The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.
Interpretation
Farming is about nurturing people, not just producing food.
In this quote, Masanobu Fukuoka emphasizes the idea that the true purpose of agriculture transcends the mere act of growing crops; it focuses on the development and enrichment of individuals' lives. He believes that farming should foster a connection between people and nature, enhancing human potential and community well-being, ultimately contributing to a more profound societal transformation.
In practice
In a speech about sustainable agriculture, the speaker quoted Fukuoka to highlight the importance of nurturing community alongside food production.
When it is understood that one loses joy and happiness in the attempt to possess them, the essence of natural farming will be realized. The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.
As we kill nature, we are killing ourselves, and God incarnate as the world as well.
Modern research divides nature into tiny pieces and conducts tests that conform neither with natural law nor with practical experience. The results are arranged for the convenience of research, not according to the needs of the farmer.
Gradually I came to realize that the process of saving the desert of the human heart and revegetating the actual desert is actually the same thing.
Life on a small farm might seem primitive, but by living such a life we become able to discover the Great Path. I believe that one who deeply respects his neighborhood and everyday world in which he lives will be shown the greatest of all worlds.
The increasing desolation of nature, the exhaustion of resources, the uneasiness and disintegration of the human spirit, all have been brought about by humanity's trying to accomplish something.
Philanthropy is often seen as society's risk capital. That means the onus is on philanthropists, nonprofit leaders and social entrepreneurs to innovate. But philanthropic innovation is not just about creating something new. It also means applying new thinking to old problems, processes and systems.
To be truly Catholic is not merely to be correct according to an abstractly universal standard of truth, but also and above all to be able to enter into the problems and the joys of all, to understand all, to be all things to all.
The opposite of an idealist is too often a man without love.
Commit a crime, and the earth is made of glass.
The Absolute and the Infinite can become this universe only by limitation.
I tell you the groans of the damned in hell are the deep bass of the universal anthem of praise that shall ascend to the throne of my God for ever and ever.
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