WHY USE MILK?

[Guest guest]

Why use milk?

 

For the most part (80%), Food for Life is vegan, but

yes, it is unfortunate that

some programs continue to use commercial milk

products. Food for Life

Global is doing its best to encourage them not to,

however, you really have to

understand the "tradition" that the Hare Krishna

movement represents to better

understand why they appear so determined to use milk,

despite all the arguments

and medical evidence that supports a vegan diet.

 

Ancient Tradition

 

It is a long story, but I will be as

brief as I can. First of all, the

Hindu tradition of India is centered

on worship of Krishna the

"cowherd boy" and the cow is respected

as "Mother." This

very ancient culture has existed on

cow's milk for tens of

thousands of years. The cow is

therefore worshiped. Milk,

whether we like it or not, is an integral part of that

very ancient culture and it always

will be.

 

History has proven that cultures can survive for

thousands of years and enable their

people to live healthy, long lives when there is a

symbiotic relationship between man

and animal. If we ignore this fact, we ourselves will

appear ignorant. The fact that

hundreds of millions of Hindus have used dairy for so

many thousands of years does

give some credibility that dairy products can be safe

to take.

 

Milk is not "one"

 

Secondly, one important consideration

that is always overlooked,

is that "milk," whether it comes from a

cow or human is not one

and the same. All milk is uniquely

different. For example, the milk

that a brown cow produces is different

from that of a spotted cow

and within each herd, every individual

cow has the ability to

produce a unique blend of milk for its

calf.

 

Similarly, even among breast-feeding women, the milk

that each women produces is

not exactly the same. By nature's arrangement the

milk that a mother produces for

its child is perfectly suited to that child.

Amazingly, even while breast-feeding, a

mother's milk can change according to the needs of the

child! Obviously, a more

subtle influence is present here — the influence of

love. In the same way, if a cow is

loved and protected, the milk it offers to humans will

most certainly be uniquely

beneficial. On the other hand, the "commercial milk"

that comes from mistreated and

diseased cows is certainly very harmful. And it should

be noted that it is this

"commercial" milk that all the dairy research is

conducted on!

 

So although vegans certainly have strong scientific

evidence, albeit — limited to the

effects of "commercial" dairy on humans, we should

also recognize the

overwhelming evidence of one of the world's oldest

cultures — Hinduism. And at the

same time not generalize that "all milk is the same."

It isn't.

 

So having said that, some may be wondering why I (a

practicing Hindu) decided to

go vegan. Well, it is partly the same reason as most

vegans: I am vehemently

against the viscous and cruel commercial dairy

industry that exploits cows. It is

certainly hypocritical for any Hindu to support it. On

the other hand, I do not have a

problem with people who love and care for a cow at

home or on a farm and who

accept the excess milk the cow offers with love. (By

the way, it is not completely true

that a cow must be in calf to produce milk. This is

another generalization bandied

about in the vegan movement. There are many examples

to the contrary, including

one cow at the Hare Krishna Bhaktivedanta Manor in

England that has been giving

milk 9 years after calf!!! How is that possible? The

cow feels loved and she offers

her milk with love).

 

So in that sense I am a "conditional vegan." A new

kind of Hindu, that will only accept

milk from loved and protected cows and from those that

are not slaughtered, as are

the cows at the organic dairies (another hypocrisy of

the modern day).

 

As for the popular Krishna argument that "because the

food is blessed by Krishna it

is somehow ok." This is a pretty weak argument but

does have some validity in the

sense that all our food should be blessed (offered to)

by God as a humble act of

sacrifice. After all, we come into this world with

nothing and we leave the same.

Ultimately, therefore, we are never the proprietors of

anything but are merely

borrowing from God. When we offer our food to God

first (before we eat it), we

acknowledge our dependency and consequently the food

is purified of any karma.

Hence, the term "karma-free" food.

 

Because there is a small degree of violence even in

the gathering and preparation

of vegan meals, they can never be totally karma-free

or "ahimsa." If, however, we

offer our food to God to eat first, that food becomes

pure, antiseptic, and spiritually

nourishing! Hindus call this food "prasada," or the

mercy of Krishna. Our hope is

that the vegan movement will also make the extra

effort to "spiritualize" their meals

and thus complete their quest for real peace and

harmony. Despite our good

intentions, if we fail to recognize God as the source

of all good things, our efforts will

always remain mundane, dry and inadequate.

 

So the above argument posed by certain Krishna

devotees does have some validity,

but it certainly does not justify their use of

"commercial" dairy. A vegan´s confusion in

this regard, therefore, is completely justified.

 

I hope this sheds some light on this dilemma. Food for

Life Global is trying its best to

bring ISKCON members up to the ideal standard outlined

by our founder Srila

Prabhupada. Right from the beginning of the movement

he encouraged the Krishna

devotees to develop self-sufficient farms that could

supply all their needs, completely

independent of modern society, including commercial

dairy. Thus far, as a whole,

ISKCON has not lived up to this dream. Granted there

are exceptions in spots

around the world. For example, the beautiful self

sufficient ISKCON project in Brazil,

called "Paramatma."

 

The challenges of tradition

 

Finally, it should be understood that it is not easy

trying to establish a religion and

culture in foreign soils. Nor is it a "piece of cake"

maintaining the ancient traditions

that come with that culture. Dairy is a big big

challenge for the Krishna devotees, but

it is only one of many. For most Krishnas it will

never be a high priority. In the

decadent and crazed societies we now live in, the

values and morals that ISKCON

brings to the Western countries, including celibacy,

vegetarianism, abstinence from

all forms of intoxication and gambling, certainly

deserve acknowledgment.

 

In any case, through Food for Life Global's education,

as well through the efforts of

the vegan movement, Krishna devotees are beginning to

take a good look at this

commercial milk issue. We are confident it will be

resolved in time, and in the not too

distant future there will be a major paradigm shift

and a "commercial dairy-free" diet

will take hold.

 

Food for Life Global appreciates the vegan movement

and encourages their

members to continue cooperating with us. However, when

you do, we hope that

you'll be a little more understanding of the cultural

challenges organizations like

ISKCON face.

 

By Paul Turner

Director

Food for Life Global

 

Contact: priya