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Prabhupada’s Vision for New Vrindaban: Simple Living and High Thinking

24 Jan 2015 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Hayagriva das, Letters by Srila Prabhupada Tags: Conversations and Letters, economic problems are solved, Europeans and Americans, healthy life for executing Krishna consciousness, lectures, Letter to Hayagriva, Letters by Srila Prabhupada, plain living, production of milk, protection or cows, simple living high thinking

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…So, if you seriously want to convert this new spot as New Vrindaban, I shall advise you not to make it very much modernized. But as you are American boys, you must make it just suitable to your minimum needs. Not to make it too much luxurious as generally Europeans and Americans are accustomed. Better to live there without modern amenities. But to live a natural healthy life for executing Krishna Consciousness. It may be an ideal village where the residents will have plain living and high thinking. 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. (Letter to Hayagriva by Srila Prabhupada, June 1968)

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Simple Living, High Thinking

28 Nov 2012 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Rupa Goswami, The Nectar of Instruction, Upadesamrta Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, krsna consciousness, Rupa Goswami, simple living high thinking, Srila Prabhupada, The Nectar of Instruction, Upadesamrta

This is Text 2 in our series on The Nectar of Instruction or the Upadeśāmṛta which was originally given to us by Rūpa Gosvāmī, to guide our activities, as we advance in our Krsna Consciousness. The original Text was translated by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada with purports given, so that we may become pure Vaiṣṇavas.

…Kṛṣṇa conscious devotees know very well that this material world is designed by the complete arrangement of the Lord to fulfill all the necessities of life for all living beings, without their having to encroach upon the life or rights of one another. This complete arrangement affords the proper quota of wealth for everyone according to his real needs, and thus everyone may live peacefully according to the principle of plain living and high thinking. Unfortunately, materialists who have neither faith in the plan of God nor any aspiration for higher spiritual development misuse their God-given intelligence only to augment their material possessions. They devise many systems—such as capitalism and materialistic communism—to advance their material position. They are not interested in the laws of God or in a higher goal. Always anxious to fulfill their unlimited desires for sense gratification, they are conspicuous by their ability to exploit their fellow living beings.

Simple Living, High Thinking

12 Apr 2011 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in High Thinking Tags: electritcy, Kirtanananda Swami, necessities of life, New Vrindavan, petroleum, simple living high thinking, Srila Prabhupada, Western civilization

Plain Living, High Thinking
By Srila Prabhupada

The following conversation between His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Kirtanananda Swami , and Kulashekara dasa took place in New Vrindaban in June of 1976.

[Srila Prabhupada holds up a flower.] See the minute fibers in this flower. Can anyone manufacture this in a factory — such small fibers? And how brilliant the color is! If you study only one flower, you become God conscious. There is a machine that you call “nature,” and from this machine everything is coming. But who has built this machine?