Guest guest Posted May 1, 2006 Report Share Posted May 1, 2006 Guest: What is the proper spiritual attitude toward rodents, reptiles, and disease-bearing insects? What should be the proper spiritual attitude toward those? Jayatirtha: Insects. Tamala Krsna: "What is the spiritual attitude towards reptiles, rodents..." Madhudvisa: Disease-bearing in animals, something that is diseased and can give you a disease, what is your, what is the Vedic attitude towards protection from these animals? Prabhupada: Protection? Cleanliness. Just like if you keep your apartment very cleansed, if you keep your clothes and body very cleansed, you won't find this insect disturbing you. Just like the flies, they go in a nasty place. So you should be cleansed. You should take protection in that way. You cannot kill them. The cockroaches, the modern method of bathroom attached in 600th floor... So (laughs) this is unclean. Therefore the cockroaches are born there, you see? So if you keep yourself clean, there will be no more disturbances. The incense will keep off all insects. You make fresh food, there will be no germs. You take warm, immediately prepared, that is germicide foodstuff. But if you keep for months together in the refrigerator, that will contaminate with germ, disease. Therefore the brahminical culture means cleanliness is next to godliness. You have to keep your body clean, you have to keep your apartment clean, everything clean, and there will be no more disturbance. Bahyabhyantarah sucih. The Vedic literature says that you should keep yourself externally and internally cleansed. Externally, you can keep yourself clean by soap, water, and change of dress, washed dress, externally. And internally, by thinking of Krsna. Then there will be no more disturbance. apavitrah pavitro va sarvavastham gato 'pi va yah smaret pundarikaksam sa bahyabhyantarah sucih Sucih means cleansed. Therefore we prescribe so many things just to keep you cleansed -- cleansed within, cleansed outside. Then there is no affection of maya. Otherwise, you will be harassed by three kinds of miserable condition: adhyatmika, adhibhautika... I have seen many persons in India, within two or three days, by perspiration, within their coat, they germinate so many germs. Do not take bath, unclean. You see? So cleanliness is the protection from infection. And water is very disinfectant, natural disinfectant. This is the medical opinion, water. Therefore God has supplied unlimited quantity of water. You can spend it as much as you like. Yes? Guest: Aren't they allowed to boil water in India? Prabhupada: Yes, why not? Guest: In boiling the water do you kill any little insects that are in the water? Prabhupada: Yes. But that I have already explained, that we are killing every moment. Therefore we have to keep from the reaction by Krsna consciousness. You cannot avoid killing. Whenever we are cooking, we are killing so many germs, the water. While we are burning fire, then so many germs are being killed. So the killing process cannot be stopped, but you should not do it willingly, and you should keep yourself God conscious. Then you are freed from the reaction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 1, 2006 Report Share Posted May 1, 2006 Below is another quote on a similar subject. One point to be made is that if it is your duty to protect someone and your grandfather is trying to kill that person, then you may even kill your grandfather. So, that was Krsna's point in Bhagavad-gita. A lot depends on what your duty is. I remember in the morning of the day I was to be initiated, my spiritual master shot and killed a rabid skunk. He was the temple president, so it was his duty to protect the children from the dangerous skunk. One bite from that skunk, and they could die of rabies. Similarly, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta had his disciples kill a snake that was about to attack Srila Prabhupada. So, it depends on the situation. If I saw a deer fly land on my cow, I would always try to kill it because a deer fly can give a painful bite, and I was supposed to protect my cow from pain. But, as usual, if it's possible to counteract the problem without killing, that is the best. I remember we used to have lots of flies in the barn, very annoying to them. But later we changed our grazing schedule, putting them on pasture much more. Suddenly, there were far fewer flies in the barn. As far as any idea that flies don't spread germs -- I would be very skeptical of that. If they can't show you the passage where Srila Prabhupada said it, I personally would not believe it. Anyway, below is the quote: ys hkdd ************************************* So it is very difficult to understand our philosophy, but still, we have to preach. That is our mission. A little drop, maybe like a film or less than that... Still, they are... And again, when you cleanse this, you kill them -- you become implicated. You have killed. You have to suffer. They are disturbing; still, you cannot kill them. This is your position. But people are with Flit (a bug killer) killing thousands of mosquitoes and flies, becoming implicated. Tamala Krsna: We shouldn't kill them. What about if they're biting you, right in the process of biting you? Prabhupada: Hm? Tamala Krsna: Supposing a mosquito is biting you and sucking the blood. Prabhupada: Yes, when they bite, you can kill, according to laws of nature. But on the whole, you cannot kill. Tamala Krsna: You cannot invent means... Prabhupada: Therefore mosquito curtain. Tamala Krsna: Prevention. Prabhupada: Prevention is better than cure. They are meant for that purpose. God has made. So instead of killing them, you protect your... But if you are in the service of the Lord, you are not responsible. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Conversation: Animals' Expertise -- April 28, 1977, Bombay - "Hrimati (dd) ACBSP (Mayapur - IN)" <Hrimati.ACBSP (AT) pamho (DOT) net> Sunday, April 30, 2006 8:00 pm Flies - vedicly pure or not > > > Guest: What is the proper spiritual attitude toward rodents, > reptiles, and > disease-bearing insects? What should be the proper spiritual attitude > toward those? > > Jayatirtha: Insects. > > Tamala Krsna: "What is the spiritual attitude towards reptiles, > rodents..." > Madhudvisa: Disease-bearing in animals, something that is diseased > and can > give you a disease, what is your, what is the Vedic attitude towards > protection from these animals? > > Prabhupada: Protection? Cleanliness. Just like if you keep your > apartmentvery cleansed, if you keep your clothes and body very > cleansed, you won't > find this insect disturbing you. Just like the flies, they go in a > nastyplace. So you should be cleansed. You should take protection > in that way. > You cannot kill them. The cockroaches, the modern method of bathroom > attached in 600th floor... So (laughs) this is unclean. Therefore the > cockroaches are born there, you see? So if you keep yourself > clean, there > will be no more disturbances. The incense will keep off all > insects. You > make fresh food, there will be no germs. You take warm, immediately > prepared, that is germicide foodstuff. But if you keep for months > togetherin the refrigerator, that will contaminate with germ, > disease. Therefore > the brahminical culture means cleanliness is next to godliness. > You have > to keep your body clean, you have to keep your apartment clean, > everythingclean, and there will be no more disturbance. > Bahyabhyantarah sucih. The > Vedic literature says that you should keep yourself externally and > internally cleansed. Externally, you can keep yourself clean by soap, > water, and change of dress, washed dress, externally. And > internally, by > thinking of Krsna. Then there will be no more disturbance. > > apavitrah pavitro va > sarvavastham gato 'pi va > yah smaret pundarikaksam > sa bahyabhyantarah sucih > > Sucih means cleansed. Therefore we prescribe so many things just > to keep > you cleansed -- cleansed within, cleansed outside. Then there is no > affection of maya. Otherwise, you will be harassed by three kinds of > miserable condition: adhyatmika, adhibhautika... I have seen many > personsin India, within two or three days, by perspiration, within > their coat, > they germinate so many germs. Do not take bath, unclean. You see? So > cleanliness is the protection from infection. And water is very > disinfectant, natural disinfectant. This is the medical opinion, > water.Therefore God has supplied unlimited quantity of water. You > can spend it > as much as you like. Yes? > > Guest: Aren't they allowed to boil water in India? > > Prabhupada: Yes, why not? > > Guest: In boiling the water do you kill any little insects that > are in the > water? > > Prabhupada: Yes. But that I have already explained, that we are > killingevery moment. Therefore we have to keep from the reaction > by Krsna > consciousness. You cannot avoid killing. Whenever we are cooking, > we are > killing so many germs, the water. While we are burning fire, then > so many > germs are being killed. So the killing process cannot be stopped, > but you > should not do it willingly, and you should keep yourself God > conscious.Then you are freed from the reaction. > > ----------------------- > To from this mailing list, send an email to: > Cow-Owner (AT) pamho (DOT) net > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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