The
Bhaktivedantas
Krishna
Books
What
is Hare Krishna?
The
Founder-Acharya
Hare
Krishna Mantra
Sankirtan
Movement
Personality
of Godhead
Lord
Chaitanya
A.C.Bhaktivedanta
Swami Prabhupada
Hansadutta
das
Events: Kirtan Festival
World
Sankirtan Party
Submit
News
Email
©
2004 - Hansadutta das
|
Get Srila
Prabhupada's original, unrevised books. Beware
of imitations. More than 160 titles published! Learn more. |
[Posted
February 7, 2006]
Paper Currency is Cheating
by His Divine Grace A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Founder-Acharya of the
world-wide Hare Krishna Movement, Brahma Sampradaya Acharya
Morning Walk Conversation with
disciples at Villa Borghese, Rome, May 25, 1974
www.financialsense.com, Sunday, February
25, 2006--by Eric Andrews--Island
Economics
With the Iranian Oil Bourse set to open in a month, there has been a
lot of discussion about its meaning and consequences. A reasonable
person might ask, "What's the difference what oil is priced in? Can't
you just exchange currencies?" So for anyone skeptical about the
existence of a Petrodollar and the "Exorbitant Priviliege" it lends via
inflationery extraction, join me on a little trip to a place I call:
Gilligan's Island.
Comment
Send
this story to a friend
Yogesvara:
The land in the Vedic culture, some of it was...?
Prabhupada: Land belongs to the king, and you take land
for cultivation, and you pay 25% tax to the king. That's all. All
taxes. If you don't produce, then don't pay tax.
Yogesvara: Oh, it wasn't forced that you had to pay so
much.
Prabhupada: No.
Atreya Rsi: You pay 25% of what you have produced.
Prabhupada: What you have produced, that's all. Very
simple thing. Everyone was engaged producing. There was no necessity.
And here the rascals are advising, produce bolts and nuts, tire, and
drill petrol. They are not producing food. And the so-called government
men, they are levying taxes, and they are enjoying. They haven't got to
produce food. They are killing animals, eating, and digesting with
wine. And then woman. That's all. This is their business. And food
price is increasing daily. They don't mind because they will print
paper, and to the supplier they will give paper. That's all.
Bhagavan: Print more paper.
Prabhupada: Yes. That's all. This is the civilization,
cheating, bluffing. That's all. They don't care for the citizens. And
as soon as there is some agitation, they declare war, so that they can
be engaged, attention is diverted. This is going on.
Bhagavan: Now with paper money, any country can print any
other country's money.
Prabhupada: Yes. That is going on. Therefore inflation.
Suppose I am an enemy. I print dollars like that, and distribute. So
the inflation is there. And the price is increased. If you get money
for nothing, you will be prepared to pay anything. Suppose there is one
mound of rice. I have got these printed notes. You are offering ten
rupees. I will say twenty rupees.
Atreya Rsi: That's inflation.
Prabhupada: That's all. Because I did not earn this money,
I have printed. I am prepared to twenty rupees. So he says, "Why shall
I pay ten rupees? I must wait for the customer, for twenty rupees, and
hoard it." Even there is sufficient stock, he will not sell. Therefore
the other man, who is honest, he is suffering. This is going on. So to
stop this inflation, the government must stop this paper currency. Then
the inflation... There will be no more inflation. But that they will
not do. They want to cheat people. "In God I trust. Take this paper and
you be satisfied that you have got thousand dollars." That's all. This
cheating is going on. Why should you pay me paper? Give me real dollar,
in gold. That they have none. They haven't got. That's all. They will
employ laborers and cheat them by paying these papers, and this rascal
will think that "I am getting more money." That's all. Since this world
has taken this paper currency, the situation has degraded. Formerly
there was barter exchange. That was very good thing. Still in Indian
villages, the remote villages, there is barter. Yes. He has produced
some grains, paddy. He will bring to the storekeeper. And the
storekeeper will take, "For so much oil, you have to give me so much
paddy." So he will weigh and keep it and give him oil. So he will
arrange to sell the paddy. But for the villagers, he brings the paddy
and he takes. They require little salt, little oil, some spices. That's
all. Otherwise they have got their own thing. They have got dahl, their
rice, wheat, everything. They have produced. In this way, still there
are, Indian villages. There is no question of scarcity.
Bhagavan: The easiest way to manage, then, is to have
everything more or less in small villages.
Prabhupada: Yes, that was Gandhi's philosophy, village
organization. These people, they are attracting villagers to work in
the factory, and they are exploiting them. Instead of producing food,
they are attracted by so-called high salaries, to the factory, and they
are producing bolts and nuts, motor parts. But food is produced
somewhere else. But the food producers, they are working in the
factory. Therefore scarcity of foodstuff. But this factory owner, he
has got more money. He doesn't care. The poor public, they are
suffering. Our philosophy is that you produce your food anywhere. You
stay, and keep cows, take milk, produce vegetables, food grains, and
chant Hare Krishna. That's all. This is our philosophy. Make your life
successful. By becoming Krishna conscious, you become free from all
these troubles of material condition. This is our education. Don't be
after these motorcars, television, and all nonsense things, sporting,
wine, women. Don't be after these. Simply eat sufficiently, keep your
health nicely, chant Hare Krishna, realize Krishna, and go back to
home. This is our philosophy.
Satsvarupa: But sometimes, because this materialistic
society is so far advanced, you say we cannot actually hope to change
it.
Prabhupada: No, no. That is a fact. We cannot hope to
change. But we request everyone to chant Hare Krishna.
Yogesvara: In their factory or wherever they are.
Prabhupada: Yes. Because it is very difficult to close the
factory. That is not possible. So whatever you have done, it is all
right. But you chant Hare Krishna. Then things will be adjusted. We are
giving chance to everyone, who is degraded or who is not degraded, by
the simple method of chanting Hare Krishna. We do not neglect anyone.
We do not say, "You are neglected. We don't accept you." No. I accept
you and I accept others.
Back
to Top |