Milk...Krsna's Miracle Gift to Mankind.

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Milk...Krsna's Miracle Gift to Mankind.

 

"The protection of cows maintains the most miraculous form of food, i.e., milk

for maintaining the finer tissues of the brain for understanding higher aims

of life." Srila Prabhupada

 

In response to the article written on VNN a few days ago about the harmful

affects of drinking milk, I would like to present our view of milk drinking

that we have accepted from our spiritual master.

 

Despite the evils of modern dairies and the cruel methods of obtaining milk

from the mother cows, or despite the unwanted chemicals that store bought milk

might introduce

into your body and cause ill effects, still, we do not condemn drinking milk

nor support veganism as part of our philosophy.

 

Quite the contrary. The glories of drinking cow's milk are everywhere in Srila

Prabhupada's books. And though this may cause some doubts in the minds of

those who have embraced vegan-ism, we as devotees faithfully follow the advise

of our teacher, though it is sometimes contrary to fads or scientific theory.

 

To reject scientific evidence is basic to a devotee's understanding of how to

reach real knowledge of the actual condition of the living entities, both

spiritually and materially. In a few years, vegans may become milk drinkers,

or theorist may change their minds many times about the affects of milk, but a

devotee remains steady and accepts the Vedic version as it is handed down

through disciplic succession.

 

Among the few thousands references to milk in Srila Prabhupada's books and

lectures, I would like to point out a few here that will give a different

perspective of drinking milk than that of the vegans. Srila Prabhupada says.

''Cow has got special importance because it supplies milk, and milk is very

essential food that is... From the childhood, a child lives on milk, and there

are many saintly persons, they also live by drinking milk. Milk is very

important item in the human society, and it supplies all vitamins."

 

Also he says "But He's (Krsna) speaking of go-raksya for our special material

benefit, that if we protect the cows, we can have the facility of drinking

milk, which will help us in keeping our health in order and developing very

nice brain tissues to understand spiritual subject matter."

 

Of course, like the vegans, we condemn the inhuman treatment of the cows at

the dairies and slaughterhouses. Srila Prabhupada says "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. People do not know

what they are doing in the name of economic development."

 

Srila Prabhupada also instructed us "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."

 

Another reason for milk's consumption is given here. "Animal fat is available

in the form of milk, which is the most wonderful of all foods. Milk, butter,

cheese and similar products give animal fat in a form which rules out any need

for the killing of innocent creatures. It is only through brute mentality that

this killing goes on. The civilized method of obtaining needed fat is by

milk."

 

Our position on milk drinking as taught in the Vedic literature is summed up

in the following words spoken by a disciple of Srila Prabhupada (Madhudvisa

dasa) who was with his spiritual master speaking to a Dr. Muncing.....

 

Madhudvisa: "One thing that we would like to mention, as our spiritual master

says, there is a definite, according to the Vedic scripture, there is a

definite link between consumption of milk and development of fine brain

tissues. And if your department of knowledge has some research in that area,

we think it would be a great service to mankind if they can be informed how

they can develop fine brain tissues. Fine brain tissues which are needed for

coping with the problems of this day and age. Not that simply if I disagree

with you we'll just fight. There has to be fine brain tissues in order to say,

'Let us sit down and talk about this together.' And we say, not we, but

according to the scripture, there is a definite link between the consumption

of milk products, not just milk, but cheese and all different milk products,

the consumption of milk products and development of the necessary

intellect.This is why, as our spiritual master said, the highly intelligent

people of India have lived predominantly, not just drinking milk, but

everything they ate was cooked in milk products. The vegetables, rice, even if

rice was boiled, milk was put on, ghee was put on the rice. So that is like an

unavoidable essential in their diet, not simply from the palatable standpoint,

but actually from the relationship between the physical and the metaphysical

progress"

 

I have submitted this document in all humility to the Vaisnavas. All glories

to Srila Prabhupada.

 

"the cow delivers milk, the miracle of aggregate food values" (Srila

Prabhupada}

 

Sincerely Mahananda dasa