Drivers Training

   Giving a new meaning to that term. I had some lessons in drivers training with Nandi, the 13-year old bull of Krishna Katha, here in New Gaudadesh (Lithuania). Nandi is massive - about 9 feet long and 5 ft. tall at the shoulder. He's quite smart and likes to work, giving him a reason to get out of the barn and see the scenery. It was a real treat working with a living being instead of a machine! I can see how a synergy develops between man and animal creating a more personal world. Much different than driving a tractor!

   In English speaking countries "Haw" is left; "Gee" (hard G rhymes with knee) is right;  'Whoa" is stop. Here they use "Na" to start, and "Ch-ch-ch" to stop. They haven't been using right and left commands, using the reigns instead. Voice commands are much better however, and we will begin to use them. Since "Na" is too close to "Haw" we cannot use that word as it will confuse the animal. So we will need to create a unique sound to mean left, something like "Ray".

   Balabhadra Prabhu, ISKCON's Minister of Agriculture and Cow Protection will be coming to Belarus in about 3 weeks. Afterwards we are bringing him to New Gokula Dham, near Nikolaiv. The devotees there have a large herd of animals, now numbering at 19. While there he will instruct them on proper care of the animals, as well as conducting training exercises for those interested in learning how to work with cows and bulls. Please let us know if you want to join in the fun.

Becoming Wealthy on $2 a Day

It is a natural tendency of people to see everything in terms of the world that they are accustomed to. We call this “cultural bias.” Cultural bias is manifest many ways, one for example, when the people of the so-called economically prosperous countries set out to both measure, and fix, poverty. Because in their world, their conception of poverty, or lack thereof, is determined by monetary income, they project such a perception on the remainder of the world. Looking at the entire world in terms of income they find that the better half of humanity is poor. Good souls that they are, they want to fix it.

One of the difficulties is that poverty is a cultural conception, and it is perceived in different ways by different people. Does a poor person in a poor country experience the same thing as a poor person in a rich country? Experience says no. Instead, the experience of life relative to income is different in each culture. However, a general observation has been made that in “poor countries” most people are relatively comfortable, but in “rich countries” the poor are not.

I have personally met Indian villagers who would be classified as poor under United Nations guidelines of having less than $1.25 daily income per capita, and I can say from direct experience that these people do not think of themselves as poor, nor do they feel the effects of poverty as a person in America would at the same level of income. The same is true of the “poor” people I know in E. Europe.

What makes the difference? In a word, culture. The culture of an Indian village is vastly different in terms of values and expectations of life. Neither better nor worse, it is simply, different. For example, what passes as an acceptable house in an Indian or Ukrainian village is vastly different than that of urban or suburban America or Europe. Regardless of the contrast in appearance and amenities it is still considered an adequate house, and people will live there just as happily as the wealthier people live in their house. The same is true for other daily needs. Moreover, villagers in India and Ukraine produce a good deal of their own food, have less clothing requirements than their Western counterparts, and fewer other financial demands for things such as cars, insurance, or frivolous consumer goods, because these things are not a necessary part of their culture. Nonetheless the UN wants to change their culture, and that of many other people around the world, in order to raise them above “poverty” by making sure that they have more than $2 a day. That seems like a nice goal, but perhaps we might pause to consider just what having more money is likely to do.

We have an example from recent history. Anthropologist Helena Norberg-Hodge was the first foreigner accepted to make her home in Ladakh (Kashmir). She had the privilege of living there over the course of three decades, coming to know life in the traditional villages before the intrusion of Western culture, and she documented what it was like. The Ladakhis lived in a agrarian subsistence economy.  Though not an easy lifestyle by Western standards, people met their basic physical, social, spiritual and creative needs within the security of a caring, sharing community, and experienced evident joy. Their happiness was not dependent upon anything external, such as income or possessions; it was simply experienced as a matter of daily living. Being mutually dependent they maintained a deep-rooted respect for each other’s fundamental needs, and an acceptance of the natural limitations of the environment kept the Ladakhi people free from misplacing values of worth.

At the time when this was observed, the Ladakhis might well have been considered poor by international standards because their income was minimal and most of their needs were obtained as a product of their own hands. While international observers might have classified the Ladhakis as poor, they themselves certainly did not. They were a satisfied and joyful people. But something happened to change that—the introduction of Western culture along with its money. Norbert-Hodge explains how it was the tourists who brought poverty to Ladakh:

“A Western tourist can spend more money in a day than what a Ladakhi family might in one year. Seeing this, Ladakhis suddenly feel poor. The new comparison creates a gap that never existed before because in traditional Ladakh, people didn’t need money in order to lead rich and fulfilling lives. Ladakhi society was based on mutual aid and cooperation; no one needed money for labor, food, clothing, or shelter . . . In the traditional economy, Ladakhis knew that they had to depend on other people, and that others in turn depend on them. In the new economic system, local interdependence disintegrates along with traditional levels of tolerance. In place of cooperative systems meeting needs, competition and scarcity become determinants for survival. Perhaps the most tragic of all the changes I have observed in Ladakh is the vicious circle in which individual insecurity contributes to a weakening of family and community ties, which in turn further shakes individual self-esteem. Consumerism plays a central role in this whole process, since emotional insecurity generates hunger for material status symbols. The need for recognition and acceptance fuels the drive to acquire possessions that will presumably make you somebody . . . It is heartbreaking to see people buying things to be admired, respected and ultimately loved, when in fact the effect is almost always the opposite . . . [they are] set apart which furthers the need  to be accepted.”[1]

It is interesting to observe how it was the introduction of money that brought poverty to Ladakh. Prior to Westerners arriving with a lot of money to spend, nobody thought of themselves as poverty-stricken, although it was likely that their income was less than $1.25 per day. Only by comparing themselves to these foreigners, what they possessed and how they lived, did the Ladakhis begin to see themselves in a different light, as being in poverty and needing what they didn’t need before—money and whatever it buys. Sadly, at the same time, they were purchasing alienation and isolation.

Is it due to our cultural bias that we want to eliminate poverty in the sense that we know it? Will that actually eliminate poverty or create it where it didn’t exist before? One of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals, the elimination of global poverty, includes these three targets:

1. To halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than $1/day
2. To achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people, and
3. To halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger

Although these seem to be worthwhile goals arguments can be made that the manner in which the goals and targets are stated are culturally biased, in effect determining the approach, and thereby limiting the means of attaining the targets. The manner in which the targets are stated presupposes a business development model of production for the market economy, employing people to work for others’ interests. Last year, in a vague report, the UN Secretary General said that although “significant progress” had been made, urgent and increased efforts were needed to meet the Goals by 2015. Needless to say hundreds of millions of dollars are being invested in accomplishing these goals. But if the cultural bias were lifted these same goals could be accomplished with much less money. Here is an example.

In the past half-century, nearly every development model has failed to bring Sub-Saharan Africa to a level where it can compete in an international market, and at the same time give people needed jobs. But all of these international development concepts have been stood on their head by the single-handed efforts of one young man. A second generation devotee of Krishna, Alexander Petroff,[2] 25 years of age, went to the war-torn, economically destitute Democratic Republic of Congo with a proposition for the government. He wanted to build a self-sufficient, environmentally sustainable village. The government agreed to his proposal and he was given 40 hectares of land on which his organization, Working Villages International (WVI), created a development model called Village Self Reliance. Village Self Reliance is founded on the two ideas of swadeshi and sustainable agriculture. The Gandhian principle swadeshi, or “localized economics,” refers to local production for local consumption—people producing for their own needs. According to the principle of swadeshi, whatever is made or produced in the village must be used first and foremost by the members of the village. Any excess can then be sold. At the very least in this approach, people have jobs and they are fed. Sustainable agriculture is accomplished by using organic methods without external inputs, and using bullocks for plowing instead of fuel-thirsty tractors.

Starting with $70,000 from private donations, within two years WVI employed 400 workers supporting 350 families, and producing 50,000 lbs. of rice per month, becoming the second-largest rice producer in the province. Besides the rice they also grew tons of other vegetables. Instead of solving problems at the symptom level, WVI addressed the root causes of hunger, unemployment and violence using a development model that can be adjusted to almost any region in the world. So in two years, not fifteen, one young man working with local people on a very modest budget accomplished not only the economic targets of the MDG, but many of the other targets as well.

The point that I am trying to make is that instead of jumping through a lot of hoops to adjust the income, why not simply adjust the culture by removing the external demands? This is easier because in many parts of the world a simple culture already exists. We have an uphill battle however, if we want to change the culture by luring people into being consumers, having jobs, commuting to work each day, and changing their lifestyle to one of artificial dependence on others. In fact, by choosing the latter approach, it is likely that although external economic targets may be realized the people themselves will be less happy and less secure, just as the Ladakhis were after the arrival of Western culture.

Changing the culture to one of simplicity is actually the easiest way to achieve security and happiness. That is what ISKCON’s founder-acarya, Srila Prabhupada, encouraged his followers to do. He called it simple living and high thinking—living simply in order to sufficiently care for the needs of the body, and reap the benefits of doing so in terms of time to be used in activities of self-realization. If our time is properly utilized in worship of the Lord, then our simple living can also be very fulfilling and satisfying. Devotees of Krishna all around the world have experienced the satisfaction that comes from devotional service to the Supreme Lord.  

But, we may protest, we can’t all go backward to a simple village life. It’s not possible!” Not everyone will of course, but certainly many can. And why not, if we can actually become secure and fulfilled there? In my experience, having lived in villages both in India and Ukraine, I have found that it’s actually not so difficult, and there are many enjoyable aspects of village life that are impossible to achieve in cities. Right now I live in a simple 3-room house. The central wood stove heats the house, the water, and cooks our meals. There is no running water in the house, meaning no bathroom, and the toilet is outside. Why am I, an American formerly accustomed to modern amenities, living in such “primitive” conditions? Because I want to follow the instructions of my spiritual master, and to learn first-hand the challenges and advantages of simple living.

The village of Ryabuino, about an hours drive outside of the city of Kharkov, Ukraine, is the site of our developing eco-spiritual community Gitagrad. Our effort here is to live a simple life of Krishna Consciousness. Actually, it is one of our goals is to become self-sufficient to the point where we can achieve what the UN considers poverty, living on less than $2 a day. Ironically however, we need money to achieve that goal since we need to buy our way out of the system, building our infrastructure to the point of self sufficiency.

Like poverty, the concept of wealth is also a cultural consideration. All wealth is not measured in terms of dollars. Wealth is also be measured in terms of personal happiness and fulfillment. We think that the internal, non-tangible experiences of happiness and fulfillment are more worthy goals to attain than an external income of $2 a day, or even $500 a day. When we can live a simple natural life in Krishna Consciousness we believe that we will have then become very wealthy.

Keep up with my adventures in simple living by subscribing to my blog: Gitagrad.blogspot.com

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[1] Helena Norberg-Hodge, The Pressure to Modernize and Globalize, from Case Against the Global Economy, by David Korten, p. 41

[2] Alexander is the son of Noma Petroff, aka Hare Krishna Dasi, a frequent contributor to Back to Godhead magazine.

Conceptions of Gitagrad

In an article appearing in Back to Godhead magazine in 1956 Srila Prabhupada wrote an explanation of what that place would be like where everything was done as an act of devotional service to the Supreme Lord. This paper is titled “Conceptions of Gita Nagari.” The Sanskrit word “nagar” means place, so the title means “the place of Bhagavad-gita.” Similarly the suffix “grad” in the Russian language also refers to place, and hence the name “Gitagrad” has the same meaning as “Gita Nagari.” The plan and activities of Gita Nagari, already having been established by His Divine Grace, there is no actual need to speculate further about what to do or how to live. We need only take up the activities as he has directed.

The intention and purpose of Gitograd is to fulfill the desire of Srila Prabhupada to establish a transcendental place of activity dedicated to, and focused on the Supreme Lord, the speaker of the Bhagavad-gita, Sri Partha Sarathi. Below are the main points covering the philosophy and activities of Gitagrad, which are essentially the main points that Srila Prabhupada mentions regarding Gita Nagari. Srila Prabhupada had intended that Gita Nagari remain as a transcendental village whose inhabitants are engaged in pure devotional service. As such it is understood to be functioning on the basis of daiva-varnashrama. At this point in time, the early 21^st century, and in this place of Ukraine, we feel it necessary to accommodate persons who are not able to live at that high standard. Thus we have allowed for the expansion of the community to include those who will follow the principles of varnashrama dharma, leading eventually to the standard of daiva-varnashrama. A detailed explanation of these terms and principles can be found in the Gitagrad Charter.

The Foundational Principles of Gitagrad are as follows:

1. The concepts and activities of Gitagrad are to be based on the Bhagavad-gita, and on Srila Prabhupada’s statements of Gita Nagari.
2. Those who have abandoned all fruitive work and speculative thinking based on empiric knowledge, and have taken to pure devotional work and knowledge, transcendentally engaging all their wealth, attention, intelligence and words in the service of Godhead, are called Bhakta Yogis, or devotees of the Lord. The main function of Sri Gitagrad shall be to increase the number of such devotees.
3. Gitagrad’s residents will exclusively follow the social arrangement of daiva-varnashrama. For those unable to attain this standard of pure devotion, the principles of varnashrama dharma will apply for neighboring residents.
4. Sri Krishna will be worshipped in His transcendental form as Partha Sarathi along with His transcendental associate Sri Arjuna. Krishna and Arjuna will be the presiding Deities of Gitagrad, along with Sri Sri Gaura Nitai, and Lord Jagannath, Baladeva and Lady Subhadra.
5. All activities at Gitagrad shall be so done on account of Sri Partha Sarathi, Who shall remain eternally the sole Enjoyer of the results out of such activities.
6. Sri Partha Sarathi shall remain eternally the sole proprietor of the lands and facilities of Gitagrad.
7. All residents of Gitagrad will be given boarding and lodging as prasadam of the Deity, and will perform their activities in loving reciprocation, without expectation of material gain, as the Lord’s servants.
8. A gurukula, The Abhidheya Cultural Academy, will be established at Gitagrad for training the children of the inhabitants. This school will teach the parents as well as the children in responsibilities of varna, ashrama, and other aspects of Vedic culture. Efforts will be made to raise the boys to the level of brahmana as far as possible, for the purpose of fulfilling the lack of such qualified men to lead society. Cultural lessons will also be offered to non-residents such as may come to Gitagrad for training.
9. Gitagrad will arrange for distribution of Krishna prasadam as far and wide as possible.
10. The qualified and empowered preachers of Gitagrad will preach the mission of Gitagrad as far as possible in Ukraine, but also in other parts of the world, as circumstances will allow.
11. All available facilities for the preaching work of Gitagrad shall be accepted as long as they do not interfere with the principles of Gitagrad. Among such facilities, the following can be accepted immediately:
1. Broadcasting the message of Gitagrad using all technologies, such as internet, etc.
2. To answer all the inquiries from all parts of the world English and Russian languages.
3. Production of literature explaining the principles of Gitagrad as the solution to the problems of modern society.
4. Traveling festivals, drama, etc.
12. Holy days such as the birth day anniversaries of Lord Krishna, Sri Ramacandra, Lord Caitanya, Sri Nrisimha Chaturdasi, and similar other functions shall be properly celebrated, and Ekadasi shall be strictly observed by cessation of all unnecessary activity for focus on hearing and chanting the holy names of the Lord.
13. As far as we are able to accommodate new residents, facility shall be offered to inquisitive and sincere souls who shall endeavor for transcendental profit by the use of such facilities, and who agree to strictly follow the rules and regulations of Gitagrad. The governors of the community shall remain vigilant that no person will be allowed to enter who has some motive other than the pure service of Sri Partha Sarathi.

The Really Clean (and good) Dirt of Ryabuino

It’s a dirty world. There’s dirt everywhere that requires constant cleaning. Many people become obsessed with cleaning. For this purpose modern man has invented so many chemicals to clean that dirt away. In recent years we have added handiwipes to the list of essentials that we previously did without. These are little pre-moistened towelettes that we can use to clean our hands and face anywhere where there is no water. These are especially nice for babies and children who are always getting themselves dirty through their natural curiosity of investigating the world they live in. People seem to like these to disinfect the many things that they come into contact with in modern life that have been touched by untold numbers, such as: door and toilet handles, the handles of gasoline pumps and grocery carts, public telephones, as well as computer keyboards, and even money (the dirtiest of all).

The disinfecting fever caught on a few years ago with a consumer assault on germs and bacteria. Those nasty germs, lurking anywhere and everywhere, became the enemy, especially on your hands! It became the business of almost every soap product to rid your hands of germs and bacteria using anti-bacterial disinfectants, typically alcohol, never mind the fact that simple hand washing with normal soap accomplished the very same thing. Later doctors were writing to warn us against this.

While the concern about cleanliness in order to avoid communicable diseases is valid, much of the paranoia and phobia about bacteria is misplaced. Actually, the bacteria colonies found on human skin are essential to proper health.[1] The National Human Genome Research Institute reports that healthy human epidermis is colonized by roughly 1,000 species of bacteria, which thrive on the eyelids, the forearms, the groin and the armpit. Everywhere actually. Their presence, far from being harmful, is essential to the proper functioning of the body. Our bodies are actually ecosystems, home to bacteria, fungi, and other microbes. They live on our skin and in the digestive tract from the mouth, through the intestines and colon. They help digest our food, synthesize vitamins, and are necessary for the healthy function of our immune system.[2]

From this we can understand that the idea that bacteria are boogeymen is actually quite bogus. Only about 5% of bacteria are pathogenic—the other 95% are beneficial.  Bacteria are also the foundation of the planet's garbage disposal system that breaks down dead plant and animal tissue returning it to the soil. And the humus that the bacteria make is the food for plants. Incredibly, just one single gram of healthy soil contains some 600 million microorganisms including thousands of species of bacteria and fungi.  This process is destroyed when farmers spray their fields with pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. In the process they kill the microorganisms leaving the soil dead, requiring the help of chemical fertilizers. Chemical fertilizers result in unhealthy plants.

When we eat these dead processed, denatured, sugar and chemically laden foods that came from dead soil, what to speak of putting chlorine and fluoride in the water we drink, caffeine, birth control pills and other drugs into our bodies, the beneficial bacteria in our gut becomes 85% pathogenic and only 15% of the good bacteria remain. Actually, the ratio should be the other way around. Symptoms of  poor quality bacteria in the gut include an inability to lose weight, carbohydrate cravings, recurrent candida or yeast problems, frequent constipation or diarrhea, digestion or acid reflux problems, joint pain and stiffness, frequent colds or flu, and skin problems like acne or eczema. Interestingly researchers have found that the makeup of the community of microbes in the intestines changes in people with disease. Unhealthy soil results in unhealthy plants, which results in unhealthy people.

What is nature’s way of curing such problems? Would you be surprised if I said “eating dirt?” That’s right—in certain parts of the world, plain old dirt is sold as a therapeutic agent. This is due to the bacteria present called probiotics, which is defined as live microbial food ingredients that have beneficial health effects. Certain bacteria and yeasts have been used for this purpose in many cultures around the world. Probiotics may prevent or shorten the duration of some contagious illnesses. One study of healthy working adults found that those who took probiotics had half the number of sick days as those receiving a placebo.

Research scientist Peter Smith spent years investigating soil-based organisms and developed a proprietary formulation whose use healed wounds faster, and cleared up numerous ill health conditions. Smith found that soil-based organisms aggressively attack and kill human parasites. And Dr. Hulda Clark’s book “A Cure for All Diseases” explains how human parasites could be the fundamental cause of cancer, Aids, MS, and many more dreadful illnesses. By eating soil the beneficial bacteria break down the fungi and kill the parasites that can cause health problems

Actually, eating soil is age-old and widespread among animals on all continents. It’s also widespread among people, especially traditional tribal societies. Scientists term the practice of eating dirt geophagy (from the Greek roots geo for earth and phagein for eat). Geophagy has been widespread in peasant communities on all continents, with descriptions going back to Roman times. In such communities, pregnant and lactating women especially crave soil, typically consuming one-and-a-half ounces or more per day. In Zambia and Zimbabwe the main sources of soil, which 90 percent of rural women consume while pregnant, are giant termite mounds. (Indeed, the soil produced from such ant mounds is considered pure and is preferred for use as tilak). The Ottomac Indians of South America made soil balls six inches in diameter and reportedly ate more than one pound per day during the flood season, when it was difficult to find food. Geophagy has also been reported in Western Europe during famines.

One researcher asked soil-eating people about their motives, but they just typically gave replies like: I feel good when I eat it, or I like the taste. If pressed they say they think it cures stomach problems or worms or diarrhea or aids, or that it is good for them during pregnancy, or that it adds a good taste to food or masks bitter tastes, or that it is useful as a pacifier in a baby’s mouth.

Scientists also reported in the journal Neuroscience that soil can actually be a mood enhancer. A bacteria found in soil, called Mycobacterium vaccae was shown to boost serotonin production in the part of the brain that regulates mood. Serotonin is the brain chemical that antidepressants boost. When cancer patients were treated with this bacteria almost all of them reported an increased satisfaction with their quality of life. Serotonin levels are also closely linked to immune function. Researchers have known for years that people with an imbalance in their immune system are more prone to depression, and other mood disorders. So there is precedent to consider serotonin levels and immune functions as tightly linked.

The cleaning power of earth was not lost on the ancients. One of the seven types of bath is called parthiva-snana—using earth. The Manu Samhita thus instructs that a person must purify himself by cleansing the body with earth and water after he contacts the following six impurities: fat, semen, blood, marrow, urine, or stool; although water alone can purify a person after he contacts the second six impurities: nose mucus, phlegm, tears, perspiration, ear wax, and exudations from the eyes. In the Pancaratra-Pradipa we are instructed that upon waking, a devotee should cleanse his body with water and earth (although soap is acceptable).

Now we com back to the title of this article—the good ol’ dirt at Gitagrad. Ukraine is renowned around the world for having wonderfully rich, black earth that is tremendously productive, making it a prime agricultural country and the breadbasket for all of Europe. In other parts of the world there is normally 50 to 300 cm of topsoil with lots of humus, below which there is a significant change to much more sand or clay. Not here. Our boys dug a pit in the back for a privy, about a meter and a half deep. I was amazed upon seeing that hole that it was all topsoil! Unbelievable if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes! Not only that but there are no pebbles or rocks, very little sand, and only a modest amount of clay in small balls.

Earlier I wrote how one can smear a clay mixture on the bottom of the pots to make it easier to clean them when they are used over an open fire. Actually I don’t use clay alone, but simply make a paste with the soil from out back. Well, what if you forget to put such a covering on your pot? The best thing to remove the resultant carbon smudges again, is soil. Indeed, we not only use it to wash the outside of the pot, but the inside as well. It cuts through the grease like magic (better than scouring powder), and makes everything very clean.

I explained some of the benefits to carrying water earlier. But here is another one: when you don’t have plumbing and have to carry clean water in and dirty water out you can use dirt to clean your pots, pans and dishware without having to worry about clogged pipes. Now some people conditioned by artificial modern life might object that using dirt to clean what you eat from is, well, dirty. Just see the cultural conditioning! That is why I prefaced this part of the article with all of the advantages of soil bacteria. If a little stays on the pots or plates, not only is it not going to hurt, but it will probably help. Wouldn’t you know it, it is well documented that children who grow up in rural areas and on farms with close, daily exposure to soil have fewer allergies and autoimmune diseases than their city counterparts. These are some of the advantages to living (literally) close to the land.

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[1] http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/05/29/

[2] the AP (5/29, Neergaard)

More Lessons in Simple Living and High Thinking
Cooking Over a Wood Stove

I never wanted to cook. It was an “artsy” thing, and I was an “engineer.” But after my divorce I was forced into the kitchen, because although I didn’t want to cook, I did like to eat nice food. Going out to restaurants was not a consideration because of my religious principles, so armed with Yamuna’s “never-fail” cookbook (Lord Krishna’s Vegetarian Cuisine – most highly recommended) I took my stand at the stove.

It was a frightful affair because I was not clear on the concept. It was my impression that everything had to go into the pot in exactly the proper order and amount called for, and if that was not possible then it was doomed to failure. I struggled for a number of years like that. You couldn’t say that I was a cook. I was more of a chemist. I did have laboratory experience as a chemist back in my college days and my cooking took on a similar approach. Although I wasn’t that good of a chemist I was a much better cook when I dutifully followed instructions.

It was fate that taught me how to cook more than anything else. One eventful day I happened to run out a spice that was called for! Oh heavens! What was I going to do? Imagine what a delightful discovery it was to find out that it didn’t make that much of a difference! Armed with this experience, as time went on I even began to experiment, substituting various ingredients to learn how it would alter the finished product.

Even though I was learning to improvise and substitute I leaned on that cookbook for help for many years. I can’t remember exactly how I was weaned from it, but my earliest recollection of doing without it was some 15 years after I ventured into the kitchen. Finally I’ve graduated from the school of cooking experience and I never even refer to a cookbook unless I want to make something specific that I haven’t yet made.

Now here we are in lovely village of Ryabuinak and the only stove is the fire box that also heats the house. Where is the high and low switch? How does one navigate the thing? Can it be too hot? These were some questions that I first wondered about. Fortunately at this point in time I am not so timid about trying new things, so we set out on our first adventure to cook eggplant and potatoes.

A word to the wise: here is one very important tip I received from a friend for cooking over an open fire. If you take the time to coat the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of clay, the clay becomes black and not your pot. And it’s very easy to wash off. If you don’t do this however, your pot will become impossibly black and stay that way. I keep a small tin of moistened clay on hand for the job.

The stove is made with a number of concentric rings that nest on each other making openings of various sizes. You remove the number of rings required to match the diameter of your pot. It was interesting to learn that the rings exactly correspond to the pot sizes! Nice. Somebody with experience is making the pots or the stove, or both!

For a nice high heat its best to build up a bed of coals and then on top of that add some fresh wood to get the flames going. With this arrangement things get going right away. If you need to “turn down the heat” all you do is remove the pan from the opening and set it a third or a half onto the stove top, which is cooler since it is not directly above the flame. Or you can also move it to another part of the stove. The further the distance from the open flames the cooler the stove is. Although I first had some trepidation about it, I’ve found cooking on this stove to be quite nice. There is lots of room for pots and there is a complete variety of temperatures. As soon as one prep is ready to simmer it is moved off of the central spot and then the next dish is begun with the high heat.

Now after cooking we make a nice attractive dish and offer it to the Lord. This is the most essential part of preparing a great meal. Food that is offered first for sacrifice becomes “prasadam,” or sanctified food. It has a very special quality about it that other foods cannot match. In the Bhagavad-gita Lord Sri Krishna instructs us: “all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer as well as give away, should be done as an offering unto Me.” When the result of our cooking is offered to the Lord for His pleasure the entire kitchen activity becomes spiritualized. This is bhakti yoga, or the yoga of devotion. Such spiritualized activity, however normal, or even mundane, can bring the happiness and satisfaction we all desire. Not because of the activity, but because of the love that imbues it. In this way we learn to live in love. By following the ways of bhakti we can truly be happy even while living a simple life.

One result of kitchen work is hands blackened from tending the fire box. Another is very delicious food. I don’t know what it is but food cooked over a wood fire is somehow much more delicious. Although I was first apprehensive about this aspect of simple life, I think I am going to like it verymuch!

Chopping Wood and Carrying Water at Gitagrad

In 1984 Rick Fields’ book “Chop Wood, Carry Water” was published. The book’s subtitle "A Guide to Finding Spiritual Fulfillment in Everyday Life" tells more about the contents of the book than the title. It’s   15 chapters focus on subjects such as: learning; relationships; sex; family; work; money; play; the earth; social action, etc. The idea of Chop Wood Carry Water comes from a Chinese Zen Master who spoke of   the spiritual aspect of everyday things.

I never read the book. By that time I had been a full-time monk in the Hare Krishna Movement for more than 11 years. The principles of the book however, very much apply to living the ideals of Krishna Consciousness. Our founder-acharya, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, constantly spoke to his disciples and followers about what he called “simple living and high thinking.”

In the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna states that every person can become perfect by proper performance of their work. The entire Gita leads one to the conclusion that we all should work according to our nature, but with the consciousness of pleasing the Supreme Lord. Working in this way the activity becomes a process of linking oneself to the Supreme, or Bhakti yoga, the linking process of devotional service. In our practice we do not seek to find satisfaction in everyday affairs by themselves. Actually it is not possible to find satisfaction in material activities. But when those same activities are performed with a consciousness of devotion, then one is actually performing spiritual activity, which by its nature is satisfying.

Prabhupada wanted his followers to establish village communities that exemplified this principle. He taught: “Whatever your occupation may be, that doesn't matter. But if you worship the Supreme Lord by your occupation, then you are successful. Serve the Supreme Lord by your occupational duty.” He was also very critical of modern society that focuses exclusively on sense gratification devoid of spiritual understanding. He encouraged us: “Don't waste time for bodily comforts. You have got this body. You have to eat something. You have to cover yourself. So produce your own food and produce your own cloth. Don't waste time for luxury, and chant Hare Krishna. This is success of life. In this way organize as far as possible, either in Ceylon or in Czechoslovakia, wherever... Save time. Chant Hare Krishna. Don't be allured by the machine civilization. . . .This is soul-killing civilization, this kind way of life, especially European countries.”

 So here we are in Ryabuino, living in a simple house that was constructed perhaps 50 years ago. It has no heating system other than the kitchen’s wood stove. There is no running water – that has to be carriied from the well that is about 30 meters from the house. There is no gas for heating or making hot water. For that we must chop wood. There is no bathroom, just an outdoor shed standing over a hole in the ground, and for a bath right now I stand in a small tub pouring water over my body with a cup, much of which winds up on the floor. This is the simple life. Very simple.

But the simple life has its advantages that cannot be had in the cities. E. F. Schumacher, a British economist who was quite a maverick in his field, spent some time in India, and he witnessed the simple life of the villagers there, which stood in sharp contrast to the city life of London. From this experience he made a startling observation. He wrote that the amount of free time that a culture has is inversely proportional to the number of labor-saving devices that they employ. Such irony. But it is true. Indeed, some time ago I read about a study that determined that women (and presumably men also) wanted to have more sex, but they didn’t have time for it, nor the energy since their days were so full of things that had to be done. Hmm, the epitome of their sense gratification, that which is so highly craved, is unavailable to them even though it is what they are working for!

In my own visits to Indian villages I have seen that Schumacher's observation is very true – the villagers have nothing BUT time. Time for each other, time for their children, time for worship of the Lord. Time for all of the important things in life – something that modern city people do not have. In America people actually spend more time shopping than they do with their children. Talk about misplaced values! Rather, the fact is that modern society is wrongly organized. It's a mis-directed culture. And it is this that we seek to correct here at Gitagrad.

We also want to realize the benefits of simple living in the form of time. What we plan to do with that time is to use it for developing our relationship with God in direct ways of reading and hearing about His pastimes, and chanting His holy names with the mahamantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

I’ll be writing more about bhakti yoga and our practice of it here at Gitagrad in the weeks and months to come. Stay tuned.

What is Gitagrad?

Background Information

What is Gitograd?
    Gitograd is an eco-spiritual community with a special purpose: to develop and teach a new culture based on the timeless wisdom and universal spiritual values of the Vedas, the scriptures of ancient India. Formerly an entire civilization was based on this knowledge, one that far, far outlived any of the Western cultures. Remnants of that culture still exist at many places on the planet, but they are being destroyed by the influences of the modern age. The clue is there how to use the best parts of the past and apply them to create a wonderful culture and a wonderful future. The theme of Gitograd is therefore “Back to the Future.”

    Gitograd is a compound word that comes from Gita, a reference to the world-renowned scripture, the Bhagavad-gita; and grad, which is a Russian expression for place. We choose this term because Gitograd is located in Ukraine, near the city of Kharkov. Gitograd therefore is the place where we will live according to the principles of the Bhagavad-gita. This way of life has been designated for us by the creator of this world, and is free from most of the problems of modern society. Actually, these problems are a direct result of the lack of God-consciousness. Therefore by making God the central focus of all activity the economic problems, the environmental problems, the social problems, and the political problems are simply not created. It is the purpose of the Gitograd community to demonstrate this fact and thus lead the world into a wonderful new era of a happy life for all living beings.

What is the Bhagavad-gita?
    The Bhagavad-gita is accepted all over the world as one of the foremost texts of spiritual wisdom, and is revered by more than a billion people as the direct words of God. According to ancient traditions the Gita was spoken by the Supreme Lord Himself some 5,000 years ago. This history is recorded in the great epic of Mahabharata, as well as other Puranas, such as the Bhagavat Purana. In the Gita Lord Krishna explains to His friend Arjuna the basic elements of spiritual wisdom: how we, the soul, lives in the body, how the body is influenced by the material energies of this world, how the soul transmigrates from one body to another, the nature of this material world, the actions of karma on our future destiny, the nature of God Himself and the influences of time. Most importantly, Sri Krishna explains how the soul can enter into a loving relationship with Him, and as a result, be liberated from this world of birth and death to attain life in the Kingdom of God.

What is the difference between Vedic culture and modern culture?
The main differences are found in the very foundations of the two cultures.
    In modern culture the foundational principles include: the opportunity to own an unlimited amount of private property, the idea that we can become happy through varieties of sense gratification; in some spheres the concept that we are the body and that there is no soul; and an economic system based on cash and credit, and transactions that can yield unlimited gain.
    Vedic culture however, is based on the concept that Krishna, or God, is the proprietor of everything and as such we have no valid claims to proprietorship over anything. He is also the supreme enjoyer of all, and all living beings, including ourselves, will find our highest expression of happiness by engaging ourselves in His loving service. In Vedic culture the economy is direct – each group of people produces the majority of their necessities locally without the need for money and the instability inherent that comes with it.

Gitograd offers a natural way of living
    Following the principle that we can find our happiness in loving service to the Supreme Lord, the inhabitants of Gitograd engage themselves in devotional service. Happy and satisfied with their devotional activities and using their time for spiritual pursuits, they work only as is necessary for a simple life. Work thereby finds its proper place and limits, and not consuming the majority of waking hours. Life’s simple necessities of food, shelter and clothing, are produced without great difficulty directly from the land, and the inhabitants of Gitograd are thus engaged. Money needs are kept to a bare minimum, and are satisfied by offering of goods produced by the community to our Partners (see Partners-for-Life) and to the general public.

Gitograd uses and encourages ecologically friendly practices
    Living our philosophy we understand that everything needed for a healthy and happy life is given by the Supreme Lord. As stated in the Isopanisad, this world is already perfect and complete. There is no need to attempt to improve upon it in order to squeeze profit from the land, animals, or people. We therefore follow sustainable organic farming practices and apply no-till gardening and farming methods. We favor subsistence living and do not produce for the market economy, thus limiting our efforts to only what is necessary.

Gitograd residents aim to produce almost all of their needs locally
    There is a push in modern society to privatize everything and to charge people for the very necessities of life. We consider this to be an atheistic approach to life. God offers all that we need, such as clean air, clean water and healthy, nourishing and tasty food without asking for anything in return. We don’t have to purchase produce from the earth. The earth yields her bounty joyfully if she is treated with respect, as does the cow, who provides us with healthy, delicious milk. At Gitograd we also want to produce our own electricity locally with natures own ecologically friendly and completely sustainable power source – the bull. The bull provides valuable dung for fertilizer and with his strong muscles can produce all the power requirements of the community. We also plan to produce our own clothing using hand-looms and our own locally-grown fibers. The housing in the community is built with traditional methods using clay and straw as the main components, providing a warm and secure home from local materials. We hold building workshops almost every year and invite people to come to learn how to build such attractive structures and live a more natural way of life.
The community plans to develop their cottage industry as membership grows, producing clay and glass products, wooden products, furniture, clothing, food and herbal remedies, and so on. But there are a number of items that we cannot produce such as nails and screw, various tools, eyeglasses, and so on. For these there is a need for cash that typically comes from donations to the project.

Gitograd residents want a healthy and sustainable way of life
    Our residents are all committed vegetarians who have consciously rejected animal flesh as food. Their dietary needs are all supplied locally from the earth and cow. In North America (and many other place in the world) food travels some 2,000 miles before landing on the plate. Not for us, though. Instead of using a ton of steel powered by gasoline and oil that travels around the world to go to a store and use money to pay a clerk for food grown, processed and packaged by exploited workers, we simply walk 10-20 yards to our yard, or padval (Russian word for root cellar where our grains, cabbages and root vegetables are kept) to get what we need. Our food-related carbon footprint is ZERO! (Almost, because we do purchase some store-bought goods at this time). It is a totally sustainable way of living. Very healthy, and very delicious!

The Eco-Spiritual Community of Gitagrad

Demonstrating the future happy and eternally sustainable way of life based on the Bhagavad-gita and Spiritual Economics