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Cottage industry

Conversations and Morning Walks

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 2, 1976, Mayapur:

Hṛdayānanda: There is a... There is a problem to some extent, but I don't think it should be exaggerated.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Hṛdayānanda: ...that you should be disturbed. It's not that everything is collapsing like that.

Prabhupāda: No, no, they should be engaged in some...

Devotee: How can you say the situation...?

Prabhupāda: ...cottage industry. Cottage industry.

Hṛdayānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: And we can manufacture so many things.

Hṛdayānanda:: Yes.

Prabhupāda: The engagement must be there.

Hṛdayānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: It can be organized. The children should be raised Kṛṣṇa devotees. The woman can be engaged. Everyone can be engaged. I can give you suggestion if you can execute.

Hṛdayānanda: Śrīla Prabhupāda, we were thinking that it would be nice to have the cities, city-centers, for the preachers, and those, for example, women, children, it's much easier to maintain them on our farms. That way they can do a little work and produce their own food and...

Prabhupāda: Yes, in the farms they can live and do some handwork.

Hṛdayānanda: Yes.

Guru-kṛpā: They won't do it, though, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Hṛdayānanda: They must do.

Prabhupāda: Then you don't allow. Don't allow that. Don't allow.

Guru-kṛpā: That's good.

Hṛdayānanda: Maintenance is much more simple, easier, less expensive for them on a farm.

Prabhupāda: If they do not follow the rules and regulations, then what is the use?

Hṛdayānanda: We were thinking that unless someone is a preacher, he has no real business in the city. Let him go have a peaceful life out on the farm.

Morning Walk -- August 12, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Our plan should be to accept Kṛṣṇa's plan, that's all. Approved, authorized plan. That is very easy. Take any words of Kṛṣṇa, it is very easy. What is your problem, first of all? Just consider, whether Kṛṣṇa answers it. First of all, propose what is your problem.

Hari-śauri: Well, my problem is that I have to have somewhere to live and I have to get something to eat.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that Kṛṣṇa's solves. Yes, Kṛṣṇa says annād bhavanti bhūtāni: (BG 3.14) produce food grains. You have to work because it is material world. You cannot sit idly. Even if you are a very strong tiger, you don't expect that animals will come and enter your mouth. You have to work for it. This is the world. Na hi suptasya siṁhasya praviśanti mukhe mṛgāḥ. Suppose a lion... He's the king of the forest. And if he says, "It is my order, I'll sleep here and all the animals may come in my mouth." The animals will urine on his face. "Yes, we shall pass urine on your face. We are not going to accept your order." You have to work. Practical, everyone has to work. This is the third nature. Avidyā karma-saṅga. Because here everyone is under ignorance, the punishment is he has to work for his living condition. Work is not very pleasing. It is very troublesome. But he has to. Avidyā karma-saṅga. You have to work. Therefore we see practically that countries who are working very diligently, they are materially prosperous. Europe, America, they work very diligently, hard, and they have got material prosperity. And the Eastern countries, they are not working, intelligent. From material point of view. From spiritual point of view that is another thing.

Hari-śauri: So all I have to do is just make some working arrangement.

Prabhupāda: No, that work is recommended. Your question is how Kṛṣṇa is giving you instruction. Just like food, Kṛṣṇa says annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). You produce anna. Kṛṣṇa never said that you produce tire tubes. Never says.

Hari-śauri: But the same example, in the West, we weren't so materially prosperous until we started industrialism. The prosperity was not there until we started our big factories.

Prabhupāda: No, no. Just like in India, there was no industry at all. Until the British period, there was no industry. Not a single. Even in Muhammadan period there was no industry, and they were happy. There was no industry. The Muhammadans also did not know how to start industry. It is Western imported, larger scale industry. Cottage industry was there.

Hari-śauri: Such a high standard of living, that was not available to as many people as there is now.

Prabhupāda: What is that higher standard? When there was no industry, in India, there was full of gold, jewelries. And now there is plastic.

Harikeśa: Yes, but now there's TV.

Prabhupāda: TV, yes.

Harikeśa: How can you enjoy without TV?

Prabhupāda: Yes, how can you waste your time?

Nava-yauvana: Their reason, they say, is because we have to work so hard all day, then we have to try to forget, watch the television.

Prabhupāda: Why should you work? If you have to forget, why should you take such nonsense things that you have to forget again? Why not chant Hare Kṛṣṇa? Even the child does not forget. He's chanting. Take such things that you'll enjoy. The more you do not forget, you more enjoy. Why should you take up something that you have to forget? This is rascal.

Correspondence

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Jayapataka -- Vrindaban 28 September, 1976:

Regarding our proposal for West Bengal: West Bengal people may come and join us without any distinction of caste and creed. The occupation will be according to one's capacity. They will be employed in cottage industry backed by spiritual advancement of life, to understand the mission of human life or relationship with God and act accordingly. The idea is that we are prepared to give all facility for maintenance of the body without sinful activities like illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. Everyone should live peacefully in healthy condition of life with the purpose of advancing in spiritual consciousness. In this concept we can accept anyone from any part of the world, what to speak of West Bengal, and give them shelter, food, occupation and enlightenment. I had no contact with Chief Secretary.

Regarding handloom, can they not produce fine cloth? Fine cloth will be received in any part of the world. Regarding food distribution, they may come to take at our Temple. With travelling sankirtana we can distribute wherever we go, but not to the emergency spot, like that.

Page Title:Cottage industry
Compiler:Labangalatika
Created:03 of Jul, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=2, Let=1
No. of Quotes:3