The Collapse of the Materialistic Civilization has Started, so Let’s Talk About it!

The Collapse of the Materialistic Civilization has Started, so Let’s Talk About it!

BY: ANUTTAMA DD

Yesterday when I brought the Lord’s plate back into the kitchen after the lunch offering, I realized that I had forgotten Tulasi . We haven’t grown Tulasi here because the conditions in our house for the winter would make it very difficult to keep her healthy. We have no windows on the south side of the house and the wood heating means that the east and west windows are colder than would be comfortable for her. While there are 4 other devotees living on property within a quarter mile (2 rounds japa walking), and one of them probably has a Tulasi plant, I’m not going to ask him for leaves and Manjaris for Giriraja and Balajii.

Nine years ago we had a series of mystical synchronicities that led us to this 14 acre, idyllic farm in a protected valley, now known as New Nandagram. Within a short time, several other devotees also had some amazing synchronicities that enabled them to purchase adjoining 5 acre properties just a couple of farms up the street from ours. It seemed that we were all eager to implement Srila Prabhupada’s instructions regarding lifestyle and that Krsna was pleased with our efforts. My husband, Billy, and I had gradually been transitioning into a simple living, high thinking lifestyle by growing a good portion of our food and keeping cows. Our purchase of New Nandagram without a mortgage was like a dream come true.

Unfortunately we quickly discovered that the other devotees all preferred the lifestyle in which they purchase most of their necessities (as opposed to growing or making it), eat food prepared by karmis (bread, pizza, ice cream, chips etc.) and partake of Hollywood entertainment. While, when we first moved here, Billy and I also bought bread and watched Netflix, it was living the lifestyle, caring for cows, that allowed us to gradually realize how harmful these things were for our consciousness. Additionally I feel that we got special mercy from Srila Prabhupada and from Krsna because it is really difficult to live against the grain of our conditioning and accept Srila Prabhupada’s prescription for lifestyle.

Why did the other devotees in our neighborhood choose not to cooperate with us in our efforts to take up the banner of the second half of Srila Prabhupada’s mission? They have apparently been living in an alternative reality and I fear that they’ve transformed into demons. Before you go shouting “vaisnava aparadh!!!”, hear the story, a very private story, one which ordinarily would live its life out in private, quietly fading into the akasha upon the death of everyone who participated in the narrative, but I’m including because it might resonate with my readers.

I started associating weekly over the phone with Padmagarbha prabhu after he contacted me through another devotee. I enjoyed it when he shared his realizations and I shared his interest in becoming prepared for the inevitable changes that would be headed our way.

Padmagarbha’s old friend from Laguna, Gopta prabhu, moved here onto a beautiful property with a bubbling stream and majestic cedar trees. Gopta assisted the very difficult birth of Shyam, whose enormous dad (belonging to the neighbor) had jumped the fence 9 months earlier, and generously bought us so many things that we needed, but couldn’t afford to buy. Shortly after Gopta’s arrival, Padmagarbha was able to buy an adjoining farm and a young devotee couple bought a third adjoining property.

Because we were associating so closely, with daily meals together, we began to notice personality quirks, anarthas, in each other. I was surprised when Padmagarbha, in the middle of watching a movie, suddenly jumped up and severely chastised me for implying that he was low class. I had, much earlier, mildly rebuked him for demeaning women’s bodies, saying that rating women on a scale was low class. Padmagarbha, although he initially laughed off the rebuke, was enraged, even implying that Srila Prabhupada would rank women in such a way. Although now, looking back at it, I probably should have just laughed, (although he was sputteringly mad), I did everything I could think of to appease him, short of taking back my original statement, which I still hold to be true.

That was the beginning of when Padmagarbha (and Gopta and Patrick) went off on individual fantasy narratives while Billy and I stayed on the Reality course. We followed Srila Prabhupada’s instructions to the best of our ability (which wasn’t too great at first) and gradually Krsna exposed (still exposing) my anarthas which I’ve tried to deal with by staying in Reality.

I’ve been encountering devotees who have developed elaborate fantasies around their egos to the point that they are not able to function in Reality, self -perceiving themselves as being the only righteous devotee in spite of deviating in small and large ways. This is to try to hide the anartha. (Of course karmis don’t really know what Reality is, although lately I am able to converse with people on the Reality level and so many people are lately really resonating with “you are not that body!”) If you are wondering if you are living in a fantasy or Reality, please consider these Real statements, which are all either Absolutely True or relatively true:

• We are not these bodies, minds or egos. If someone brings attention to behavior that is less than perfect, we should immediately take the humble position and apologize—lower than a blade of grass. (Even if the person noticing the perceived anartha happens to be in a woman’s body, and even if she’s technically wrong.)
• A person who cannot apologize or recognize that he/she has ever done anything harmful or inconsiderate to another person, might be living in a fantasy, rather than examining an anartha.
• Srila Prabhupada told us that the materialistic civilization would collapse within the lifetimes of his then-living disciples.
• We are presently witnessing the beginning of the collapse of the materialistic civilization.
• This is a great time for devotees to cooperate with one another with the goal to fulfill the second half of Srila Prabhupada’s mission. We’re sure to get Srila Prabhupada’s mercy if we do this in spite of obstacles, mental or otherwise.

(If you feel any emotional response to the above statements, it is an indication that you might want to examine your situation more realistically.)

In the materialistic world, people are living in the fantasy that they are their bodies and that the goal of life is to enjoy the body. Because of that false identification with the body, there is attachment to feeling secure by having the body protected. The demons have frightened the less intelligent people to be afraid of dying of a virus that they admit is very unlikely to kill anyone who isn’t already on death’s doorstep. Some of the ways the demons have convinced people to be afraid is by forcing them to “fear signal” by wearing ridiculous masks (like a deer raising its tail to show the white fear flag) and by taking away their means of livelihood. As devotees, we know that the time and circumstance of our death is determined by Krsna and that no mask or vaccine will change that.

The karmis live in a fantasy in which they believe that sustenance comes from the grocery store and that an educated person is someone with a diploma. They believe that Federal Reserve Notes have value and that the government cares about their health and will keep them safe. They even believe that a vaccine that has never before been used (and similar mRNA corona vaccines, when tested on cats had a delayed 100% fatality rate) should be taken even though the manufacturer is exempt from liability and even though there is no possible way that it has been tested for long term consequences (such as deaths similar to the cats). This is obviously intended as genocide and ranks as a major emergency in the material narrative. I think they intend for everyone who has had the vaccine to be dead within a short time. Just think what that will do for the economy for the survivors! And just think of the condition of the survivors when they will have lost so many loved ones and will likely be traumatized!

It is obvious to anyone living in Reality that the demons have basically declared war on the people, while ensuring that the people remain under hypnosis by watching TV. As the carriers of the Truth, we disciples and followers of Srila Prabhupada, should cooperate to the best of our abilities to ensure that not only do we preserve and pass on Srila Prabhupada’s words, but also that we preserve the Vedic culture that he taught us: wearing tilak, devotional clothes, Deity Worship etc.

So why doesn’t our neighborhood have twice daily rip-roaring kirtans attended by 8 devotees? You’d have to ask the 4 devotees who won’t come because we have begged, pleaded, apologized and conjoled them to help us by going on sankirtan, having a Sunday feast and regular morning program. Srila Prabhupada taught us the concept of phalena pariciyte: judge by the results. It is not too late. All anyone has to do is to accept that he/she is a tiny soul covered by ages of conditioning and humbly ask Srila Prabhupada for help. Help is always there, even if it seems impossible. If we simply chant in the mood of crying for Mother, we will get the help of Mother Hara, the Goddess of Fortune. My best wishes to everyone!

P.S. I can just hear Padmagarbha, “she wrote that I’m a demon!” (Which I didn’t, actually.) Hare Krsna Padmagarbha prabhu, please come over for kirtan and prasadam. We have homemade cheese, shrikhand, dahl and chapatis.. I’m a good cook, I’ll apologize for any offence, and we only worship Srila Prabhupada. If you won’t associate, speaking only of Krsna conscious subjects, it makes we suspect that your fantasy is unable to tolerate the light of the Reality that we are embracing.