yogi Bhajan, milk, ayurveda and india

[Guest guest]

Dear Heidi

 

thanks for the answer.

I'm vegan since 2 years almost, i do not use dairy products BUT it

was a surprise to me when i read ayurvedic books that they highly

recommended it.

Then as a kundalini practitionar also found large culture in the

yoga/ayurveda/india tradition of usign dairy products. You know, i

trust yogi bhajan and other people that they recommend organic nor

pasteurized milk and this is what i was wondering about why were the

ETHICAL reasons behind those remmendations

 

Have you found any information ?

 

Thanks

 

Ajai SIngh

[Guest guest]

Milk is a vast subject in the yogic tradition. It is used in a variety of ways

for therapeutic purposes and because it is considered to have a

"sattvic" effect on the constitution. However, people of this tradition did not

overdose on commercial milk the way most westerners did, and who

now have problems related to milk as a result. The ethical question is balanced

by the idea that cows are sacred throughout most of vegetarian

India and are supposed to be treated that way. In return for the milk cows are

supposed to be given blessings and a "spiritual fragrance" that

such animals would not normally have access to. They are thus treated humanely

and paid for their labours. In yoga milk, in small amounts and

cooked the right way, provides lubrication and is considered soothing to the

mucous membranes. That said, we will never know for sure about milk

until our culture is purged of the toxic milk production industry and everybody

is healed of the consequences associated with being forced to

suckle the tit of that industy.

[Guest guest]

Hello Mark

 

I liked your explanation too. Thanks !

 

so, you think it could be ethically right to drink milk from an

Indian Cow ? If these cows are treated so well and are given

this "spiritual fragance" in return, that could be understood as a

fair interchange between humans and animals ?

Do you think about that possibilitie ?

 

Do you also think that the health benefits will be superior to the

disadvantages associated with milk ?

 

Let me know

 

Sat Nam

 

Ajai Sing

[Guest guest]

Personally I don't think the ethic is practiced very much (it's an ideal),

although there may be some organic farmers who have this kind of sacred

relationship - I can't say. As to the benifits outweighing the detriments, that

is a complex question. I drink yogi tea useing organic milk and I

find it very helpful at some levels, but then I get clogged mucous membranes

sometimes too. I also find ghee highly nutritious. So I think it is a

personal thing. But I think we should all try to cut back on the amount of dairy

in this culture, start using organic dairy, and start treating

animals with the respect they deserve. Beyond that, people need to look at case

by case. It's bad for some people, alright some of the time for

some people, and not an issue for some people. The excessive use of it is insane

however, just like the excesse of so many things in our culture.

[Guest guest]

I also wanted to add.........that animals: horses, dogs, cows etc. want to be of

service, just as humans have an innate desire to be of service.

If they are treated humanely they will give their life to you because of that.

So I don't see a problem with cows giving milk. The whole world is

a dharma, even for cows.

[Guest guest]

I would like to add something about organic milk. I know some of the

companies that produce it certainly feed their animals in accordance with

the organic code, but in every other way their animals are treated

exactly like animals in the regular dairy industry. They are not lving

happy lives in a pasture. The only way around this seems to be choosing a

compny whose methods are ethical , which probably means findng a small

local producer. I would suggest trying to find what methods the various

companies use. In most cases the organic dairy industry is big business,

and operates as such.

 

Avtar

 

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