not satisfied by going back to some remote village. First the heart has to be cleansed by this chanting Hare Krsna mantra. Then when they become “bhakta” they can remain on their land, produce their own food and become satisfied by simple living and high thinking. This is inherent in all those born in India.
One of the key points Prabhupada makes is that we have to understand the psychology. Attachment is always there in every living being, so if the natural attachment to Krsna is aroused, thru the chanting, the heart becomes cleansed, then one becomes a bhakta, and can then remain happily living in a simple environment without all the distractions of modern city life which only hamper the real purpose of life-self realization and God Consciousness. He says, this simple life, without becoming a bhakta, then this is not possible because the heart will remain dirty with so many material desires .
Hare Krsna
damaghosa das
►770527rc.vrn Conversations.. Don’t bother about big, big buildings. It is not required. Useless waste of time. Produce. Make the whole field green. See that. Then whole economic question solved. Then you eat … is beneficial. Even the stool is beneficial. Therefore I am asking so much here and…, “Farm, farm, farm, farm…” That is not myprogram–Krsna’s program. Annad bhavanti bhutani. Produce greennesseverywhere, everywhere. Vrndavana. It is not this motorcar civilization.
►760731rc.par Conversations Prabhupada: .. The beginning of life is how tobecome cent percent obedient to guru. That is Gurukula. That training should be given. The whole process is that our life will be successful when we strictly follow guru and Krsna. Guru means Krsna;
►761102rc.vrn Conversations Prabhupada: No, we don’t care for Indians and Europeans. We care for Krsna, that’s all. I didn’t care for anyone. I simply care … s protection, that’s all. That is wanted. Guru-krsna-krpaya paya bhakti-lata-bija. We want two favours. One from guru, one from Krsna.That’s all. We don’t want anyone’s favour.
1.Devotee: Should we try to make an effort to have our householders go and live on the farms, a special effort? If it’s ready to do that?
Prabhupāda: Why householders? Everyone. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (japa)
2.“Therefore the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in engaging devotees in producing their own food and living self-sufficiently so that rascals may see how one can live very peacefully, eat the food grains one has grown oneself, drink milk, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.”
3.“Therefore we are trying to engage our men to produce their own food. Be self-sufficient so that these rascals may see that how one can live very peacefully, eating the food grains and milk, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is our mission.
4.”The solution is there. They won’t take it. Solution is there, that everyone produce your own food. “