Ox Power Quotes

Walk Around Farm -- August 1, 1975, New Orleans

Prabhupada: Then how utilize the bulls?
 

Nityananda: To plow?
 

Prabhupada: Plow, transport. You have to engage more men for plowing. Two bulls will be required for each plow.

Prabhupada: ...natural arrangement. Jungles -- you cut the tree, make your home, and balance you make fuel. And the ground, plow and grow your food. That's all, natural.

Devotee (4): Srila Prabhupada? A materialist or someone who wouldn't know, he may say that when the bull is not plowing, all he is doing is eating. You have to pay money to feed him grain or to grow grain to feed the bull.
 

Prabhupada: They will grow, and they will eat. Rather, they will help you for your eating. The father also eats, but he maintains the family. Therefore the bull is considered as father and the cow as mother. Mother gives milk, and the bull grows food grains for man. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu first challenged that Kazi that "What is your religion, that you eat your father and mother?" Both the bulls and the cows are important because the bull will produce food grain and the cow will give supply milk. They should be utilized properly. That is human intelligence.

Prabhupada: And everything for the cows, but what for the man? They will give everything for cows because they will eat cows, other farmers. But you utilize the animals for growing your food.
 

Brahmananda: The idea is we should maintain the animals, but then the animals should provide foodstuffs for the men.
 

Prabhupada: Yes.
 

Brahmananda: And that way there is cooperation.
 

Prabhupada: Yes. The animals, bulls, should have helped in spite of that... instead of that machine. Then it is properly utilized. And others, they cannot utilize these animals. Therefore, what they will do? Naturally they will send to slaughterhouse. But we are not going to send to the slaughterhouse. Then what we will do? They must be utilized. Otherwise simply for growing food that the cows and bulls we engage ourself? You are already feeling burden because there are so many bull calves. You were asking me, "What we shall do with so many bulls?"
 

Nityananda: Well, when they grow up we will train them as oxen.
 

Prabhupada: No, what the oxen will do?
 

Nityananda: Plow the fields.
 

Prabhupada: Yes. That is wanted. Transport, plowing fields. That is wanted. And unless our men are trained up, Krsna conscious, they will think, "What is the use of taking care of the plows (cows)? Better go to the city, earn money and eat them."