A Letter From A New Vrindaban Devotee:

We had great agricultural dreams up until Prabhupad arrived, but he is not very much interested in agriculture now. We had cleared four acres for plowing, but now we will have only a small garden. Prabhupad said we should devote our time to two things, the cows and the building of living quarters. We have one cow at present but there are three more coming this month. There is constant work going on to clear pastureland.

Prabhupad said, "When you get married you say 'This is my wife.' What is the philosophy behind this? It is that in exchange for her service I must give her protection. In the same way a cow gives milk so you give her protection. This is cow protection. This is my cow, I must give her protection." So Prabhupad wants us to keep four or five cows and chant Hare Krishna. He says if you have one or two bowls of milk and some grains daily, you can never starve.

So once we can keep some cows nicely, when and if we get more help we can have agriculture on a larger scale and build a new temple. Right now there is a big house which contains a temple and living quarters for Prabhupad. I have fixed up the chicken-coop nicely for Satyabhama and myself, the pig pen has been remodeled for four or five brahmacharis. The top of the barn has been partially remodeled for brahmacharis and will be further remodeled. The frame of what used to be a corn-crib is still standing, and will be made into a two-story brahmachary dwelling. The lumber for the barn and corn-crib projects has been obtained from a house we tore down in Wheeling. We rented a truck yesterday, and brought the wood as close as we could, now we must build a two-wheel horse cart to carry it the final two miles up our road. Kirtanananda Maharaj purchased the wheels and frame at an auction last week, and Nara Narayan Prabhu began building the cart today. Prabhupad requested that we fix up the road also.

I don't think we appear to be as busy as we actually are. You probably think we go slam, bang, boom and have a house put up. Well it's not like that at all. New Vrindaban is indeed developing into a community, but slowly by city standards. Prabhupad wants us to be independent-that is, not dependent on the outside. He wants us to cut our own lumber and make our own bricks, etc.

I must go and work on the barnyard fence now. Don't forget that with Prabhupad here new and unexpected projects may begin anytime. The situation is always changing.

-Paramananda