The One-Straw Revolution - Multiworld India

West takes as its point of departure this traditional agriculture of theOrient.I went on to say that among natural farming methods two kindscould be distinguished: broad, transcendent natural farming, and thenarrow natural farming of the relative world [this is the world asunderstood by the intellect]. If I were pressed to talk about it in Buddhistterms, the two could be called respectively as Mahayana and Hinayananatural farming.Broad, Mahayana natural farming arises of itself when a unity existsbetween man and nature. It conforms to nature as it is, and to the mind asit is. It proceeds from the conviction that if the individual temporarilyabandons human will and so allows himself to be guided by nature,nature responds by providing everything. To give a simple analogy, intranscendent natural farming the relationship between humanity andnature can be compared with a husband and wife joined in perfectmarriage. The marriage is not bestowed, not received; the perfect paircomes into existence of itself.Narrow natural farming, on the other hand, is pursuing the way ofnature; it self-consciously attempts, by "organic" or other methods, tofollow nature. Farming is used for achieving a given objective. Althoughsincerely loving nature and earnestly proposing to her, the relationship isstill tentative. Modern industrial farming desires heaven's wisdom,without grasping its meaning, and at the same time wants to make use ofnature. Restlessly searching, it is unable to find anyone to propose to.The narrow view of natural farming says that it is good for thefarmer to apply organic material to the soil and good to raise animals,and that this is the best and most efficient way to put nature to use. Tospeak118