Just see

This is a photo of Prabhupada returns from bathing, he passes by devotees and the washing machine, New Vrindaban, 1969.

Bhurijana: In the name of efficiency, the New Vrindaban devotees bought a second-hand wringer washing machine. I was one of the devotees delegated to transport it from the main road to the farm house, a two-mile hike.

The machine was old-fashioned, built to last, and heavy. A few of us hoisted it on our shoulders. We would carry it a few hundred feet before its weight forced us to put it down. We then hung it between thick wooden poles and, with more devotees helping, again heaved it onto our shoulders. We strained, walked a few hundred feet, and again had to put it down. We spent hours hoisting, thrusting, pulling, and pushing. Finally, we got the washing machine to the well directly in front of the farmhouse. We were all exhausted.

We ran an extension cord from the farmhouse to the washing machine, but where would the water come from to fill the tub? We realized that we were going to have to move the washing machine down the valley to where a small stream tumbled from a waterfall into a pond. But what about electricity?

As the devotees tossed around possible solutions, someone told Prabhupada about it. His reply? "Just see."

Prabhupada envisioned "plain living and high thinking" as the working principle for New Vrindaban. He knew all our work-saving plans would only result in more work. He saw all our muscle straining and ensuing problems as opposing the principle of New Vrindaban. "Just see."