Simple Living, High Thinking #14

For the week of September 22nd-28th, 2008


Watch your step...oops! Yes, that's fresh tomato juice in between your toes. It's all part of a week's work at the Small Farm Training Center here at New Vrindaban Dham.

What we got done

-This week's Farm Circle was a ol-fashioned hoot of a time, as Devananda Pandit and a loyal crew assembled at the Radha-Kunda home of HH Varsana Swami to make some fresh apple cider. While the quantity of the cider was small, the quality was immense enough to make those store-bought cartons of cider hide their head in shame. Here's some pics...










Govind likes...


...apples!

HH Varsana Swami spoke on how the simple life that Prabhupada prescribed is very conducive to the most important thing in our lives, which is developing our relationship with Krsna. Without the teeming distractions of the life of urban decay, we can actually cultivate the art of always thinking of Krsna, and never forgetting Him.

-The season-concluding harvest continued up top at the Garden of Seven Gates, as we were able to finish off our crop of tomatoes and pull the remaining plants out of the ground. Where once they grew on vines to green and orange and red results now stands only the dirt and the occasional scampering mouse. After finishing the big job, Chris once again remarked that he felt "like a manly man."

We have a large stock of green and red tomatoes of varying varieties and sizes in the cooler. Please share in our harvest for you and your family's needs! See Tapah or Chris if you would like some tomatoes.

Also being pulled up and out this week were more and more green beans, okra, and bitter melon. We also continue to harvest our cayenne, jalapeno, and paprika peppers. Tapah is currently patiently and lovingly dehydrating the paprikas for use in the cool seasons ahead.

Looking ahead to next year, we've begun to have manure fertilizer laid down on our beds up top, with the loving donation of such revitalizing poop coming from our dear mother holy heifers in the RVC Goshalla. Thanks Mom!




Poop power

-Here's some news on our next meeting concerning community options on the natural gas drilling issue: There will be an open meeting for all devotees Tuesday evening, September 30 to share realizations about the drilling for gas lease options available for devotee private land owners and New Vrndavana corporations.

The meeting will be held in the bottom of the guest lodge.

The schedule is 6:15 pm kirtan, 6:30 pm open forum, 8:30 pm pizza and nectar drink prasadam.

Please come and share information, realizations and association! See you there!

What we realized
-As Phani prabhu was told this week, what it really boils down to is that we're between ice ages, so it's best to just get the heck off this planet ASAP (in a respectable, devotional way of course).

In more serious terms, we can debate and cajole and argue about the science of global warming, its causes and effects, its political and emotional and social costs, etc etc. If you want to become deeply absorbed in this debate, there's a place called the Internet which is perfect for you. While we should be educated in this regard, we must not lose sight of our common sense.

Our common sense is that as, devotees of Krsna, ahimsa stands as one of the key principles. Naturally, from there we should have a deep-rooted desire and ability to respect the Earth and its inhabitants, from our human neighbours down to the scurrying ant.

Al Gore's power-points may be entertaining and educational, but having a truly spiritual view of life means that it doesn't take much convincing to be environmentally responsible. Our common sense tells us not to exploit our fellow animal residents. Common sense tells us not that genetic altering of our foodstuffs, without due caution, is an unseemly enterprise. Common sense shows us the effects of industrialized pollution.

Disrespecting our Mother Earth is never pretty and never beneficial. We should live on the higher tip, practically as devotees, showing what it means to be connected to the dirt under our feet, and how to use that dirt in the most delicious and dynamic ways.

All the big bang boom of the industrial world is stifling the common sense of simplicity. Let us together bring back what was ours once and what we have now forgotten.

Please help us out! Your hands, heads, and hearts can help us restore Srila Prabhupada's vision of self-sufficency here at New Vrindaban Dham. We're out shining and even in the rain in the Teaching Garden across the street from the RVC Temple, or up the hill at the Garden of Seven Gates. See HG Tapahpunja Prabhu for all the details.

Click here for more info on the Small Farm Training Center.

Stay tuned for next week's update! Hari Haribol!