The glaring attraction of city, that is maya. In the modern age people are more attracted by the city life, but we should know city life… Not for the devotee; generally, people in general, they like city life, but that is maya. Maya means "which is not fact." We are thinking that this way we shall be happy, but that is not fact. This is called maya. Ma–ya — "it is not." You are thinking that in this way you will be happy, but it is not. This is called maya. One English poet also said, Cowper, that city is made by man but village is made by God.

So if you can stick to this village life and be satisfied whatever you produce… You can produce your necessities; there is no difficulty. If we keep cows and grow food grains, fruits, vegetables, then we can live very peacefully like that. There is no need of going to the city. That is the plan of God, Krsna. Krsna personally exhibited. Vrndavana is village; it is not city. We are trying to go to the village of Krsna — Vrndavana.

So I am very glad that you are living here. So kindly stick to this place and make an ideal island so that others may see also: plain living, high thinking. Produce your own food; keep cows, milk. If there is food grain and milk there is no necessities. And you can produce your cloth also if you produce cotton. And we are trying in Mayapura to produce our own cloth. So we require our own cloth, own food, and time saved for advancing in Krsna consciousness. That is required. That is actual civilization. This is not civilization; this is demonic civilization. So although you are all European and American, these things are practically…, you are not accustomed. But if you develop this kind of civilization — plain living and high thinking — save time for advancing Krsna consciousness, that is real profit of life. It is real profit.

We should not be attracted by the so-called material bodily comfortable life. This is also comfortable. Simply we imagine that city life, having many cars and many skyscraper buildings, big, big roads, that is comfortable. Comfortable means without anxiety.

Create Vrndavana. Keep Krsna here, cows here, calves here; produce your own food. It will become Vrndavana. This is Vrndavana. Where there is Krsna, where there are cows, where there is agriculture, that is Vrndavana. See the life of Krsna. He advised His father to worship Govardhana Hill. He said, "My dear father, Govardhana Hill is giving grass to our cows. Why you are arranging for the demigod worship, Indra? There is Govardhana-puja." So you should produce enough food grains, enough fodder for the cows, and live peacefully, chant Hare Krsna, make this life. At least one life we should do like that. It is very happy life.

So you have got this land; develop it. Don't go away. Develop it. That is my instruction. Keep cows, as many cows as possible. You don't require practice. Produce your own food, own milk — save time; chant Hare Krsna. This is perfect. You don't require technical education and this education, that education, wine, meat. This is raksasa civilization. This is not human civilization. Human civilization: peacefully living, saving time for Krsna consciousness, and then at the time of death you remember Krsna. You are immediately delivered within a second, back to home, back to Godhead.

So be satisfied with this humble life in the village and be advanced in Krsna consciousness. That is the real profit of life. Don't be misled by the glaring, dazzling situation of the city. That is not worth it.

Don’t be restless. Simple living and high thinking, that is wanted.

From Srila Prabhupada's Arrival Lecture on Farm — May 25, 1975, Honolulu