By Dusyanta das
Now we can follow the Global Economic model and hear the comprehensive reports and opinions on Capitalistic health it has now become apparent that the capitalistic model is on the cusp of failing and disappearing. It’s not that an economic model that has been conceived by man will last forever as long as we maintain its veracity. All things created by man are imperfect, transient and liable to fail. And today in 2016 the Capitalistic model has reached its zenith and now is on the way down and out. It does not come as any surprise for devotees that man-made processes and systems have a limited capacity and lifetime. Capitalism is created, approximately 250 years ago, its maintained for some time and then its self-destroyed.
Now the pertinent and relevant points for devotees is that Iskcon is a preaching community and has to either create its own economic model or follow Capitalism. And the preaching capacity on the economic model for devotees has not been focussed on whatsoever in Iskcon. Our whole remit is to introduce the alternative economic model that replaces all other models of economy for several reasons. Firstly, devotees have to understand why we have to preach the alternative rather than just follow the capitalistic model. If we don’t understand this first principle in Iskcon then we will never change it nor shall we ever be able to exemplify it. If Iskcon keeps on its strategic path, then we will fail our remit of preaching the economic alternative. We have to practice what we preach or else we fail our preaching.
Secondly, we have to understand what the Krishna Conscious economic model is so we can then practice it and replace the divisive, abusive and exploitative capitalistic model. The alternative model is based on the mode of goodness not the mode of passion and ignorance. It’s an all-inclusive model, it’s the pantheistic-environmental model that is self-sustaining and is based on two huge principles of economy in the mode of goodness. The first is the principle of sharing, and the second is the principle of giving. The alternative economic model in the mode of goodness is predominated by the Braminical principles.
Capitalism is based on being greedy, the two lower modes of nature, inherent divisiveness and unfairness, exploitation and abuse to the planet and the natural resources. And as long as we Iskcon devotees fully support capitalism we continually perpetuate all the bad qualities it exists within. If we continually seek out donations of money in a proactive way we risk the opportunity of living simply, thinking highly and engaging comprehensively in the mode of goodness, the only true beneficial mode.
The concepts behind expanding and preaching are based on knowledge, not just numbers. To expand and preach effectively means to organically and realistically maintain community dynamics outside the artificial capitalistic model. Iskcon is fully based on community models that produces all its own food and all its own energy within the holistic model of pantheistic environmentalism, anything less than this is an artificial imposition on the mother planet. Preaching means to practice the philosophy that is found in Srila Prabhupada’s books. One huge example of this practice is through the outstandingly beautiful economic model of cow protection agriculture, which is self-fulfilling, self-satisfying and self-sufficient. All other models of agriculture are either industrial, abusive or compromising.
The agricultural model of society is the only all important principle that exemplifies the culture of the mode of goodness. And the mode of goodness sets the highest example through cow protection. It sets the highest challenges and is by far and away the least exploitative model that has ever existed within the Universe. The most successful model of economy is natural economy. For it to be perpetuated all that needs to happen is for cows to eat grass, its that simple. There are no huge arable farms to maintain, the agricultural inputs are the minimum amount to maintain grassland. Grass and grasslands are the complete basis for natural economy. Grass grows pretty much everywhere, cows digest the grass and the miracle food Milk is produced which is a whole food and can maintain a healthy person on its own. And the natural economic model is borne and perpetuated through grass and grasslands. It’s a fully integrated agricultural solution that is permanently perpetuated without the need for industrial agricultural inputs from Tractors to produce grains, oils, beans and rice’s. It’s a model that caters for individuals and world-wide populations alike. And the cherry on top of the cake is animal manures.
This is what natural agriculture looks like. And the idea is for devotees to attain the mode of goodness and maintain this model for preaching and expansion of Iskcon in an organically realistic way so that each and every devotee has a place in community. No-one can be left out, there are no disenfranchised devotees in this model, unlike the capitalistic model of Iskcon based on the solitary Temple model with one man management. That model does not work for Iskcon today for community members as it did back in the 1970’s, times have moved on rapidly and Iskcon has not been able to adapt for the majority of devotees. Iskcon still thinks its’ preaching is based on theoretical philosophy rather than practical events of pro-active preaching. In other words, practicing what we preach, such as cow protection agricultural economic models.
The point is that to maintain a realistic economic diet, society has to illustrate a viable agricultural model that not only works for individuals and communities but also on the world stage. Obviously, capitalism is underpinned with industrialisation, in fact industrialisation is the source of capitalism which originated approx. 250 years ago, but devotees of Lord Krishna are instructed not to follow capitalism as a society. Krishna gives us the age old natural economic model of cow protection agriculture, the system of following natural inherent qualities, and our chosen spiritual shelter, it’s a perfectly complete model to follow and it is a source of perfect preaching. Preaching what we practice and practicing what we preach. Preaching takes on many different guises, but the main preaching strategy is to practice what you preach. And for a devotee society that means to practice cow protection agriculture as the one and only economic model because it includes everything socially, economically, spiritually and politically. There is no other agricultural model that is as perfect and as complete as this model. And our mission is to practice this model as a preaching tool so as to attract people to the Krishna Conscious philosophy. Philosophy in motion, practically and pragmatically exemplified. If we still just follow capitalism, we have not fulfilled our preaching mission nor have we demonstrated the alternative to animal slaughter which capitalism is based upon.
So, we can see Iskcon has some way to go because most Temples are dependent on capitalism as their economic model. And this really only perpetuates the problems that capitalism poses to us all. Capitalism affects us all no matter what philosophy we follow and no matter what diet we eat. We have to look much deeper than that, we have to practice the mode of goodness economic model which is called cow protection agriculture and live a simple lifestyle, and this is what our preaching amounts to today.
Hare Krishna.. Thank you. A major component here, IMHO is that devotees who are willing to theoritically embrace the agricultural model need to understand the extreme hardship that is associated with this, at least in the first many formative years.
Also you mention this as a mode of goodness activity, when actually this is to be done by the Vaishyas who are in the mixed mode of passion (mostly) with a bit of goodness (or to be done by someone in the mode of pure goodness whos insipiration comes from loving Krishna).
Just some thoughts
> Now we can follow the Global Economic model and hear the comprehensive reports and opinions on Capitalistic health it has now become apparent that the capitalistic model is on the cusp of failing and disappearing. <
Everything has a beginning and an end in conditional experience – but we have seemingly heard this dire prediction eternally. Millennialism on the march, it seems.
Capitalism, in a sense, didn't begin with Adam Smith's Wealth of Nation, but he certainly articulated it very clearly. His view also emphasized acknowledging the role of the "the invisible hand of the marketplace." In that sense, it is a midely theistic point of view that argues a rising economic tide lifts all boats.
The previous dominant European economic paradigm was called mercantilism, a more winner take all strategic approach. It gets credited with helping inspire the constant global wars of empire experienced throughout the late 1600s on through the 1700s. Meanwhile, prior to that, Europe experienced regular fratricidal warfare inspired by the Reformation and Counter Reformation. That culminated with the 30-Years War – a vicious brutal affair comparable to the atrocities experienced in Europe during the first half of the 20th century. Can't exactly blame the 30-Years War on social darwinism, I'm afraid. And this sordid tale does not stop in the past with the rise of nation states in the early modern era.
It is not that we discourage business initiative – Vaisyas engage in all sorts of business exchange as well. But what we encourage is a balanced view of human experience that emphasizes a lifestyle centered on the mode of goodness, and beyond that, transcendence immersed in bhakti. Its not that prior agriculturally dominant modes of economic production were a hop, skip, and a jump without the KC. Competition between the three modes is ever present.
Meanwhile, cow protection is a key to helping maintain the equilibrium, so to speak. Otherwise spending days on end growing barley with a wooden plow is going nowhere in particular, though perhaps at a slower pace.
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