I have never envisioned myself as farmer. I've daydreamt about becoming an actor, rock-star, religious guru, scientist, pilot, military guy, detective, prime minister, cricketer and what not; but never a farmer.
Here are few reasons that came together to make me take this path :-
1.) Poison in our food
It's no secret anymore that most of what we eat today is full of all kinds of poison. Chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, boosters, artificial hormones, GM seeds etc have made our food poisonous. Only few researches so far have conclusively shown this but I am convinced that as we do more study, we will only get more evidences. Our food looks good, might even taste good but is quite unhealthy and unnatural. While buying natural food or organic produce was an option, I rather preferred to cut out all the intermediaries and get into producing my own food.
2.) Dominant chemical farming
Chemical Farming or Modern farming that extensively uses chemicals and machines has taken over entire world. Natural ways or simpler ways of farming are considered primitive and non-glamorous. While modern farming is able to get better produce, it is a very short sighted approach. It makes land quite non-fertile and damages the ecosystem heavily. It does produce good looking produce but quite often they are heavily degrade nutritionally. So, I wanted to take up something that can act as an alternative model to this. Natural farming can to my rescue.
3.) Lack of Sinless Jobs
As I grew morally and started valuing ethics in my life, I decided that I want to work in a job that does not involve corruption or exploitation of any sort and has no net negative impact of society or nature. Can you think of any job today that satisfies this condition ? I couldn't ! Only job that appeared slightly safer was Farming.
4.) Living close to Nature
My excursions into the wild and experiments of living close to nature clearly showed me the difference living close to nature can bring. The quality of my life, of my days, of my mind was totally different when I lived close to nature. As much it was difficult in cities to live a healthy, happy life so much was easier if i live somewhere close to nature. Thus moving to village was a very obvious decision and taking to farming came as a by product.
5.) Farming as worship
Many ancient scriptures like The Vedas have considered farming as worship of five elements that make up the universe. Farming use to be the occupation of sages. Many great saints have spent their lives understanding plants and farming. Many are believed to reach the ultimate truth through this worship of five elements in form of farming. To me, farming as a path to the ultimate truth makes sense. After all, farming is about relating to five elements, trusting nature and patiently waiting. A farm is a place where everything is growing, evolving with the powers of the universe - how can farmer not be a part of it ?
6.) Search for Leisure Time
A farmer (especially one practicing natural "do nothing" farming) has leisure time much more than even the richest person on this planet. All he has to do is put seeds and take care once in a while. He works as per his wish and nature's requirements. Because in farming, nature does most of the hard work - the farmer is bestowed with lot of leisure time which she/he can use as she/he pleases.
7.) The argument of Real work
We all eat food everyday. We cannot survive without food. A farmer produces food for the world. Producing food is the real work. Can we live without gadgets, rockets and TV ? Yes. Without cars, mobiles and shopping malls ? Yes. So, the real work for me is farming. Rest everything is frankly quite useless activities. One may argue the importance of a doctor, an astronomer, a teacher or a politician. But they all survive on food and farmer produces it. Farmer is not dependent on anyone else except nature ,while we all depend on farmer. Thus, to me the most real work (if i must be humble enough to not call it - one and only real work) is farming.
8.) Working with real stuff
One more dissatisfaction I always had in most of my jobs earlier was that I was always working with unreal things. Software coding, a media campaign, designing an electronics chip - though appear real but are quite unreal when we put them in canvass of universe. Entire day, I am sitting in front of my computer doing something (it could be stocks, designing, painting, reading, writing, making movie etc..) and I call it my work. That's all I do in the day, form most of my life. Now compare it with working with something real such as people or nature. I used to feel much better when I'd work with people (say teaching) or nature (farming, gardening etc.).
9.) Life of Independence
Who is really independent ? or lets say who can be ? Can a job holder in a city really be independent ? Perhaps not ! But if a farmer wants, he can be totally independent of most of the systems in our world. He works with nature and that's it. All his basic needs (clothing, shelter, food) are taken care by himself. Ofcourse if a farmer increases his needs , he also becomes dependent on system and other people but if we assume that he keeps his needs in check - a farmer is the person in best position to gain total independence and self sufficiency.
10.) Lifestyle to support inner journey
While one can grow spiritually and take up inner journey anywhere and in any situation, there are few lifestyles more favorable and supportive than others. For e.g. as a cop or politician one might find difficult to take out time for peaceful silent sittings while a writer, singer might have more opportunities for the same. If one is to follow the precepts of most of the religion, living in cities, in our current lifestyles make it very difficult. Simple things like staying calm, not lying, being what you are have become quite difficult in modern civilization. A farmer's lifestyle (Natural farming) is very supportive of inner journey.
11.) Joy of working with Nature
You sow a seed and then in few days you see it sprout, it grows it front of you slowly from few tender leaves to a plant and soon it gives us a flower, fruit or vegetable. Just the joy of seeing it all is priceless. It's almost like having your own child and see him grow everyday. When a new flower blossoms or a new spider weaves her web, a bird visits your farm or a grasshopper crosses you- it all brings joy of some other world to your everyday life.
12.) The foundation of Good life - Right sleep, Right Food and Right Labor
Our sages have proposed three pillars as foundation of a good life, especially for a seeker. Right sleep, right food and right labor. Farming gives me all three.
13.) Being the change I want to see
I thought it is saner for people to stay in villages not unnecessarily be attracted towards cities. I found it stupid to leave calm and simple life of countryside and move to cities to get water in your tap and buy a car to get stuck in traffic jams. So, as Gandhi ji said - I thought if that's the change I want to see in others, let me begin it. When one lives in village, it is imperative to do farming to remove dependency on cities.
15.) Non-cooperation with Mainstream
It's been few years that I've been cribbing out mainstream system. I've become a critic but haven't been able to much positive change. It was one thing hurting me from a long time. So, what do I do ? Instead of working against the system, I preferred to work without the system. Farming, over time will make one self sustainable thus you are no longer directly part of the mainstream system. If many of us do it, it'll weaken the system in multiple way and put a break on it's momentum.
17.) The Ego Trip in Redefinition of self
Ah ! I must not hide this one. There is great fun in introducing myself as "Engineer - MBA - Farmer". It is a lovely ego trip. While I try hard to be humble and hide my ego but I must admit that it was also one of the reason for me to take up farming. I'd always imagine speaking of myself to others and I liked what turning to natural farming sounded like. It was quite revolutionary and unique.
18.) Message from the universe
Last but the most important one was my intuition. I believe that reason and intellect are not enough to take decisions in life. We must rely on other faculties gifted to us like our feelings, intuition, sixth sense, inner voice, gut feeling etc. When I was brooding over the decision to take up farming, I got positive vibes from universe and things also started falling in place(you may call it law of attraction if you like). I started getting farmland offers, I started meeting farmers randomly. Things started falling in place by themselves. If I did not have easily found land and resources to work with, It'd have been quite difficult to take up farming. It has been possible only due support of universe and many people in my life.
Special Mention :
Dear reader,
At few places I might have sounded too judgmental about few things and few things appear to have been heavily generalized. It has been deliberately done just to clarify the point in discussion. I do not mean to undermine any other profession or lifestyle (in cities) in any manner. I think we all have our own roles and journey; and we are all doing our best in the whatever way possible, in whichever place possible. While I write this article to encourage taking up farming and I tried showing farming and village life superior, I respect all other professions and do realize the importance each one plays in our world. I sincerely apologize if any of my words were hurtful.
Thank you ! (Shashi)
Here are few reasons that came together to make me take this path :-
1.) Poison in our food
It's no secret anymore that most of what we eat today is full of all kinds of poison. Chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, boosters, artificial hormones, GM seeds etc have made our food poisonous. Only few researches so far have conclusively shown this but I am convinced that as we do more study, we will only get more evidences. Our food looks good, might even taste good but is quite unhealthy and unnatural. While buying natural food or organic produce was an option, I rather preferred to cut out all the intermediaries and get into producing my own food.
2.) Dominant chemical farming
Chemical Farming or Modern farming that extensively uses chemicals and machines has taken over entire world. Natural ways or simpler ways of farming are considered primitive and non-glamorous. While modern farming is able to get better produce, it is a very short sighted approach. It makes land quite non-fertile and damages the ecosystem heavily. It does produce good looking produce but quite often they are heavily degrade nutritionally. So, I wanted to take up something that can act as an alternative model to this. Natural farming can to my rescue.
3.) Lack of Sinless Jobs
As I grew morally and started valuing ethics in my life, I decided that I want to work in a job that does not involve corruption or exploitation of any sort and has no net negative impact of society or nature. Can you think of any job today that satisfies this condition ? I couldn't ! Only job that appeared slightly safer was Farming.
4.) Living close to Nature
My excursions into the wild and experiments of living close to nature clearly showed me the difference living close to nature can bring. The quality of my life, of my days, of my mind was totally different when I lived close to nature. As much it was difficult in cities to live a healthy, happy life so much was easier if i live somewhere close to nature. Thus moving to village was a very obvious decision and taking to farming came as a by product.
5.) Farming as worship
Many ancient scriptures like The Vedas have considered farming as worship of five elements that make up the universe. Farming use to be the occupation of sages. Many great saints have spent their lives understanding plants and farming. Many are believed to reach the ultimate truth through this worship of five elements in form of farming. To me, farming as a path to the ultimate truth makes sense. After all, farming is about relating to five elements, trusting nature and patiently waiting. A farm is a place where everything is growing, evolving with the powers of the universe - how can farmer not be a part of it ?
6.) Search for Leisure Time
A farmer (especially one practicing natural "do nothing" farming) has leisure time much more than even the richest person on this planet. All he has to do is put seeds and take care once in a while. He works as per his wish and nature's requirements. Because in farming, nature does most of the hard work - the farmer is bestowed with lot of leisure time which she/he can use as she/he pleases.
7.) The argument of Real work
We all eat food everyday. We cannot survive without food. A farmer produces food for the world. Producing food is the real work. Can we live without gadgets, rockets and TV ? Yes. Without cars, mobiles and shopping malls ? Yes. So, the real work for me is farming. Rest everything is frankly quite useless activities. One may argue the importance of a doctor, an astronomer, a teacher or a politician. But they all survive on food and farmer produces it. Farmer is not dependent on anyone else except nature ,while we all depend on farmer. Thus, to me the most real work (if i must be humble enough to not call it - one and only real work) is farming.
8.) Working with real stuff
One more dissatisfaction I always had in most of my jobs earlier was that I was always working with unreal things. Software coding, a media campaign, designing an electronics chip - though appear real but are quite unreal when we put them in canvass of universe. Entire day, I am sitting in front of my computer doing something (it could be stocks, designing, painting, reading, writing, making movie etc..) and I call it my work. That's all I do in the day, form most of my life. Now compare it with working with something real such as people or nature. I used to feel much better when I'd work with people (say teaching) or nature (farming, gardening etc.).
9.) Life of Independence
Who is really independent ? or lets say who can be ? Can a job holder in a city really be independent ? Perhaps not ! But if a farmer wants, he can be totally independent of most of the systems in our world. He works with nature and that's it. All his basic needs (clothing, shelter, food) are taken care by himself. Ofcourse if a farmer increases his needs , he also becomes dependent on system and other people but if we assume that he keeps his needs in check - a farmer is the person in best position to gain total independence and self sufficiency.
10.) Lifestyle to support inner journey
While one can grow spiritually and take up inner journey anywhere and in any situation, there are few lifestyles more favorable and supportive than others. For e.g. as a cop or politician one might find difficult to take out time for peaceful silent sittings while a writer, singer might have more opportunities for the same. If one is to follow the precepts of most of the religion, living in cities, in our current lifestyles make it very difficult. Simple things like staying calm, not lying, being what you are have become quite difficult in modern civilization. A farmer's lifestyle (Natural farming) is very supportive of inner journey.
11.) Joy of working with Nature
You sow a seed and then in few days you see it sprout, it grows it front of you slowly from few tender leaves to a plant and soon it gives us a flower, fruit or vegetable. Just the joy of seeing it all is priceless. It's almost like having your own child and see him grow everyday. When a new flower blossoms or a new spider weaves her web, a bird visits your farm or a grasshopper crosses you- it all brings joy of some other world to your everyday life.
12.) The foundation of Good life - Right sleep, Right Food and Right Labor
Our sages have proposed three pillars as foundation of a good life, especially for a seeker. Right sleep, right food and right labor. Farming gives me all three.
13.) Being the change I want to see
I thought it is saner for people to stay in villages not unnecessarily be attracted towards cities. I found it stupid to leave calm and simple life of countryside and move to cities to get water in your tap and buy a car to get stuck in traffic jams. So, as Gandhi ji said - I thought if that's the change I want to see in others, let me begin it. When one lives in village, it is imperative to do farming to remove dependency on cities.
15.) Non-cooperation with Mainstream
It's been few years that I've been cribbing out mainstream system. I've become a critic but haven't been able to much positive change. It was one thing hurting me from a long time. So, what do I do ? Instead of working against the system, I preferred to work without the system. Farming, over time will make one self sustainable thus you are no longer directly part of the mainstream system. If many of us do it, it'll weaken the system in multiple way and put a break on it's momentum.
17.) The Ego Trip in Redefinition of self
Ah ! I must not hide this one. There is great fun in introducing myself as "Engineer - MBA - Farmer". It is a lovely ego trip. While I try hard to be humble and hide my ego but I must admit that it was also one of the reason for me to take up farming. I'd always imagine speaking of myself to others and I liked what turning to natural farming sounded like. It was quite revolutionary and unique.
18.) Message from the universe
Last but the most important one was my intuition. I believe that reason and intellect are not enough to take decisions in life. We must rely on other faculties gifted to us like our feelings, intuition, sixth sense, inner voice, gut feeling etc. When I was brooding over the decision to take up farming, I got positive vibes from universe and things also started falling in place(you may call it law of attraction if you like). I started getting farmland offers, I started meeting farmers randomly. Things started falling in place by themselves. If I did not have easily found land and resources to work with, It'd have been quite difficult to take up farming. It has been possible only due support of universe and many people in my life.
Special Mention :
Dear reader,
At few places I might have sounded too judgmental about few things and few things appear to have been heavily generalized. It has been deliberately done just to clarify the point in discussion. I do not mean to undermine any other profession or lifestyle (in cities) in any manner. I think we all have our own roles and journey; and we are all doing our best in the whatever way possible, in whichever place possible. While I write this article to encourage taking up farming and I tried showing farming and village life superior, I respect all other professions and do realize the importance each one plays in our world. I sincerely apologize if any of my words were hurtful.
Thank you ! (Shashi)
