Milk and cow protection- some comments

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna!

 

In KaliYuga- present age of quarrel, every thing is

degraded.

 

Mahatma Gandhi , and many of his followers quit

drinking milk for the reason that cow was not

protected or treated properly.But when Gandhi jee

needed animal protein, he was recommended to drink

cow's milk. Since, he had taken a vow not to- he was

then agreeable to consume goat milk.

 

Our body needs animal based milk- and it can not be

substituted. A lot of research is still going on but

so far no success!

 

Lord Krishna advises in Bhagvad Gita to offer Him food

items, actions, all charities and austerities- and He

assures to take away our sins!

 

As such, let us continue both drinking milk and

consuming milk products! Of course to support us in

Krishna consciousness!

 

 

Any and all efforts to improve conditions of "mother"

cow should be encouraged! After all cow is one of the

seven mothers!

 

your humble servant,

 

Dr Prayag Narayan Misra

E-mail: wwti

Telephone: 480 814 1372

 

 

--- Omer <kligman wrote:

> I would like to raise an issue that is bothering me

> for some time

> now:

> In vedic society cow were respected and treated

> right. But in modern

> days things are different.

> Considering the fact that in our day's cows are

> being raised in

> terrible condition, being slaughtered and tortured

> in the milking

> process in the modern milk industry, should we avoid

> milk for cow

> protection?

>

> Yours:

> Omer

>

>

>

>

 

 

=====

Dr Prayag Narayan Misra

E-mail: wwti

Telephone: 480 814 1372

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

>From Srila Prabhupada's purport to Srimad Bhagavatam, 8.6.12:

 

"By friction one can get fire from wood, by digging the earth one can get food

grains and water, and by agitating the milk bag of the cow one can get nectarean

milk. Milk is compared to nectar, which one can drink to become immortal. Of

course, simply drinking milk will not make one immortal, but it can increase the

duration of one's life. In modern civilization, men do not think milk to be

important, and therefore they do not live very long. Although in this age men

can live up to one hundred years, their duration of life is reduced because they

do not drink large quantities of milk. This is a sign of Kali-yuga. In

Kali-yuga, instead of drinking milk, people prefer to slaughter an animal and

eat its flesh. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His instructions of

Bhagavad-gita, advises go-raksya, which means cow protection. The cow should be

protected, milk should be drawn from the cows, and this milk should be prepared

in various ways. One should take ample milk, !

and thus one can prolong one's life, develop his brain, execute devotional

service, and ultimately attain the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

As it is essential to get food grains and water by digging the earth, it is also

essential to give protection to the cows and take nectarean milk from their milk

bags."

 

MDd

[Guest guest]

Hare Krsna. I

normally keep silent, but since this is an issue that periodically surfaces

when preaching, especially when vegans are in the group that is being addressed,

I wanted to share some of our thoughts and the arguments we regularly use.

 

We are supposed to only

eat food which has first been offered to Krsna (Bg. 3.13), and we should offer

Him what He likes (Bg. 9.29). It is clear that He likes milk and milk

products a lot, so it reasons that we should offer Him milk. Now one may

argue that Krsna doesn't like to see the cows suffer as they do at commercial

dairies, so we shouldn't support these dairies (and perpetuate the system of

suffering) by purchasing their products. True, so when avoidable (like on

ISKCON farms), we should not purchase commercial dairy milk. For most of

us, however, these two points appear to be in opposition: buy milk to offer

Krsna but participate in a system of cow suffering or act more in accordance

with cow protection but don't offer Krsna milk. I would suggest that

things weigh in favor of the first principle, offering milk, for the following

reasons. To begin with, the cow will make some advancement when her milk

is offered, so in this way she is freed from some of her future

suffering. Also, we aren't likely to change the practices of the

commercial dairy industry anytime soon by our boycotting their products (our

numbers are small). The only we way we are likely to effect change and

reduce such heinous practices is by spreading Krsna consciousness. Along

this line of thought, for preaching it is advantageous to use milk products

because the prasadam is much better (and prasadam is a big part of our

arsenal)! And, of course, there are the points offered by other Vaisnavas as to

the benefit of drinking milk (which I mention last only because it has been

mentioned previously by others, not because it is the least important).

 

Your servant,

Jayasacisuta dasa

[Guest guest]

At 07:53 PM 11/21/2003 -0700, Jason Hopkins wrote:

I

would suggest that things weigh in favor of the first principle, offering

milk, for the following reasons. To begin with, the cow will make

some advancement when her milk is offered, so in this way she is freed

from some of her future suffering.

I brought this up in my post, and unless you can show that this is

actually so, it's hard to sell to thoughtful people. I say the first

principle is to protect cows. When my spiritual master spoke about

varnashrama dharma, the first principle was protecting cows. Using

commercially produced milk is a compromise, not a religious principle.

His disciples and their followers have largely failed in this area, and

the failure is largely due to facilely rationalizing away the urgency of

this order. If you can actually show some basis for the claim that

supporting the blood milk industry actually benefits the cows, I'm not

sure there's anything to discuss.

Babhru das

[Guest guest]

This is a very good answer.

 

I have a few points to make

 

- Statistics show that there will be no cessation of killing of cows if we stop

drinking milk. That is the cows are going to be killed anyway, so when we drink

milk we are not promoting the killing of cows, as this will happen regardless.

However, to the layman it does give the message that we do not really care of

consequences.

- How can we explain this to those who have not yet understood Bhagavad Gita.

these are issues that need to be explainable to laymen and not just persons who

are already accepting the message of Krishna

 

I hope this makes sense

 

Kirit

[Guest guest]

At 11:16 AM 11/22/2003 +0000, Kirit Patel wrote:

This is a very good

answer.

 

I have a few points to make

 

- Statistics show that there will be no cessation of

killing of cows if we stop drinking milk. That is the cows are going to

be killed anyway, so when we drink milk we are not promoting the killing

of cows, as this will happen regardless.

What statistics? If we could convince enough people to drink only milk

from protected cows, that would create a market for that product, and as

that market grows, the market for blood milk would diminish. It's really

a matter of vigorous propaganda and showing the right example. If we

vigorously propagate the holy name and the ideal of cow protection, the

culture will change and the demand for fourth-class "milk"

products will decrease. However, we can't really preach about cow

protection because our temples get whatever milk is easiest and cheapest,

and neither the temples nor the householders will adequately support cow

protection projects.

However, to

the layman it does give the message that we do not really care of

consequences.

- How can we explain this to those who have not yet

understood Bhagavad Gita. these are issues that need to be explainable to

laymen and not just persons who are already accepting the message of

Krishna.

Fine, but I assume most of us here have some interest and experience in

Krishna consciousness. Preach Bhagavad-gita, use the nicest milk you can

in your offerings (You gonna give just any garbage to the Deities?), and

get serious about protecting cows. That's all.

Babhru das

[Guest guest]

On Sat, 22 Nov 2003, Kirit Patel wrote:

> - Statistics show that there will be no cessation of killing of cows if we

stop drinking milk. That is the cows are going to be killed anyway, so when we

drink milk we are not promoting the killing of cows, as this will happen

regardless.>

 

It isn't merely a question of economic or political strategy; it is mainly a

question of dharma, which requires unattached fulfillment of one's own

obligations for the pleasure of Krishna. Krishna can do anything Himself, if He

is pleased to do so. However, pleasing Krishna is the essential goal.

 

MDd

[Guest guest]

I had been taught that the cow benefits

when her milk is offered to Deities by the principle of ajnata-sukrti.

Since this stirred some controversy, I thought I’d look it up in the VedaBase

to see if Srila Prabhupada gave any qualifying remarks as to who receives

ajnata-sukrti credits and under what circumstances. I was unable to find

anything of that nature. However, I did find one reference that Putana

benefited in this sense, so it seems reasonable that the cows would as well

— at least in the case of the pujari offering milk to the Deities for

Their pleasure. I’m not so sure this would apply in the case of the

householder quickly offering milk so he/she can enjoy a bowl of cereal.

 

margin-bottom:.0001pt">Putana came to kill Krsna, smearing poison

over her breast. And Krsna sucked the milk and her life also. But Krsna took

her as (His) her mother. This is Krsna. Krsna did not take the black side. The

intention was to kill Krsna, Putana came. But who can kill Krsna? That is not

possible. But Krsna thought Himself as obligation, that "I have sucked her

breast. So she is My mother. She must be given the position of mother." So

Putana, after being killed, she was given the same opportunity as Mother Yasoda.

This is Krsna. Bhava-grahi-janardanah. Any way you serve Krsna, it will be

accepted. Not any way. I mean to say, we should serve Krsna according to

regulative principle. Still, some way or other, unknowing or knowingly, if you

render some service, that is called ajnata-sukrti. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.23

-- Los Angeles, July 13, 1974)

 

Further, I found at least one reference

that suggests Srila Prabhupada was aware of the general principles by which the

commercial dairy industry operated prior to coming to America.

 

margin-bottom:.0001pt">The cow's calf not only is beautiful to

look at, but also gives satisfaction to the cow, and so she delivers as much

milk as possible. But in the Kali-yuga, the calves are separated from the cows

as early as possible for purposes which may not be mentioned in these pages of Srimad-Bhagavatam.

The cow stands with tears in her eyes, the sudra milkman draws milk from the

cow artificially, and when there is no milk the cow is sent to be slaughtered.

These greatly sinful acts are responsible for all the troubles in present

society. (SB 1.17.3)

 

Your servant,

Jayasacisuta dasa

10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">

10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">

 

Bill Reed

[williamr (AT) hawaii (DOT) edu]

Friday,

November 21, 2003 11:54 PM

achintya

RE: Milk and

cow protection- some comments

 

..5in">At 07:53 PM 11/21/2003 -0700, Jason Hopkins wrote:

I would suggest that things weigh in favor of the

first principle, offering milk, for the following reasons. To begin with,

the cow will make some advancement when her milk is offered, so in this way she

is freed from some of her future suffering.

..5in">

I brought this up in my post, and unless you can show that this is actually so,

it's hard to sell to thoughtful people. I say the first principle is to protect

cows. When my spiritual master spoke about varnashrama dharma, the first

principle was protecting cows. Using commercially produced milk is a

compromise, not a religious principle. His disciples and their followers have

largely failed in this area, and the failure is largely due to facilely

rationalizing away the urgency of this order. If you can actually show some

basis for the claim that supporting the blood milk industry actually benefits

the cows, I'm not sure there's anything to discuss.

Babhru das

color:#003399;font-weight:bold">To

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[Guest guest]

On Tue, 25 Nov 2003, Jason Hopkins wrote:

> The cow's calf not only is beautiful to look at, but also gives satisfaction

> to the cow, and so she delivers as much milk as possible. But in the

> Kali-yuga, the calves are separated from the cows as early as possible for

> purposes which may not be mentioned in these pages of Srimad-Bhagavatam.

 

In Sanskrit literature, the epitome of grief is just this; as early as the 2nd

century, the poet Asvaghosa (who was a Buddhist) described such unthinkable

misery in the words: "pranaSTa-vatsAm iva vatsalAM gAm" (like a cow whose calf

has been destroyed).

 

 

 

> The

> cow stands with tears in her eyes, the sudra milkman draws milk from the cow

> artificially, and when there is no milk the cow is sent to be slaughtered.

> These greatly sinful acts are responsible for all the troubles in present

> society. (SB 1.17.3)

 

The love cows feel for their calves (vatsa) is evidently greater than we human

beings feel for anyone, and is thus the paragon of maternal

effection--accordingly called "vAtsalya." Who could ever even glimpse such love

while passively patronizing an industry that is in effect, mother-terrorism?

Rather, this have everything to do with the fact that we often don't even love

our own. If the Srimad-bhagavatam predicts that we will be farming each other

for human consumption before this sinful age is over, we may see cow slaughter

as one nexus ushering in such astonishing decadence.

 

If this idea seems an extreme leap of logic, or perhaps a slightly fanatical

overreaction, please read the following news item--but brace your self first,

and prepare to be disturbed:

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3075897.stm

 

MDd