Srila Prabhupāda - "If during nighttime it rains and daytime there is sunshine, then the land becomes very fertile to produce. Yes, there is a common saying in Bengal, dine jal rātr e tā rā sei janme sukha dhā rā - If it rains heavily during daytime and at night you see the stars, then you should know there will be scarcity of rain. There will be scarcity of rain and scarcity of food grains. Best thing is at night there must be heavy rain, and daytime, there should be sunshine. Then the field will be very fertile.
Hari-śauri dasa - "Is the irregularity in the weather and...
Srila Prabhupāda - "That is due to sinful life."
Hari-śauri dasa - "So if we increase the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement..."
Srila Prabhupāda - "Then it will be regular. It is nature's punishment. You may not care what is sinful life, but that is recorded. That is foolishness. "I don't care for God, don't care for what is going to happen." That is foolishness.
People, lower planetary system, they are like that. In this planet also. In Western countries there are many places. "Don't care for anything, what is sinful life, what is going to happen. Let us enjoy, that's all." This is their nonsense philosophy." (Morning Walk, May 20, 1975, Melb Australia)
Srila Prabhupāda - "We will present our program at Bhaktivedanta Manor exactly in the line of Lord Caitanya, by kirtana, prasadam distribution and speaking from Bhagavad-gita.
We cannot deviate even an inch in order to attract the followers of the ecology philosophy or any other materialistic, utopian movement.
You say you know a number of influential leaders of this group, but what is the use of knowing them, since you yourself found them deficient and left them?
Our ideal Vedic community will attract everyone on its own merit, and we shall be glad to welcome and accept everyone who comes without our compromising in order to attract them.” (Letter to: Mahadeva, Mayapur 3 March, 1974)
Srila Prabhupāda - "So the, in the present age of Kali, the government men will be dasyu (thieves). This is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Dasyu-dharmabhih. You can, we can see practically. You cannot keep your money. You earn with hard labor, but you cannot keep gold, you cannot keep jewelry, you cannot keep money. And… They will take it away by laws.
So they make law that… Yudhisthira Maharaja was just quite opposite. He wanted to see that every citizen is so happy that they are not troubled even by excessive heat and excessive cold. Ati-vyadhi. They are not suffering from any disease, they are not suffering from excessive climatic influence, eating very nicely, and feeling security of person and property. That was Yudhisthira Maharaja. Not only Yudhisthira Maharaja. Almost all the kings, they were like that.” (Lecture SB, Canto 1 Ch 8 text 18, Mayapur, Sep 28, 1974)
Srila Prabhupada - 'So in the previous verse it has been described that nature was favorable. The river, the hills, the mountains, forests, vegetables, creepers, these are our natural surroundings. Animals… Everyone was complete. It is a cooperation. So many living entities, according to karma, we have got different bodies.
Some has got the human form of body, some has got the body of an animal, some has got the body of a tree, creeper. Sometimes hills, mountains, also. Everyone. Their business is cooperation. We can study from our own body.
There are different parts of the body, but it is a business of cooperation. Hand, legs, eyes, ears, nose, they are all cooperating for the upkeep of the body.
Similarly, all living entities, may be in different types of bodies, they are meant for cooperating in the matter of serving the Supreme Lord, central point.
So if the government or the chief of the executive power, the king, is just to the point, dharmena, as it was said, “Abiding by the religious principles, ruling over the country,” then everything, even natural elements, they become cooperative.
They must become cooperative. What is nature? Nature is also another energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So the nature is also working under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
mayadhyaksena prakrtih/suyate sa-caracaram/hetunanena kaunteya/jagad viparivartate – Bhagavad-gita 9.10.
So, Maharaja Yudhisthira’s time, the cooperation was so complete that everyone was free from anxiety, disease, calamities, natural disturbance." (Lecture SB, Canto 1 Ch 10 text 6, Mayapur, June 21, 1973)
Srila Prabhupāda - "Let everyone chant Hare Krsna home to home. Whatever they have got, all right. Just begin chanting. Just see what happens. We are trying to introduce this chanting. But the rascals will not take it. What can be done?
There is no loss if they chant Hare Krsna worldwide. Where is the loss? But still, they will not. And everything can be had. Sarva-kama-dugha mahi. Mahi. Krsna, He is… The mother… Krsna, how He has arranged this mahi? Everything is coming.
Actually you will find that the rose flower is coming, the mine is coming, the gold is coming, the coal is coming, the petrol is coming. Everything is there in the mahi. And who has arranged it? Just see. Sarva-kama-dugha mahi. And if there is regular waterfall, then you get everything supply.
And by performing yajna, you get regular waterfall, rainfall. And in this age all other types of yajna is not possible.
Kalau…harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam/kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha [Cc. Adi 17.21]
So, introduce this. What is their loss? If everyone, home to home or work to work, factory to factory… Let them." (Lecture SB, Canto 1 Ch 10 textr 3-4, Tehran, March 13, 1975)
On the whole Srila Prabhupada’s recommendation for the mass of humanity was “simple living and high thinking.” He recommended that the chanting of Hare Krsna be everywhere, even in factories, he was hardly a fan of industrialization.
Srila Prabhupāda - "But here in this material world they are engaged in very, very hard work. They have invented so many factories, iron factories, melting the iron, these machinery, and it is called ugra karma, asuric karma. After all, you will eat some bread and some fruit or some flower. Why you have invented so big, big factories?
That is avidya, nescience, avidya. Suppose hundred years ago there was no factory. So all the people of the world were starving? Eh? Nobody was starving. In, in, in our Vedic literature we don’t find any mention anywhere about the factory. No. There is no mention. And how opulent they were. Even in Vrndavana.
In Vrndavana, as soon as Kamsa invited Nanda Maharaja, immediately they took wagons of milk preparation to distribute. And you will find in the literature they are all well dressed, well fed. They have got enough food, enough milk, enough cows. But they are village, village men. Vrndavana is a village.
There is no scarcity. No moroseness, always jolly, dancing, chanting and eating. So we have created these problems. Simply you have created." (Lecture SB, Canto 1 Ch 8 text 35, Los Angeles, April 27, 1973)
Srila Prabhupāda - "These modern day scientists and politicians, these rascals do not know what is the aim of life. They are captivated by the external energy of God. Andha yathandhair upaniyamanas te ‘pisa-tantryam uru-damni-baddhah. They are led by blind leaders.
All these materialistic leaders, the politicians, the scientists, the philosophers, the technologists and so on, businessmen, so on, so on, and all these material, they are all blind and they are leading other blind. So what will be? The result will be catastrophe, because both of them are blind.
If one man is with eyes, he can lead another thousands of men, blind men: ‘Please come. I shall help you crossing the road.’ But if the leader is also blind and the followers are blind, then what is the result? That is happening.
They are thinking that ‘By bodily comfort, by sense gratification, we shall be happy.’ But that is not possible. We do not know. Actually we have no knowledge." Dehantaram-praptih." (Lecture Laguna Beach, Sept 30, 1972)
Disciple - "Srila Prabhupada, it’s amazing. People have become so shortsighted. For instance, they open a factory for some kind of economic development but they’re not thinking of the factory’s ill effects. Water pollution, air pollution, noise pollution, stress, broken families, delinquency, drugs, crime, so many things."
Srila Prabhupada - "Therefore Krsna calls them duskrtinas (misdirected), and then He calls them mudhas, asses." (Conversation at New Vrindavan, June 26, 1976)
Srila Prabhupāda - "So many cars are being manufactured every year, and for that purpose so many roads have to be excavated, prepared, and… Problems after problems. Therefore it is maya-sukha. We are trying to be happy this way, manufacture some way, but it creates another problem. I am giving this particular example of motorcar because in your country you have got the greatest number of cars. But that does not solve the problem.
You have manufactured cars. I have practical experience. When Dayananda wanted to take me to a doctor from Los Angeles, it is thirty miles off. Thirty miles off. So I had to take trouble to go thirty miles and come thirty miles before I could consult the doctor. You see? And if you have created cars, then you must have meet your friends and necessities thirty miles off, forty miles off.
You can go from New York to Boston in one hour, but go to the airport you will take three hours. (laughter) Therefore it is called maya-sukhaya. (laughter) Maya means false, illusory. We are trying to create some very comfortable situation, but creating another uncomfortable situation.
This is called maya-su… This is the way of… If you do not be satisfied by the natural comforts offered by God, or nature, if you want to create artificial comfort, then you have to create another discomfort for counteracting. They do not know that. They are thinking that ‘We are creating very comfortable situation.’ Fifty miles going to the office. For earning livelihood, fifty miles, from one place to another. I saw in Hawaii.
When Gaurasundara was working to maintain our temple, he was working. Unfortunately, he had to go fifty miles off from the temple to work for it. So I was very sorry to see how this boy is going fifty miles. How Krsna will say? But Krsna has given us chance. Now they haven’t got to work. So Prahlada Maharaja says that ‘These vimudhan, these materialistic persons, these rascals…’ He has exactly used this word, vimudhan. Mudha I have already explained several times in connection with Bhagavad-gita.
Mudha means rascals. And here Prahlada Maharaja uses another nice word with addition, “vi.” Vimudhan. Vi means visesa, “particularly.” The vimudhan… Maya-sukhaya bharam udvahatah: ‘They have created unnecessary burden on their shoulder simply for temporary happiness.’ Temporary happiness." (Lecture SB, Canto 6 Ch 1 text 6-8, New York City, July 21, 1971)
Srila Prabhupāda - "Now, you have created so many horseless carriages, now the problem is where to get petrol. In your country it has become a problem. Brahmananda was speaking to me yesterday. There are so many problems. Simply unnecessarily we have created so many artificial wants. Kama-karmabhih. This is called kama.
So everyone, because of that unlimited desire, one after another… This desire, when this desire fulfilled, another desire, another desire, another desire. In this way you are simply creating problems. And when the desires are not fulfilled, then we become frustrated, confused. The frustration is there." (Lecture SB, Canto 1 Ch 8 text 35, Los Angeles, April 27, 1973)
Srila Prabhupāda - "What is this human civilization? Jumping like dog, in a motorcar, that’s all. This is not civilization. This is dog civilization, that’s all. And actually what benefit they have derived? They are not satisfied. One man has got this car, and next year another car, another car. And the car manufacturer also giving fashion. ‘This is 1974 edition, this is 1975 edition.’ And they are earning money with hard labor. ‘All right, get a motorcar.’ And again, next year change. What is this civilization? No satisfaction. They do not know where is the point of satisfaction. It is dog civilization." (Morning Walk, May 28, 1974, Rome)
Srila Prabhupāda - "As for land ownership, in the Vedic civilization the land was given to the people for cultivation not for ownership, and a tax was collected which was 25% of the person’s income.
The land belonged to the state and the man would cultivate it and pay 25% to the state. If he has no income then he doesn’t have to pay. If he doesn’t pay tax he may be disowned of the land.
One cannot get land from the government unless he agrees to produce something and if everyone produces food then there is no scarcity. At least he has his own food produced by himself.
Now people are educated as sudras. They are going to work to produce what is not urgently needed by society." (Letter to Balavanta, Tirupati 28 April, 1974)
Srila Prabhupāda - "Actually nothing is private property. That is our philosophy. Isavasyam idam sarvam: ‘Everything belongs to God.’ That’s a fact. Under the influence of maya we are thinking that ‘This is my property.’ Just like suppose this cushion. Wherefrom the wood has come? Has anybody produced wood?
Who has produced? It is God’s property. Rather, we have stolen God’s property and claiming, ‘My property.’ Then Australia. The Englishmen came here, but is that the property of the Englishmen? It was there. America, it was there. And when everything will be finished, it will be there. In the middle we come and claim, ‘It is my property,’ and fight." (Room Conversation with Two Lawyers and Guest, May 22, 1975, Melb. Australia)
Srila Prabhupada - "We actually see from modern history that monarchies have been abolished by various revolutions, but unfortunately the monarchies have been abolished to establish the supremacy of third-class and fourth-class men.
Although monarchies overpowered by the modes of passion and ignorance have been abolished in the world, the inhabitants of the world are still unhappy, for although the qualities of the former monarchs were degraded by taints of ignorance, these monarchs have been replaced by men of the mercantile and worker classes whose qualities are even more degraded.
When the government is actually guided by brahmanas, or God conscious men, then there can be real happiness for the people." (SB, Canto 9 Ch 15 text 15 Purport)
Srila Prabhupada - “It is a false notion that you are independent. You are not independent. It is a false notion. Nobody is independent.
We may be puffed up that ‘We belong to an independent nation. Now we have got…’ Just like Indian. We were under British rule. Now we have got independence. This is all false notion. What is that independence? The nature’s law is forcing starvation. What is this independence? They are now begging grains from other countries.
In British time there was no begging at least. Now their independence means they are begging. So these are all false notions. Nobody is independent. He is dependent in some way or other under the laws of nature.
The laws of nature at once can force the stringent laws, and he becomes subservient. So subservient, to become subservient, is your nature. You cannot alter it.
The best thing is that instead of becoming subservient to this false, you should become subservient to the Absolute Truth. Satyam param dhimahi." (Lecture BG, Ch 10 text 4, New York City, Jan 3, 1967)
Srila Prabhupada - "The mass of people in general are tools in the hands of the modern politicians and leaders of the people." (SB, Canto 1 Ch 5 text 11 Purport)
Srila Prabhupada regularly commented on how unintelligent sense enjoying people will inevitably vote for leaders like themselves. This is a big reason why democracy has not provided any real solution to the world’s looming climate change crisis.
Srila Prabhupada - "Nowadays it is the days of vote. Any rascal, if he gets vote somehow or other, then he acquires the exalted post. That is also written in the Srimad Bhagavatam, that in the Kali-yuga there will be no consideration who is fit to occupy the exalted post of presidentship or royal throne.
Simply somehow or other, by hook and crook, he’ll occupy the seat. Therefore people are suffering. It is not… Nowadays, in democratic days, the government by the people, government for the people.
So if the government is by the people, yes, you select your representative. If you are a fool, then you will select another fool. So Bhagavata says, sva-vid-varaha ustra-kharaih samstutah purusah pasuh.
Anyone who is not a devotee, Krsna conscious devotee of God, then he may be in a exalted post, but he is praised by some people who are exactly like sva. Sva means dog, and vid-varaha means pigs who eat stool. Sva-vid-varaha. Vid-varaha. And ustra, ustra means camel. And ustra-kharaih. Khara means ass. Sva-vid-varahostra-kharaih.
If a person who is not a devotee, he is praised or he is exalted, then the praisers, the persons who is praising him, he must be among these animals: dog, camel, pig and ass. So the whole population is like that, like dog, like camel, like ass and like vid-varaha, pig, the stool-eater, the whole population, at the present moment.
So he must elect another big animal who is also in this category. Because he has no knowledge. If you takes votes from the camels, to whom he will vote? Another big camel, that’s all. If you take votes from the dog, then whom he will elect? Another big dog.
Therefore, anyone who is not a devotee of God, Krsna, he is either of these animals. And if he is praised, it is to be understood that he is being praised by the similar type of animals. So if we remain sva-vid-varahostra-khara, then we must elect another big sva-vid-varahostra-khara.
So how there can be good situation of the state? It is not possible. Therefore the public must be educated so that they may not elect another big dog or big camel or big ass to the exalted post. It is the public’s fault. Nowadays it is democratic days.
So why should you complain against such-and-such person or president? You have elected him, and now you find fault with him. So it was your fault that you selected such a rascal, sva-vid-varahostra. It is very right conclusion." (Lecture SB, Canto 1 Ch 15 text 37, Los Angeles, Dec 15, 1973)
Srila Prabhupada - "Human civilizations should depend on the production of material nature without artificially attempting economic development to turn the world into a chaos of artificial greed and power only for the purpose of artificial luxuries and sense gratification. This is but the life of dogs and hogs." (SB, Canto 1 Ch 10 text 4)
Srila Prabhupada - "But instead of producing food grains, we are producing Goodyear tires. So how we can eat? Now when there is scarcity of foodstuff you cannot eat the Goodyear tires. But people’s attention has been diverted in the industrial activities. They are given allurement, ‘Come here. I shall give you twenty rupees per day. You give up your agricultural activities. You come in the factory. Produce tire tube, iron stool,’ and so on so on. So we are violating the orders of Krsna.
Krsna says that produce food grain. But we are producing unnecessary things. And therefore you are suffering. Krsna is giving very good advice: annad bhavanti bhutani. You produce sufficient food grain, all over, not only here. Another anartha is this nationalism. Nationalism: ‘This is America,’ ‘This is India,’ ‘This is Africa,’ ‘This is Australia.’ Why? Isavasyam idam sarvam. Simple thing. Everything belongs to God. Isavasya.
There will be no scarcity. I have studied very thoroughly that there are sufficient land still without any cultivation. In Africa I have seen sufficient land. But they are utilizing it for producing coffee and tea. No food grains.
So these are the anarthas. Anartha. Unnecessary. People will not die without coffee and tea. But they have made the whole world self-dependent on coffee and tea, mercantile policy. There is anartha.” (Lecture SB, Canto 1 Ch 7 text 6, Vrndavana, Sep 5, 1976)
Srila Prabhupada - "Just like a child is seeking after some enjoyment, he’s breaking something, enjoyment. But he does not, that… He is breaking, but he’s simply enjoying that breaking. Similarly, we do not know what is enjoyment in this material concept of life. We are breaking and building.
In your country I have seen in several places. Nice building is dismantled, and again, in that very place, another building is raised. You see? Breaking and building. Breaking and… ‘Oh, this building is old. Break it.’ The same childish play. You see? Simply wasting engagement, valuable time of this human form. Breaking and building, breaking and building. ‘This motorcar is useless. Another ’69 model.’ And thousands of people are engaged in that ’69 model. You see? What is that?
In essence, the breaking and building, breaking and building. Just like the child. You see? So unless one has got better engagement, Krsna consciousness, surely they will be engaged in this breaking and building, breaking and building. Childish engagement." (Lecture BG, Ch 2 text 62-72, Los Angeles, Dec 19, 1968)
Srila Prabhupada - "Another point is that trees also should be given protection. During its lifetime, a tree should not be cut for industrial enterprises. In Kali-yuga, trees are indiscriminately and unnecessarily cut for industry, in particular for paper mills that manufacture a profuse quantity of paper for the publication of demoniac propaganda, nonsensical literature, huge quantities of newspapers and many other paper products.
This is a sign of a demoniac civilization. The cutting of trees is prohibited unless necessary for the service of Lord Visnu. Yajnarthat karmano’nyatra loko’yam karma-bandhanah: [Bg. 3.9]) ‘work done as a sacrifice for Lord Visnu must be performed, otherwise work binds one to this material world.’ But if the paper mills stop producing paper, one may argue, how can our ISKCON literature be published?
The answer is that the paper mills should manufacture paper only for the publication of ISKCON literature because ISKCON literature is published for the service of Lord Visnu.
This literature clarifies our relationship with Lord Visnu, and therefore the publication of ISKCON literature is the performance of yajna. Yajnarthat karmano ‘nyatra loko ‘yam karma-bandhanah [Bg. 3.9]). Yajna must be performed, as indicated by the superior authorities.
The cutting of trees simply to manufacture paper for the publication of unwanted literature is the greatest sinful act." (SB, Canto 7 Ch 2 text 1 Purport)
Srila Prabhupāda - "Dishonest miscreants flourish because of cowardly and impotent executive heads of state. But when the executive heads are strong enough to curb all sorts of dishonest miscreants, in any part of the state, certainly they cannot flourish. When the miscreants are punished in an exemplary manner, automatically all good fortune follows." (SB, Canto 1 Ch 17 text 14 Purport)
Srila Prabhupāda - "But at times, due to the influence of the ignorance mode of material nature, the lowest of the material modes, kings and administrators come into power without knowledge and responsibility, and such foolish administrators live like animals for the sake of their own personal interest.
The result is that the whole atmosphere becomes surcharged with anarchy and vicious elements. Nepotism, bribery, cheating, aggression and, therefore, famine, epidemic, war and similar other disturbing features become prominent in human society." (SB, Canto 1 Ch 10 text 25 Purport)
Srila Prabhupāda - "If a rascal is busy, that means he’s simply spoiling the energy. . . . So the busy fool is dangerous. There are four classes of men: lazy intelligent, busy intelligent, lazy fool and busy fool. (laughter) So first-class man is lazy intelligent. Just like you’ll see the high-court judges. They’re very lazy and most intelligent. That is first-class man. They are doing everything very soberly. And the next class: busy intelligent. Intelligence should be used very soberly. And the third class: lazy fool-lazy, at the same time, fool. And the fourth class: busy fool. Busy fool is very dangerous.
So all these people, they’re busy. Even in this country, everywhere, all over the world, not this country or that country. They have discovered this horseless carriage — very busy. ‘Ons, ons,’ (imitates cars’ noise) this way this way, this way. But actually, they are not intelligent. Busy fool. Therefore they are creating problems after problems. That’s a fact. They are so busy, but because they are fools, therefore they are creating problems." (Lecture SB, Canto 1 Ch 16 text 23, Hawaii, Jan 19, 1974)
Srila Prabhupāda - "Too much of an external view of the world gives rise to an overly large-scale and difficult type of industry and trade, known as ugra-karma. The word ugra means ‘hard” or ‘difficult,’ and karma means ‘task.’ The development of hard and difficult industrial undertakings always hinders the progressive cultivation of the human spirit.
Asuric leaders of society never retire from such lustful undertakings unless killed by the laws of nature. For them there is no question of retirement or of cultivating the human spirit. But men in the mode of goodness have an introspective mind, and after a regulative struggle for existence they retire at a ripe old age and engage their time in cultivating the human spirit." (Light of The Bhagavat, verse 37)
Srila Prabhupāda - "But these rascals, they are being put into severe penalties. Duhkhalayam asasvatam. More and mo… The more they are forgetting God, they are put in, they are put into more and more miserable condition. Practically we see, with the advancement Kali-yuga, people are forgetting his relationship with Krsna, and the price of commodity and the food grains, the price is increasing. They cannot eat sufficiently. So many people are dying of starvation. If they cannot eat, how they will live?
Therefore Krsna gives His instruction. He’s the supreme ruler. He gives this order: annad bhavanti bhutani: ‘You require food grains.’ This is practical. Who will disagree with Krsna, that ‘We don’t require food grains; we require bolts and nuts in the factory?’ Who will say? This is practical. So they do not… Just like we see here that, that they do not grow food grains.
They are growing jute because they will get some money, more money. But the rascal does not know that ‘I will get more money, and it will be taken away next by the food grain seller.’ So similarly, we are interested in industry, in plan-making, this, that, so many things.
But Krsna does not say that ‘You open slaughterhouse and industries and brothels and cinema.’ No. Krsna does not say. Krsna says, ‘Grow more food, rascal! You’ll eat and become strong.’ And nobody is obeying Krsna. Is it not? Practically try to understand Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavata. Not by sentiment. And preach this philosophy all over the world.
What Krsna says, that is practical. Annad bhavanti bhutani parjanyad anna-sambhavah. ‘How we shall get anna? There is no rain.’ You see nowadays, there is no rain. Why? Because you are, we are all rascals. We do not know how to get rain. Krsna says, parjanyad anna-sambhavah: ‘There will be food grains when there is sufficient rain.”
And how rain there will be? Yajnad bhavati parjanyah: [Bg. 3.14] ‘And if you perform yajna, then there will be sufficient rain.” So nowadays you, people may say, ‘How to perform yajna? It requires so much money, so much ghee, so much food grains to offer as oblations.’ But Krsna has made it very easy. Yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah. Yajnaih sankirtana-prayaih.
I know, the sastras know that in the Kali-yuga it will be very difficult to perform the ritualistic yajna ceremony because people will be poor, poverty-stricken. Where they will get ghee, and where they will get grains? No. This is yajna: kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha. Harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam [Cc. Adi 17.21]. This is yajna." (Lecture SB, Canto 1 Ch 8 text 18, Mayapur, Sep 28, 1974)
Srila Prabhupāda - "So this point is that if the population of the world becomes sinful, demonic, then nature will not supply you sufficient food. She will diminish. We have got experience. In India we have seen, some years there is overproduction of mango. People… Very cheap. Everyone can purchase. And sometimes there is no supply, some year. Similarly, foodgrains also.
Some year there is oversupply of foodgrain and sometimes there is scanty supply. Now, this supply of foodgrains, fruits, and everything, even milk… In our New Vrindaban, because the cows feel very safe, they give us sufficient milk. That is our experience. So you keep things in order according to the Vedic injunction, you get sufficient food.
There is no question of scarcity. But if you become sinful, demons, then the nature’s food supply will be ultimately stopped. You can produce your food in the factory… You cannot do that. You can produce motorcars to consume all the petroleum within the earth, and then you become no petrol.
Then throw all these motorcars. Unless you find out some other energy That you can do. You can make things topsy-turvied. But by your so-called scientific advancement, you cannot increase or, I mean to say, stop nonproduction. That you cannot. So there was such a time because Prthu Maharaja’s father was a demon. He stopped all religious activities.
Therefore people became demonic, and there was restriction of food supply. Then Prthu Maharaja made arrangement, and there was sufficient foodstuff. Dugdhemam osadhir vipras tenayam sa usattamah. Since Prthu Maharaja arranged the whole society to be religious, to be God conscious, everything become beautiful.
This can be done even now. If people become Krsna conscious, the whole world will become beautiful, Vaikuntha, without any anxiety. That is possible. Because that is nature’s law. Just like if you become criminal, the state police force will always harass you. You cannot get out of it. He’ll harass you. But that is expensive job for the government.
Because it requires extra police, extra management, extra everything. But if the people become honest, God conscious, so many expenditure will be reduced. And money will be saved for spreading Krsna consciousness or for Krsna’s service. Then the whole world will become exactly as it was in the Prthu Maharaja’s day." (Lecture SB, Canto 1 Ch 3 text 14, Los Angeles, Sep 19, 1972)
Srila Prabhupāda - "Material advancement of civilization means advancement of the reactions of the threefold miseries due to celestial influence, earthly reactions and bodily or mental pains. By the celestial influence of the stars there are many calamities like excessive heat, cold, rains or no rains, and the aftereffects are famine, disease and epidemic.
The aggregate result is agony of the body and the mind. Man-made material science cannot do anything to counteract these threefold miseries. They are all punishments from the superior energy of maya under the direction of the Supreme Lord. Therefore our constant touch with the Lord by devotional service can give us relief without our being disturbed in the discharge of our human duties." (SB, Canto 1 Ch 14 text 10 Purport)
Srila Prabhupāda - "So, atmanam sarvato rakset tato dharmam tato dhanam.(?) First of all you try to protect yourself, then take to real religion, natural function of the atma. Then try to… Because we are in this material condition, we require economic development also. So that is very easy also. Krsna has given you enough land — you just little work. The animals are there. The cows will give you milk. If you till a little land, you get some grains. That is sufficient. Economic development.
You don’t require big factories, big workshop, and whole day and night with motorcar going this way and that way. No. There is no necessity for economic development. This is maya. Simply at the end he will eat some grains or some this or that, little. And by whole day…
Therefore they are called mudha. According to Bhagavad-gita, they are rascals, mudha, ass. Just like ass, the beast of burden. He takes washerman’s load, three tons, four tons. Whole day working, but eating a morsel of grass, that’s all. He has no knowledge that “I take a morsel of grass only, I live. And why whole day I bear these so much tons of clothing of the washerman?”
You have no experience of the ass, ass’s business. In India the washerman loads the ass three tons and he goes to the waterside and the washerman washes all these clothings in some bank of river or reservoir of water. Again evening, the ass brings back the clothing.
So the karmis, they have been described in the Bhagavad-gita: mudha, ass, simply unnecessarily working day and night, whole day and night. You see. Without taking care of the atma, without taking care of the religion. Economic development. What is this nonsense? You are losing yourself." (Lecture SB, Canto 1 Ch 5 text 9-11, New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969)
Srila Prabhupāda - "So by Krsna’s grace if we actually become dharmic, follow Krsna, the milk supply will be so profuse that everyone, even the animals can take the butter and yogurt. That is wanted. That is civilization. Produce sufficient quantity of grains, let the milk, cows, supply sufficient quantity of milk.
All economic question solved. There is no use of industry. No use of man’s going fifty miles to work. No, there is no need. Simply land and cows. Here is the statement. Kamam parjanyah, vavarsa parjanyah sarva-kama-dugha. Everything you’ll get from the land. Even luxury articles. What can be more luxurious article than the jewels?
The jewels are also produced. The medicine is produced, the minerals are produced, gold is produced, diamond is produced from the earth. Sarva kama dugha. You get everything. Make your civilization very perfect, very luxurious simply by satisfying Krsna. This is Krsna consciousness movement." Lecture SB, Canto 1 Ch 10 text 4, Mayapur, June 19, 1973)
Mahamsa dasa - "And this is a very nice thing he said, Prabhupada. He said that “We want to improve things in the countryside to an extent that people from the cities start running to the villages."
Srila Prabhupada - "Yes, that I want. I… Everywhere I go and say, how these rascals…? So much land is lying, and these rascals are not developing. And they are making… What is that? Coal stone. Coal. They are interested with these bricks and stones, not green vegetables. Such a rascal government. Give them facility. We know how to do it.
Annad bhavanti bhutani parjanyad anna-sambhavah, yajnad bhavati parjanyah [Bg. 3.14].
Let them engage in kirtana. There will be more water for gardening, and it will be moist, and then produce fodder for the animals and food for you. And animal gives you milk. That is Vrndavana life. And they are absorbed in this so-called opulence.
Krsna has taken birth. They are bringing so many nice, pleasant foodstuff, very well-dressed and ornamented. These are description. In the morning we were reading. How they were happy, the inhabitants of Vrndavana with Krsna and living and cows. That I want to introduce.
At any cost do it and… Don’t bother about big, big buildings. It is not required. Useless waste of time. Produce. Make the whole field green. See that. Then whole economic question solved. Then you eat sumptuous. Eat sumptuously. The animal is happy.
The animal even does not give milk; let them eat and pass stool and urine. That is welcome. After all, eating, they will pass stool. So that is beneficial, not that simple milk is beneficial. Even the stool is beneficial. Therefore I am asking so much here and…, “Farm, farm, farm, farm…”
That is not my program-Krsna’s program. Annad bhavanti bhutani [Bg. 3.14]. Produce greenness everywhere, everywhere. Vrndavana. It is not this motorcar civilization. If it has taken in his brain, then it is to be understood that he can do this plan. He’ll be able." (Conversation May 27, 1977, Vrndavana)
Srila Prabhupāda - "Locally you produce your own food. You get your own cloth. Have sufficient milk, vegetables. Then what you want more? And chant Hare Krsna. This is Vedic civilization: plain living, high thinking. And poor thinking, poor in thought, poor in behavior, and living with motorcar and this, that, nonsense. It is all nonsense civilization." (Room Conversation, Oct 5, 1975, Mauritius)*^*.
