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Farming (Conversations)

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 1

Man's activities in agriculture, mining, farming, industries, gardening, etc., were all on the same scale as they are now, even previous to the present creation, and the same activities will remain as they are, even in the next creation.
SB 1.6.11, Translation and Purport:

After my departure, I passed through many flourishing metropolises, towns, villages, animal farms, mines, agricultural lands, valleys, flower gardens, nursery gardens and natural forests.

Man's activities in agriculture, mining, farming, industries, gardening, etc., were all on the same scale as they are now, even previous to the present creation, and the same activities will remain as they are, even in the next creation. After many hundreds of millions of years, one creation is started by the law of nature, and the history of the universe repeats itself practically in the same way. The mundane wranglers waste time with archaeological excavations without searching into the vital necessities of life.

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

We have therefore started in Europe and America farming. And they are very happy.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Bombay, December 25, 1976:

Herefore Ṛṣabhadeva says here that tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyed (SB 5.5.1). This human life is not meant for, I mean to say, spoiling by working hard like the animals, as we have said that, kaṣṭān kāmān. Kaṣṭān kāmān. We require something, some because we have got this body. Very easy solution is given by Lord Kṛṣṇa: annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). You produce foodgrains. Why you are going to produce tools and implements and... Of course, we do not condemn. But at the sacrifice of producing foodgrains, we simply open big, big tire factory. When I go to Delhi I see, from Vṛndāvana, hundreds and thousands persons are coming from the village on cycle to go to the tire factory, Goodyear tire factory. So now eat tire instead of getting food grains. So this is misdirected civilization. Kṛṣṇa does not say that you produce tire tube. Kṛṣṇa says annād bhavanti bhūtāni: "You produce anna." This is practical solution. We have therefore started in Europe and America farming. And they are very happy. In our latest Back to Godhead the description is published about our farm in France. We have got a very palatial building. We have named it New Māyāpur. What is the place?

If they are satisfied with their farming work, little grains and milk, then who will work in the factory?
Lecture on SB 5.5.1-8 -- Stockholm, September 8, 1973:

But so far we can see, those who are busy with bolts and nuts, how this dull brain, they can manufacture such things? That is not possible. It requires another brain. The yogīs can go, the yogīs can go. Just like Durvāsā Muni. He went to Vaikuṇṭha-loka, and he saw personally Lord Viṣṇu in the Vaikuṇṭha-loka for being excused because His disk was after him to kill. He insulted a vaisnava. That is another story, so in this way actually human life is meant for that purpose to understand God and His potencies and to revive our old relationship with Him. That is the main business. But unfortunately, they are being engaged in factories, in other work, to work like hogs and dogs, and their whole energy is being spoiled. Not only spoiled, but their characters, they are working so hard, so after working so hard they must drink intoxication. Then after drinking, they must eat meat. After this combination, they require sex. So in this way, they're kept in the darkness. And here, these verses of Ṛṣabhadeva, he says warning. He's warning, He's speaking to his sons, but we can take the lesson. That he says: nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Kāmān means the necessities of life. You can get your necessities of life very easily. By tilling the field, you get grains. And if there is cow, you get milk. That's all. That is sufficient. But the leaders are making plan, that if they are satisfied with their farming work, little grains and milk, then who will work in the factory? Therefore they are taxing so that you cannot live even simple life—this is the position—even if you desire. The modern leaders will not allow you. They force you to work like dogs and hogs and asses. This is the position.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Yes. Farming, agriculture, that is nice. There is a proverb: agriculture is the noblest profession.
Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 11, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Allen Ginsberg: Yes. We had a big vegetable garden this year, too. I've been doing farming... Peter has been doing a great deal of farming.

Hayagrīva: How are you tilling your land?

Guest: We have a friend who comes out with a plow.

Allen Ginsberg: You're doing it by hand?

Kīrtanānanda: We just got a horse.

Hayagrīva: We just got a horse. We had bad experience with a rotary tiller. We got rid of it.

Kīrtanānanda: West Virginia. We gave it away.

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.

Allen Ginsberg: The cow.

Prabhupāda: Cow, yes. And in Vedic literature you'll find, a man is... Richness of a man is estimated by the possession of grains and cows. Dhanyena dhanavān. If he has got sufficient quantity grain, then he's to be... Formerly, even still in India, when a daughter is offered to a family, they will go and see how many morais(?) there are. Grain stock. If he sees that he has five, six, big, big grain stock, then he can... "Oh, this is nice house." You see? "They can feed." So in India still, the arrangement is that every family has got at least two years grain in stock. You see? And cow at least one dozen. No economic problem. And actually, that is the fact. You keep cows and have sufficient grains, whole economic problem solved. Eating. And sleeping, you can take some wood and four pillars. Of course, in your country it is not...

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Your country, there is nothing to do with farming. You have got petrol.
Morning Walk -- March 12, 1974, Vrndavana:

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.

Haṁsadūta: Going to the city.

Prabhupāda: Going to the city. In your country also?

Ātreya-ṛṣi: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Or you have nothing to do with farming.

Ātreya-ṛṣi: Excuse me?

Prabhupāda: Your country, there is nothing to do with farming. You have got petrol.

Ātreya-ṛṣi: No. No there is a lot of good land, but they're not developing it.

Devotee: Just selling petrol.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes, if they can get money underground, "Why shall I work?"

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Our next program is to organize farming.
Morning Walk -- May 15, 1975, Perth:

Devotee (1): Śrīla Prabhupāda, we received news yesterday that one man in northern New South Wales is willing to sell us a farm, a great big farm out there in the southern tropics. Would this be a good place for engaging boys like the Indian, the Indian boy that came yesterday?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Our next program is to organize farming. Let anyone come. We shall give him free food and employment: "Come on." Not that "I want to work as a clerk in the city." You produce your own food. I give you ingredients. I give you land. And work for five, six hours, and take your food and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotee (1): Anybody who comes to the farm has to agree to follow the four regulative principles? These people?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Otherwise you are not coming. Our main business is to make him Kṛṣṇa conscious.

No, it is a fact. This factory working is most demonic. It is not required at all.
Morning Walks -- June 18-19, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: ...their own food, it takes working eight hours for three months. So three months, if they work hard-hard means eight hours, not more than—then the whole year's provision is there.

Siddha-svarūpa: Yes. Simply they have to harvest, time, maybe two hours a day. Farming or being in the countryside also seems to be, in itself working in the countryside rather than in a factory, seems to be more conducive for thinking, even while they're working.

Prabhupāda: No, it is a fact. This factory working is most demonic. It is not required at all. For the interest of a few persons this device has been invented. Therefore the Communist movement is there. And the China has found the Communistic movement in Russia is defective because although it is Communistic, the whole idea of exploitation by the powerful is there.

And the land for farming?
Morning Walk -- June 22, 1975, Los Angeles:

Jayatīrtha: Always cold. But this palace is in a fairly warm zone. It's got some sort of breeze coming from the Mediterranean Sea, I think. Anyway, it keeps it a little warmer than most places. And it does not snow very much during the winter, they say. Besides the palace, there are some other buildings also. One place they are going to use for a gośāla, and one place for a Gurukula. And then several householder houses.

Prabhupāda: And the land for farming?

Jayatīrtha: Yes, at least half the land is good for farming. It's level and there's a good water supply.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Our farming projects, very successful.
Meeting with Endowments Commissioner -- August 24, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: You can show, they'll be... How in the American industrial process we are printing our books. I made the Book Trust, sixty thousand dollars they are selling. So as author, I could have derived from them at least six thousand, ten percent minimum. Six thousand dollars per day. Six thousand dollars means sixty thousand rupees. That could have been my daily income. But I take little khicuḍi from them, that's all. (Harikeśa laughing)

Indian man: Two crores per year, it comes to...

Prabhupāda: Yes. (pause) Our farming projects, very successful. Now here Badrukaji is also giving us some land. (indistinct)

So gradually farming will be reduced, and the city residents, they are satisfied if they can eat meat.
Room Conversation with Dr. Theodore Kneupper -- November 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Dr. Kneupper: There are farmers who produce...

Prabhupāda: Well, in your country there is some adjustment because it is very big country and you are all intelligent people. In other countries they... But even though you have got resources, if you not properly utilize it, then the bad time is coming. You should expect. If your energy is all engaged in manufacturing tires and wheels, then who will go to the... 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. They are eating swiftly. "The cattle will die. Before they die, let us kill and eat." Actually it is happening. In Italy they killed because the problem is twenty thousand cows. This is going on. They do not care that killing is sinful because they don't care for God. This is going on. And sinful, sinful, sinful, everyone will be punished. The nature's law will act. Tag wande gao(?) (Bengali) There is a Bengali proverb, tag wande gao(?), that "One man wanted to take statistics, 'How many thieves are there in this village?' So when he began to take statistics, he saw everyone is thief. Then he said that 'What is the use of making statistics? This is village of thieves, that's all.' " So it is... At the present moment this is the position. If you make a statistics who is sinful and who is not sinful, you will find all sinful. And because they are sinful, they decry the existence of God. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante... Find out this, seventh... Because they are all sinful, they deny the existence of God. This is the position. Read it.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

These farming projects will be very nice.
Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:

Rāmeśvara: Now, some of the money could be sent to India for ISKCON Food Relief.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Rāmeśvara: That would be very good.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. That will make our movement very popular in India.

Rāmeśvara: They're always complaining that there's not enough money for food distribution in India.

Prabhupāda: So kindly send me as much as possible. Therefore these farming projects will be very nice.

Rāmeśvara: That'll be great, if we can use the money... Do you think I should set up a separate account for the records, so that all the profit is used for food distribution?

Prabhupāda: Why not? Very good idea.

Rāmeśvara: So that will be a special means of raising money for prasāda.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Motorcar benefit means you have to start big, big industries and neglect farming.
Morning Walk -- January 24, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: And what is the wrong with the primitive?

Satsvarūpa: They think it's shocking that the way they used to live hundreds of years ago, they're still living. But in America...

Prabhupāda: So what improvement you have done, rascal?

Satsvarūpa: Motorcars, roads, buildings.

Prabhupāda: So what is benefit of motorcar?

Satsvarūpa: No benefit.

Prabhupāda: Motorcar benefit means you have to start big, big industries and neglect farming.

Gurukṛpa: In America they can say, "We have enough food. We have no shortage."

Prabhupāda: We are not thinking "We have." We are thinking how the human society is having.

Yes, that is wanted. Farming is wanted. What is this nonsense industry?
Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- February 28, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Just see. So why not? I may go or not go, but let the leaders take up this process to make Manipur an ideal state of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's already a lot of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. And they are coming from Babhruvāhana. Babhruvāhana is the son of Arjuna.

Brahmānanda: They have much farming there.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is wanted. Farming is wanted. What is this nonsense industry? When I passed through Berkeley and New York, really hellish, these buildings. Some of them are finished, all broken. Similarly London also. This civilization has no value. It is a demonic civilization. Jagataḥ ahitāya. Find out this, Sixteenth. Ugra-karma, jagataḥ ahitāya.

We have to develop this, an ideal farming.
Room Conversation 'GBC Resolutions' -- March 1, 1977, Mayapura:

Kīrtanānanda: You have a note there about Prabhupāda's letter, that we're to be guided by that.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Gargamuni: There's also special mention that the Hyderabad farm should be run according to your direction and cooperation between Mahāṁśa Swami and Haṁsadūta Mahārāja

Prabhupāda: Yes. We have to develop this, an ideal farming. If you...

Haṁsadūta: I'm just a little hesitant, because I thought Mahāṁśa will be a little upset maybe.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Haṁsadūta: I don't...

Rāmeśvara: He wants to be a little independent. He wants to be in charge by himself.

My farming program, theoretically there is no comparison. But practically people are accustomed in different way. To bring them to the program it will take some time.
Morning Talk -- April 25, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Bhopal is better than Bihar.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Better. Very dry. He is known to everyone for many hundreds of miles around. He's a very well known man because he's...

Prabhupāda: No, he is a sincere worker. Therefore he approached me. From Vṛndāvana, Gwalior is very near, within hundred miles. So Viśvambhara can transfer, come, come there to..., to see. Let us first of all settle up. My, this farming program, theoretically there is no comparison. But practically people are accustomed in different way. To bring them to the program it will take some time. Otherwise my program is assured happiness, happiness assurance, if they get... Have your own food grown. Keep cows. Have your own crops. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That goes for all over the world.

Page Title:Farming (Conversations)
Compiler:Labangalatika, Hareesh, Visnu Murti, Matea
Created:30 of Sep, 2009
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=1, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=2, Con=12, Let=0
No. of Quotes:15