Hold the GBC Accowntable!

Dwibhuja:

I don't understand how I can put in good intentions and enthusiasm and get out
of it chastisement and negativity--do you have a converter?

Certainly you are accruing credit for taking care of cows, but as far as I'm
concerned, your texts are the worst on this conference. You paint everyone
else as negative and blasphemous, when that brush can just as easily paint
you.

As I said earlier, when you see a negative text, just go over it. Now I'll
break my own advice because I believe your negativity to be so strong and
offensive and persistent that it is definitely discouraging me from using this
conference to communicate and learn about cow protection.

Discredit me as you will for not actively participating in cow protection, but
I don't think that every GBC man or woman has actively participated in cow
protection, and you're willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, so why
can't you ease up a little?

If others feel that it would be better for me to unsubscribe from this
conference, I will. In the typical quitter style of us offensive devotees, I
will remove myself so that I can let the gentle devotees like yourself carry
on conversation peacefully and in a beautiful tone.

I have been trying to make a good contribution to this conference, and I'm
sorry if I've offended devotees. I have tried to speak honestly, artfully, and
good-naturedly. I don't think I've said anything bad about anybody, yet I find
myself embroiled in conflict with you AGAIN. Is it possible that you are
trying to show yourself to be the dominant bull of the yard?


By the way, let's move on. If you feel like you must respond, please do so
privately. I'd prefer it, however, if you'd write something positive about
your realizations in Krishna consciousness or about cow protection.

--

Money

50% for Krishna consciousness, 25% for family, and 25% for emergencies. Rupa
Goswami has set the example of how we can distribute our wealth, and I'm not
sure that I understand this principle the same as it was explained to me.

Once I asked a non-GBC member if these numbers referred to income after
expenses, and that devotee told me that these numbers referred to gross
income. I wonder how to pay the expenses then.

I bring this up because of the discussion between Dirk and Niscala regarding
the principle of cow protection and the economic reality. Dirk doesn't think
it possible to depend solely on the land as Niscala suggests. One example that
we have, of course, is Krishna's telling the cowherd men not to pay tribute to
Indra. After 7 days of weathering the samvartaka storm, Krishna had
reestablished the true agrarian economy free from the artificial taxes imposed
by the universal government.

Now, what I have noticed in my few years of experience as a living entity
who's trying to become a human being, is that expenses eat up a good
percentage of my income so that the above formula must be adjusted.

I noticed that Rupa Goswami gave 50% of his SAVINGS. Savings, according to my
understanding, are what you have after expenses. So now the question is how
much can we save per month?

And I think this is a very important distinction. The reason I'm bringing it
up is because Dirk says it's impossible to be free of expenses, and I agree.
Niscala says that if we follow Krishna's instructions and worship Govardhana
Hill, He will give us all the shelter we need. So the synthesis of these two
ideas is that we must have money to pay for expenses, and we can apply the
above formula to the remainder of those monies.

Has anyone noticed how fabulously wealthy the Mormons are? They have several
temples in Los Angeles much larger than ours on Watseka. They tithe at 10%.
So, if we attempt to save 20% of our incomes, and divide that according to
Rupa Goswami's formula, we will be able to give 10% to Krishna, 5% to our
family, and 5% for emergencies. Does anyone talk about this? I find that it's
quite possible to put aside income if we can afford a little austerity.

The next question is to whom these monies (collective) should go, and how they
should be spent. Maybe this is too controversial for the cow conference, but
since I've already stepped into controversy, I might as well go on. I am, with
my personal income, trying to reduce my intake of industrial goods (much like
the Amish), even in the city. I believe that we must do without some of the
benefits of raping the earth and cow so that we don't take more than our share
(Isha 1) and so that we can afford to purchase the items necessary to live in
the world of cows.

Gaura hari,

Ram Prasad