I often ask myself what victory is for us, whether on a societal scale or in our personal lives. Surely, as society shapes or evolves, there is a certain predictable concept of success, given the direction and preferences chosen. As Srila Prabhupada so brilliantly taught us, given the place, time and circumstances. Since we are a society founded by Srila Prabhupada, so long as his written and spoken word remains, we have a wide range of victories that we can clearly classify as victories that have their value yesterday, today and tomorrow, here and there. For the whole society and for the individual. Distributing thousands and millions of books, opening new temples, starting farms and gurukulas, bringing in new devotees, organizing festivals, Ratha-yatras, opening preaching centers and restaurants, and other successes. These are successes, victories for us. In many places, victory is maintaining the temple, preeaching programmes and distributing books. And also keeping the devotees in devotional service. Just to keep fighting against Maya, that is a great victory that is not celebrated much anywhere, and it is a pity.
Here in the Czech Republic we are not very used to huge victories, we do not open or build large temples, preaching centers do not grow like mushrooms after rain, and crowds of devotees do not even fill a small temple outside Prague.
But books are still being distributed, we have the most beautiful Ratha-yatra in the world, we have an incredible number of restaurants that employ dozens of devotees, and one farm that has recently expanded by buying fields, a cowshed, and a barn.
And I, who have been working in one of the restaurants for a few years, have noticed one quiet victory that will not be announced anywhere at large gatherings or world meetings in Mayapur.
In a small town with 20 thousand inhabitants near the ecological farm Krishna’s Court, the devotees even have two restaurants, Govinda and Madhava (Madhava is also a bakery), they are about a kilometer apart and both are thriving. I cook at Madhava, where about 200 breads, 300 buns and other pastries are baked every day, and we also cook over 100 lunches and other snacks. And I quietly observe that the flour, plain, coarse, wheat, rye, spelt, from which we bake, comes from the Krishna’s Court farm. And we are not the only ones. I know that several other bakeries in Prague purchase flour from grain grown and ground on our farm. I silently observe that most of the vegetables in season are from Krishna’s Court farm, cabbage, carrots, peppers, spinach, beetroot, potatoes, it is a joy to cook and of course to receive. I also silently observe that the milk, delicious paneer, yoghurt is freshly delivered from Krishna’s Court farm. And the ahimsa milk delivered to restaurants? I can clearly state that ahimsa milk is a turning point, it brings joy and satisfaction without compromise.
Moreover, both restaurants employ about 14 householders and sell products grown on our farm. After all, that is what Srila Prabhupada wanted so much. It is a huge victory, a step forward with a firm foot.
A fairly large community of householders has grown up around the Krishna`s Court farm over the years, over twenty houses of devotees in close proximity to the farm and another 15 in a slightly larger area. The education of children and various projects keep the community growing well, of course there are also the necessary needs, the main thing is to buy arable land near the farm so that the farm can secure a large herd of cows and agricultural production. With this, I turn to you, dear reader, please become part of our silent victory, open your heart and contribute to the purchase of arable land and pasture for cows for Krishna`s Court farm.
your servant Loka Saranga dasa
https://surabhifarm.com/
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