https://www.amazon.com/dp/1696418623
Damagosha Prabhu’s Showing His Garden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux6nYbexcEM
TREES AND VEGETABLES, NOT INDUSTRY,
PROVIDE THE REAL MEANS OF LIFE.
PURPORT: Janājīvya-drumākīrṇam: trees and vegetables are essential, and they give happiness all year round, in all seasons. That is the arrangement in Vṛndāvana. It is not that in one season the trees are pleasing and in another season not pleasing; rather, they are equally pleasing throughout the seasonal changes. Trees and vegetables provide the real means of livelihood recommended for everyone. Sarva-kāma-dughā mahī (Bhāg. 1.10.4). Trees and vegetables, not industry, provide the real means of life. (SB/10/13/59)
“A picture is worth a thousand words”…. here a few of what Krsna gives to us here in the way of food production. Hare Krsna. Damaghosa das
Prabhupada: “… Anything grown in the garden, that is hundred times valuable than it is purchased from the market. …and if you ‘can’t’, or no soil, get dried beans, soak, and grow sprouts, and offer, and eat raw, in a few days”
This farm project is especially for the devotees to grow their own food. Cotton also, to make their own clothes. And keeping cows for milk and fatty products.” ( Letter to: Yasomatinandana — Vrindaban 28 November, 1976)
“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 Pieces — May 27, 1977, Vrndavana)
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. ( SB 1.10.4 Purport)
Please Note:
Srila Prabhupada is telling us that anything we grow in our gardens is a 100 times better than any store bought food-even if it’s organic! Why is this so? Because the life force wanes the minute you pick the vegetables and store bought food has been out of the ground, in transit by truck, then stored in some refrigerator for who knows how long?
Hare Krishna.
Great video from Damaghosa Prabhu, its inspiring to see other devotees growing their own foods. There is nothing like each morning going around your small holding and picking the very fresh foods for your offerings. And as he said the freshness is very important to health because of the Prana in the food. By the time you get market bought foods home to cook the prana is almost all gone which defeats the whole purpose of eating.
Like Prabhuji here we also have been growing all our own foods for decades now. And it is a delight.
One thing i have never understood is why Iskcon have never really got to grips with this service. Of course there are pockets of devotees in Iskcon that do grow food but on the whole devotees still depend on bought foods from the markets and therefore they still reinforce the concepts of capitalism to earn money to buy foods. I think what Iskcon should have developed is the concept of community so devotees live together and produce all their foods, services and goods for each other and so to by-pass the capitalistic economy and create their own internal economy so by-passing the needs to earn huge amounts of money.
With an internal economy all the produce is bartered. Within an agrarian simple lifestyle the economy simplifies the needs for hard money and a social system is slowly established.
I am baffled why on earth devotees have themselves not worked this out yet because the lifestyle absolutely integrates with devotional service, bhakti yoga and Krishna Consciousness. And the balance of the time left over can be for devotees to come together in Kirtana. I think Srila Prabhupada outlined this whole lifestyle as a very important component of His Iskcon.