HG Nimai Nitai Prabhu and the devotees of ISKM China are starting a very important project in China where they will be starting a farm community project. They are going to start a small gurukula also, since their son is going to turn 5 years old next year. They will start homeschooling him according to Srila Prabhupāda’s instructions. They have met a lady named Bhaktin Emily, who is now becoming a devotee and she is serious about advancing spiritually. She has two children, one boy and one girl whom she is homeschooling too.
She wants them to be part of the gurukula also. Since it is difficult to preach in the city especially in China, it would be proper to have a place outside the city where devotees will be able to practice a simple lifestyle of high values without the fear of being harassed. Lately the preaching activities have got under the police’s radar, therefore devotees have to be very careful.
The following letter shows how Srila Prabhupada wanted His devotees to start farm communities.
letters/bombay/december/18/1974/rupanuga
Our farm projects are an extremely important part of our movement. We must become self-sufficient by growing our own grains and producing our own milk, then there will be no question of poverty. So develop these farm communities as far as possible. They should be developed as an ideal society depending on natural products not industry. Industry has simply created godlessness, because they think they can manufacture everything that they need. Our Bhagavad-gita philosophy explains that men and animals must have food in order to maintain their bodies. And the production of food is dependent on the rain and the rain of course is dependent on chanting Hare Krsna. Therefore let everyone chant Hare Krsna, eat nicely and keep their bodies fit and healthy. This is ideal life style.
As Srila Prabhupada wanted His devotees to become self-sufficient, this new project will be a great step forward for the ISKM movement.
The devotees have found a farmhouse which has 6 rooms, 2 living rooms and 2 bathrooms. It is situated in a quiet and natural area without nearby neighbours so this would be very convenient for kirtans and festivals.
We are humbly begging anyone to help to start this very important project. The farmhouse is paid yearly at a cost of 24,000 yuan (240,000 INR) the agency is asking for half a year equivalent of service fee (12,000 yuan) and a two months deposit has to be given (4000 yuan) all this comes to 40,000 yuan. We therefore humbly ask for all devotees’ help. With this help, there would be a farmhouse for our community of devotees and devotees from China could come and stay and peacefully live and practice spiritual life outside of the passionate and ignorant city life. Please contribute as much as you can for this great purpose.
Hare Krishna
