ISKCON Farm Minister on raising money by cow slaugher - Dec 1981

[Guest guest]

Recently Jitakrodha prabhu has raised the issue of whether it is

acceptable to earn one's livelihood by relying on the cow slaughter

industry, since he heard some devotees were proposing such an

enterprise.

 

Following is a letter from Paramananda dasa, ISKCON Minister of

Agriculture for about 10 years, from the late 1970s to the late 1980s.

I thought it would be of historical interest. I have also included

pertinent quotes from Srila Prabhupada on the topic of earning one's

living through fair and honest means.

 

Because it is Kali Yuga and we live in an economy which is "centered on

animal killing" often it is difficult to avoid undesirable work.

Nevertheless, we should carefully consider the instructions put forth

below. After receiving the letter from the Minister of Agriculture, the

GBC dropped its plans to raise funds by selling a karmi milk product.

 

your servant

 

Hare Krsna dasi 22 June 1999

 

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Letter to the GBC from Paramananda dasa, ISKCON Minister of Agriculture

 

December 5, 1981

 

Dear Prabhus,

 

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

This is a letter concerning the selling of Meadow Fresh, the milk

substitute that is being marketed by some of our ISKCON temples now. My

support and participation have been solicited in the selling of Meadow

Fresh.

 

As the ISKCON farm minister, I have to decline from supporting or

participating in this program. The reason is mainly that the dairy

industry, of which this is a product, is actually the same industry as

the cow slaughter industry. They are one and the same. This should be

understood.

 

I am completely convinced that the devotees who are selling this are

purely motivated and their interest is to make money to spread Krsna

Consciousness. But not having contact with this dairy industry, you are

unaware of this fact, **that it is non-different from the cow slaughter

industry.**

 

In one hand they are holding the carcass of the cow and in the other

hand they are holding the bucket of milk. And they will sell whichever

one they get the most money for. This should be understood. So to sell

this product is bolstering up this dairy industry and participating in

it in a very direct way.

 

Srila Prabhupada said a lot of things about cow protection. It was very

dear to him. He made it very clear to those of us who inquired from him

about it that it is not within our jurisdiction to take the life of the

cow. "The cow is mother. Don't kill mother. No matter what you do,

don't kill mother. Don't kill the cow." So I feel very sure that

anything this closely linked with the slaughter of the cow would be

rejected by Srila Prabhupada for an ISKCON business.

 

The same man who is taking this cow and chopping off its head, who's

taking the cow when she is five of six years old, after giving milk for

several years, and chopping off her head and serving her up for dinner,

he's the same man who is selling this milk and making the money to

sustain and develop these activities of slaughtering the cow, killing

mother. This is much too direct.

 

We understand that Srila Prabhupada allowed us to drink milk from these

karmi dairies when there was no other milk to drink. In this connection

he said, "A blind uncle is better than no uncle at all." So to drink

this milk is better than not to drink any milk. But for ISKCON to

engage in a big business to sell this milk product from the karmi

dairies is a completely different thing. It is a different degree of

involvement - much more direct and premeditated.

 

....So don't be confused about this issue please. Srila Prabhupada made

it quite clear that there was no circumstance that anyone could think of

that would justify the killing of the cow. He said even if you have to

eat meat for some reason, then don't eat the cow; eat some lower animal.

But don't kill the cow, don't kill mother. It is too sinful. It is so

sinful. And he also said here at Gita-nagari that if you protect the

cow, you will not be in scarcity. So actually the position that you are

taking when you sell the Meadow Fresh, although it is a little unknowing

on your part, is that you are saying:

 

"I'm sorry, Mother, we need money to spread this Krsna Consciousness

movement and ultimately, when this Krsna Consciousness movement gets

spread all over the world, people will stop eating meat and cow

protection will be going on. In order to do this, mother, we have to

sacrifice you for a higher purpose. For the ultimate purpose of

protecting you, we are going to have to take your life."

 

So my point is that Srila Prabhupada would not sanction this. He made

it quite clear that it was outside of our jurisdiction to make any

decision like that, that for any reason we may kill mother. We may not

make that decision, that in order to spread Krsna Consciousness we have

to kill our mother, the cow; for the ultimate benefit of the cow, we

must sacrifice the lives of so many cows.

 

If you protect the cow, you will not be in scarcity. Just like we don't

think that by taking the time every day to chant japa, that we are

losing time for the spreading of the Krsna Consciousness movement. No!

That time is not lost. So this cow protection is another principle and

to renounce it is favor of making money in order to spread Krsna

Consciousness is not acceptable.

 

Your servant,

 

Paramananda dasa

Minister of Agriculture

 

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Srila Prabhupada on contaminated means of economic development:

 

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Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.17.4 Purport

 

For a Sanatanist (a follower of Vedic principles) it is the duty of

every householder to have cows and bulls as household paraphernalia, not

only for drinking milk, but also for deriving religious principles. The

Sanatanist worships cows on religious principles and respects brahmanas.

The cow's milk is required for the sacrificial fire, and by performing

sacrifices the householder can be happy. 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.*** [Emphasis added.] The influence

of Kali will keep them in the darkness of ignorance. Despite all

endeavors for peace and prosperity, they must try to see the cows and

the bulls happy in all respects. Foolish people do not know how one

earns happiness by making the cows and bulls happy, but it is a fact by

the law of nature. Let us take it from the authority of

Srimad-Bhagavatam and adopt the principles for the total happiness of

humanity.

 

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THE MEANS OF LIVELIHOOD MUST BE VERY FAIR

 

Prabhupada's Lectures Srimad-Bhagavatam 1976 760522S3.HON

 

Prabhupada: (leads verse recitation) Bandy-aksaih kaitavais cauryair

garhitam vrttim asthitah bibhrat kutumbam asucir yatayam asa dehinah. So

in this way, Ajamila, he practiced this unfair way of livelihood,

bandy-aksaih kaitavais cauryair garhitam vrttim asthitah. So vrtti means

livelihood. If one adopts abominable livelihood, there is no, I mean to

say, hope of spiritual advancement. Finished.

 

 

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Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 1: Chapter Fourteen, Text 3

:TRANSLATION

 

TRANSLATION

 

...He saw that the direction of eternal time had changed, and this

was very fearful. There were disruptions in the seasonal regularities.

The people in general had become very greedy, angry and deceitful. And

he saw that they were adopting foul means of livelihood.

PURPORT

 

When civilization is disconnected from the loving relation of the

Supreme Personality of Godhead, symptoms like changes of seasonal

regulations, foul means of livelihood, greed, anger and fraudulence

become rampant. The change of seasonal regulations refers to one

season's atmosphere becoming manifest in another season--for example the

rainy season's being transferred to autumn, or the fructification of

fruits and flowers from one season in another season. A godless man is

invariably greedy, angry and fraudulent. Such a man can earn his

livelihood by any means, black or white.

 

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Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 2: Chapter Seven, Text 6

:PURPORT

 

The brahmacari, or a boy from the age of five years, especially from the

higher castes, namely from the scholarly parents (the brahmanas), the

administrative parents (the ksatriyas), or the mercantile or productive

parents (the vaisyas), is trained until twenty-five years of age under

the care of a bona fide guru or teacher, and under strict observance of

discipline he comes to understand the values of life along with taking

specific training for a livelihood.

 

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Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 2: Chapter Eight, Text 21

:PURPORT

 

One should earn his livelihood easily and honestly, for it is better to

become a coolie for an honest livelihood than to become a great man in

society by hook and crook. There is no harm if one becomes the richest

man in the world by honest dealings, but one should not sacrifice the

honest means of livelihood simply to accumulate wealth. Such an endeavor

is harmful to devotional service.

 

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Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 3: Chapter Six, Text 32

:TRANSLATION

 

The means of livelihood of all persons, namely production of grains

and their distribution to the prajas, was generated from the thighs of

the Lord's gigantic form. The mercantile men who take charge of such

execution are called vaisyas.

 

PURPORT

 

Human society's means of living is clearly mentioned here as visa,

or agriculture and the business of distributing agricultural products,

which involves transport, banking, etc. Industry is an artificial means

of livelihood, and large-scale industry especially is the source of all

the problems of society. In Bhagavad-gita also the duties of the

vaisyas, who are engaged in visa, are stated as cow protection,

agriculture and business. We have already discussed that the human being

can safely depend on the cow and agricultural land for his livelihood.

 

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Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 3: Chapter Thirty, Text 33

:PURPORT

 

One should work honestly according to his qualification. He should

not earn his livelihood unfairly, by means for which he is not

qualified. If a brahmana who works as a priest so that he may enlighten

his followers with the spiritual way of life is not qualified as a

priest, then he is cheating the public. One should not earn by such

unfair means. The same is applicable to a ksatriya or to a vaisya. It is

especially mentioned that the means of livelihood of those who are

trying to advance in Krsna consciousness must be very fair and

uncomplicated. Here it is mentioned that he who earns his livelihood by

unfair means (kevalena) is sent to the darkest hellish region.

 

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Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 6: Chapter Five, Text 36

:PURPORT

 

Vaisyas should earn their livelihood through agriculture and cow

protection.

 

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Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 7: Chapter Fourteen, Text 10

:PURPORT

 

These are the different occupational duties by which men should

earn their livelihood, and in this way human society should be simple.

At the present moment, however, everyone is engaged in technological

advancement, which is described in Bhagavad-gita as

ugra-karma--extremely severe endeavor. This ugra-karma is the cause of

agitation within the human mind.

 

Men are engaging in many sinful activities and becoming degraded by

opening slaughterhouses, breweries and cigarette factories, as well as

nightclubs and other establishments for sense enjoyment.

 

In this way they are spoiling their lives. In all of these activities,

of course, householders are involved, and therefore it is advised here,

with the use of the word api, that even though one is a householder, one

should not engage himself in severe hardships. One's means of livelihood

should be extremely simple.

 

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