Īśvara (the Supreme Lord), jīva (the living entity), prakṛti (nature), kāla (eternal time) and karma (activity) are all explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Out of these five, the Lord, the living entities, material nature and time are eternal. The manifestation of prakṛti may be temporary, but it is not false. Some philosophers say that the manifestation of material nature is false, but according to the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā or according to the philosophy of the Vaiṣṇavas, this is not so. The manifestation of the world is not accepted as false; it is accepted as real, but temporary. It is likened unto a cloud which moves across the sky, or the coming of the rainy season, which nourishes grains. As soon as the rainy season is over and as soon as the cloud goes away, all the crops which were nourished by the rain dry up. Similarly, this material manifestation takes place at a certain interval, stays for a while and then disappears. Such are the workings of prakṛti. But this cycle is working eternally. Therefore prakṛti is eternal; it is not false. The Lord refers to this as "My prakṛti." This material nature is the separated energy of the Supreme Lord, and similarly the living entities are also the energy of the Supreme Lord, although they are not separated but eternally related. So the Lord, the living entity, material nature and time are all interrelated and are all eternal. However, the other item, karma, is not eternal. The effects of karma may be very old indeed. We are suffering or enjoying the results of our activities from time immemorial, but we can change the results of our karma, or our activity, and this change depends on the perfection of our knowledge. We are engaged in various activities. Undoubtedly we do not know what sort of activities we should adopt to gain relief from the actions and reactions of all these activities, but this is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.
Crops
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Preface and Introduction
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 2
Mahārāja Vena went astray from the path of righteousness, and the brāhmaṇas chastised him by the thunderbolt curse. By this King Vena was burnt with his good deeds and opulence and was en route to hell. The Lord, by His causeless mercy, descended as his son, by the name of Pṛthu, delivered the condemned King Vena from hell, and exploited the earth by drawing all kinds of crops as produce.
Mahārāja Pṛthu, the incarnation of God, descended by the prayer of the brāhmaṇas to rectify the disorders on earth. He produced all kinds of crops. But, at the same time, he performed the duty of a son who delivers his father from hellish conditions. The word putra means one who delivers from hell, called put. That is a worthy son.
SB Canto 4
King Prācīnabarhiṣat left his kingdom before his sons arrived after their execution of penance and austerity. The sons, the Pracetās, were ordered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead to come out of the water and go to the kingdom of their father in order to take care of that kingdom. However, when they came out, they saw that everything had been neglected due to the King's absence. They first observed that food grains were not being produced and that there were no agricultural activities. Indeed, the surface of the world was practically covered by very tall trees. It seemed as though the trees were determined to stop people from going into outer space to reach the heavenly kingdoms. The Pracetās became very angry when they saw the surface of the globe covered in this way. They desired that the land be cleared for crops.
"All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by performance of yajña (sacrifice), and yajña is born of prescribed duties." By performing sacrifice, man will have sufficient rainfall and crops.
SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)
That material happiness of which we hear, such as promotion to heavenly planets for celestial enjoyment, is just like that material happiness we have already experienced. Both are polluted by jealousy, envy, decay and death. Therefore, just as an attempt to raise crops becomes fruitless if there are many problems like crop disease, insect plague or drought, similarly, the attempt to attain material happiness, either on earth or on the heavenly planets, is always fruitless because of innumerable obstacles.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
It is very important to note in this connection how wealthy the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana were simply by raising cows. All the cowherd men belonged to the vaiśya community, and their business was to protect the cows and cultivate crops. By their dress and ornaments, and by their behavior, it appears that although they were in a small village, they still were rich in material possessions. They possessed such an abundance of various kinds of milk products that they were throwing butter lavishly on each other's bodies without restriction. Their wealth was in milk, yogurt, clarified butter and many other milk products, and by trading their agricultural products, they were rich in various kinds of jewelry, ornaments and costly garments. Not only did they possess all these things, but they could give them away in charity lavishly, as did Nanda Mahārāja.
Renunciation Through Wisdom
Factually, whatever problems crop up in the world are caused by the mind. Paṇḍitas have researched the scriptures thoroughly and held many discussions on this topic. If we can follow the example set by the subjects of King Ambarīṣa, who under his guidance concentrated their minds on the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, then the mind can be cured of all ills. Any other process will bring upon us the fate described by Prahlāda Mahārāja in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (5.18.12): harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ manorathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ.
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So behind this material energy... Material energy, just like we see, there is cloud, there is thundering sound, there is rain. And from the rain, there is crops, there is food grain. Then we eat those food grains. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. Then, yajñād bhavati parjanyo yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ (BG 3.14). These things are already stated. Everything, the origin is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Yajña. Yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ. Yajña means we have to satisfy the Supreme Person. That is called yajña. And this process can be executed when the human society is very regulated. Regulated means there must be division of these varṇas and āśramas. Varṇa means four varṇas: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. And four āśramas: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. They have got their respective duties. So unless the human society is divided into these eight scientific divisions and everyone acts according to his position, there cannot be any peace in the world. That is called varṇāśrama.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
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. If they utilized the whole land, I do not know how much they can produce. I think they can feed the whole world if they utilize. Similarly, I have seen in Australia. Similarly, I have seen in Africa-enough land is lying without cultivation. So God has given us the capacity to cultivate, to produce food. We can produce food, enough quantity. There is no question of scarcity. The scarcity is due to our godlessness. Otherwise, by God's arrangement, pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate (Īśopaniṣad, Invocation). It is pūrṇam. Everything is complete. Just like nature, nature's produces. Sometimes in some season we see there is ample productions of mangoes, and sometimes there is no mango.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: Useful, useful... So far you are seeing the sun, you know the sunshine is useful, the sun heat is useful. That does not mean that you have understood sun as reality. The superficial benefit you are getting. That does not mean that you know reality. Do you know? You are getting sunshine; you are utilizing it. Sun's heat, you are utilizing. Does it mean that you know really what is sun?
Śyāmasundara: He would say that the only reality instead of the sun is that the crops would grow, feed everyone.
Prabhupāda: That's all... They are simply by-products, simply by-products. But you do not know the reality. If you speak of reality, if you are satisfied only the by-product of the reality, then that is a different thing. But when you speak of reality it does not mean, because it appeals to your senses, therefore it is reality, because your senses are imperfect. You cannot realize anything perfectly with these defective senses.
Śyāmasundara: He says that if there is anything beyond the appearances, physical world, it is also physical, that everything is physical, everything is material.
Prabhupāda: That's all right. Physical... Even physical, you do not know. Even this physical manifestation of this universe, what do you know about this? You do not know. There are so many planets. You cannot go even in the moon planet.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: It was right. (break)
Yogeśvara: ...did in such a way that crops can be grown anywhere? Can crops be grown anywhere in the world?
Prabhupāda: Yes. If it does not grow, then what is nature's arrangement?
Yogeśvara: Well, for example, there are some parts in India that are too dry to cultivate the ground.
Prabhupāda: Dry means there is no rain. If natures like, there can be profuse rain. That is nature's arrangement. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. Parjanyāt. You must have sufficient rain. And for having sufficient rain, you must execute yajña. Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (BG 3.14). So these people are now becoming rascals. They are not performing yajñas. They are opening slaughterhouse. How there will be rain? Instead of performing yajñas, they are opening big, big slaughterhouse.
Bhagavān: I think now in many parts of the world the desert is increasing.
Prabhupāda: Yes, desert will increase.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: This is the difference between man of knowledge and without knowledge. A man of knowledge will think, "After all, I have to die. So what is the difficulty, dying a few days more or before?" That is knowledge. And those who are not in knowledge, they are afraid of death. Best business is before the death comes let us finish our Kṛṣṇa consciousness perfectly. That is wanted. Death will come. You cannot avoid it.
Rāmeṣvara: They say that this radioactive fallout will pollute the air so that no crops can be grown.
Prabhupāda: That's all right. You shall die without food. Be(cause) after all, the death. In Bengal, it is called: more bhera ghalne (?): "The most misfortunate thing is death." That will come. Therefore the best intelligence is how to avoid death.
Rūpānuga: Become immortal.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is real intelligence, not to be bothered by these trifle temporary things that "I am dying twenty years before. If the situation was better, I would have lived more twenty years." What is this mentality?
Devotee: Back to Godhead.
Prabhupāda: Because they want to live in the city. That is the... Here if they grow, then they will be engaged here. They cannot go to the city.
Brahmānanda: They grow cash crops, make money, and then go spend it in the city.
Nityānanda: The principal livelihood of our neighbors is to grow cows for slaughter.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is all over Western countries.
Nityānanda: They don't have to work. They simply put some cows in their field, and when the price is high, they sell them. In this way they live.
Brahmānanda: What is the attitude of the neighbors to us here? They like us?
Nityānanda: Pretty friendly.
Brahmānanda: There's a papaya.
Prabhupāda: They grow nicely here?
Prabhupāda: They give daily some fruits?
Nityānanda: Yes. And then we grow potatoes too.
Prabhupāda: Oh, where? Which side?
Nityānanda: Well, the spring crop was already harvested. We have to plant the fall potatoes in a few weeks. We'll put them over there by the fence.
Prabhupāda: So it is nice farm. This is squash?
Nityānanda: That's a cantaloupe plant.
Prabhupāda: Oh, cantaloupe. You can grow cantaloupe here?
Nityānanda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: And also watermelon?
Nityānanda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: ...God conscious or he is another edition?
Brahmānanda: He has some leanings toward some mysticism.
Satsvarūpa: Yes. His philosophy is... Dr. Wolf sent you a clipping on it when you were in Bombay. He wants that people should just live on the land and raise crops and live in a simple way like that and, yeah, worship God.
Brahmānanda: There is even some talk that he was wanting to join a monastery and live a life of austerity and contemplation.
Jagadīśa: He also favors a monarchy, a religious monarchy.
Prabhupāda: That is my philosophy.
Brahmānanda: Mahendra in Philadelphia was trying to arrange a meeting with Your Divine Grace and him. There wasn't time. (break)
Prabhupāda: He is American?
Prabhupāda: Ācchā?
Dr. Patel: No, no. Now rice will be very much down. In Gujarat it is two rupees. I bought some land here and sown the rice. We are going to get about eight hundred or a thousand mounds of rice. And when we sown the field it was sixty rupees, rice. Today it is thirty-two rupees. It is coming down. The crop is very good everywhere, all over India this year.
Prabhupāda: Because there was sufficient rain.
Dr. Patel: Very good rain, yes. Gujarat will be more than self-sufficient. It is already the richest part of this country.
Prabhupāda: Parjanyāt.
Dr. Patel: Parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. Annād bhavati bhūtāni. It is...
Prabhupāda: This is cycle. Perform yajña and everything will come. They have stopped yajña... Therefore hari-nāma-yajña, this is the yajña.
Prabhupāda: How degraded they have become. There is no food, and they are busy for growing tobacco.
Hariśauri: ...You say that's what they call a cash crop.
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Hariśauri: The other day.
Prabhupāda: Now eat cash. So cash is also paper. So what is the use of laboring so hard? You eat paper. Paper is available.
Devotee (1): It is prohibited to buy gold at that temple.
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Devotee: You cannot buy gold. Government has prohibited.
Prabhupāda: Because you are rascal, your government is rascal-democracy. What is the government? Government means your replica. So why do you blame the government? You are fools, rascals; you send other fools and rascals and suffer consequence. (break) ...tea, growing tobacco, growing jute, and no grains. And grain for the animal, so that animal, as soon as it becomes fatty, send it to the slaughterhouse, and then finish business. Smoke, eat meat, drink, and be happy. So much land, but it is producing tobacco, which we are prohibiting, "No smoking." (break) Vegetable is utilized. (Hindi) These crops. (Hindi) (break) ...nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: That is not good.
Jayapatāka: But now we've got some crops growing.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That means that land should be very cheap.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He can sell very cheaply. It's very low land.
Prabhupāda: Now you should have sufficient experience. People may not cheat you-low land, high price.
Jayapatāka: I understand. I know those things. That's why... But he was just forcing his way in your room and then saying all those things. That's why when he came I said, "How many crops you took from your land?" I know all the history of these lands.
Prabhupāda: (Bengali) You cannot utilize it for different crops. Only one you can.
Jayapatāka: You can only use for, in the rainy season, for some type of rice and then now wheat-two crops.
Indian man (3): (Bengali)
Jayapatāka: Winter rice, he is saying, bula(?) rice.
Prabhupāda: Oh. (Bengali) Now, taking instruction from Mādhava Mahārāja, you should be careful about purchasing land. People are very cunning.
Prabhupāda: On the other side you have got some land?
Jayapatāka: Yes. We plan to put irrigation there. I have two diesel five-horsepower, seven-horsepower engine. One I put over there and they are irrigating. We have fourteen bīghās of wheat, very good wheat. And here in the back we've also purchased here another set and we're irrigating that, this unirrigated land, and it only gets some chick pea and things, very bad crop, minimum crop. So now we've got the irrigation, we're getting many more crops. (break)
Prabhupāda: That I want, that it must be properly utilized. Otherwise you purchase and there is no utility.
Jayapatāka: But Tapomaya, he says that we need more land to be able to feed all the devotees. And every time we're building more buildings, we're just losing land but we're not gaining so much agricultural land.
Prabhupāda: No, no. We can purchase. First of all think that whether we can utilize.
Prabhupāda: Yes. They will take statistics for ten years and make an average. That is the way. (Bengali) (break) ...scheme requires very huge land. So if we purchase in that way they will go on charging more and more.
Indian man: Indira Gandhi.... They have now made a new one formula called "Twenty-point formula." And in that, one part is that any society, saṁsthā (indistinct), or individual, he can keep a land, twelve acres.
Prabhupāda: Society also?
Indian man: Anyone. But gives two crops, and which give up one crop, they can keep thirty acres. And more than that, the government will take every, and they will distribute to all the farmers.
Prabhupāda: Then?
Indian man: They are doing in Haryana and Punjab. They have taken all the land. And there are many big, big gurguras. They have a land hundred acres, fifty acres, something like that. So they have given them.
Prabhupāda: So without government award it will be risky. They can take away.
Indian man: Ten bīghās she extracts.
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.
Prabhupāda: No, you produce more.
Jayapatākā: What ha... In the... Because now this field is the only field that is ripening, so that if he doesn't scare the bird away, all the bird will come and eat his field. When all the wheat is ripening at the same time, then nobody cares. They let the birds eat. But if one man only is growing one crop at one time, then all the birds come. They will clean out and they all get...
Prabhupāda: No, therefore everyone should grow seasonal grains. Everyone should take wheat. I think the number of men is more than the number of bricks. (break) ...rooms will be finished. They are not being finished. This? (break) ...Calcutta. So landlords became very perplexed. So one landlord asking, "You don't go. I shall reduce the rent." "Yes, that's all right, but your house is also not very good. There are so many rats." "All right, you can remain without rent." "And still, there are rats." "All right, I shall give you one cat so there will be no dis..." "Ah, who is going to keep a cat? I will require milk also to feed." "All right, I shall give you half kilo or one kilo milk also." "All right." So then he says, "Now no rent and one kilo milk, that's all right." This was in 1942.
Prabhupāda: Then the same theory that "This side of stool is dry. It is good." (laughter) Yes.
Dr. Patel: Because it going to be manure, manure the food.
Prabhupāda: "And the other side is moist; therefore it is bad."
Dr. Patel: Yes, sir. That type of stool which goes and manures the crop, that is good, evidently.
Prabhupāda: No, no, after all, stool, this side or that side.... The whole conclusion is that unless one is surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, he remains in darkness.
Dr. Patel: That's right.
Prabhupāda: That is the point. Therefore we are trying to enlighten people to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Dr. Patel: And a scientist trying to unearth the secret of nature means Kṛṣṇa. He is doing work for Kṛṣṇa, and he cannot be...
Prabhupāda: No, no, everyone has to work for Kṛṣṇa. Just like a prisoner in the prison house. He is also working for government, but he is forced to do it. Then nobody can escape Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible.
Prabhupāda: Why market? You can produce your food at home.
Hari-śauri: They have so much land, and then they grow a crop that they don't need...
Prabhupāda: I have estimated if land lying vacant, if they used for farming, producing food, ten times as many people can be fed. There is no question of scarcity. Your American government, "Oh, don't produce, don't produce, don't produce." If they'll produce more, "I'll throw it in the sea." Produce motorcar. Produce (indistinct), 1967 model. Don't produce foodgrains. This is government's position. Don't produce foodgrains, produce 1967 motorcar, so that there may be more and more accidents.
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.
Hari-śauri: Just like when we were in Fiji, all they grow is sugarcane so they have to sell the sugarcane to get money to buy crops that they could have grown there in the first place.
Prabhupāda: Yes, business. Why so much sugarcane? The islands of Hawaii, they grow more sugarcane. We have seen all the islands. Huge (indistinct). The sugarcane is required for manufacturing wine. (break) ...drink tea. He's much (indistinct) of sugar, and from molasses, they manufacture wine. Unnecessary things. Misadjustment and they're (indistinct).
Prabhupāda: (laughs) In India it is actually so. (break)
Indian (2): ...land is getting the benefit by your lotus feet, actually pious.
Prabhupāda: (break) ...propaganda is going on to kill God. Pani haya svapisaca khanakila.(?) (break)
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: ...yesterday, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that India this year has produced a record crop of wheat, surplus.
Prabhupāda: Yes, if they work, they can do that. (break)
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: In West Bengal they have huge quantities of rice surplus.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Hari-śauri: Could that be due to our saṅkīrtana activities?
Prabhupāda: Certainly. Bhavanti parjanyaḥ parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. There was big valley like this in Tokyo. We walked, and there was a creek like this. Not so dirty. (break)
Prabhupāda: They have very well managed. And everyone is eating very nicely. (laughter) Similarly in New Vrindaban. What is the.... I want this, that you have sufficient grain, sufficient milk, then where is your economic question? And from milk, by intelligence you can get so many preparation-luci, puri, halava, rasagulla, sandesh, rabri, wonderful.
Bhagavān: There is one boy, one of our sankīrtana devotees, who previously was a farmer. His father has given him a farm in the north of France. So recently he has given us his whole crop of hay for the cows. The value of that was thirty thousand dollars. It's enough hay to supply twenty-five or thirty cows for two years, and on top of that he's able to get a loan from the bank of forty-five thousand dollars for twenty years at four percent.
Prabhupāda: To be repaid.
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.
Prabhupāda: Yes?
Hari-śauri: ...was because they had no rain. All their crops failed.
Jayatīrtha: Not only that, people aren't inclined to work very hard. The farmers are not very enthusiastic to work very hard, because they work very hard, but they have to give all the fruit away. So because they are karmīs, they want the fruit. The state is taking the fruit; therefore they don't want to work.
Prabhupāda: Why they shall work?
Jayatīrtha: They have no incentive.
Prabhupāda: "I'll work and you'll enjoy." Why shall they work? That is natural tendency. This can be possible only for Kṛṣṇa. "I'll work; Kṛṣṇa will enjoy." That's all. That is only possible in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Jayatīrtha: That's a fact. Therefore it's the only practical communism.
Prabhupāda: "I shall fight, give my all best, and Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied." So that.... Arjuna for his personal, he did not..., decline, but when he saw that "Kṛṣṇa wants it? All right." That is kṛṣṇa-prema. "Never mind I shall be aggrieved by killing my kinsmen, but Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied. That's all right." This is Kṛṣṇa philosophy. We cannot find this philosophy in the material world that "I shall work, and so many will be satisfied." That is not possible. "If I work, I must be satisfied." So these communists, they will work according to.... Everyone will show that "I have no capacity." So the production will reduce. And they'll have to beg.
Prabhupāda: Now.
Bhagavān: It was, in July. Extremely hot. And actually our well was one of the only ones functioning in the whole area, and we were watering the crops and everything. Our corn is very nice, very high, and our tomatoes are very good. The barley harvest was five tons.
Prabhupāda: Five times more.
Bhagavān: Five tons of barley we got, from our harvest. It was very nice.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Bhagavān: Did you get some barley flour?
Prabhupāda: I don't have any.
Hari-śauri: (laughs) We can't make, it's not finely ground enough. We can't make it into cāpāṭis. It's just too coarse.
Prabhupāda: You could do one thing. You just smash that and boil with milk.
Prabhupāda: Fortunate vṛṣṭi. Still India fortunate. I'm coming from London, Paris, and Tehran. All fields yellow. And Europe, so much scorching heat and sunshine, I never seen. Especially in London. This time I saw everything has become yellow. Greenness gone.
Dr. Patel: The non-monsoon countries can produce more food than the monsoon countries. The monsoon comes only three months in a year. Those people get rain all year 'round, they can grow better crops. This is how so many parts of North America and Europe, they can have sufficient crops all the year. We can't have it here.
Prabhupāda: No, there is scarcity of water also. They are killing the animal premature. They cannot do it. It has come to this point.
Dr. Patel: (indistinct) in favor of vegetarians. We are fools raising fodder and this thing and again raising animals on that and feeding on that. Why can't we directly feed on poor animals? I think the human race will survive more that way than by eating animals, but economically it is more sound.
Prabhupāda: Certainly. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is recommended, annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). Kṛṣṇa never said māṁsād bhavanti bhūtāni. Kṛṣṇa never said. This is artificial. In the lower stage of human civilization when they cannot produce food they do not know how to do it, so the animals are killed. What can they do? But actual food is anna, food grains. Even for the animals. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni. Yajñād bhavati bhū... So there is no yajña. There is no yajña. So this saṅkīrtana-yajña is the only yajña in Kali-yuga. So if they perform, everything is all right. There will be cloud, there will be rain.
Prabhupāda: Rain is not very strong.
Gargamuni: No. Monsoon is not strong.
Jayapatākā: Our aus(?) crop has been hampered because of lack of rain and early monsoon. Only in the past week there's been a little rain. Otherwise, before, there was very little rain. Not fully drought...
Gargamuni: But less rain than previous years.
Jayapatākā: Everything is very green and nice, but so far as agriculture is concerned...
Prabhupāda: It requires more rain.
Jayapatākā: It requires more rain and early tide. Right now the river is full, but it is not flooding. It is full. See, Mr. Choudhuri, he was interested. At that time when the Chief Minister wrote that, then he wrote this, that "If you were to see the Chief Minister, then this type of letter could be submitted and he would definitely see you, "although it is not necessary to see him.
Prabhupāda: Do you think it is?
Prabhupāda: This is the only hope. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). Throughout the whole world the situation is not very good. Now there is drought, no water. All over the world. I have seen whole Europe, all the fields are now gray, no green. (Hindi)
Krishna Modi: India this year is very good rains. Beyond expectation. And also this crop is very good. (Hindi)
Prabhupāda: Parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. Nature's work is there. As soon as there is sufficient rain you get sufficient crops. And yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (BG 3.14). Kali-yuga, this age, the yajña is hari-kīrtana. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyaiḥ. (Hindi)
Krishna Modi: Who can do this thing?
Prabhupāda: We can do that. We can do that. Provided there is cooperation. Now...
Prabhupāda: No, I'm asking Tejas.
Haṁsadūta: Here is Tejas, here.
Prabhupāda: Oh, here he is. So, why don't you do that?
Tejas: Yes. I'll make up the scheme today. It should be that you have continuous crop. You plant seeds one week... But again they have made the same mistake with these cauliflower and cabbage.
Prabhupāda: Well, they mistake... You say, "They mistake." Who are "they"? You say you do mistake. Don't say, "they." This is bureaucracy, "they." You are all "they." Anyway, whatever is done, immediately make arrangement. And this is one thing. And the other thing, I came here that there will be festival and prasādam distribution. Why this is not begun?
Mahāṁśa: Till yesterday there was being marriages in the city. Now, from today, the pandals are free.
Prabhupāda: Because there are marriages our program will be cancelled?
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Kick out the West. We are doing here, in India. The municipality is doing that also in Vṛndāvana. Everywhere it is. In Calcutta there is called dhāpāra māṭha. Dhāpāra māṭha, formerly, anything produced in dhāpāra māṭha, that was not used for Deity. The superstition that "These vegetables are grown in filthy water, nasty..." But the vegetables were-cauliflower so big, so big. Everything, very luxuriantly, very tasteful and solid and big... Dhāpāra māṭhera (Bengali). They used to take. In Bengal, generally, the land is very fertile to produce vegetables. But this, the more the filthy things of the city were thrown there, and the cultivator used to grow very nice... That is utilization of this filthy water where there was sewer ditches formerly. In the village they diverted from the water in the field, and they got good crops. Generally they pass stool in the field. The cow's, cow dung and man's stool and everyone's stool, they are wrapped gathered together in the rainy season. It became fertile.
Prabhupāda: We can pay, utmost, one thousand five hundred, as we have paid.
Gargamuni: Well, land prices have gone up since then. I think now they're running eighteen hundred. That was in '71 we were paying fifteen hundred. But now we have to expect to pay, say, eighteen hundred. This land is valuable because it produces so much. That is why it is most costly. You get very good crops from our, this land.
Prabhupāda: No, that land I shall use, if I take it, for another gate, in and out. That is my idea.
Gargamuni: Oh, I see
Gurukṛpā: We are putting a road in front of this new building. There's a road in front of the new building.
Prabhupāda: Why?
Gurukṛpā: There must be some walkway.
Gargamuni: Just like where the wall is? There's one little road for walking. So similarly, in front of the long, this new building, will be one road for walking.
Prabhupāda: Then you have to break these houses.
Prabhupāda: What is that challenge?
Yogeśvara: That "What is your solution to hunger? We are feeding people because we have produced ways of making crops grow faster."
Prabhupāda: What you are feeding? Then why do you complain against me? If you are feeding, that is no challenge to me. You are rascal! You cannot do it. You are challenging me. This is the answer. If you are actually feeding, then where is challenge to me? You do not know how to answer.
Yogeśvara: Well we are also feeding them meat, but you object to that.
Prabhupāda: Meat... Why there are so many hungry persons? Meat or any, stool, whatever you like, you do. But why there are so many hungry persons? You are complaining that: "We are feeding." Are you feeding all of them?
Yogeśvara: They will say in India it is because of religion.
Prabhupāda: Again India, again. Take the total. Why say India and America...?
Prabhupāda: Let us try to give a substantial platform of civilization. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Hari-śauri: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break)
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (BG 3.14). (sound of thunder and rain) This time rainfall is very beneficial for crops. This is the way of living. You perform yajña, there will be rain. And as soon as the ground is moist, you can produce anything, whatever you want. Sarva-kāma-dughā mahī. From the field, you can get all your necessities of life. The first necessity is the food grain. So food grain you can eat, and the rejected grass portion, you give to the cows. So both the animal and the man get sufficient food. And the cows will give you nice milk, and from milk you can get butter, ghee, yogurt, so many nice sweetmeat. And there is ghee, and here is food grain, then you make kacuri, puri, samosā. Then sufficient foodstuff, nice, palatable, nutritious. First necessity is āhāra. You get sufficient āhāra. Then make little cottage for shelter.
Prabhupāda: Due to this rain, they'll have good food... (break)
Svarūpa Dāmodara: ...very comfortable for traveling. It's very good for the crops. And I also have two offers of land in Manipur to build a temple, Hare Kṛṣṇa temple, from two places. One is right in the middle of the town, and one is little away, about seventeen miles. And I'll show you the map, the place. It's..., lot of it is sort of competitor. They wanted a temple built in one of these lands that they offered, so the two groups are...
Prabhupāda: If people cooperate, we can have two temples. Kāmaṁ vavarṣa parjanyaḥ (SB 1.10.4).
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Actually the land, the second land, it is on the hillside. From there you can see the whole of Manipur, because it is... The land is like this...
Prabhupāda: Scenery.
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.
Prabhupāda: So many stories fabricated.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Fifty men stealing our crops. I've seen in Māyāpur. When men steal crops, three, four men go. I never saw fifty men. Highly organized. They must have paid them to do this.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And another thing that they probably told them is that we're trying to get their land by acquisition. "But we won't let them ever get your land. Now you do this. Drive them out of here. We won't arrest you."
Prabhupāda: That is a different issue.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They may have used that, though.
Prabhupāda: The real issue is the Communists do not want any religious movement in Bengal. That is real issue.
Prabhupāda: That's nice.
Yaśomatīnandana: One hundred acres. It's all very nice level land, and we have planted crops in 150 bighās. That is about...
Prabhupāda: So you give some... We are getting many other land. If your becomes ideal, you can teach them. People are coming for chanting?
Yaśomatīnandana: Yes. One gṛhastha is there, and the first week he went there, every night three hundred people were coming.
Prabhupāda: That's it.
Yaśomatīnandana: And that was in the middle of the desert. Not desert, in the middle of like jungle, you know.
Prabhupāda: That I want.
Yaśomatīnandana: Very much they love it. People come from distant villages in groups.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Make them... In Gujarat it is very good. So you show an example that other camp will...
Yaśomatīnandana: This year we are taking some cash crops just to develop the farm.
Prabhupāda: That's all right.
Yaśomatīnandana: But then, once we have developed, then we can have rice and wheat and then distribute free prasāda to everyone. Because every inch of the land is cultivatable.
Prabhupāda: I have given so much for... Try to repay.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda wants you to engage the local people in farming that land. Can you do that?
Yaśomatīnandana: Well, we are doing it as...
Prabhupāda: Gradually.
Prabhupāda: Why not our farm?
Yaśomatīnandana: Just now this is the first year, and it has not been used for three, four... It is not that fertile. It is not too much fertile. For rice you have to prepare the ground. Some part of it is there. Once we develop, then we can develop it for rice. That area is doing maximum rice. Bhogilal's men grows fifteen lakhs' worth of crops every year. He has thousand acres, and most of it is even unfertile. Only in certain part of it, fifteen lakhs.
Prabhupāda: So why not our farm?
Yaśomatīnandana: We cannot get that much. But we can easily go up to two lakhs.
Prabhupāda: Bricks and tiles... Local potter can make that round tile. Make a brick that... And you have got bamboo. Take local supply as far as possible.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Only thing is if we put some electricity there. But after this year's crop they're going to do it, because...
Prabhupāda: Government will help you.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Gujarat is very pious.
Prabhupāda: No. It is complete government.(?) Where is that book? Very nicely done.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Very nice.
Prabhupāda: Nobody can say it is Indian.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: You can't say it's printed in India. Actually even our export quality now is very good. Actually there's a plastic coating on the top.
Prabhupāda: You cannot imagine that India has published.
Brahmānanda: Why is it so high?
Bhagatji: The rains have destroyed all crops.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, do you want tilaka?
Bhagatji: From Delhi, only day before yesterday the road was clear. Again it is raining. Delhi to Mathurā, that road.
Brahmānanda: The road is clear?
Bhagatji: Because it was blocked.
Hari-śauri: It was blocked. Yesterday they got through, but only just. The day before it was blocked. Now today again it's raining.
Prabhupāda: The buses stopped?
Bhagatji: Buses stopped, Prabhupāda, taxis stopped.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Should I go on reading, Śrīla Prabhupāda? He says that book distribution is doubling there also. He says, "On the farm we are doing spring planting, and this year seven acres is being put into crops, an increase over last year, since the population has grown. The farm is now famous throughout the country as..."
Prabhupāda: If you give me some rest, I can sit down.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: If we give Prabhupāda some rest...
Upendra: Some pillows.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Back rest. (break) "...with your permission we would like to come and visit you sometime later this year, as it has now been so long since I have had your personal association." Do you give him permission to come visit you?
Prabhupāda: Why not?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says, "I am a fallen wretch, but I am hoping and praying to the best of my capacity that your health will improve."
Correspondence
1968 Correspondence
So, if you seriously want to convert this new spot as New Vrindaban, I shall advise you not to make it very much modernized. But as you are American boys, you must make it just suitable to your minimum needs. Not to make it too much luxurious as generally Europeans and Americans are accustomed. Better to live there without modern amenities. But to live a natural healthy life for executing Krishna Consciousness. It may be an ideal village where the residents will have plain living and high thinking. For plain living we must have sufficient land for raising crops and pasturing grounds for the cows. If there is sufficient grains and production of milk, then the whole economic problem is solved. You do not require any machines, cinema, hotels, slaughterhouses, brothels, nightclubs—all these modern amenities. People in the spell of maya are trying to squeeze out gross pleasure from the senses, which is not possible to derive to our heart's content.
On the other hand I was thinking that if I get permanent visa in Montreal, I shall make Montreal my headquarters and at that time I may require your help in so many ways. As we passed correspondence previously, that we should live together either in India or in this part of the world for publication of so many Vaisnava literatures. But if you want to develop New Vrindaban, I can spare you for that purpose, and it may be that we can live there together. For the time being, if you actually want to develop such ideal asrama, we must have sufficient land, and all other things will gradually grow. For raising crops from the land, how many men will be required—that we must estimate and for herding the cows and feeding them. We must have sufficient pasturing ground to feed the animals all round. We have to maintain the animals throughout their life. We must not make any program for selling them to the slaughterhouses.
1971 Correspondence
Your temple building seems to be very suitable. And the rent is very reasonable also. It is all Krishna's mercy. So take proper advantage and develop it nicely. If you can support yourselves by selling certain of your crops grown there, why not? And you can cultivate Tulasi devi also. Write Govinda Dasi in Hawaii in this regards.
Have you taken deliver of the sales deed document of Mayapur land? Please send me a copy. There were some crops on the land with Rs. 4000/- worth of crops. Have they been sold and the money realized?
Regarding land purchase. There is no need of purchasing land now because their impression is that Americans will buy the land so they have increased the price by three times. We shall purchase later at our convenience at the real price. Let us utilize this eleven bighas of land first, we shall see to more land later. We shall not artificially increase the price at the present moment by acquiring land now.
I am glad to hear that you are harvesting rice. The crop may be saved to utilize for our members nicely. Regarding the bricks, it is a very good idea that you have ordered 10,000 bricks but as soon as the rainy season is stopped we will build our temple. So we require many lakhs of bricks. So if possible, why not purchase them now and soak them in the water. Here in London we are planning a very nice temple and compound and two or three men will go to supervise the construction. In the meantime you can talk with local masons for the bricks and in my opinion you should stock more bricks. Yes, we were saved by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Road. We shall always expect to be saved by His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja Prabhupada. Always pray to His Lotus Feet. Whatever success we have had in preaching Lord Caitanya's mission all over the world it is only due to his mercy.
I am glad to learn that the jute crop is saved and I do not know why there was damage on the roof of the cottage. Also formerly I was informed that the Calcutta function would take place on the 21st October but now I learned from your letter that it will take place on the 28th instant. So I am making my program of returning to India on the understanding that Calcutta program begins on the 28th. From here of course I will go to Bombay as soon as our business here is settled up. Here in Nairobi our program is going on very nicely. There are TV engagements and a very large meeting is scheduled at the University of Nairobi for tomorrow. Many respectful Hindus are inviting us and I am staying in everyone's house for four to five days. Most probably our center here in Nairobi will be a strong one, as strong as any of our other centers. Two black devotees have come here today from N.Y. and Dinanatha should come here from there as soon as possible. The Africans locally are becoming very much interested and there is great field here in Africa for spreading Lord Caitanya's movement. Also the life membership program is going on very happily. Already we have collected more than 30,000 Kenya shillings.
1972 Correspondence
Your proposal for establishing a Krishna Consciousness community on the land which you have is very good. Whenever we get some land available we should take the opportunity to develop it into an ideal community as envisioned for New Vrindaban. We can have a great many such communities all over the world so that people everywhere can see how by leading a pure and simple life of Krishna consciousness, all one's needs in life can be satisfied. Actually, the so-called civilization of the Kali yuga with its over industrialization, has not been able to give to man the happiness he is seeking. So as you say that your land is very suitable for cow protection and for Tulsi to grow, then Krishna is giving you the opportunity to develop this program. Protect some cows, grow crops, and if possible provide fresh milk and butter for the Temples nearby. And the rest of the time chant Hare Krishna and read my books. In this way you can live very peacefully without any disturbances from anyone.
Go on buying the necessary land. But I think it is better to buy the land of Rohin Shaik without crop for Rs. 1500/- a bigha.
You are experienced devotee, and you know how to do things well, so kindly train the others and distribute your experience widely, and organize. If such festivals can be held in different places continuously then my dream will be fulfilled. Your program for traveling to the colleges is nice, try to sell as many of our books and literatures as possible and lecture to all the students what is the real purpose of their education of life. If students become interested, they may come to New Vrndavana and stay with you for some time, and you can instruct them in our philosophy. Gradually try to develop that place, there is immense potential and immense land for development. I saw so much land, but there were no men working the land or raising crops. That is our purpose for keeping so much land, to utilize it in the service of Krsna. So next year you can raise so many kinds of fruits and vegetables there and keep cows, and that will be the ideal Krsna Conscious community of living.
1974 Correspondence
Yes, I fully agree that "What is the use of a temple if there is no prasadam distribution?" Prasadam distribution on a large scale must be resumed. Such a temple where there is no such distribution has no value, I agree. You say more land is needed for growing crops. So for the time being go ahead and purchase land and I will pay at the rate of Rs 5,000 per month. But do not acquire more land than we can use. Purchasing land and keeping it without use is not my policy. What is Gargamuni Maharaja doing with the money he is collecting for Mayapur? Regarding money being used for construction of gosala, pavilion etc., at Mayapur, I shall consider that after going there. I have arranged to transfer $100,000 which will be done by next Monday. But this is for the temple in Vrindaban. You cannot expect all the money to come from here. I will, however, be trying to carry as much money as possible.
Your report on the harvest of crops is a paradox, when compared to the fact that you have to spend money for maintenance. If there is so much harvest, you have cows, vegetables, then why do you require money for maintenance?
I have read in your letter how the brahmacaris find it very difficult to plough. It will be very difficult if we do not work the land ourselves. The difficulty can be overcome provided we are sincere. I think we can use modern machines, to drive a tractor, for example, is as easy as driving a car. 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.
Regarding your GBC report, at the Buffalo farm the deer were eating daily the crop or all at once? Regarding Boston, it is a better house they have now purchased? What is the price and what are the facilities? Regarding the book distribution increasing in Philadelphia. yes we are getting such reports of increasing book distribution from all over. In L.A. they have sold over 600 copies of the new Srimad-Bhagavatam in one weekend.
1975 Correspondence
Regarding the farm, if by getting money from the cash crops, then do that and improve the place. Construct temple and residential quarter. Somehow or other you have to keep the men who are there engaged. If they are allowed to become idle gradually they will again become hippies. If the farm cannot be utilized, then it may be sold. What is the use of keeping a bad cow? But if you are utilizing, then we can purchase the truck to help. But, what about the idea of selling the bus and repaying me Dollars 3,000.00? What happened to that idea? I had lent Dollars 5,000.00 and that should be repaid somehow or other. Everyone I advance money to, they repay. Brahmananda Swami took Rs. 16,000/-, and he has returned, so why not you also? Anyway, if there is some potential there then keep it and go on. But, if you are able to make profit, then why not you purchase the truck?
Anyway without court permission we shall not take the land. In the meantime it is all right that you invest only in moveable property. Of course you should not be thinking to sell any of the crops for profit. That is not our purpose. The village organization is that the local people produce their necessities like grain, vegetables, milk, and cloth; and for recreation they have the chanting of Hare Krishna. They should live there comfortably and have spiritual recreation. They should not come to the cities. I wish to introduce this ideal now. Then if we are successful this cheating civilization will stop. They have made these cities as hell. If people do not cooperate with them, then how will the factories run on? And, if the people are satisfied by this arrangement, then what will the communists do?
Regarding registering with the Endowments, will they force our men out? Endowment means that as soon as there is income, they will interfere.
1976 Correspondence
We shall never use this artificial fertilizer on our farms. It is forbidden in the sastras. If you plant easily grown crops once in the year, then the earth will not become exhausted. Don't overuse the land.
I accept Bhakta John as my disciple and also Padmamalini dasi for second initiation. His name is Amara das. Now hold a fire ceremony. She may be allowed to hear the mantra through the right ear from the tape. Instruct them both on the meaning of first and second initiation respectively.
| Page Title: | Crops |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 17 of Aug, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=1, SB=5, CC=0, OB=2, Lec=3, Con=35, Let=15 |
| No. of Quotes: | 61 |