We don't want cities; for the time it may go on, but as we make progress, there will be no necessity

Expressions researched:
"we don't want cities"

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

We don't want cities. For the time it may go on. But as we make progress, there will be no necessity. For the present we have got. Because the city is there, we are there.

Morning Walk -- May 27, 1974, Rome:

Bhagavān: The kṣatriyas make sure that people are correct?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Bhagavān: The kṣatriyas make sure that people are acting correctly, that no one is taking more than what they need?

Prabhupāda: Naturally he will do. If you make him Kṛṣṇa conscious, if he attends the Kṛṣṇa conscious program, naturally he will do. Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi (CC Madhya 22.42). That is the progress of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He will be satisfied in any condition of life. That is progress of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He doesn't require anything artificially. His main necessity is how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. So if his attention is diverted in that way, these things will be not important.

Yogeśvara: So then we should begin our communities, our rural communities like New Vrindaban, and then by training up people in the cities, we can send them gradually, as thay are ready . . .

Prabhupāda: There will be no city. We don't want cities.

Bhagavān: What about our city temples?

Prabhupāda: No, no. For the time it may go on. But as we make progress, there will be no necessity. City means . . . for the present we have got. Because the city is there, we are there. But suppose the city is closed. We shall be there? If the city is closed, you still will be there?

Yogeśvara: No. But we can predict that the cities will go on for quite some time yet.

Prabhupāda: Yes, it will go on, but when they will see that your ideal community is better than city life, people will take to it. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). When one gets a better standard of life, naturally he will give up the lower standard of life.