Prabhupāda Directs His Disciples to Become Self-Sufficient by Producing Grains
Modern society often forces individuals to engage in grueling labor just to survive, but a spiritual community should operate on a higher, more peaceful standard. To protect his followers from unnecessary economic struggles, Śrīla Prabhupāda repeatedly emphasized the importance of developing self-sufficient farm communities. He directs his students to produce their own food grains, protect cows, and live simply, explaining that this natural lifestyle saves invaluable time for spiritual advancement.
Solving Economic Problems Through Agriculture
The dependency on industrial cities and complex economic systems creates immense anxiety and artificial scarcity. To counteract this, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that simply by utilizing vacant land to grow food grains and keep cows, all basic economic problems are immediately solved. He instructs his followers to rely on the natural gifts of the earth rather than seeking distant employment, ensuring that their daily needs are met peacefully and securely.
- For plain living we must have sufficient land for raising crops and pasturing grounds for the cows. If there is sufficient grains and production of milk, then the whole economic problem is solved.
- There is no economic problem. We can produce our own food and clothes, gradually, and save time for spiritual life.
- The real business is that you produce enough food grains, as much as possible, and you eat and distribute. That's all. This is business. He does not require any so high technical education. Anyone can till the ground and grow food. Is it difficult?
- Our farm projects are an extremely important part of our movement. We must become self-sufficient by growing our own grains and producing our own milk, then there will be no question of poverty.
Saving Time for Spiritual Advancement
The ultimate goal of life is not simply to eat and sleep, but to awaken one's eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord. Therefore, Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that the true purpose of a self-sufficient village is to minimize the time spent on bodily maintenance. By avoiding unnecessary luxuries and complicated urban jobs, devotees free up their energy to focus entirely on chanting, studying scripture, and distributing spiritual knowledge.
- As we are doing in Mayapur and many other places, I want to develop self-sufficient centers with cloth and food production by the devotees locally and save time as much as possible to devote themselves to chant Hare Krishna.
- Now, we should have self-sufficiency. This means to make our own food grains grow and to weave our own cloth - like in Mayapur. If we have food grains, milk, and cloth life becomes easy and we can save time for preaching and chanting.
- Produce your own food and produce your own cloth. Don't waste time for luxury, and chant Hare Krsna. This is success of life.
- You have got this land; develop it. Don't go away. Develop it. That is my instruction. Keep cows, as many cows as possible. You don't require practice. Produce your own food, own milk - save time; chant Hare Krsna. This is perfect.
Establishing Local Independence
Relying on outside sources for basic necessities creates a dangerous vulnerability for any community. To protect the society from external economic shifts, Śrīla Prabhupāda strongly advocated for complete local independence. He found it highly undesirable for practitioners to travel long distances just to earn their livelihood, advising them instead to stay on their land, cultivate their own crops, and support themselves directly from nature.
- My idea is that all our centers should be self-supported. We do not like that idea that for your support you have to go 100 miles to get your bread. That is a very dangerous drawback. You produce your food locally and then support yourself.
- That you are growing all your own grains is very good. It is my ambition that all devotees may remain self independent by producing vegetables, grains, milk, fruits, flowers, and by weaving their own cloth in handlooms.
- I am now organizing in Europe and America many farm lands so that my devotees can live there peacefully, grow their own foodstuffs, produce cloth, and save time for chanting Hare Krishna.
- Read our books, chant Hare Krsna, live very simple life, produce your own necessities. Don't go to the town.
Setting the Ideal Example for Society
The modern world is plagued by unnecessary animal slaughter, environmental exploitation, and pervasive anxiety. By establishing thriving, peaceful farm communities, Śrīla Prabhupāda intended to show a practical alternative to the materialistic way of life. He wants his disciples to prove to the public that human beings can live completely satisfied and healthy lives simply by depending on grains, vegetables, and the protection of cows.
- 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.
- If we can keep cows sufficiently and grow our necessary foodstuffs, then we shall show a new way of life to your countrymen.
- You get from all the farms all your necessities, then it will be successful. Fodder, milk, grains, vegetables, and animals and man will be satisfied, and you can chant Hare Krishna. No unnecessary cow killing, and no unnecessary needs of the body.
- Be self-sufficient so that these rascals may see that how one can live very peacefully, eating the food grains and milk, and chant Hare Krsna. This is our mission.
Developing Specific Farm Communities
The instructions for self-sufficiency were not merely theoretical concepts; they were active mandates applied to specific projects worldwide. When guiding communities like Māyāpur, New Vrindaban, and other rural centers, Śrīla Prabhupāda gave precise orders on how to utilize the land. He envisioned these locations as magnificent examples of traditional culture, where vast quantities of food could be grown to sustain both the residents and the surrounding populations.
- We are developing a plan to be self-sufficient. Namely, to produce our food grains, maintain cows, for drinking milk, and weave cloth for garments. We have plans for erecting a magnificent international city based on this Vedic culture.
- I want that Mayapur be self-sufficient by having its own production of grains, vegetables, fruits and milk products etc., to the extent that you will be able to feed at least 500 men daily.
- The whole idea of New Vrindaban is that men who are living there should produce their own food, of which milk is the principal thing.
- Gradually develop (New Mayapura), make little cottages, grow little vegetable, little barley or wheat and milk. That is sufficient. We don't require much. We don't want luxury.
Conclusion
The establishment of self-sufficient communities is a core pillar of a spiritually progressive society. By strictly following the practical directives of Śrīla Prabhupāda, devotees can detach themselves from the anxieties of modern urban living. Producing their own grains and protecting cows not only ensures their basic survival but ultimately grants them the precious time needed to perfect their spiritual lives.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Producing Our Grains. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.