Occupy Wall Street Spreads Worldwide
The Atlantic – ALAN TAYLOR – Oct 17, 2011
The Occupy Wall Street movement continues to grow and has now spread across the world, motivating thousands to voice their anger at financial and social inequality, and in some places merging with existing anti-government protests. On Saturday, a global “Day of Rage” was observed, and demonstrations took place in more than 80 countries around the world. Protesters took their messages and anger to the streets from Hong Kong to Fairbanks, from Miami to London, from Berlin to Sydney, and hundreds more cities large and small. Go to story
excerpt from morning walk conversation, Vrindaban, September 13, 1975:
PRABHUPADA: This is called hog life, how to maintain this body. Kashtan kaman. Kaman means necessities of life. Very, with great difficulty…. Life can be easily maintained by agriculture and cow protection. No. They will start big, big mills, factories, motor tires, cars, instruments. Kashtan kaman. In the Bhagavad-gita it is called ugra-karma, fierce activities. Kashtan kaman. Unnecessarily creating problems, one after another, one after another. Formerly paper was used only for Vedic knowledge. Now the paper used for so many useless newspaper, volumes and volumes, and the news unnecessarily creating agitation of the mind. And if you explain these things they will say, “This is all primitive ideas.” Modern ideas means one must work very hard day and night to get a little piece of chapati. Hm? What is the answer?
GOPAL KRSNA: If we don’t work hard they say, “You are a burden on society.
PRABHUPADA: Hm?
GOPAL KRSNA: If a person doesn’t work hard day and night they say, “You are just living on society.”
PRABHUPADA: That I am explaining. The day and night is that pig is working. That I am explaining. Then what is the difference between the pig and me if I am also working hard like that pig? Huh?
GOPAL KRSNA: There’s no difference.
PRABHUPADA: Then why you say you are advanced civilization? That is forbidden. Kashtan kaman na arhati. It is not desirable; it is not good. You are given this body different from this pig because you will live peacefully and happily. Why should you accept kashtan kaman, so hardship? Actually they do not want to work hard. Otherwise why the proprietor, the capitalist, they leave the factory and go to a solitary place? Why does he go?
GOPAL KRSNA: They don’t find any happiness even in the hard work.
PRABHUPADA: The other worker, he is seeing that “This rascal has engaged us in hard work and he is enjoying. So drive him out. Kill him.” This is communism. Everyone wants that, comfort, peacefully living. Therefore this civilization, to work hard, is condemned. If hard work is desirable why the capitalists avoiding? Hm? What is answer?
UPENDRA: They say they worked hard to get there.
PRABHUPADA: Eh?
UPENDRA: They worked hard to get there.
PRABHUPADA: “To get there” means?
UPENDRA: To get to their position they worked hard.
PRABHUPADA: What is their position?
UPENDRA: Of relaxation.
PRABHUPADA: Relaxing. I am relaxing. Why you are inducing me? I am relaxing. Then why you are inducing me to work hard? I am already relaxing. Chant Hare Krishna and take little prasada [to eat]. That’s all. Why you are inducing me to work hard?
BRAHMANANDA: They say you have to earn your relaxation.
PRABHUPADA: But earn or not earn, I am enjoying relaxation.
BRAHMANANDA: You’re not entitled unless you work very hard.
PRABHUPADA: Oh. That is nonsense.
UPENDRA: In America they say you have to pay for freedom.
PRABHUPADA: No, freedom, if I have got already, why shall I pay? I have already paid. Why you’re inducing? I am already enjoying. Why you are inducing me to work hard? I have paid for it. By my karma in my previous life I have already paid for that; therefore I am enjoying.
GOPAL KRSNA: They don’t believe in the law of karma.
PRABHUPADA: Therefore they are rascals. Rascal. This is a rascal civilization. Rascal civilization: one side, they say contraceptive; another side, they will encourage woman to marry three times a week. This is their civilization. If you want to stop population, why you are inducing “Indulge in sex life”? Stop sex life—brahmacari. Everything is contradictory. And it is all sense gratification, based on sense gratification.
GOPAL KRSNA: If a person is not satisfying his senses they think he is crazy.
PRABHUPADA: But where is your sense satisfied? You are crazy. You are repeatedly being kicked by nature, that your senses will never be satisfied. Still, you are trying for that. Even the old man of eighty years old, he is going to the nightclub. Where is sense satisfaction? When his senses will be satisfied? Relaxation. If somebody is relaxing, chanting, they will induce, “Oh, you are escaping.”
BRAHMANANDA: “Misery loves company.”
PRABHUPADA: What is that?
BRAHMANANDA: That’s a saying, that if someone is feeling misery, he wants other people to also enjoy the misery.
PRABHUPADA: Yes.
BRAHMANANDA: No one wants to suffer alone.
PRABHUPADA: Cutting the tail of the jackal. (Bengali) “My tail is cut, so your tail must be cut.” This is a fashion. That is practical. The world is working so hard but where is the peace and happiness?
BRAHMANANDA: It’s coming.
PRABHUPADA: (laughs) When it will come? That is unknown.
BRAHMANANDA: Maybe at the end of this century.
PRABHUPADA: And at the end of your life. Just like insurance policy. You’ll be happy after death. “You go on paying now, work hard, go on paying the premium and you’ll be happy after death.” This is insurance policy. And I am going to be a dog after death, and how he’ll be happy? Just see.
INDIAN GUEST (1): It is evident that miseries are growing darker and darker.
PRABHUPADA: That must be because you are under nature’s law. How you can avoid? As you are working, you will get the result. Karmana daiva-netrena [Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.31.1]. There is superior power to supervise how you are working.
INDIAN GUEST (2): Karmana baddhyate jantur vidyaya…
PRABHUPADA: Yes. Karmana baddhyate. They do not know. Poor fund of knowledge. Rascals. Mudha. Krishna comes to inform these rascals, “You are all dushkritina, mudha.” That is Krishna’s declaration. Na mam dushkritino mudhah… “Therefore surrender unto Me.” This is the whole purpose.
