Guest guest Posted January 27, 1999 Report Share Posted January 27, 1999 The word 'recycling' may sound rather insensitive, but is perhaps as good as any. We have only ever once done this here at Chittagong. It was about five years ago and done as a sort of a dry run, just to see if we could handle it sensitively and efficiently. The leather was used for making Mridangas. Whenever we use the Mridangas, we can also remember mother cow. In Bengal the Mridanga, Karatals, and other instruments are worshipped and offered sandalwood paste, etc. We should be aware that many if not all of the Mridangas that we use in our temples may be made from slaughtered cows. If we can remedy this by using our own 'ahimsha' leather, bequested to us by mother cow & father bull, it will be a step forward in self-sufficiency as well as a social lesson. It must be done nicely and unobtrusively, but just as we do not mind using the bodily remains of Srimati Tulasi Devi for beads, we may also get used to the idea that the cow may spiritually benefit. A difficult subject, but one that is not unimportant in an agrarian vaisnava society. It's not just an economic issue, without Mridangas, the Hare Krishna movement would not be the same. Are Balarama Mridangas Y2K-resistant? >4) Cow Remains >a) Local government and customs must be respected. >b) When possible it is recommended to honor the dead body of the cow. >c) After all reasonable efforts have been taken to maintain the soul in the >body of the cow, when the soul has left the body of the cow, there is no bar >to someone recycling the body unless illegal in that country and after >consulting with the primary cowherder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 27, 1999 Report Share Posted January 27, 1999 > A difficult subject, but one that is not unimportant in an agrarian > vaisnava society. It's not just an economic issue, without Mridangas, > the Hare Krishna movement would not be the same. > Are Balarama Mridangas Y2K-resistant? Just shows the importance of the cow to Vaisnavism, that it's skin is allowed in temples and used as part of the worship process. If every temple was given a mandate to have a mrdunga made from a natural death cow from a devotee farm, it would stimulate a cottage industry and be a direct connection between the land and the city temples. Kirtans in the temple would take on a whole new depth of spirituality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 27, 1999 Report Share Posted January 27, 1999 COM: Madhava Gosh (das) ACBSP (New Vrindavan - USA) wrote: > [Text 2050687 from COM] > > > A difficult subject, but one that is not unimportant in an agrarian > > vaisnava society. It's not just an economic issue, without Mridangas, > > the Hare Krishna movement would not be the same. > > Are Balarama Mridangas Y2K-resistant? > > Just shows the importance of the cow to Vaisnavism, that it's skin is allowed > in > temples and used as part of the worship process. > > If every temple was given a mandate to have a mrdunga made from a natural death > cow from a devotee farm, it would stimulate a cottage industry and be a direct > connection between the land and the city temples. Kirtans in the temple would > take on a whole new depth of spirituality. Well.....I think we really need to proceed with a big dose of care and caution when it comes to looking for market-oriented solutions to increase city/village relationships when it comes to ahimsa leather. As soon as ahimsa leather becomes a highly desirable product, then the price of it naturally increases (even on a black market). When the price of ahimsa leather increases, then we inadvertently provide an incentive to certain persons to treat cows in such a way that they can fulfill the lucrative demands for their hides (i.e., they will neglect them or abuse them to speed their deaths, so that they can get the money for the hides). I know very well that *most* devotees would not do this. But history has proven that our society also includes a number of wife beaters, child molesters and also cow abusers. Let's not do anything that will inadvertently encourage neglect or abuse of the cows. A market-oriented ahimsa leather production process would open a door that would be very, very hard to close if we did not like all the results. My personal feeling about ahimsa leather is that it should be used mostly by the members of the immediate community -- not be developed into any kind of commercial business. your servant, Hare Krsna dasi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 27, 1999 Report Share Posted January 27, 1999 > My personal feeling about ahimsa leather > is > that it should be used mostly by the members of the immediate community -- not > be > developed into any kind of commercial business. > > your servant, > > Hare Krsna dasi I probably agree with you there. I was looking at it more from the spiritual side of the connection. One hide would make a lot of mrdungas incidentally. Where the cheating mentality would come more into play is someone just buying a hide and skipping the unpleasant task of skinning an animal and then saying it was a devotee cow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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