BY: VRINDAVANLILA DD
Jan 03, 2011 — Uttar Pradesh, India — After a long gap, I went to my village, Deviapur, near Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. As I got down from the train everything was a surprise. Earlier we used to go to the house (which is just 2 kms or so) from the railway station either on bicycle or bullock cart (as kids we preferred the latter option), but now smoke bellowing car and motorcycles were there to receive us.
As my cousins kept showing us our green fields, I could see that for distances together there was hardly any bullock seen pulling the cart or tilling the land. There was this demoniac huffing and puffing tractor. Its very appearance was detesting, though it was a symbol of high status and wealth in the village. Where have the cows and bulls vanished?
The correlation between dwindling number of cows and bulls in the villages (or widened mechinisation) and increasing number of slaughter houses in our country is not so difficult to understand.
We live in the age of ‘Utility theory’ where utility is the defining quotient of that creature’s ‘validity’ to live. An object is respected as long as it is of economic utility to other human beings!
In the Vedic age or even 20 years ago there was no concept of ‘Old age homes’, but now they can be seen simply because there are no longer joint families and also when the old people are no longer considered economically productive by the younger generation, they are thrown out if not exposed to slow death.
The younger generation is no longer following its traditional occupation, weaver’s son is no longer a weaver but an ‘educated’ youth scouting for job in the city and then work like an ass. Like a typical ass he enjoys the slavery. “The general mass of people work very hard, especially in the age of Kali. In this age the human being is actually engaged in the work of an ass, carrying heavy burdens and driving thela and rickshaws. The so-called advancement of human civilization has engaged a human being in the work of an ass. The laborers in great factories and workshops are also engaged in such burdensome work, and after working hard during the day, the poor laborer has to be again kicked by the fair sex, not only for sex enjoyment but also for so many household affairs. SP: Purport to SB 2.3.19
Even when own children are considered to be potential burden, they are murdered (aborted) even before they are born, all in the name of development. When a wife cannot be employed to bring in some easy cash, she can be burnt alive, all in the name of dowry.
When the mother cow is aged and cannot be employed for milk and other economic reasons, is sent to slaughter house; since bull has been replaced by a tractor and is now unemployed (rendered economically unproductive), he is also sold to the butcher.
When a living being is unemployed and is thus rendered economically unproductive (even though it may be because of our faulty policies), the only solution to that is getting riddance of that creature. …What a civilized society we live in!
So what is this employment which has doomed our society? Let us look back to understand it better. The false modern education model has totally devastated our spiritual roots and produced only ‘shudras’ – First violation of ‘varnasrama dharma’.
The Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, and Vaishyas are independent in nature. It is only shudras who are dependent. The newly churned out ‘educated’ and ‘illusioned’ shudras can no longer continue their traditional occupations – Second violation. Agriculture is left behind with the parents as they leave in search of job for cities – Another violation. One violation leads to series of violations.
The laws of nature punish the violators. From being independent they are dependent in the cities. Despite the bitterness, this trend is so rampant that mass exodus of youth from villages have left the elderly parents with no hands to help them in agriculture and other traditional occupations.
They are either selling their lands off to industrialists or employing machines to till the land and other works as agriculture and other traiditional occupations are fundamentally labour-intensive. As if this was not enough, it results in unemployment of not just human beings, but also of animals like bulls, cows, horses etc. dooming their future – creating slaughterhouse civilization.
Villages are no longer able to support as they have dearth of working hands, while cities cannot support simply because they are founded on a wrong model. They have only broken families, nuclear set ups, polluted air, criminal activities, artificial surrounding to the extent of GM food, unhygienic water, noise, pong-pom of blaring sirens and unemployment to offer. But we love to chase the ‘American dream’. In our desire to support modern city life are we not killing the villages, are we not creating more unemployment for both animals and men alike and thus not becoming murderers?
In a daivi varnasrama set up, it is noteworthy that the Lord is at the center of all activities. In the Vedic age, one must work to have just enough to keep the body and soul together so that the precious life could be utilized for spiritual pursuit. Now materialism has crept in so deep that it has occupied the center stage even in education. Now we have ‘vocational education’.
The very purpose of education, occupation and life has been shifted from spiritual to material. The employment is also so unnatural, violating the very basis of guna and karma which is such a scientific social model of occupation, living life in all its intricacies without losing sight of the goal of life.
Wasn’t life beautiful earlier? The arrival of mornings were declared by mooing sound of cows instead of mechanical alarm, one took bath while frolicking in the stream instead of sitting next to commode, one took pleasure in climbing on the trees and feasting on fresh fruits instead of fridge-stored polythene wrapped GM fruit….so much we have lost already.
The description of village life in Vrindavan will make anybody go nostalgic. The problems emerge when we want to displace the Lord from the center and want us to be the enjoyer. We want to imitate Him and even become Him. This results in our violation of His order and material life. Krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare nikata-stha maya tare japatiya dhare (Prema-vivarta).
As we violate our natural set up (which is of village), the nature wreaks its vengeance in several forms – disease, famine, calamities etc. While on the other hand, when we try to make an effort to live in the manner in which the Lord desired us to be (in a Daivi Varnasrama set up) the nature is there so facilitate it.
Returning to our roots is not so difficult as we think. The tenuous bond with land, cow, and Krishna has to be revived and we need to make more natural and scientific choice – make vrindavan villages.
Krishna is providing all necessities of life. Duly, there is seasonal changes. You get seasonal fruits, flowers, grains, and all necessities. You’ll be still given chance, especially to the human being, that you get all supplies, necessities.
Eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman. All necessities, But again you revive your consciousness, Krishna consciousness. That is the plan. But if you do not revive your Krishna consciousness, if you simply enjoy the senses, then there will be restriction of supply. This is the law. That is the restriction of supply. Therefore, there will be no rain. And if there is no rain, what factory will do, you rascal? [From SP’s lecture BG 2.12, London, August 18, 1973]
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