Rags to riches story-and then some

May 31, 2012 in Articles, Damaghosa Dasa by Damaghosa dasa

A rags to riches story-and then  some

A  jobless man applied for the position of ‘office boy’ at Microsoft. The HR  manager interviewed him then watched him cleaning the floor as a test.   ‘You are employed’ he said. Give me your e-mail address and I’ll send you the  application to fill in, as well as date when you may start.
The man  replied ‘But I don’t have a computer, neither an email’. ‘I’m sorry’, said the  HR manager. If you don’t have an email that means you don’t exist. And who  doesn’t exist, can’t have the job.’
The man left with no hope at all. He  didn’t know what to do, with only $10 in his pocket. He then decided to go to  the supermarket and buy a 10Kg tomato crate.
He then sold the tomatoes in  a door to door round. In less than two hours, he succeeded to double his  capital. He repeated the operation three times, and returned home with  $60.
The man realized that he can survive by  this way, and started to go every day earlier, and return late. Thus, his money  doubled or tripled every day. Shortly, he bought a cart, then a truck, and then  he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles.
5 years later, the man is one  of the biggest food retailers in the US. He started to plan his family’s future,  and decided to have a life insurance.
He called an insurance broker, and  chose a protection plan.
When the conversation was concluded the broker  asked him his email. The man replied, ‘I don’t have an email.’
The broker  answered curiously, ‘You don’t have an email, and yet have succeeded to build an  empire. Can you imagine what you could have been If you had an e mail?!!’ The  man thought for a while and replied, ‘Yes, I’d be an office boy at Microsoft!’ 

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Although this story is fictitious, it  illustrates a good point.  That point is that if one learns how to
“think out of the box” as the karmis say, then a  whole new world unfolds for us. If we take the same old path trodden by   the majority of work people of this world, then we will most probably have our  9-5 job, possibly some security, and more remotely, even some retirement  benefits-maybe, although in todays financial world, none of these things are  100% for sure. 
On the other hand, if we are learning some  things from the great world Acarya Srila Prabhupada, then he will inform us that  taking the road traveled by millions isnt necessarily the best one, the safest  one, or the one sanctioned by Lord Krsna Himself.  Srila Prabhupada is  trying to get us all to start becoming more “independent” in our  thinking  and living patterns. And we all know to break old habits is  almost impossible to do. But break them we can do, if we submissively hear the  words of the Lords representative.
Let’s hear what he has to  say-
1. Hari-sauri: Should we try to make an effort to have  our householders go and live  on the farms, a special effort? If it’s ready  to do that? Prabhupada: Why   householders? Everyone.
2…” Indian people are little clever. They would come  from  the village to the city alone, not with family. They earn money and  send  to the family. And whenever they like, they go away. They’re not  dependent. And if you bring family, you have to  work. That system  is still going on. The village men, they come but  they do not bring their  family. Family remains in the village. He earns,  he lives some way or other  and sends money there, and the wife who is  intelligent. He (she) accumulates  the money and when there is enough money he (she)  purchases  land,investment. So… In after few years, when they  have got enough  land, they do not come back. They produce their own  necessities. Very  nice. Hare Krsna. As soon as they are self-sufficient from the  land they  no more work. That’s a good idea. Remain  in the village with  family…
3…  750514mw.per                  Conversations                 Prabhupada: The solution is  there. They won’t take it. Solution  is there, that everyone produce your  own food. There is so much  land; utilize it. The solution  is there. No. They want to sit down on  the table, chair, in a very nice  compartment, and making solution.
Amogha: He was saying that your solution was too simple. He   said that people will not accept it because it is too simple.
Prabhupada:That is his ignorance. They will say it is  primitive.That is the only solution.
4..Simple living and high  thinking is the solution to economic  problems. Therefore the  Krsna consciousness movement  in engaging devotees in producing their own  food and  living self-sufficiently so that rascals may see  how one can live  very peacefully, eat the food grains one has grown  oneself, drink milk,  and chant Hare Krsna.
5..Therefore I am asking so much here and…,  “Farm, farm, farm, farm…” That is not  my program–Krsna’s program. Annad bhavanti  bhutani. Produce greenness everywhere, everywhere.  Vrndavana. It is not this  motorcar civilization.
6..This  is our education. Don’t be after these motorcars, television, and all nonsense  things, sporting, wine, women. Don’t be after these.Simply eat sufficiently, keep your health nicely, chant Hare  Krsna,
realize Krsna, and go  back  to home This is our philosophy
7.. A little labor in  agriculture will be sufficient to produce the  family’s food stock for the whole year. You can stock. You work only three months, and you get sufficient  food for your whole family. And less nine months, you chant Hare Krsna.  But these rascals will not do that. They will work hard like ass  simply for eating.
8..We want two favours. One from guru, one from Krsna.That’s  all. We don’t want anyone’s favour.————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Below is some  spring pictures right now of the garden fields and basically getting it all  ready

below-cold frame with  so much lettuce we cant eat it all

 

one of the over  wintered cauliflowers-huge isnt it? and very flavorful as well

 

this below is the last  of the hubbard squash- 14 pounder ! and also very sweet and

according to  Ayurveda-its a rasayana food, just like milk

 

below is field #1 with  greenhouse at back with about 175 potato plants in front-most all

coming up-this is  enough for us all year, all the programs we do and then some…

foreground is peas on  the wire mesh

 

inside the greenhouse  with about 65 tomato plants, some peppers and eggplants

 

here is way too many  basil seedlings for the space they’re in-we make pesto sauce

from what we done eat  fresh

 

two kinds of grapes on  vines-makes great raisins too

 

 below is 6 frames for  about 400 pole bean plants

 

18 blueberry plants-a  great antioxidant food

 

except for the rice,  all of this beautiful plate came from the garden

Summary of some  Quotes on this subject-
 

  ►740524r2.rom                Conversations …  Yes, naturally. If this man is fed up with  this industry, he can go back to village and  produce his own food. But he is attached to this  industrial activity because he is thinking that “We are getting more money  for wine and woman and meat. Let me enjoy.” That is the perfect,  imp… But  if he chants Hare Krsna maha-mantra, his consciousness will be purified and he will be made not  interested this kind of work. He will go back to  village and produce food.

 

 

►740525mw.rom                Conversations Prabhupada: Yes.  (break) …encouraging in our society to take to agriculture to  support this center. I am purchasing land in Vrndavana and Mayapura to become self-sufficient. Whatever production you make, you  be satisfied. Little vegetable, little grain and little milk. That is  sufficient.

 

►740525mw.rom                Conversations Prabhupada: Yes, that was Gandhi’s philosophy, village  organization. These people, they are attracting villagers to work in the  factory, and they are exploiting them…. our philosophy. Make your  life successful. By becoming Krsna conscious, you become free from  all these troubles of material  condition. This is our education. Don’t be after these  motorcars, television, and all nonsense things, sporting, wine, women. Don’t  be after these. Simply eat sufficiently, keep  your health nicely, chant Hare Krsna, realize Krsna,  and go back  to home This is our philosophy…

 

►740527mw.rom                Conversations Prabhupada: Yes, it will go on, but when they will see that  your ideal community is better than city life, people will take to it.  Param drstva nivartate. When one gets a better standard of life,  naturally he will give up the lower standard  of life.

 

740602mw.gen                 Conversations                 364211/530501 Prabhupada: Wasteful, yes. Therefore I say they have no brain.  All, they are rascals. Rascal leaders. A  little labor in agriculture will be sufficient to produce the family’s food stock for the whole  year. You can stock. You work only three months, and you get sufficient  food for your whole family.And less nine months, you chant Hare Krsna.  But these rascals will not do that. They will  work hard like ass simply for eating.  Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma yad indriya-pritaya aprnoti. They will not  accept easy life.

 

►740621mw.ger                Conversations Prabhupada: Most unnatural life. City life, most  unnatural.

 

►750403mw.may                Conversations There are so many land. Come here and grow food. Grow fruit.  That is… That is the desire of  Krsna. Annad bhavanti  bhutani. Produce food and eat in sufficiently, be strong, and chant  Hare Krsna. That is our  philosophy. Why you are producing bolts and nuts, tire  and tubes? Eat. Rascal. They do not know that first of all you must  eat. No, everyone is engaged in industry. Why? Krsna does not say  that “Take to industry.” Krsna says, “Produce  foodstuff.” Annad bhavanti bhutani. If you produce  foodstuff, then both your animals, yourself, will be happy,  becoming strong. Why do they manufacture other  things?

 

►760912rc.vrn                Conversations Prabhupada: No, they’re thinking that so many people are coming  to the cities, how we shall provide them? That’s a problem. After  all government has to supply them rations. Where is so much foodstuff?  And if they are not supplied, then there will be resentment. That’s  a fact. What they are doing in the city, so many scooter (makes  motor sound), going here and there. Actually no engagement. The girls  are loitering in the street by dressing. It will become more and  more problems, city life. So this is the solution, that they must go  back to the village. But they are  trained up to enjoy the facilities, so-called facilities, of the city. They  are not going to village. But if we can introduce this hari-sankirtana, and  if they have little taste, that is success. It’s a great program. And that  taste will come–ceto-darpana-marjanam. If he simply becomes  little sober that “I want to eat, I have to  sleep, I want some sense enjoyment and defense. So if I can  get easily in the village, why shall I go three  hundred miles away? Just keep in mind  the psychology. So that simple life will be possible if one is bhakta. Bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir  anyatra syat. Only by devotion. Not by  otherwise. Not by artificial means, by manufacturing  toilet. Only bhakti. If they get little attachment for

Krsna the questions  will be solved automatically. And they will be happy. Undoubtedly. That is  the Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s first instruction. Ceto-darpana.

 

760916rc.vrn                 Conversations                 452281/530501 Prabhupada: Yes, also. Otherwise, we have seen in our childhood  how happy people were. They were. Simple. If one has five rupees  income per month he’s happy. I’ve seen it.  Husband, wife, a small family. If he has got five  rupees income, they can maintain very nicely, happily. Why not? Suppose  he has got five rupees income. The rice was selling at four rupees. So two  person, say one-fourth kg., one-fourth share each. A gentleman cannot eat  more than that. So means half a share. And the whole month, fifteen share. It  is about one rupee eight annas. And further, one rupees eight annas add for  vegetables and other things. With three rupees they can maintain, the husband  and wife. And two rupees still there. He can spend for other purposes. I have  seen it. Fresh vegetables, rice, this and… Just like with banana  leaf. The pots were of earthen, the wife is cooking and she’s utilizing  dry foliage as fuel, a little temperature, everything is cooked.  The husband takes one banana leaf and spreads, and the wife  gives sufficient rice, vegetables. And things were so cheap. I have seen  it. And fresh.

 

►761102rc.vrn                Conversations Prabhupada: How they can defeat us? We have got so solid  ground. How they can defeat, these rascals? We consider them simply rascals  and fools. And we call them rascals and fools. What do they know  of religion? What do they know of God? They know slaughterhouse  and killing and illicit sex, and killing the fetus. That’s all. What  do they know? They are not even civilized. We have come to make  them civilized. They should understand. They are not civilized. They do  not (know) how to eat even. The first principle of life is eating. They  do not know how to eat. We are teaching them how to eat. They  simply challenge, that’s… When men are uncivilized, they do not how  to grow food, they kill animals in  the jungle and eat. When they  are civilized, they know how to grow food now  and the nice food grains, fruit,  flowers, now why should say, “You eat the meat.”  The meat-eating is meant for the most uncivilized persons. That means  they do not know even how to eat. They do not know how to eat. How to  eat, how to sleep, how to have sex. Nothing. They’re having sex like cats and  dogs.

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►761102rc.vrn                Conversations Prabhupada: No, we don’t care for Indians and Europeans. We  care for Krsna, that’s all. I didn’t care for anyone. I simply care …  s protection, that’s all. That is wanted. Guru-krsna-krpaya  paya bhakti-lata-bija. We want two favours. One from guru, one  from Krsna. That’s all. We don’t want  anyone’s favour.

 

760814rc.bom                 Conversations                 446983/530501 Prabhupada: :So people are being trained up to become  mad, pramattah. And do anything, bring money.This is the modern civilization. Nunam pramattah kurute  vikarma. Things which are forbidden, they are doing that. Why?  Indriya-pritaya aprnoti, only for sense gratification. They have no other  ambition. Bring money and gratify senses. This is modern civilization. This  is the exact explanation–nunam pramattah kurute vikarma. Black money, white  money, this money, that…, never mind, bring money. Indian Doctor:  (laughter) By any way. Prabhupada: Yes, this is modern civilization. Big man,  big rich man means bring money some way or other. This is big man. This  is Kali-yuga. Because if you have got money, you have got respect,  you have got honor, you are recognized. So therefore they are after  money. Bring money, that’s all right. When I shall  get money, I may have done black money, force money, this  money, nobody will remember it. Bas. This is modern  civilization. Bring money and enjoy sense. Nunam pramattah  kurute vikarma. What for it is, struggle so much working

hard? Yad indriya-pritaya.  Only for the satisfaction of the senses. They have no other ambition. Because  most of them, they do not believe there is next life. Most of them, 99.9  percent, they do not believe. Big, big professor, I have talked with so many  big, big men in Europe.

 

►760731r2.par                Conversations … little cottages, grow little vegetable, little barley or  wheat and milk. That is sufficient. We don’t require much. We don’t want  luxury. We want just to subsist. Yavad artha prayojana. We hate the idea  of luxury, unnecessary.

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►760802rc.par                Conversations … of how to utilize the whole land. The situation is very  good, good prospect. I want that self-independent here, as  far as possible. But you have got enough materials. With woods you can make  cottages. Then land becomes clear, then utilize it.

 

►760812mw.teh                Conversations Prabhupada: No, that work is recommended. Your question is  how Krsna is giving you instruction. Just like food, Krsna says annad  bhavanti bhutani. You produce anna. Krsna never said that you produce tire  tubes. Never says.

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.►760714iv.ny                 Conversations … So we get enough milk, enough food grains,  enough fruits. So there is no economic problem. Our  purpose is to save time from unnecessary necessities of  life, from unnecessary  necessities of life, to save time and utilize the time for developing  Krsna consciousness. And so far the body is concerned, as much as it  … is required take and maintain the body. That’s all.

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690511rc.col                 Conversations                 321594/53 Prabhupada: Yes. Farming, agriculture, that is nice. There is  a proverb: agriculture is the noblest profession. Is it not  said? Agriculture is noblest, and Krsna was farmer, His  father.

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►770527rc.vrn                                             Conversations …  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 … .. 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 … 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. Produce greenness everywhere,  everywhere. Vrndavana. It is not this  motorcar civilization.

We  want two favours. One from guru, one from  Krsna. That’s all. We don’t want anyone’s  favour.

 

 

760427rc.auc                 Conversations                 419704/530501 Prabhupada: Not only one, you hundreds of temples construct.  Village to village, town to…. At the same time, man. And it  will revolutionize the whole rascal situation. At the present moment, it  is rascal situation. They’re simply satisfied by driving the  motor…. putputputputputputputputput!  (Prabhupada makes the sound of a roaring motor). They are thinking, “Oh,  how highly I am situated.” All crazy. But this has been taught to them  that “This is civilization. If you have got a motorcycle and you can come  like the wild cat, (all laugh) then you are civilized.” They are thinking  how great civilized they are; we are thinking how wild cat he is. And  what is the difference between wild cat and running dog and this motorcycle?  Put-put? What is the difference?

 

►760120mw.may                Conversations Prabhupada: A devotee will never accept materialism, even if he  dies of starvation. You’ll see so many still. They are sticking …  that. They don’t care for any bodily care. “Some food comes; I shall  eat. Never mind.” Still you’ll find. They are sitting in their place  and chanting or meditating …

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Prabhupada: Hm? Yes.  So you have to preach all over the world that “You are simply wasting time by  so many department of knowledge. You are so foolish, rascal.” Srama eva hi  kevalam. Simply wasting time. I think I explained that to that gentleman last  morning? He said in one hour, two hour you  should devote… Not two hour. Twenty-four hour. Did I not  say? Yes. Because that is the only business. We have  no other business. Our Society is practically demonstrating that this  is the only business and no other business. We therefore do not try  even to earn our livelihood. That is the natural instinct of every  animal. But we do not try even for that. Is it not? Prabhupada: Yes.  Let them see practically. We are not busy how to go to the office, how to the  business place. We are not interested. We are simply interested for  mangala arati, for class, for chanting, dancing. That’s all. Practically see.  We are not going to any office

or any business.

►760731rc.par                Conversations Prabhupada: Vasan danto guror hitam. The  beginning of life is how to become cent percent obedient to  guru. That is Gurukula.  That training should be given. The whole process is that our life will be  successful when we strictly follow guru and Krsna. Guru means Krsna;  Krsna means guru. Not Mayavada, but guru means one who follows Krsna, he is  guru. ————————–

 

►761102rc.vrn                Conversations Prabhupada: No, we don’t care for Indians and Europeans. We  care for Krsna, that’s all. I didn’t care for anyone. I simply care …  s protection, that’s all. That is wanted. Guru-krsna-krpaya  paya bhakti-lata-bija. We want two favours. One from guru, one  from Krsna. That’s all. We don’t want  anyone’s favour.

 

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