Using the skin, hooves, and horns of cows who die a natural death

[Guest guest]

I just found this quote by Prabhupada in some old files I was going through:

 

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Why is cow protection so much advocated? Because the cow is the most

important animal. There is no injunction that one should not eat the

flesh of tigers or other such animals. In the Vedic culture those who

are meat-eaters are recommended to eat the flesh of goats, dogs, hogs,

or other lower animals, but never the flesh of cows, the most important

animals. *While living, the cows give important service by giving milk,

and even after death they give service by making available their skin,

hooves, and horns, which may be used in many ways.* Nonetheless, the

present human society is so ungrateful that they needlessly kill these

innocent cows. Therefore Krsna comes to punish them.

 

Teaching of Queen Kunti

Chapter Twenty-six

Enchantment by Krsna's Glories

 

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I've actually thought about it a number of times over the years. I

wondered: If it were my cow that had died, would I have the courage to

take the skin off her dead body and use it to make shoes or put on a

mrdanga? I didn't know, but here, and other places also -- that was

what Srila Prabhupada was advocating.

 

Finally, a couple years ago, my children had a pet chinchilla named

Grendl that died. We had had him for 8 or 9 years. And we were all

very sad. I realized then that I certainly could not bring myself to

skin his body and keep the fur -- and he was only a chinchilla. So it

seemed clear to me, that I would not be able to do it if it were a

beloved cow that died.

 

Anyway, I'd like to explore this topic and see what ideas and feelings

others have on this topic. Many of us have come from a background of

actually eating the flesh of slaughtered cows. Now we count ourselves

as cow protectors. Yet how would we be able to bear taking this other

step -- or even allow someone else to do this work for us?

 

As petroleum resources are depleted, the natural replacement for shoes,

mrdanga tops and other items will be leather. How can we make the right

progress in this delicate area?

 

your servant,

 

Hare Krsna dasi