Simple Living, High Thinking
ISKCON PURPOSE #6
Simple Living, High Thinking
Our farm projects are an extremely important part of our movement. This is ideal life style. Letter to: Rupanuga, Bombay, 18 December, 1974
In this page you will find:
Principles of Vedic Agriculture and Cow Protection
What does simple living high thinking mean?
"When everyone is working in the city to produce nuts and bolts, who will produce food grains? Simple living and high thinking is the solution to economic problems. Therefore the Krishna consciousness movement in engaging devotees in producing their own food and living self-sufficiently so that rascals may see how one can live very peacefully, eat the food grains one has grown oneself, drink milk, and chant Hare Krishna." (Teachings of Queen Kunti, 18:)
So if you want to be peaceful, happy, you have to again bring in the Vedic culture, simple life and high thinking. That is wanted. If you introduce more and more anarthas only, unwanted things, how you can be happy? We have to minimize even whatever we absolutely require. . Absolutely we require ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam ca. It has to be curtailed. That is civilization, not that increasing. Lecture on SB 7.12.4 -- Bombay, April 15, 1976
Why is it is essential for our Krsna Consciousness
Srila Prabhupada's Desire
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. Letter to: Tusta Krsna, Hyderabad, 23 August, 1976
Krsna's System
Because we do not know that there is a complete arrangement in nature for our maintenance, we make efforts to utilize the resources of nature to create a socalled complete life of sense enjoyment. Because the living entity cannot enjoy the life of the senses without being dovetailed with the Complete Whole, the misleading life of sense enjoyment is illusion. ISo Invocation
Ideal Lifestyle
So develop these farm communities as far as possible. They should be developed as an ideal society depending on natural products not industry. Industry has simply created godlessness, because they think they can manufacture everything that they need. Letter to Rupanuga, 18 December, 1974
The Future of Preaching
"One day millions of people would be coming to our Hare Krishna farms because they are unemployed. And we must accept them. We must feed them. We must let them live there and they will gradually become spiritualized. We will put them to work, they will get their food and there will be prasadam. They will hear something about Krishna and they will gradually by the millions become devotees."
Cow Protection is Everyone's Duty
Without protection of cows, brahminical culture cannot be maintained; ; and without brahminical culture, the aim of life cannot be fulfilled. The Lord, therefore, is described as go-brahmanahitaya because His incarnation is only for the protection of the cows and brahmanas. Srimad-Bhagavatam 8.24.5
Easy Maintenance of Grhastha Ashram
But in the material world means for your maintenance you have to work. But that work is very simple. Grow some food grains and keep some cows, take the milk, and just prepare nice foodstuff and eat. Patram puspam phalam toyam (BG 9.26). Keep Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Deity, at home, and Krsna is pleased even you simply offer little fruit and little flower. Lecture on BG 16.10 -- Hawaii, February 6, 1975
Vedic Principles of Agriculture
From the movement possible by front two hands and hind two legs and the intestinal products of the cow agriculture comes forth. Atharva veda 10-10-21
Learn more in the seminar below
Vedic Principles of Cow Protection
Connect cows with the land
Connect cows with calves
Loving caretakers
Although the cow is beneficial because one can draw religious principles from her, she was now rendered poor and calfless. Her legs were being beaten by a sudra. There were tears in her eyes, and she was distressed and weak. She was hankering after some grass in the field. SB 1.17.3
Minimize Consumption
The necessities of life for the protection and comfort of the body must not be un necessarily increased. Human energy is spoiled in a vain search after such illusory happiness. If one is able to lie down on the floor, then why should one endeavor to get a good bedstead or soft cushion to lie on? If one can rest without any pillow and make use of the soft arms endowed by nature, there is no necessity of searching after a pillow. SB 2.2.4
Choose Produce Over Products
'Foodstuffs in the modes of goodness are wheat, rice, pulse (beans, peas), sugar, honey, butter, and all milk preparations, vegetables, flowers, fruits, grains. So these foods can be offered in any shape, but prepared in various ways by the intelligence of the devotees'. " Letter to: Kris — Los Angeles 13 November, 1968 68-11-13
Join a Farm Project
It is my ambition that all devoteesmay 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 lifesaves time for other engagements like chanting the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra. Letter to: Tusta Krsna, Hyderabad 23 August, 1976
Learn more in the seminar below
The Seminar
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Vedic Farm Community in Vrindavan
The project in Ajhai land started in 2013 and currently has Sri Sri Krsna Balarama temple, eco-farm and Goshala. In January 2023 ISKCON Vrindavan announced the development of the the first fully Vedic Farm Community in the project. Devotees are welcome to join the community or to contribute by donating/owning land.
Vedic Agriculture and Cow Protection
Vedic Farm Community will be based on principles of agriculture and cow protection described in Srimad Bhagavatam, which are fully in line with the arrangements of the Lord and nature.
In this day and age people think that village life means struggles and hard life; however, this is true only when we act against the laws of God and nature by using artificial systems of irrigation, pest control, etc.
Indeed, village life is the ideal lifestyle suggested by Sri Krsna, which provides a quality lifestyle and all opulence, including nutritious food, clean water & clean air, leisure time with family, freedom to pursue spiritual beliefs, engagement, fun.
"Simple village life saves time for other engagements like chanting the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra." Letter to: Tusta Krsna, Hyderabad 23 August, 1976
Perfection of Devotee Care
The goal of the Vedic Farm Community is to give everyone an opportunity to engage in Krsna's service according to their nature and be happy . Living on the farm is the most perfect way to fulfill physical, economical, social, emotional, spiritual needs.
In the Vedic farm community devotees can be fully and happily engaged in various services including but not limited to farming, cow protection, Deity worship, cooking, gardening, kirtan, chanting, reading, organizing and taking part in various educational and preaching programs.
'Unless in the human society the varnasrama system is introduced, no scheme or social order, health order or any order, political order, will be successful. A man-made scheme-useless.' Room Conversation -- October 18, 1977, Vrndavana
Numerous Preaching Opportunities
The Vedic Farm Community will encourage and support all preaching efforts(preaching online and sankirtan in surrounding and further areas). We will also organize day/weekend/week tours to the farm, invite volunteers to the farm through workaway and similar programs, organize 1 year Krsna Consciousness training programs for men and women and other programs.
Prithvite ache yata nagaradi grama
sarvatra prachara haibe mora nama
In as many towns and villages as there are on the surface of the earth, My holy name will be
preached.
(Chaitanya Bhagavata)
If you would like to donate/ own land,
contact dharmatmadas@gmail.com
For any enquiries, to subscribe to news or to join the community,
contact: Bhaktin Dovile +91 85329 73585