Farmers

Expressions researched:
"farmer" |"farmer's" |"farmers"

BG Preface and Introduction

BG Introduction:

The brāhmaṇa class or intelligent class is working in one way, the kṣatriya or administrative class is working in another way, and the mercantile class and the laborers are all tending to their specific duties. In the human society, whether one is a laborer, merchant, administrator or farmer, or even if one belongs to the highest class and is a literary man, a scientist or a theologian, he has to work in order to maintain his existence.

SB Canto 3

SB 3.30.13, Translation:

Seeing him unable to support them, his wife and others do not treat him with the same respect as before, even as miserly farmers do not accord the same treatment to their old and worn-out oxen.

SB 3.30.13, Purport:

In some cannibalistic communities, the old grandfather is sportingly killed, and a feast is held in which his body is eaten. The example is given that a farmer does not like an old bull who has ceased to work. Similarly, when an attached person in family life becomes old and is unable to earn, he is no longer liked by his wife, sons, daughters and other kinsmen, and he is consequently neglected, what to speak of not being given respect.

SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)

SB 10.20.12, Translation:

With their wealth of grains, the fields gave joy to the farmers. But those fields created remorse in the hearts of those who were too proud to engage in farming and who failed to understand how everything is under the control of the Supreme.

SB 10.20.41, Translation:

In the same way that the practitioners of yoga bring their senses under strict control to check their consciousness from flowing out through the agitated senses, the farmers erected strong mud banks to keep the water within their rice fields from draining out.

CC Adi-lila

CC Adi 9.41, Purport:

Anyone who takes birth in the land of India (Bhārata-varṣa) has the special privilege of being able to take advantage of the instruction and guidance of the Vedic civilization. He automatically receives the basic principles of spiritual life, for 99.9% of the Indian people, even simple village farmers and others who are neither educated nor sophisticated, believe in the transmigration of the soul, believe in past and future lives, believe in God, and naturally want to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His representative.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 11:

There are eight divisions of human society created to facilitate the execution of duty (the brāhmaṇas, or intellectuals; the kṣatriyas, or administrators; the vaiśyas, or businessmen and farmers; and the śūdras, or laborers—as well as the four āśramas: the brahmacārī, or student; the gṛhastha, or householder; the vānaprastha, or retired person; and the sannyāsī, or the person in renounced life), but if a person is lacking in devotion or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he cannot be released from material bondage, even if he executes his prescribed duty.

Nectar of Devotion

Nectar of Devotion 2:

This regulative principle is applicable to all varṇas and āśramas, the castes and occupations of life. There are four varṇas, namely the brāhmaṇas (priests and intellectuals), the kṣatriyas (warriors and statesmen), the vaiśyas (businessmen and farmers) and the śūdras (laborers and servants). There are also four standard āśramas, namely brahmacarya (student life), gṛhastha (householder), vānaprastha (retired) and sannyāsa (renounced).

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 20:

When Mahārāja Daśaratha, the father of Lord Rāmacandra, used to fight with his enemies, it was said that he approached them just like a farmer uprooting unnecessary plants and trees. And when there was need of giving charity, he used to distribute money exactly as the cloud distributes rain.

Krsna Book 20:

Due to rainfall, the grass, trees and other vegetation look very green. Sometimes the grass is covered by a certain kind of red insect, and when the green and red combine with the umbrellalike mushrooms, the entire scene changes, just like a person who has suddenly become rich. The farmer then becomes very happy to see his field full of grain, but the capitalists—who are always unaware of the activities of a supernatural power—become unhappy because they are afraid of a competitive price due to abundant production.

Krsna Book 20:

In some places certain capitalists in government restrict the farmers' production of grain, not knowing the actual fact that all food grains are supplied by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. According to the Vedic injunction, eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān: the Supreme Personality of Godhead maintains this creation; therefore, He arranges for a supply of whatever is required for all living entities.

Krsna Book 20:

In autumn, farmers save the water within the fields by building strong walls so that the water contained within the field cannot run out. There is hardly any hope for new rainfall; therefore they want to save whatever is in the field.

Message of Godhead

Message of Godhead 2:

The four social orders—generally known as the "caste system" and consisting of the brāhmaṇas (priests and intellectuals), the kṣatriyas (administrators and soldiers), the vaiśyas (merchants and farmers), and the śūdras (laborers)—were never meant for a caste system by birthright.

Message of Godhead 2:

The vaiśyas are the third social order. They imbibe mixed qualities, namely creative passion as well as the darkness of ignorance, and generally they are engaged as farmers and merchants.

Light of the Bhagavata

Light of the Bhagavata 9, Translation:

A picturesque scene of green paddy fields enlivens the heart of the poor agriculturalist, but it brings gloom to the face of the capitalist who lives by exploiting the poor farmers.

Light of the Bhagavata 38, Translation:

After the rainy season, the farmers begin to rebuild the partitioning walls of the paddy fields so that the water will be conserved, just as yogīs try to use their conserved energy for self-realization.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Miami, February 27, 1975:

According to different desires, we have got these different types of body. Kṣetra. Just like field. The cultivator, the farmer, works on the field and gets some result. Similarly, we have got different types of body and we are working on this body in the bodily concepts of life.

Lecture on BG 13.35 -- Geneva, June 6, 1974:

That means as soon as one has a land sufficient to produce, he is safe. His food problem—that is the real problem—is solved. So people are not being trained up to... In America, I have seen. Now the farmers, the father is working on the farm, and the sons, they do not come. They live in the city. This is the tendency all over the world. They are not producing food grains. Therefore there is scarcity.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-8 -- Stockholm, September 8, 1973:

I understand that in this country the farmers are taxed so heavily that they are forced to work in the factory. This is a policy of the government leaders to engage people. If anyone wants to live peacefully, save time for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then the leaders of the society or the government will not allow him to do so. This is the position.

Lecture on SB 6.1.3 -- Melbourne, May 22, 1975:

In New Vrindaban we are keeping cows. That is an example. And the cows are giving milk, delivering milk, double than other farmers. Why? Because the cows know that "These people will not kill me." They are not in anxiety.

Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Denver, June 30, 1975:

In our New Vrindaban we are maintaining cows and having so many nice preparations, rābri and lagdu and this peḍā and baraphi and sandeśa and rasagullā and yogurt—varieties enough. The other farmers they come, they are surprised, that "Such nice preparation can be made from milk?" Yes, you do not know. You do not know how to utilize the animal. Ignorance.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 6, 1973:

And America, just the contrary. You can purchase any amount of milk, any amount of wheat, any amount of rice—whatever you want. Everything, everything is complete. So many stores, so many stock. And still, their production is so great that government restricts, "Don't produce crops. Don't produce crops." They bribe the farmer that "Don't produce." And I think the land, America, not even one fourth of the land is utilized.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Los Angeles, February 2, 1968:

Just like the gopīs, as I was speaking, their parentage was not very high, not at all high. Village, agriculturists, farmers, no education, practical... No education at all. And they were not rich at all. Agriculturists, farmers, they are not very rich. So how they conquered Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa was just a play toy in their hands.

Subha Vilasa Home Engagement -- Toronto, June 19, 1976:

I was visiting the Kṛṣṇa consciousness farm in British Columbia, and on the road we were passing large herds of beef cows. We were discussing that the farmer thinks of these cows not as spirit souls but as commodities. He simply puts them in a field to eat, and when they get big enough, kills them and takes the money for his enjoyment.

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 11, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Allen Ginsberg: So we're also going through a coovy(?) āśrama for poets. A little farm for poets.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Farming, agriculture, that is nice. There is a proverb: agriculture is the noblest profession. Is it not said? Agriculture is noblest, and Kṛṣṇa was farmer, His father.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- December 4, 1973, Los Angeles:

Yaśomatīnandana: How can you convince that we are the real genuine people?

Prabhupāda: That you will have to learn, just like you have to go to school, there is injunction. But if you do not know what is school, go to a cow farmer(?), then that is your fault. If I say, "You go and purchase this from the market," suppose you have to purchase gold, but you go to a storefront, milk seller, how you will get the gold? That intelligence you must have, that where gold can be had. You must go to the person who is dealing really with gold. But if you do not know, then you will be cheated. That much knowledge you must have.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 6, 1974, Mayapura:

Devotee: Farmer sees that a job of three hundred rupees and runs away to city. He will not work in the field. Then there will be no food.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because they require. They require. The cow is being killed, and that's all. That is sufficient food for them." And let the farmers work for me, for bolts and nuts and motor tire. We make huge profit." You see. You are making profit, but other...

Morning Walk -- March 12, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Spinning, yes. Everyone should be engaged. That is management. So all GBC members must see that in every temple, everyone is engaged.

Brahmānanda: That is the meaning of leadership.

Prabhupāda: That is the meaning of leadership.

Hṛdayānanda: And that all the devotees are protected.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Hṛdayānanda: And all the devotees are protected.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Everyone should be engaged. And if everyone is engaged, he'll never fall sick. Yes. (break) ...the farmers, their son, they're giving up the farming business.

Morning Walk -- April 20, 1974, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: He is a śūdra.

Nitāi: Would we retrain him as a farmer?

Prabhupāda: No, if he is prepared. If not, let him remain. But we can utilize that śūdra also.

Room Conversation -- May 20, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: ...even those who are farmers (indistinct). In India also. As soon as they get some education, they don't want to be a farmer.

Room Conversation with Richard Webster, chairman, Societa Filosofica Italiana -- May 24, 1974, Rome:

Prabhupāda: You do not want to live in the village, farm. In your country I am seeing. America, the farmer's son, they are leaving. They are not coming back to the country. In India also.

Room Conversation with Mr. C. Hennis of the International Labor Organization of the U.N. -- May 31, 1974, Geneva:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Third-class men means making provision for the society for eating. That is... It is stated, kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyam (BG 18.44). Kṛṣi means agriculture, and go-rakṣya means cow protection, and vāṇijyam means trade. That means the third-class men, they would give protection to the cows, produce enough food grains, and if there is excess, then it can be traded. So this is the business of the third-class men.

C. Hennis: But that would cover businessmen and tradesmen and farmers.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. Farmers means... Nowadays especially in the western country, I see the farmer means they are raising cows for being killed. There is no cow protection.

Morning Walk -- June 2, 1974, Geneva:

Guru-gaurāṅga: Some time ago I read in the papers that they had so much milk and so much butter that the government proposal was kill the cows.

Prabhupāda: Kill all the animals. Oh, just see. They will not give to others.

Bhagavān: The farmers were complaining that their prices weren't competitive cause there was so much milk.

Prabhupāda: The price is the standard, not that goods are required. They want money for purchasing wine. This is the difficulty. They are not satisfied simply by eating sufficient. They want money for woman and wine. This is their philosophy.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: Farmers are producing, and you are eating, but you are not producing. Therefore gradually your food will be shortage. You are depending on others. The farmers, they do not produce food for human being. They produce food for the cows.

Morning Walk -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, I mean in the sense, farmers, that they produce the grains and vegetables. I was thinking in that line.

Prabhupāda: Oh. That is somewhere in India still. But here they keep cows not for protection, for eating.

Morning Walk -- March 15, 1975, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Due to the cars?

Devotee: Yes.

Devotee: Everyone was a farmer, now everyone is a factory worker.

Devotee: Yes. It was very nice, very clear and very nice.

Prabhupāda: Again, let them become farmers.

Morning Walk -- (World War III) -- April 4, 1975, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Yes. The farm project... Even some hundreds of years, it was so nice. Even there was war, they would not attack the farmers. Rather, they would ask, "Where the other party has gone?" So they will say: "Oh, we have seen some soldiers going this way." That's all. They were not affected. That was the principle. Farmers were not attacked, just like at the present moment, the law is the civilians are not attacked. The military target is attacked. That is the law. But they do all nonsense. Even at the present moment civilians are not attacked. Just like Kurukṣetra Battle. It was taken far away from the civilian inhabitation.

Morning Walk -- April 5, 1975, Mayapur:

Pañcadraviḍa: Kṛṣṇa says that the living entity is the enjoyer of the field and the body is the field.

Prabhupāda: That is another thing.

Pañcadraviḍa: So the living entity can enjoy his desires in that field according to his past activities.

Prabhupāda: No, it is not enjoyment. It is worker, just like this field is for working, and the farmer is working. That does not mean he's enjoying. He's working. This field is given for working. But this working does not mean that he's enjoying.

Morning Walk -- April 5, 1975, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: And because this working, working on the field is not enjoyment, therefore nobody's coming. They are going to the factory. They are going to the factory. Had it been enjoyment, then they would have come. But no, they go to the factory. And they are prepared to purchase from the farmer at any cost to avoid this working. That is the difficulty at the present moment.

Morning Walk -- April 6, 1975, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Cow is very important animal. Therefore it is recommended to protect it. From social benefit point of view, it is essential that cow should be protected so that you can get lots of milk preparations and keep your health very nice. So many nice preparations can be made from milk. In New Vrindaban, the other farmers, they come. They are surprised to see: "Oh, so many nice preparations!" They are appreciating. They do not know. It is the industrialist who has introduced this meat-eating.

Morning Walk -- May 16, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: In India still, even a common man, uneducated farmer, he believes. He believes. He believes in God. He believes in transmigration. He believes in his karma. These things which will take thousands of years to be learned by the Westerners, even the common man knows still.

Morning Walk -- May 22, 1975, Melbourne:

Devotee 2: Prabhupāda, I have seen in New Zealand that the diary farmers they cut the tails off the cows.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Devotee 2: The farmers have cut the tails off the cows in New Zealand.

Prabhupāda: Tails?

Devotee 2: Yeah, they cut the tails off so that when they're milking the tails won't hit them in the face. They do this to all their cows in the milking sheds.

Prabhupāda: For what purpose? The tail, cut the tails?

Śrutakīrti: When you milk the cow, they sometimes hit you in the face with their tail.

Prabhupāda: Oh, oh.

Morning Walk -- May 23, 1975, Melbourne:

Śrutakīrti: The government does that. On some farmers they will pay them not to grow to keep the price high.

Prabhupāda: Kill animals. Just see the policy. Instead of growing natural food, they will kill animal. Purposefully sinful life.

Room Conversation with Mr. & Mrs. Wax, Writer and Editing Manager of Playboy Magazine -- July 5, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: Especially in America, we see so many nice foodstuffs. Fruits, grains, milk. And from milk, you can get hundreds of nice preparations, all nutritious. In our New Vrindaban we are doing that—rabri, pera, burfi. The other farmers are surprised that from milk such nice preparation can be prepared. So instead of teaching them—you Indian, you know how to utilize milk and prepare so many nice preparation,—you are learning how to eat meat. Why? So if you forget your culture and if you become victimized, that is your fault. You should teach them how to utilize milk.

Walk Around Farm -- August 1, 1975, New Orleans:

Nityānanda: Down the road we have fifteen acres of sorghum, grain for the cows.

Prabhupāda: And everything for the cows, but what for the man? They will give everything for cows because they will eat cows, other farmers. But you utilize the animals for growing your food.

Morning Walk -- November 21, 1975, Bombay:

Mahāṁsa: Yes. And one person came to the temple in Hyderabad and met me. He said that "After your devotees had a program in our village, the farmers in the evening they were coming and doing kīrtana instead of just..." Previously they were not doing anything, but now they are coming after farming. In the evening they are collecting and they are doing kīrtana together.

Prabhupāda: Just see how quickly there will be response. Therefore I was insisting, "Go village to village, town to town." Caitanya Mahāprabhu's prediction, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 19, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: But who is working as farmer? Who is working as farmer? The government is eager to give them land, but who is working? Nobody is working. They are going to the factory. Even whatever land is still available, they are not being worked out.

Morning Walk -- April 8, 1976, Mayapur:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The people that live in the cities think that the farmers work so hard.

Prabhupāda: And these rascals rise early in the morning and start their car to go to the office, five hours coming and going, and eight hours working there...

Morning Walk -- April 8, 1976, Mayapur:

Hari-śauri: So all these local vrajavāsīs, they all accept...

Prabhupāda: No, vrajavāsīs, they are... Generally, naturally, they are Kṛṣṇa conscious. Otherwise how is this illiterate farmer, he is offering? This is natural.

Pañcadraviḍa: But he has no spiritual master.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Pañcadraviḍa: He has a spiritual master?

Prabhupāda: No, no, he has a spiritual master, yes. And even without spiritual master they have already elevated to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Morning Walk -- April 9, 1976, Vrndavana:

Jayādvaita: Just like that man yesterday, that farmer, was so polite.

Prabhupāda: Yes, he is gentleman. He is Kṛṣṇa conscious. This can be used very nice dako(?) If you stack it nicely, you can use as dako(?). It is very good...

Morning Walk -- May 27, 1976, Honolulu:

Hari-śauri: They pay the farmers not to grow crops.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (indistinct) There are so many people starving, they have no land to produce food. Therefore the Supreme Father has to be accepted.

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Devotee: The neighbors around the farm, they like us.

Hari-śauri: Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja was saying that we're very popular with the neighbors there.

Prabhupāda: That is good sign.

Devotee: One farmer called his tractor the Hare Rāma tractor.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) They are getting daily fresh vegetable, fresh milk. It is very palatable.

Morning Walk -- June 21, 1976, Toronto:

Indian man (1): They pay the money to a farmer not to grow the wheat here.

Prabhupāda: Just see. This rascaldom is going on in the name of civilization. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1), they do not know. Everything belongs to God, and are all sons of God. So by God's arrangement there is enough land to live, enough land to produce food. They're misusing. Therefore the whole trouble.

Morning Walk -- July 5, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The philosophy now with the farmers is that if there's a bull born, generally they kill it.

Prabhupāda: That is the law in England. You cannot keep a bull.

Room Conversation -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Rūpānuga: Suppose like now, just like this Vedic injunction against artificial fertilizers in the soil, suppose, as modern farmers are doing, they use this artificial fertilizer and the soil becomes depleted in minerals.

Prabhupāda: That means artificial is the same principle. You are living entity; by artificial fertilizer you are exacting something from the earth, the same principle.

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Bhagavān: Yes. But this he can use to purchase cows and build barn.

Prabhupāda: Only four percent. How their bank is giving so cheap?

Bhagavān: Because he's a farmer. They're helping...

Prabhupāda: Oh, farmers...

Jayatīrtha: Special concession for farmers to help farm.

Prabhupāda: That means government encouraging farming.

Bhagavān: Yes.

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- August 9, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: It is better. (break) ...the influence of the moon planet, the vegetation grows. Do they accept, the modern botanists, influence of moon planet?

Parivrājakācārya: All the farmers, they...

Prabhupāda: They do believe?

Parivrājakācārya: They believe that. They plant certain seeds according to the moon.

Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Gargamuni: The farmers don't keep their money in the banks. The government is trying to force the farmers to keep their money in the bank. The farmers don't want to do it.

Prabhupāda: Farmers' policy is if they have got money, they purchase land. Therefore they are making ceiling. The whole policy is not so good (?). Farmers, as soon as they get some money, they want to invest the land but the ceiling..., so they cannot invest money in the land; they give to the bank. And as soon as you keep money in the bank it will decrease the value.

Room Conversation -- September 16, 1976, Vrndavana:

Haṁsadūta: And on the basis of this transporting of food, other industries grow. Like for instance packing. Sometimes the package costs more than the item which is being packaged.

Prabhupāda: Especially in your country. Packing is more important than the... They sent me some presentation in a huge package.

Haṁsadūta: Consequently those persons who are farmers, they become discouraged.

Prabhupāda: Now it has become a problem how to throw these packings.

Room Conversation with Dr. Theodore Kneupper -- November 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Actually I have seen in your country. Now the farmers' son, they do not like to remain in the farm. They go in the city. I have seen it. The farmers' son, they do not like to take up the profession of his father. So gradually farming will be reduced, and the city residents, they are satisfied if they can eat meat. And the farmer means keeping the, raising the cattle and killing them, send to the city, and they will think that "We are eating. What is the use of going to..." But these rascals have no brain that "If there is no food grain or grass, how these cattle will be...?" Actually it is happening.

Room Conversation -- November 13, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes, our "plain living, high thinking" is very nice idea.

Hari-śauri: Actually it's the only practical solution.

Jagadīśa: Mr. Carter is a farmer, peanut farmer.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Jagadīśa: That's how he gained his money.

Surabhi: He's the biggest peanut farmer in America. (laughs)

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Rāmeśvara: And they're paying the farmers not to grow food in America.

Prabhupāda: Just see. There is pūrṇam idam (Īśo Invocation). By God's arrangement everything is full. There is no question of overpopulation. Just see. So much land is lying vacant. There is no utilization.

Morning Walk -- January 24, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Not only that, modern educated youths, they are not inclined to come to the farm. So they're giving up their own father's property, farm. They do not come back from city. The farmers' children go to cities for education, and after so-called education the rascals do not come. Here also and in your country also, America and... They want city life and enjoy restaurant and prostitute.

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- February 28, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Two things are there already. Any layman can understand. A person living—a person dead. So why he is dead? Something is missing. So that missing element is important or this body is important? These rascals cannot understand even, so dull brain.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: A common farmer here can understand that.

Prabhupāda: Yes. These two things are there: living force and the body. The body is moving because the living force is there. So which one is important, the body or the living force? Without living force, the same body, the same hand, legs, everything, +face, everything is there. Kick on his face—no response.

Morning Talk -- April 25, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes, they are creating so many dogs. "Can you give me any service?" "No vacancy! Get out!" And somebody becomes a... "All right, a bit of bread..." And: "Oh, oh, you are so kind." These śūdras... The number of śūdras have created this world situation so bad. (break) In your country also the farmers wants to go to the city to become educated and never comes back again. They are no more interested.

Room Conversation -- June 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: First of all purchase some kandi. And keep it in corners of... In this veranda keep it.

Upendra: It keeps... I see the farmers. They keep it in...

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Room Conversation -- October 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Brahmānanda: Or even if they're farmers, all they do is just graze cows. And they don't do any work. They just have the cows eat, and then they sell them.

Prabhupāda: And maintain slaughterhouse, eh?

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Sir Alistair Hardy -- Bhaktivedanta Manor 28 July, 1973:

Actually it is not a question of over population but of equal distribution of food. Just like America, they are producing enough food, and there is potency of producing more. But the Government prohibits the farmer to produce more. It is not a problem that the population has increase, but the distribution is mismanaged.

Letter to Govardhan 3 -- Detroit 24 September, 1973:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated September 7, 1973 and am pleased to accept the following students as my initiated disciples: Triyogi dasa (Mike Slockman); Udayananda dasa (Randy Cieslak); Yajnavalkya dasa (James Schwartz); Visalaksa dasa (Robert Richardson); Nistraigunya dasa (Steven Forbes); and Madhyma dasi (Marsha Farmer).

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Mukunda -- Los Angeles 12 January, 1974:

People are now accustomed to live in the city and if all of a sudden he is transferred to the village then certainly he feels difficulty. Especially in the western countries, gradually even farmers are leaving their professional business and going to the city to enjoy facilities there.

Letter to Jayapataka , Bhavananda -- Bombay 3 April, 1974:

Suppose we hire a tractor for the time being. I heard they are available from Krishnanagar. In America they take to agriculture; they are farmers although they are not Indians. So why can't the Americans work and farm in India? We just have to adjust in order to raise as much crops as possible for the animals and men. I have seen many farmers near New Vrindaban working nicely with tractors and growing food.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- Mayapur 5 October, 1974:

The neighboring farmers come and they are astonished at the nice preparations made from their milk.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Tusta Krsna -- Bombay 9 January, 1976:

In our Vedic Universities we will not encourage anyone to be merely a bookworm. There must be life—rising early in the morning, attending mangala arati, taking prasadam, etc. The man who is studying will be brahmana, the farmer will be vaisya. In this way there will be divisions, but they are all one in service to Krishna.

Letter to B.R. Sridhara Maharaja -- Los Angeles 6 June, 1976:

Some local farmers raised a petition against the land acquisition, with about 90 signatures. Petitions for having the development plans go through are also being raised by the local people, the majority of whom support the ISKCON plan.

Letter to Yasomatinandana -- Chandigarh 14 October, 1976:

You say the farm is only five miles from the city, so we will build our temple on that land. The farmers should be trained up to become devotees of Krishna. The same Idea I have already given for Hyderabad farm. Invite the local farmers to participate in Kirtana and prasadam distribution, engage them to work the land.