Handloom

Expressions researched:
"hand loom" |"hand looms" |"handloom" |"handloomers" |"handlooms" |"handlooms"

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

So many charkas and that handloom was sold in the shops because everyone was purchasing and purchasing.

Room Conversation -- February 17, 1971, Gorakhpur:

Prabhupāda: Yes, spinning. Because he was spinning daily. Just like you are chanting sixteen rounds, he was spinning sixteen rounds. (laughter) And he said frankly, "Are you spinning charka?" They said, "No sir." "Oh, then I am not going there. My god is charka." That is practical. We have got experience. And actually he was refusing. Just like we are insisting, "You must chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra sixteen rounds," he was... There were so many charkas daily selling. People took it very seriously. We also took charka and that, what is called?

Devotee: Handloom.

Prabhupāda: Handloom. And there was very good business. So many charkas and that handloom was sold in the shops because everyone was purchasing and purchasing. And they were stacked and thrown away some time after. So... Because Mahatma Gandhi asked, everyone did. You see? So he also asked our maṭha people that "Are you spinning a charka?" They said, "No, sir." "Then I am not going." He refused the invitation. Does it mean he surrendered to Kṛṣṇa? He surrendered to charka. That's all. (laughter) And if you say, "Charka is also Kṛṣṇa," oh, there will be no more argument. (laughter)

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

The girls and ladies, they can spine (spin) thread, and from the thread you make cloth, handlooms.

Room Conversation -- October 5, 1975, Mauritius:

Guest (2) (Indian man): Now the program in the village, Swamijī, how to...

Prabhupāda: Village... Just like you acquire some land. That you will get. It is not very... Is it difficult?

Guest (2): No, sir.

Prabhupāda: Just we are doing so many places. So you produce your own food grains, not for making money but just for feeding yourself and the animals, cows. Keep cows, as many cows as possible, and produce, till the ground, field, and make water supply arrangement. If the investment is required, we shall do that. You have no worry about investment. We shall bring money from anywhere. But the work must be done very nicely. There must be good arrangement for water supply and for plowing and keeping the cows in order. Then you get sufficient milk, sufficient food grains and produce your own cloth. The girls and ladies, they can spine (spin) thread, and from the thread you make cloth, handlooms. So your first necessities of life, eating, and make little cottage, sleeping... And if you want sex, get yourself married, live peacefully. And when you are there you can defend yourself. So the first necessity is how to eat and how to cover. That you have to provide. That is not difficult. You can do it. And then you become peaceful, no anxiety for your maintenance.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

So why not have rooms that side?

Morning Walk -- January 16, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Why?

Jayapatāka: Just temporary.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Jayapatāka: Grass, for housing.

Prabhupāda: No, there are so many rooms.

Jayapatāka: There's not.... Rooms only can hold about three hundred devotees.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But I thought there are already people living in the rooms, Jayapatāka.

Bhavānanda: Some of the rooms are occupied for handloom, have big looms in them.

Prabhupāda: So why not have rooms that side?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda wants rooms there.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, you've been saying this a number of times.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That side. (break) ...unnecessary expenditure to have some cottage and again spoil it. Don't spend. It is better spend for rooms like that, that side, wall and rooms, and this should be used for only trees.

Jayapatāka: Walkway.

Prabhupāda: Hm, yes. Within the trees, walkway. That will be very nice. Don't spend unnecessarily for cottage.

Jayapatāka: For this year there is no time to make those.

Prabhupāda: Then as much as possible you can do. What is there? Engage hundred workers and it will be done.

Bhavānanda: Śrīla Prabhupāda, we don't have the money to do.

Prabhupāda: I will give you money. If money is the only question, I will give you money. You can immediately begin.

Bhavānanda: We will immediately start.

That's ni...

Morning Walk -- January 16, 1976, Mayapur:

Jayapatāka: (break) ...are the handlooms. The dispensary is here. Then here men are living. Then, from this side over, the women are living.

Prabhupāda: That's ni...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Separate.

Jayapatāka: Separate. Then the prasādam pavilion and kitchen are there.

They get one point: "Oh, here is some fault." And then, "They're not worshiping? They are going handloom?"

Morning Walk -- January 16, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: (break) ...that's nice. Very good. (break) ...surprised that "In temple, why handloom? What kind of temple it is?" They will criticize like that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Really?

Prabhupāda: They'll.... They get one point: "Oh, here is some fault." And then, "They're not worshiping? They are going handloom?"

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Here is the moon. There is one dark spot."

Prabhupāda: But the rascals do not know Kṛṣṇa says, svakarmana tam abhyarcya saṁsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ. Whatever he knows, he can work on it, and that way he can get perfection, provided he is Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is wanted. Otherwise people think, misunderstand, that "They are parasites." Why we should be parasite? We should work for Kṛṣṇa. That's all. It is not that because sannyāsī and brahmacārī, you'll be able. No. Everyone. Svakarmaṇā. Kṛṣṇa says, svakarmaṇā: "Whatever talent you have got, you can serve Me and be perfect." That is the program. They are preparing cloth for the devotees, not for business. Therefore he is serving Kṛṣṇa. To serve devotee and to serve Kṛṣṇa, there is no difference.

What service they do?

Morning Walk -- January 16, 1976, Mayapur:

Jayapatāka: Here is the handloom production.

Prabhupāda: What service they do?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What does that man do?

Bhavānanda: He weeds all of the hedges under Tapomaya.

Prabhupāda: So why they are drying? They should water it

So people become mad after money, somehow or other bring money. There was no other culture. In order to introduce their Manchester cloth, how they killed the home industry of India, cloth merchant, this weaver... Just like we are trying. It is very long time, this, the handloom. They cut the finger. The British did that so that the weavers could not work, just to introduce their Manchester's cloth.

Morning Walk -- July 13, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: British Empire means bring money, hook or crook, in London, and you get the title, "lord," "baron," this... This was their policy. "Sir." All hooligans, thieves, rogues, they were made big, big respectable people. A deposit in the government, this lord family means they have to deposit, say, ten million pounds, like that, and the government takes that money as fixed deposit, and the interest the family will maintain the aristocracy. This is the lord's family. Some way or other you deposit ten million pounds and your family becomes lord's family. So people become mad after money, somehow or other bring money. There was no other culture. In order to introduce their Manchester cloth, how they killed the home industry of India, cloth merchant, this weaver... Just like we are trying. It is very long time, this, the handloom. They cut the finger.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The British did that.

Prabhupāda: The British did that so that the weavers could not work, just to introduce their Manchester's cloth. So many things they did. It is in the history.

They have to remain naked.

Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Kartikeya Mahadevia: Very devoted. Her father is my father's friend, Mr. Pota. He was chairman of the Gold Control Board in India. Handlooms are working very nicely. That side of textile, which are made by hand, they are prospering like anything because...

Prabhupāda: They have to remain naked.

Kartikeya Mahadevia: No, khādi is available. There is no problem.

Prabhupāda: Available is everything. If you pay, everything is available. Therefore they say, "If you pay, I can supply you tiger's blood." If you pay, everything is available. People have lost completely interest in spiritual life. They have lost completely.

We're not only chanting, we are giving them work. We are trying to become self-sufficient, the same idea of Gandhi's village organization, so they may not come out from the village. They'll be satisfied, village economics. That we are doing.

Press Interview -- October 16, 1976, Chandigarh:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: This is a letter from Śrī Ambarish Sarkar, General Secretary of the Nadia District Congress Committee. "I had an opportunity to visit the Śrī Māyāpura Chandrodaya Mandir on the 12th August, 1975. It is absolutely a religious institution. Jayapātāka Swami has devoted all of his efforts and endeavors to organize and propound the sacred name of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. I'm impressed by his charming manner and strength. Although it is a religious institution, this organization has performed many social services. Many poor and destitute families have had an opportunity to work and at the same time they have become worshipers of Lord Śrī Caitanya. To engage these workers, so many industrial centers have already been started, such as handloom cloth, printing, etc. I wish this organization, with its help of the local people, all success."

Prabhupāda: We're not only chanting, we are giving them work. We are trying to become self-sufficient, the same idea of Gandhi's village organization, so they may not come out from the village. They'll be satisfied, village economics. That we are doing.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Not labor class.

Room Conversation -- February 12, 1977, Mayapura:

Jayapatākā: Gradually, more and more, we're getting more devotees who can work in the agriculture. But to date, most of the people that join are either the handloomers or... We're getting mostly handloomers and to some extent some more learned, more educated boys.

Prabhupāda: Not labor class.

Jayapatākā: Not labor class. But we need them also for translation and other things. So to make up the gap them we had to hire. But that's lessened... Now we're getting also. Some labor class are joining.

Prabhupāda: So hire. That also he can become devotee. He can spare fifty percent of his income. Then he becomes a devotee. Hiring men and working, I don't think that will be very profitable. Then we can purchase from the market.

Where you have?

Room Conversation -- February 12, 1977, Mayapura:

Jayapatākā: That would be a separate area. Of course, in that vast city project there was enough room for different quarters where one place brahmacārīs could stay, other place, families. Just like now it's actually getting overcrowded for the handlooms. We should have a separate, one big handloom place. That would be more efficient.

Prabhupāda: Where you have?

So why you are bothering if you have no expert? You have to find out expert weaver. Why? We are not for industry. Why should we divert our attention unnecessarily?

Room Conversation -- August 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Dhanañjaya: And so these handlooms are available, but along with the looms you must have expert weavers, handloomers.

Prabhupāda: So why you are bothering if you have no expert? You have to find out expert weaver. Why? We are not for industry. Why should we divert our attention unnecessarily?

Dhanañjaya: But you did mention previously that our ISKCON ladies, if they so desire, they can learn.

Prabhupāda: If they are idle, then you can give engagement. Otherwise don't bring engagements. If they are idle—there is no work—give them. Not that you bring engagement and then... We want to be free from engagement, but if there is idle men, doing nothing, give them engagement. Now that we have got so many work. Simply unnecessarily, paid men are there for cutting vegetables. They have got so much... Means management is a rascal. Our men are idle, and they're bringing paid men to cut vegetables and paying two hundred rupees. This is management. First of all, whatever business is already there, engage them. Then bring further engagement. Now he has understood the situation. Do it very carefully. Don't make plan for squandering money. There are so many engagements. They're not doing anything. They're bringing one paid man to do the work. And you are finding out another engagement. Apply some brain.

Thank you very much.

Prabhupada Vigil -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhavānanda: Oh, yes. We're training up those who have children... They're trained in the varṇāśrama system. Some of the children in the school have a scholastic bent of mind, so they're educated in Sanskrit and higher studies. Some of them have a vaiśya bent of mind, and they work in the gośāla helping to develop..., milk the cows. Some are... Their parents are working in the handloom. They also have that desire, so they're trained to be handloomers. In this way we will be able to develop a city of fifty thousand devotees.

Śrī Bajaj: Let us not overstrain him and whatever if... He'll feel tired.

Prabhupāda: Thank you very much.

Yes.

Room Conversation -- November 7, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayapatākā: Each of the..., like gośāla, handloom, these can be separately formed into societies, which would be easier for bookkeeping and management anyway, and each of those societies can purchase the land on which their handloom or gośāla, whatever is, they can purchase that land in that name.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

1976 Correspondence

The hand-looms should also be moved if my house is going to be constructed there by the tank.

Letter to Saurabha -- Toronto 18 June, 1976:

I do not think that it will be a good idea to construct my residence over the Gurukula as it will be very noisy with the children there so close. You can begin the "kutir" as you mentioned by the side of the present tank, but it may require some trees and flowers and plants, then it will be alright. It is alright to have the guest rooms as shown in the plan of 3-6-76. I like the idea of being near the west gate as I want to go to the Ganges daily and during the summer I can take bath there.

It may not be a good idea to start immediately as the monsoon will check the work. The monsoon rains have already begun so how you can work? Who will take the contract to construct my house?

It has been suggested that perhaps the kitchen should be separate from the house (like in my Vrindaban house) as there is sometimes much noise coming from the kitchen. You can think this over.

I hope that this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/pks

n.b. the hand-looms should also be moved if my house is going to be constructed there by the tank.

It is my ambition that all devotees may remain self independent by producing vegetables, grains, milk, fruits, flowers, and by weaving their own cloth in handlooms.

Letter to Tusta Krsna -- Hyderabad 23 August, 1976:

You can visit our farm projects at New Vrndavana and the New York Farm in Port Royal, Pennsylvania. They do everything very nicely and you can develop your farm on their model. That you are growing all your own grains is very good. It is my ambition that all devotees may remain self independent by producing vegetables, grains, milk, fruits, flowers, and by weaving their own cloth in handlooms. This simple life is very nice. Simple village life saves time for other engagements like chanting the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra.

Regarding handloom, can they not produce fine cloth? Fine cloth will be received in any part of the world.

Letter to Jayapataka -- Vrindaban 28 September, 1976:

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.