Srila Prabhupada: “The institution of four varnas and four asramas is confirmed herewith to be bhagavad-racita, which means "designed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead." In Bhagavad-gita this is also confirmed: catur-varnyam maya srstam. The Lord says that the institution of four varnas and four asramas "is created by Me." Anything created by the Lord cannot be closed or covered. The divisions of varnas and asramas will continue to exist, either in their original form or in degraded form, but because they are created by the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they cannot be extinguished. They are like the sun, a creation of God, and therefore will remain. Either covered by clouds or in a clear sky, the sun will continue to exist. Similarly, when the varnasrama system becomes degraded, it appears as a hereditary caste system, but in every society there is an intelligent class of men, a martial class, a mercantile class and a laborer class. When they are regulated for cooperation among communities according to the Vedic principles, then there is peace and spiritual advancement. But when there is hatred and malpractice and mutual mistrust in the caste system, the whole system becomes degraded, and as stated herein, it creates a deplorable state. At the present moment, the entire world is in this deplorable condition because of giving rights to so many interests. This is due to the degradation of the four castes of varnas and asramas.” (Srimad Bhagavatam, 3.21.52-54, Purport)

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 His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is the Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness (ISKCON), which is based on the most confidential portions of the teachings of the Vedas, which are originally from India and are the most ancient teachings known to man.   The members of this Society form an international group of people, projects and temples dedicated to spiritual life. ISKCON therefore traces its history back to periods predating modern Western-based history. There is ample evidence that modern historians have deliberately denounced the real history of human civilization which goes back many thousands of years before ancient Egyptian, Greek, Sumerian, Babylonian and other civilizations. 

In addition to helping people take up Krsna consciousness, Srila Prabhupada wanted to establish self-sufficient farming communities.  Integral and concomitant to helping people take up Krsna consciousness is the ideal lifestyle people are meant to live. According to the Vedic teachings, such a lifestyle is meant to be agrarian-based for the vast majority of its people, where one remains more easily and more directly connected with land, cows and Krsna. An agrarian-based society has always been the established norm in Vedic society, as shown directly by Lord Krsna Himself when He performed His earthly pastimes in Vrndavana.

This simple lifestyle, following the scientific system called varnasrama dharma, was never meant to be changed or tampered with, and such tampering has caused havoc at all levels and for all individuals and has taken modern man to the brink of destruction. This societal structure is designed to help everyone make steady spiritual progress no matter their condition or circumstances. Srila Prabhupada repeatedly asked that we establish such communities from the very beginning. In later years he emphasized the need even more when he saw disciples struggling with certain principles or falling away from spiritual life - and he even said to get the homeless people to do it if devotees would not. 

He also said that there would come a time when many thousands of people would be begging to come and live in such communities, because the modern societal structure would become too difficult to sustain them.   

The concepts he taught include all species of life, not only humans. They are the original and ultimate conceptions of permaculture and sustainability.  They reveal a universal order far beyond anything conceived by modern science. 

Srila Prabhupada taught the most complete holistic science and lifestyle.  His plan was simple but brilliant. First, he wanted centers to be opened in every city, to introduce and educate people in the principles and practices of spiritual life. Second, he wanted rural agrarian communities to be started based on the same spiritual principles, where people could live a simple lifestyle living close to the earth. This would allow for a complete social structure of qualified people to develop over time. The structure in the city projects is an organizational structure, and the structure in the rural projects is a societal structure. Those people who want to continue active preaching work in the cities should live there and do this, and everyone else should move to the rural agrarian communities and establish a new society which is based on sustainable and spiritual principles.

It was essentially a program of extracting people from the completely insane modern society, giving them a full education in the reality of spiritual existence, and then transporting them into a sane, peaceful society in the country, thus building it gradually with each new person and family.

It could be compared to pulling people out of the illusion of "the matrix" - which cannot be done without a place for them to go, and which must be based on reality. 

Srila Prabhupada also taught that one should utilize all things in relation to the true owner of everything - the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krsna.  To renounce such things is inappropriate, since they do not belong to us in the first place, but to use them for personal pleasure is also not appropriate. Therefore electricity and other modern creations can be accepted, as long as it is done in this way. This is a great art that is not easy to achieve, since using things “for God” can be used as an excuse for all types of personal gratification under such a pretext.

Srila Prabhupada taught by his personal example how to utilize everything for spreading Krsna consciousness, while being fully detached from the world and accepting nothing for himself personally.  His example is not easy to follow, but we must do however much we are able. It is time for each of us individually to do what he asked us to do. Starting such communities is undoubtedly difficult, but can be done if we cooperate together and do the needful.

Srila Prabhupada passed away from this world in 1977 and his followers continue to grow and to carry on his mission.  He said and wrote very specific things about rural agrarian communities, some of which are difficult to follow, as we are accustomed to modern lifestyles. In a perfect agrarian society we would not have electricity, for example, since to generate it requires dependence upon modern factories, even if only for making solar panels and wind turbines. This once again spells some amount of grief for humanity—whether due to pollution, artificial lifestyles, dependence upon oil, hard factory labor, or exploitation by large corporations and governments. 

Therefore it is acceptable for a rural agrarian community to have electricity, if the purpose is also for spreading Krsna consciousness.  Such rural communities can be tremendous cultural tools, but each community must first be established upon reasonably sustainable principles suitable to time, place and circumstance, and continue to develop further sustainability from there. We do want to minimize our dependence upon artificial and unnecessary creations, but at the same time we are so conditioned to such things we may have to wean ourselves gradually. Communities should establish various plans to keep the residents on the right track.

Srila Prabhupada should be recognized as the greatest savior of humanity in modern times - not only spiritually but materially as well.  It is modern society itself, with it’s basis in a modern science devoid of all knowledge of spirit and a materialistic and egocentric world view that is actually causing the problems. Srila Prabhupada said so much on these subjects.

Whether people know it or not, Srila Prabhupada provided all the solutions for the problems of the world. Anyone who carefully and impartially studies his books and teachings will gradually come to this realization. 

In his humility, toward the end of his life Srila Prabhupada said he had only accomplished 50% of his mission.  Yet what he accomplished was practically inconceivable for one person, and we can hardly begin to fathom it.

His humble statement of 50% should tell us the importance of the remainder of his mission.

That mission was to establish such communities.

Let us cooperate together, and do the needful, in his service. 

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Next - On Self Sufficiency