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[Guest guest]

Hello Vrin Parker

This is your friend jjayaraman (of Sri Ramana Ashram) from Hyderabad

memories......

Here's an offering of Fire of sustainable Dharma.

Jai! Ram ji ki!

Pl send me a short mail at <ashram marking

attention "JJ"

 

 

One People, One Nation, One Community, One Being

 

—J.Jayaraman

Sri Ramanasramam P.O.

Tiruvannamalai 606603

 

Consumerism is the taking and storing of more than one's share

from

the environment. It becomes increasingly exploitative in the absence

of simple living and illumined thinking. Consumerism is not the

landlord who was in real fact skilled in work, austere and joyful,

and indistinguishable from his workers. Consumerism is the

landlord's son who skips, without taking permission from his

workers,

his farm visit because a cricket match is on TV. Consumerism is his

son who takes to gambling, and that son's son who moves to the

city

with its `greener pastures' for a better `standard of

living'

and `good time'. Consumerism is the urban man beating the

system

through a device of mutual favour which is unable to consider the

good of the whole. Religious consumerism is the renunciate craving

for adulation, entertainment and comforts.

 

THE BACKGROUND:

The dimension of the crisis facing India is altogether other than

Hindu-Muslim conflict made out by the intellectuals. Deception is

inherent in Man. In recent history the British divided the commonly

oppressed Hindu and Muslim Indian in order to contain huge Muslim-

supported Hindu uprisings on the issue of cattle-slaughter throughout

the latter 1800s. The European couldn't do without beef.

gô-dhr means cow fostering. The roots of civilizational conflict

lie

in the tension ever present between Consumerism (exploitation as it

appeared in the West in recent history in the name of European

communism and capitalism), and an eternal cultural Awareness based

on `Consumerism with Conscience'. This awareness is behind

the

principle of `sacrifice', or Yajna common to all faiths and

cultures.

[since no one can avoid being a consumer, I have preferred the

phrase `Consumerism with Conscience' over `enlightened

Communism'

(vasudhâ êva kutumbakam, mother Earth is the commune) which

also

fits. But then, `communism' has heavy connotations still].

 

The Government of India in its Tenth Plan proposals would like

to `open the cattle-sector' for dollars through

cattle-slaughter for

beef and leather. The Dept. of Animal Husbandry under the Ministry of

Agriculture had set up a committee to submit proposals. The proposals

have perhaps been accepted by the Planning Commission and so a Bill

could be put through the next session of Parliament. There already

exists a National Cattle Commission under the Ministry of Agriculture

to look into cattle-welfare. And now a National Meat Board is

proposed as an independent body (competing with the National Cattle

Commission really), to `enhance cattle productivity'.

 

The proposals of the special committee (composed almost entirely of

meat-exporters) to enhance cattle `productivity', if passed,

will

mean treating our cattle as products and maximizing cash production

through milk, beef, and leather. Such western orientation towards the

cow and the buffalo as `cash-products' will stop at nothing

to

increase cash profits. The recent `mad-cow' problem arose in

Europe

because cattle had for long been fed `highly enriched composite

feed'

which was in tragic fact `state-of-the-art' recycling of the

waste

products (hair, nail, bone, blood etc) from all kinds of abattoirs

(slaughter houses). The only motive being more beef and milk

`output'

at lower cost of `feed-inputs'.

The cow is a specially-made factory needing as input: fodder and

water, and producing an output (while alive): milk, living calf, and

milk for calf and man; dung and urine for the universe of life inside

the soil and having versatile hygienic uses above it.

The cow-factory also produces an output(upon natural death): leather

for man, and meat for creatures living in the soil, on the soil, and

flying over it. The cow's output of dung and urine is crucial to

Nature in the decomposing of larger wastes from man's urbanized

life

into microbial food, and this ultimately feeds the soil. The green

output from such cultivated but living soil would feed urbanized man

and his animals and thus complete the food-chain. Man's

intervention

in this food-chain by directly giving abattoir `wastes' as

food to

cattle, unleashed tremendous fury. This fury was actually war waged

by Nature's silent Kingdom on the consumer Kingdom in Europe.

 

An urbanized civilization must be very cautious about its

relationship with soil, and with the unseen villager toiling under

noonday sun. He is without a/c, very conscious of his debts, crushed

by vested interests that consume his soil through fertilizer and

pesticide guzzling seeds. He is without cash balance, with a very

ancient Union backing him but would not speak up for him except

through man, but alas, man would not listen when spoken to. And he

cannot make sense of urbanized blindness poisoning the food-

environments of creatures all the way down to bacteria. The cult of

advertising and packaging successfully veils from man, his

inseparable connection with and duty towards preserving the

consciously cyclic food-chain store of Nature. Soon therefore the

urban house-holder begins to feel good about satisfying his

family's

ever increasing living needs and comforts, provided he puts in honest

work and shows results to his employer to claim his rightful due in

increasing personal cash and comforts.

 

>From his responses to events concerning trees, cows, dogs, monkeys,

peacocks and the poor man, that occurred in his presence, Sri Ramana

Maharshi clearly directs us to the principles behind trouble-free

community life.

The Hindu cry in India for ban on slaughter of cattle for beef is

primarily based on the ecologically perfect culture of worship of

the grand Forest as One Being, and the social discipline of men

adopting responsible life-styles, and sharing of earth, water and air

commonly with all creatures animate and inanimate. Forest and nomadic

cultures the world over had an in-built check against their own

urbanization, through their principle of `non-possession of

land'.

But they could not fight urban power coming in and `taking

over'

land.. The ancient Indian culture of Consumerism with Conscience,

accommodates in one sweep, forest, nomadic and rural cultures, and

urban aspirations. It is rooted in the Wisdom to be found in the

forest (aranyaka), and is fully aware of the urban push inherent in

agriculture. Its structure harmoniously accommodates the urban

market. It effectively controls the temptation towards exploitative

consumerism inherent in man, especially urban man.

This it does by recognizing the deeply and naturally resident

spiritual aspiration in man which demands fulfillment beyond

materialism. It therefore urges (not forces) urban man especially, to

recognize his inseparable connection with all of Nature's Kingdom

and

to share harvest (meat or grain) with the Divine in Nature. The

ancient culture therefore warns human beings to move away from

exploitative consumption of meat and grain and earth, and to keep in

mind their silent benefactors. It urges (never forces) man towards

austere consumption of these after offering to the Silent Kingdom of

the One in Nature. This sacrifice or Yajna is central to its

structure. It then extols the offering and consumption of vegetarian

forms. Pushing further, the culture urges one towards the offer of

one's ego the basis of all consumerism, as the only true offering

that can be made, and gain Freedom from all fear and sorrow.

 

Every civilization and tribe is based on a pasu meaning a

domesticated animal on which its people are dependent for livelihood,

and which they sacrifice on special occasions as offering before

partaking of it. The Jew's sheep, the Arab's sheep and camel,

the Red

Indian's horse and buffalo, the African's deer and buffalo,

the

European's cow etc.

The greatest movements in Man's history have been triggered by

tension between communities developing consumerist (exploitative)

attitude towards Nature and communities honouring the higher vision.

One of the earliest being recorded in the Rig Veda (The Dasa

Râjna `the ten-kingdoms' War wherein the consumerist (ie

`un-âryan')

lobby of 10 urban kingly tribes was driven North-west out of the

natural boundaries of this land by king Sudâs aided by the tapas

of

the sage Visvâmitra (himself a consumerist king turned enlightened

sage). One side wedded to karma kânda, ie, technology without

conscience and for personal pleasure, and opposing jnâna kânda,

ie,

technology with a conscience founded on Oneness, and protecting the

right to live, of all creatures animate and inanimate. Both sides

considered themselves to be dêvâs, ie men who were carrying out

the `true' import of the scriptures. Of the 10 groups of

exploitative

consumerists who were driven out, 9 moved from India to spread

throughout Europe, and one `got off' in Iran.

History records that a Zoroaster arose centuries later from this

Iranian `branch' of consumerist `devas'. The Gathas

of Zoroaster

begin with the lament of cattle (Gatha 29). The cattle lament to the

mindful Lord that man passes laws that deny them any rights, and that

he has turned into a reckless butcher. They pray to the Lord to make

man turn back to humane agricultural ways. Zoroaster is then

empowered and arises to destroy the beef-slaughtering `devas'

in the

Iran of his times. In this Iranian context, he sings of the `non-

devas' ie `asurâs' led by himself as beings endowed

with the higher

vision, meaning that the `asurâs' fighting the

`devas' in Iran, were

supporters of the cows and all of Nature's animate and inanimate

Kingdom. These `asurâs' of Iran were therefore akin to the

`dêvâs'

ruling in India.

Man's relationship with the domesticated animal and exploitation

and

greedy ownership of it for his food and territorial power, seems to

have fueled the well known major events of western exploitative

history. The fight against exploitative consumerism was behind the

rise of the prophets of ancient Iranian, Jewish, Christian and

Islamic worlds. So too the Reformation movement, along with European

kings establishing the `secular state', meaning that the

Church had

no exploitative rights over kingly affairs and wealth. Absolute power

now in the hands of competing kings, however, as always, swept

everybody into a wave of exploitative Colonialism that wiped out

cultures of Native and South Americas, of African Bushmen and

Australian Aborigines. Cultures which were in tune with Nature, but

were non-urban and so lacked `better' technology for opposing

urban

injustice. India however has had a strong tradition of widely spread

and well interconnected tribal, rural, and urban life. It has been an

Eternal Culture, of consumerism with Conscience. The strength of this

is seen in the successful defeat of exploitative consumerism whenever

it posed a threat, as seen in the Rig Vêdic Wars, the rise of

Buddha,

the advent of Sankara, Mahatma Gandhi and Ramana Maharshi, and so on.

In each case the `better' technology has been silent

Sage-power

aiding those that stood up for righteousness.

 

The Hindu cry for ban on slaughter of cattle for beef had in recent

Indian history received backing from Muslim communities time and

again. The Muslim is enjoined by his tradition to sacrifice sheep,

goat, (and camel, when more than 7 were to share the feast). These

are the animals natural to the ecology of the birth-place of Islam.

During Islamic rule of India, cattle therefore served as supplement

to their camel only for their festive occasions. Political expediency

also played a role in the Muslim rulers aggravating or relaxing cow-

slaughter for short duration around the time of Hindu festivals.

It was with the arrival of beefy European power in India that

organized cattle-slaughter became wide-spread. From 20,000 cows

slaughtered per year during Moghul rule (1200-1700AD), it soared to

30,000 per day by 1917 (Mahatma Gandhi's estimate; Biography

1995,

p105) under the British. The 1875 call for ban on cow-slaughter by

Swami Dayânanda Saraswati (this was preceded by many calls from

1850

onwards, the last being in 1870 by Nâmdhâri `kuka'

Sikhs) gathered

huge momentum and was supported by a large number of Indian Muslims

in support of their oppressed Hindu brethren. Also many sannyâsis

from South India spread it all over. This was crushed by the British

through instigation of major riots between Hindus and Musalmans,

through dis-information as the telegraphic `media' was in

British

hands. Queen Victoria's letter to her Indian Viceroy dated Dec 8,

1893 is a private confession of this.

During the debates in the Constituent Assembly (1946-49), the Muslim

members offered to support an outright ban on cow slaughter. This is

therefore not really a Hindu-Muslim issue.

 

THE PRESENT

We can be sure therefore that the lowly status of our cattle after

independence has been caused by two major factors. One is the

misperception of the westernized among us that this is a sensitive

issue between the Hindu and Muslim communities. Fact is, westernized

business interests (cutting across all religions here), as always

intervene to dis-inform the public, and thus `divide and

rule', to

strike big business deals.

The second factor is that the elite of India have become so

westernized (ie cut off in the fast `developing' cities and

towns)

from the real sources of their food and cotton-clothing, that they

feel embarrassed to recognize the perception widely held by the vast

majority in India about the sacredness of the cow and all life-forms.

The crushing irony is that this is happening here at a time when the

west is turning increasingly towards organic (instead of factory)

meat and milk. Mass production of these cannot be done organically to

meet man's greed, and medical opinion is strongly linking

inorganically and demonically produced diets with grave health

hazards for all children and adults. No doubt this movement is still

rooted in self-preservation rather than concern for the animals. But

organic food will also promote clarity of mind. There is growing

awareness of the right of all creatures to live and to lead healthy

and happy lives. And more youth the world over are moving towards

organic vegetarian diets.

[1 Kg of beef-protein is obtained from 7 Kg of beef got by feeding

the cow 21 Kg of grain. But the plant needs 1000Kg of water for

growing 1 Kg of grain. It is therefore more economical to

`make' beef

by letting the cow graze than feed it grain. But modern urban life-

style expands by `eating' soil (building large cement homes)

in its

own peculiar way. The ancient sustainable culture of this land was

highly urbanized for trade across the seas with all other great

civilizations, but survived them all since we preserved our soil at

all cost and ate from it].

 

If the proposals are pushed through the Parliament silently then it

would mean:

(a) Central power to set up abattoirs wherever possible. This would

be resisted in cities but would convert our rural areas into beef-

ranches, and convert the bravest of Indian farmers who are clinging

desperately to Mother earth, and are dying away in their villages,

into butchers. They will however have to compete with big businesses

which will move in from cities to set up huge cattle-ranches, as has

happened elsewhere before.

(b) Removing restrictions on slaughter of cows, buffaloes, calves,

bullocks etc. This includes lowering of age-limit for slaughter of

innocent calves. Apparently leather from slaughter feels better on

the wearer's feet than leather from dead aged cattle. The younger

the

better, and this can be translated into easy cash profit

through `value-addition' increasingly dictated by comfort,

class-

consciousness and fashion.

© Allowing export of meat and byproducts of slaughter. This would

be the quid pro quo for the westernized interests to encash in the

setting up of abattoirs, and then the movement of the wealthy to set

up massive cattle-ranch businesses in the vast rural Indian

landscape, deserted by the poor farmers. The argument that this would

benefit the `economy' is untenable. Will the elders of the

country

promote the tobacco industry in a big way just because the demand is

not only great but can be easily made to grow? If the Government

appoints a special tobacco-committee made up of tobacco-manufacturers

to make recommendations for improving economy, what will happen to

national health?

(d) Allowing import of `value-added' meat and byproducts

feeding the

consumerist fire.

(e) Introducing western ways of cattle management, which are really

milk and beef-management only, and therefore very inconsiderate of

cattle as the anchor to our country's traditional agriculture.

 

The intellectual justifiably argues that, (i) the using of milk,

meant for the calf, by man is itself a sign of consumerism. And (ii)

the apathy towards the ill-treatment of cattle during transport and

then during slaughter is unacceptable, and that it is better to bring

in professional management into this.

Regarding the ethic behind man consuming milk meant for calf, it is

common knowledge that a happy cow has milk to offer man even after

the calf has had its fill. Moreover it is well known that traditional

scripture of India is unanimous in that, if man takes care of the

cow's needs, ie bring up its calf as man would bring up his own

children, then she, as Kâmadhênu, will yield much more than

just

milk, not merely milk more than the calf's need. The Rshi as the

Oneself, created the Tree, and Cow unique to the holy land. And made

her the Key behind an eternally sustainable and vast urban

civilization. Sustainable because the civilization would have amrt

even, by being aware that the bounty of mother Earth (food, both fast

and slow, that really is Food, and coming in bio-recyclable Fibre

packaging, hi-fi songs and sounds from Birds and Animals live, free

Education guaranteeing intuition and concern for all creatures,

highly skilled and guaranteed Employment that has total community

admiration and symbiosis, more Holidays for all to celebrate

together, perfect march of Seasons and in time… all this and

more)

was contained in the care of the Cow.

As regards the second objection, the existing Law is quite adequate

in spelling the conditions of inter-state transport and slaughter of

the doomed animals. The failure is in the observance by the public,

and execution by authorities of the Law. If our cattle is

impoverished we as a country need to honour their right to live and

look to solutions that regenerate their role in farming and

transportation of small-scale market produce. If the cattle are

inhumanly treated in full public view during transportation and

slaughter in our country, there are at least the poor, like the

farmer, who represent Man and who are suffering too. A sort of

Justice is preserved here in the common suffering of cattle and the

poor in India. Also this should be seen against the inhuman treatment

of cattle completely out of public view in the west. Dangerous

hormones force cattle into milk and beef machines with udder and body

so big the poor things cannot move, and their hearts give up at a

fifth of their natural life-span. And these methods are withdrawn

only when such milk and beef threaten human health!

So should the remedy be one of factory-fed beef exploitation and

efficient abattoirs? Such a move will soon demand as right, the use

of steroids etc for maximizing milk and beef `productivity'.

It will

demand more and more lowering of age for slaughter, since such

leather feels better on the foot. It will push for planting bombs

inside the cow and exploding her for even easier recovery of beef and

better leather, as it is already happening in the west. Move the big

meat-business into rural areas, and the last nail in the coffin of

village-unity as the key to Swarâjya, Enlightened Governance, will

have been nailed. The dying village, as a symbiosis of the farmer,

the weaver and other craftsmen and flora and fauna and soil, will

vanish. [ironically there is growing preference in the west to food

that is produced organically and locally, than food brought in from

afar and deep frozen for god-knows how long]. And soon it will be

India, admitted into a select band of consumer-nations, having to

look at say, Africa, (and then other planets?), as prey. That

`route'

however has worse things in store, in the form of `old wine in

new

bottle'.

 

THE FAR & NEAR FUTURE

The race is on between nations to unravel the gene-driven workshop

within the bacterium; to map the gene-enzyme relationships; and

finally to patent processes using bacteria as the `new

labour' who

would manufacture items for man's pleasure and consumption.

This exploitation going down to the level of even bacteria would be

demonic. For, it would aim at promoting only four or five out of

billions of bacterial species. Say one to make grain having

vegetarian flavours, and another to make grain emanating non-

vegetarian flavours, one to make cotton, a fourth one for wool, and

one to make cement. The excreta of man will be the raw material for

these five species of bacteria. The excreta of these bacteria would

be quite peculiar and would feed, and therefore bring to the fore,

unheard of species of bacteria. It goes without saying that would be

the Pandora's box, unleashing far worse fury from Nature (as One

Being) than can be ever dreamed of by Man.

Initially a group of nations will build wealth by controlling

Information through patents. This Super-power will harvest cash-

profits from all other nations by supplying them bacteria-

manufactured grain, cotton and cement, and treating human beings

along with the rest of Nature's Kingdom, as slaves. The slaughter

of

unproductive humans will certainly follow too. In clean and efficient

abattoirs.

Do we need to go this way? When Nature already exists as the

integrated `factory' feeding all, it is blindness which

prompts Man

to do blind `cut-and-paste' jobs in nature's world-wide

web designed

for bounty for all!

 

Every Indian citizen has a duty as intellectual warrior, and must

rise to combat this now. The westernized business interests

whose `membership' cuts across nations and religions, will

present `facts' that will be politically correct; but only as

long as

the `facts' are not shown to be sheer deception! It will cry

about `Muslim sentiments' over banning cattle slaughter. It

will

project that we are a poor country and that the `meat-sector'

if

thrown open can remove deficits, control rising prices and

thus `increase the standard of living' of every Indian and

the cow.

This issue must be addressed with intellectual conviction and debate

if Parliament attempts to rush the Bill through silently. If this is

not done it will be dereliction of duty on the part of media-involved

Indian citizens. The consequence of this would then be that the poor

Indian farmer still holding on to Mother Earth and the Cow, will be

driven to the wall, and choose in the name of God to slaughter

whoever he regards as the enemy of his survival and even die himself

in the process, before he allows his cows to be slaughtered. If the

intellectuals fail in their duty, those among the poor who feel

enraged at being robbed of their right to traditional livelihood,

will take to arms. So far so good.

It is at this precise turn of events that the `goondas' (ie,

the

openly exploitative) kind of consumers will `join in', and

mix with

the unsuspecting rural and urban Indian agitators who, poor fellows,

are engaged in a fight to the finish. But the `goondas' will

plunder

and rape for quick personal gain and run away into temporary hiding

like marauders all through history.

The suave `secular' (ie, the secretively exploitative) kind

of

intellectual consumers will then raise a cry about `Hindu

fundamentalism raising its head' and so on. This is at the core,

a

refined continuation of `divide-and-rule' strategies of the

1800s.

Thus the exploiters (composed of men from all religions)

will `operate' from both ends. The ones with brute force

setting fire

at the physical level, and the suave ones pouring fuel through media.

They will freely use religion as the tool of division, desperately

hoping to `make hay' while their sun of consumerism shines

fully

supported by political interference in the administrative mechanisms

left behind by the British, in the name of `public service'.

 

THE ACTION PLAN

The pen must speak out and inform. Learning to recognize our

unconscious roles in supporting `exploitative consumerism' in

its

many urban disguises is a major result of this. This illumination

will induce voluntary simplification in our life-styles, especially

across all youth, and promote great respect for t

he right of each creature to an unpolluted environment that is

natural to it. The growing friction all around in India is really

between exploitative business interests, and love and worship of

Nature as One Commune. If the intellectual warriors do not arise and

force righteous debate and set proper direction, then bloody war will

ensue, as it did aeons before, with the Sage as always on the side of

Nature and Righteousness. The result is foregone conclusion; victory

on the side of righteousness.

 

The urban youth and elite readers with conscience, ask, "We want to

help, but is there anything we and our families can do?".

Yes we can all do a lot. And must.

(i) Intellectuals must ponder deeply over the implications of this

article. The Rshis found that if there was a single fulcrum around

which any highly urbanized civilization would eternally be invincible

and wealthy and spiritually dominant, then man should never lose

sight of his dependence on mother Earth, ie soil and all other

creatures sharing Her with him.

The most ancient and the largest body of literature of Man

unanimously gives the highest place to the care of the cow. Cow thus

fostered, becomes the `wish-fulfilling' Kâmadhenu of the

people

fostering it. Traditional scripture of India is unanimous in that, if

man takes care of the cow's needs, ie bring up its calf as man

would

bring up his own children, then she, as Kâmadhênu, will yield

much

more than just milk. The Rshis made the Cow the Key behind an

eternally sustainable and vast urban civilization.

(ii) Accept the sound ecological basis of all this. And begin to take

immense pride in the utmost simplification of one's own

life-style as

the only weapon every individual has against the virus of

consumerism. This means

(iii) Support (and then adopt) food and packaging and clothing which

are closest to earth. Organic (ie pasture fed) meat is closer to

earth than factory-fed meat; `unslaughtered' ie unpolished

rice is

closer to earth than Pizza Hut; leaf-plate, and jute for packaging,

is closer to earth than plastic. Apparel from man-made cotton-yarn is

closer to earth, than apparel from `man-made polyester fibre'

made

from machine-made machine.

(iv) Simplify shelter needs. `Eat' as little earth as

possible when

building houses.

(v) Confront consumerism through enlightened debate and thus allow

spread of awareness especially among children.

(vi) Press for the inclusion of the historical, economical,

ecological, political and sociological essence of this article in

Education curricula all over India.

(vii) Demand that youth (and IAS trainees, who today learn to ride a

horse) go through training in traditional farm-based and vocational

skills. They would receive credits for:

(1) going through a harvest-cycle using bullocks for plowing,

watering from well, etc

(2) `driving' a bullock-drawn cart,

(3) milking cows and maintaining cattle,

(3) making farm tools and implements, pots and baskets,

(4) identifying herbs and preparing home-medicines, making garlands,

kolams, soap and fragrant powders,

(5) plying a hand-loom,

(6) building a hut, climbing the coconut and palm tree, and many more.

Teachers for these need no language skills or teacher-training

certificates. So village youth will teach city `trainees' and

 

develop confidence and pride in their village traditions. This will

lead to reducing class-gaps between city and village. It also builds

a nation of survivors in the event of large scale economic or natural

calamity, or war.

There are only two Religions at war here (as ever before really):

individuals caught up in exploitative consumerism and seeing only

business opportunity in everything animate or inanimate. And the

other, a consumerism with Conscience, where each individual resists

the `faceless enemy' individually and immediately through

simplifying

one's life-style, and collectively by the sharing of wealth and

nature's bounty righteously through the vision of One Community.

The guarantee of the Rshis is that the response from the Silent

Kingdom will be immediate in the form of favourable circumstances and

coincidences that begin to reward every such `convert'.

It is up to each one of us to take proper decisions and set proper

course respecting the Wisdom in the tradition of this tolerant land,

which is so well proven in the laboratory of history.