Srimad Bhagavatam, Translation by Srila Prabhupada

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.10.5

nadyah samudrā girayah
savanaspati-vīrudhah
phalanty osadhayah sarvāh
kāmam anvrtu tasya vai

SYNONYMS
nadyah — rivers; samudrāh — oceans; girayah — hills and mountains; savanaspati — vegetables; vīrudhah — creepers; phalanti — active; osadhayah — drugs; sarvāh— all; kāmam — necessities; anvrtu — seasonal; tasya — for the King; vai— certainly.

TRANSLATION
The rivers, oceans, hills, mountains, forests, creepers and active drugs, in every season, paid their tax quota to the King in profusion.

PURPORT
Since Maharaja Yudhisthira was under the protection of the ajita, the infallible Lord, as above mentioned, the properties of the Lord, namely the rivers, oceans, hills, forests, etc., were all pleased, and they used to supply their respective quota of taxes to the King. The secret to success is to take refuge under the protection of the Supreme Lord. Without His sanction, nothing can be possible. To make economic development by our own endeavors on the strength of tools and machinery is not all. The sanction of the Supreme Lord must be there, otherwise despite all instrumental arrangements everything will be unsuccessful. The ultimate cause of success is the daiva, the Supreme. Kings like Mahārāja Yudhisthira knew perfectly well that the king is the agent of the Supreme Lord to look after the welfare of the mass of people. Actually the state belongs to the Supreme Lord. The rivers, oceans, forests, hills, drugs, etc., are not creations of man. They are all creations of the Supreme Lord, and the living being is allowed to make use of the property of the Lord for the service of the Lord. Today's slogan is that everything is for the people, and therefore the government is for the people and by the people. But to produce a new species of humanity at the present moment on the basis of God consciousness and perfection of human life, the ideology of godly communism, the world has to again follow in the footsteps of kings like Mahārāja Yudhisthira or Parīksit. There is enough of everything by the will of the Lord, and we can make proper use of things to live comfortably without enmity between men, or animal and man or nature. The control of the Lord is everywhere, and if the Lord is pleased, every part of nature will be pleased. The river will flow profusely to fertilize the land; the oceans will supply sufficient quantities of minerals, pearls and jewels; the forest will supply sufficient wood, drugs and vegetables, and the seasonal changes will effectively help produce fruits and flowers in profuse quantity. The artificial way of living depending on factories and tools can render so-called happiness only to a limited number at the cost of millions. Since the energy of the mass of people is engaged in factory production, the natural products are being hampered, and for this the mass is unhappy. Without being educated properly, the mass of people are following in the footsteps of the vested interests by exploiting natural reserves, and therefore there is acute competition between individual and individual and nation and nation. There is no control by the trained agent of the Lord. We must look into the defects of modern civilization by comparison here, and should follow in the footsteps of Mahārāja Yudhisthira to cleanse man and wipe out anachronisms.

Excerpts from Vedic Ecology by Ranchor Prime

"The human being is the elder brother of all other living beings. He is endowed with intelligence more powerful than animals for realizing the course of nature and the indications of the Almighty Father. Human civilization should depend on the production of mother nature without artificially attempting economic development to turn the world into a chaos of greed and power only for the purpose of artificial luxuries and sense gratification."

-Srila Prabhupada (excerpt from commentary on Srimad Bhagavatam 1.10.4)

How to Save the World

How to Save the World is a revolutionary film, documenting the rebirth of the bio-dynamic movement in the motherland of India.

The film exposes agricultural globalization as an environmental and human disaster. But Indian marginalized farmers are fighting back by reviving bio-dynamic techniques into their traditional agricultural practices. While saving their poisoned lands, bio- dynamics is becoming a major force in reclaiming peasant agriculture in India from the multinational, agricultural giants who's only objective is profit with no concern for the welfare of the people, land, or cows.

To see the trailer of this film, click here.
For more information about the Bio-Dynamic Association of India, click here.

"For the dissident audience, the mission of this environmental
documentary is to corrode the mantra of development equals progress, jobs, and a
strong economy. For an apathetic audience, the mission is to open a wedge in the
indifference. For younger audiences, the mission is to educate and recruit a new
generation to activism. For sympathetic audiences, the mission is to inspire and
energize the troops. " -The Last Stand by Emily D. Edwards, PhD

Environmentalism According to the Vedic View

By Stephen Knapp

The environment means nature, and whose nature is it? It is God’s nature. Did anyone else create it? Did anyone else put it all together so that it operates the way it does? In fact, mankind is still trying to figure out all the intricacies of its functionality.

In all the inventions or devices we produce, all the ingredients and resources that we use are all given by God. The elements we need to make big buildings, bridges, ships, cars, or the fuel to operate them, are all being given by God, and we need to show the proper respect. To think we are the proprietors of everything is the illusion. It is our pride that makes us think we are so intelligent when actually the very brain with which we think is not created by us but has again been given by God.

As everything is created from the Supreme Creator, then we should certainly have a high regard for everything as the expansion of God’s energies. This not only includes all of our fellow men, but all creatures, as well as all aspects of the planet. Violence toward the planet in the form of not caring for the environment, misusing and polluting our natural resources, not managing the land and forests properly, are all forms of disrespect toward God and the blessings that have been given us. Why should we expect God to continue giving us the necessities of life, or the means to acquire them, if we are going to ruin them, or do not know how to care for them properly? So we must never pollute our resources or waste the food we have.

We should also see that even the Earth is a living being, full of life. The globe is a mother to us since she supplies all that we need. All of our food, water, and resources for sustaining our own lives, as well as supplies for shelter and clothing, all come from her. How she reciprocates with us in regard to what she provides depends on how we treat, honor and care for her. The imbalance in nature, such as the green house effect, the changing climate and weather patterns, are reflections of the imbalance in the consciousness of humanity. Once there is balance and harmony in society’s consciousness and the way we regard and treat the ecosystem, this will then be reflected in the balance in nature. Then many of the storms, natural upheavals and disasters will begin to cease.

The environment and the material creation are supplied with all the potencies to produce all the necessities that we require, not only for humans but also for all species. Human society should not consider itself as the only enjoyer of all of God’s creation, and that no other creatures have a claim to it. Humanity is actually a minority species when we consider the many types of creatures that are sustained by the environment. If we manage the ecosystem properly, it will continue to produce everything we need. However, if people who have no genuine spiritual understanding start exploiting the Earth to take whatever they want in any way they want, then the supply of resources starts decreasing and the Earth, being a living organism, stops producing or responding to the needs of society as abundantly as it used to do. Then there will be shortages, droughts, and forest fires; subsequently the prices on commodities will increase. Gradually more people will become poor, and poverty and starvation will spread in parts of the world. Then we see fierce competition for whatever resources can be attained. When many people die while fighting over land and commodities, or temporary and ever-changing political stances, then all the bloodshed from the dead, dying or wounded is like offering Mother Earth blood sacrifices to drink. She is pained by this, as are so many other higher beings that watch the activities of humanity. Rather than respecting the Earth and cooperating to share her resources, when we fight over them it is most heartrending for Mother Earth. Thus, when the Earth and the Lord’s environment are not properly appreciated and maintained, or are exploited by ungodly people, then scarcities and excess pollution is the result. However, nature itself can go on nicely except for the interference of ungodly men.

As a society controlled by godless men gathers all the resources from the land as fast as possible for power and quick profits, it may appear to be a mighty economic gain at first, but in time it is never enough. As demand grows, scarcity raises its angry head. When the environment is not respected and cared for properly, there are also changes in the various species that have existed for thousands of years, even extinctions. These are all signs of further unknown changes in the future that will be revealing themselves to us when it will be too late.

There may be times when the Earth needs to cleanse herself of unwanted activities or from the pain she suffers from society’s wrong aims of life. She may move in various ways to adjust things so that humanity is not so out of balance and will be forced to reconfigure the value systems that are displayed by humanity and make them geared more toward the real goal of life. When Earth reacts in particular ways to relieve her from the weight of unwanted activities or segments of society, we should not miss the message. A society that is too spoiled often easily forgets the real reason why it is here.

The proper vision is that everything is the property of the Supreme Being. If we have any possessions or wealth, we should see that we are only borrowing them for a short time. We certainly cannot take them with us when we leave this body, thus someone else will take it all when we are gone. The ultimate owner of everything is the Supreme Creator. Thus, the proper way to use anything is in the service or consciousness of God. The same goes for taking care of the environment. Everything belongs to God so, ultimately, we should take care of it as if we were being watched by God and only taking care of His property while, by God’s good graces, it produces the resources we need to live. After all, as the Lord in our heart and as the Supersoul of every living being, He is observing everything we do.

All of one’s land, home, wealth, and possessions belong to the Supreme Being though we wrongly think, AI am this body and all that belongs to it is mine@. Thus, a person of wisdom should not see anything as separate from the Supreme Lord. In spiritual consciousness, such a person will see everything, whether it be fire, air, water, the earth, the sun and stars, all living beings, the trees and plants, the rivers and oceans, and in fact everything that exists as an expansion of the energies of the Supreme Lord. Even while actively engaged with so many objects and undertakings in this creation, a person who sees the whole world as the energy of the Supreme Being is indeed a great sage of wisdom.

Therefore, we should care for the environment as if it is not ours but God’s property, and in this way assure ourselves that it will continue to provide all of our necessities for many years to come, and into many future generations. This is the Vedic view.

Was milk drawn in a different way in Srila Prabhupada's time?

by Syamasundara dasa

Based on the assumption that we should continue drinking milk, apart from
our own farms with hand milked cows what are the better alternatives. Even
organic farms use milking machines.

There is a major crisis within our society as you know very well. Srila
Prabhupada has asked ISKCON to produce their own food as well as other
things. This is certainly not prioritised within the management structures
and resources are not generally directed to developing more self
sufficiency. At the same time are own production of milk taking into account
the entire herd is protected and the oxen are used to care for the farm and
grow all the food needed milk will be at least 6 times more expensive than
is available in the market place (at least that is the case in the west).
As far as I know milk in India is 15 Rupees a litre and with a minimum daily
salary of 100 rupees that means a litre of milk is one sixth the cost of
days wages. In the uk with a minimum daily wage of £38 (7 working hours)
that would make a litre of milk at £6 equivelent. Would our devotees pay
this figure.

So we have to be sure what we are asking of our devotees. Protected milk is
not available in the market, at the same time devotees seem unwilling to pay
the real price from the goshallas. At the same time we must drink milk. So
in identifying what is wrong with milk we should not be pushing our devotees
into veganism as Srila Prabhupada could have asked us to do that but did
not.

From what I can see at the moment there is no push to provide milk for all
our farms even, what to speak of the other centres and projects and what to
speak of the devotee congregation.

If we dont get it together then somebody in another organisation or
buisiness will do it and we will be left feeling somebody has stolen our
fruit.

The solution is for ISKCON to provide its own milk and products and that way
we dont have to source them commercially. This is not easy. Until we make
cow protection livelihood based it will not take off but it will continue to
decline as it has been steadily over the last decades. We are witnessing the
demise of more and more farm projects if something drastic is not done soon
then it will be a great disaster.

Veganism and Krishna Consciousness

by Vasu Murti devi dasi

Srila Prabhupada has written, "Real philosophy is nothing more than this: friendliness to all living entities." Elsewhere, he writes, "If people are to be educated in the path back to Godhead, they must be taught first and foremost to stop the process of animal-killing."

I became vegan for a few years beginning in 1995. I was pointing out to friends at a Feminists For Life meeting that for 1800 years, Christians had upheld and defended (human) slavery on biblical grounds, and that history was now repeating itself with regards to animals.

The response I got from the women present was that my words would carry greater weight if I were vegan rather than vegetarian, and I had to admit they were right. There is a great deal of cruelty in the way dairy products are obtained through modern factory farming.

To ignore this kind of suffering merely because we believe dairy products are somehow "necessary" for our spiritual advancement (they are not) is to trivialize the former and it will allow people of other faiths to counter that we are vegetarian merely because we follow "dietary laws" rather than out of genuine concern for animals.

Lord Caitanya made vegetarianism central to the sankirtana movement when He brought up the subject of meat-eating with the Chand Kazi of Navadvipa. And Srila Prabhupada followed our Lord's example by repeatedly bringing up the subject with people of other faiths ("thou shalt not kill").

In a purport from the First Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam, Srila Prabhupada writes: "It is nonsensical to say that the killing of animals has nothing to do with spiritual realization."
Similarly, in his purport to the Srimad Bhagavatam 6.10.9, Srila Prabhupada writes:
"One cannot continue killing animals and at the same time be a religious man. That is the greatest hypocrisy. Jesus Christ said, 'Do not kill,' but hypocrites nevertheless maintain thousands of slaughterhouses while posing as Christians. Such hypocrisy is condemned..."
Srila Prabhupada even candidly told a Catholic priest in London in 1973, that, "Animal-killers cannot understand God. I have seen this. It is a fact."

Srila Prabhupada said, "...as far as meat-eating is concerned, every cow will die—so you just wait awhile, and there will be so many dead cows. Then you can take all the dead cows and eat...Don't kill. When the cow is dead, you can eat it."

Entry continued here.

Amish Fight Against Microchip Regulations

By Pat Shellenbarger, The Grand Rapids Press

"He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to
receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or
sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his
name."-- Holy Bible New International Version, Revelation 13:16-17

BLANCHARD -- Glen Mast doesn't own a computer, doesn't want one, but he and other Amish farmers complain the state Department of Agriculture is insisting they tag their cattle with electronic chips in violation oftheir religious beliefs.

State agriculture officials say the radio frequency chips are necessaryto track animal diseases and protect public health. Mast and other Amish farmers say the chips' 15-digit number is the Mark of the Beast warned of in the Bible's book of Revelation.

"We're a people who are inclined to mind our own business," Mast said, sitting in the wood shop he operates without electricity on his Isabella County farm. His small herd of dairy cows lounged in the shade of the barn. Across the road, one of his sons raked hay with a team of horses. "We're never happier than when we're just left alone," Mast said. "That's all we're asking."

All over Michigan, Amish farmers are resisting the state program requiring that all cattle be tagged with the electronic chips before they can be sold. Some say they will quit farming if it comes to it. Some say they will leave the state.

"They keep saying that, and that's their choice," said Kevin Kirk, who coordinates the program for the state agriculture department. "Our No. 1 goal is animal health, human health and food safety. I know it's hard sometimes to trust the government, but that's what we're asking is trust us."

State exceeds national program Michigan's program, which began March 1, is part of a National Animal Identification System created after the outbreaks of mad cow disease and foot-and-mouth disease in Europe and hastened by fears of terrorist attacks on the United States' food supply. The national program, administered by the U.S. Department ofAgriculture, is voluntary.

Michigan is one of the few state's making itmandatory because of a 1998 tuberculosis outbreak among cattle in the northeast Lower Peninsula. Under the program, each farm is issued a seven-digit identification number entered in a national database. All cattle must have theelectronic ear tags, which cost $2 each, before they can be moved offthe farm. Scanners at livestock auctions and slaughter houses automatically read the ear tags, tracking each animal's movements.

While the program covers only cattle, it might be expanded to all farm animals, Kirk said. Most Michigan cattle already are marked with metalear tags embossed with numbers, allowing health officials to track them, but Kirk said the computerized system is much faster.

"If we have a disease outbreak, we don't have months to track it," he said. Amish farmers, he said, produced a "very, very small" percentage of then early 397 million pounds of beef sold by Michigan farmers last year.

Not all Amish raise cattle, but those who do typically have herds of eight or 10 animals. But the Amish aren't the only farmers opposing the new system. Several organizations representing small farmers are fighting it nationally, claiming it is costly, bureaucratic and intrusive.

Gale Faling, who is not Amish but raises beef cattle in the midst of a Montcalm County Amish community, said the old system was working fine. "I don't see the need to change it," he said. "To me, it's another layer of government interference."

A neighbor, Amish farmer Alvin Shetler, agreed. "We're not against the government," he said. "We're thankful for the freedom we got, and we'd like to continue with that."

So far, the state has not forced the Amish to use the electronic tagsbut, as a compromise, said they can wait until the animals arrive at an auction before having them applied. The Amish, that makes nodifference.

Stating their opposition

In April, Mast, Shetler and a few dozen other Amish farmers appearedbefore the state Senate Appropriations Committee, urging it to block the program, a decidedly unAmish act, since they do not vote, run for office or receive any government money.

Craig Starkweather, chief of staff for Sen. Alan Cropsey, R-DeWitt, said his boss may introduce a bill granting a religious exemption if the agriculture department tries forcing the Amish to comply. Mast cited Revelation, which says the beast forced everyone "to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark."

"They're asking me to use this number to be allowed to buy and sell," he said. "To me, the beast is the computer." Mast said he will not file a lawsuit to block the program. "We feel that Jesus has taught us to turn the other cheek rather than sue," he said. "If they persecute you in one place, just flee, go the other way. Probably, we'd just leave."