Protecting the Cows

“Of all kinds of animal killing, the killing of cows is most vicious because the cow gives us all kinds of pleasure by supplying milk. Cow slaughter is an act of the grossest type of ignorance.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 14.16 Purport)

For those growing up in a tradition where meat eating is the norm, learning that other societies protect and sometimes even worship an animal like a cow seems a little strange. “Perhaps it is part of their tradition or just some sectarian belief. Like wearing different kinds of shirts, the different religions practiced are there to be accepted on faith or just inherited from the parents as a matter of obligation. I am this or I am that, but what ‘that’ actually means doesn’t really matter because all there is to ‘that’ is the acknowledgment that I am ‘that’ and nothing else.” Though the Vedic traditions may be followed for these reasons, each and every guideline is provided to fulfill a purpose. The purpose to cow protection is rather straightforward, for the same principles are followed in so many other areas of life. In addition, the cows are dear to Lord Krishna, the object of service in the discipline that gave us the concept of cow protection.

The mother produces milk for her child based on need. This wonderful feature of nature gives the mother her strong standing, her position as the ultimate caretaker of the newborn that just spent nine months developing within her womb. The fetus felt safe in the comfortable environment of the womb because it was away from harm and it depended completely on the mercy of the mother. The dependency flows both ways, as the mother produces the much needed nourishment for her newborn once it enters the world. If a mother didn’t naturally harbor this affection for her child, the child wouldn’t automatically be placed into her custody.

Now, just imagine if after being protected in this way the child or someone else comes and kills the mother. Would the person who protested against such a practice be considered an oddball? Would their pleas to save the innocent life of an important caregiver be considered some strange sectarian principle that violates the edicts of other religions? Of course this wouldn’t be the case, but when the same scenario applies to the killing of innocent mother cows, logic and sound reason are thrown out the window in favor of the passionate desire to eat the flesh of the slaughtered animal.

Lest we think the comparison isn’t valid because a human mother is different from an animal mother, we already see that dogs and cats are protected. The dog is considered “man’s best friend” because it offers unconditional love. No matter how hard a day you have at the office or what else is troubling you in life, you just go up to your dog and pet it and feel satisfaction. The dog allows you to love it without impediment. The dog doesn’t ask for anything in return except for some food and the ability to use nature’s restroom at the proper times. From a small amount of protection, the dog provides so much emotional satisfaction.

The cow actually provides just as much unconditional love, if not more. The cow produces products that can be sold for a profit, which can then be used to sustain life. Unlike the dog, the cow doesn’t even require love from the owner; just the ability to love its offspring. The cow only needs to graze on the field every now and then; otherwise it’s pretty easy to maintain. Even the stool and urine produced by the cow have antiseptic properties; something which can’t be explained by mundane science, for it defies all logic and reasoning.

If the unconditional love in the form of milk products and the ease of maintenance are present in the cow, why is it mercilessly slaughtered by the millions each year? Why is not the dog given the same treatment? Indeed, why is there outrage anytime there is cruelty to pets when other animals are treated much worse all the time? Why is it that those who do protect the cows and urge others to stop eating beef are seen as oddballs following a strange religion?

Obviously the only answer to these questions is ignorance. The sober person not only sees that cows need to be protected, they notice that the essence of individuality is present within all living beings. The ant, the owl, the cow, the dog, and the human being are the same in spiritual quality. Even amongst human beings, there is no difference between the infant and the fully matured adult capable of doing quantum physics.

“The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste] .” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 5.18)

The outward behavior and appearance may vary across species, but this doesn’t mean that the spark of life has changed. The learned man views all living beings as equal, but their treatment is not necessarily altered. For instance, I may know that a tiger is a spirit soul just like me, but this doesn’t mean that I will go up to the tiger and pet it. Just because I am aware of the equality of living beings doesn’t mean that others are as well.

But even if the tiger is unaware of the presence of spirit throughout nature, this doesn’t mean that the wise should unnecessarily kill them. Nonviolence towards animals seems like a strange principle in many parts of the world, but in certain areas the opposite is deemed the odd behavior. If you grow up in surroundings where animals aren’t killed, you will think that those who do eat animal flesh are the weird ones. In this sense both traditions can be taken as norms, as being legitimate. If both traditions already exist, why not make an honest assessment as to which one is more beneficial in the long run?

The proponents of bhakti-yoga say that nonviolence towards animals is a prerequisite for legitimate worship of God to commence. Bhakti is love and yoga is connecting the soul with the higher being, the person most of the world refers to as God. Bhakti-yoga is the religion of love and in order for that love to flow best, the mind must be sober. If I understand who I am worshiping and what their qualities are, I am more apt to be drawn to those features and form an attachment. If I am preoccupied by intoxication and killing innocent animals to eat their flesh, how sober can my mind really be?

The person connected with is also the Lord of all creatures; He is the original father. Therefore if I am to think of Him at all times, dedicate my life to His service, a natural byproduct of that engagement will be respect for everything He has created. The innocent cow that produces milk is obviously someone else’s child. Therefore showing respect to the cow means showing respect to its parents. If we expand out the scope of lineage even further, we see that no living being can claim to have been created through their own effort. In the Vedic tradition, Lord Brahma is considered the self-create, but even he has a father in Vishnu, the Supreme Lord.

Question: How will loving God’s creatures help me serve God?

Loving the creatures that God created serves as the prerequisite for pure bhakti, but it is not the final word. To show respect for other life forms is a given, for we already apply this deference to other human beings and to pets. In this sense we don’t consider any person noteworthy for not going around killing other human beings. We don’t go up to someone and say, “Hey, you’re a great person. You don’t kill your cat and dog. You are someone I want to model my behavior after.” Rather, the respect given to life forms is expected, something not considered noteworthy.

The sobriety of mind is the key benefit resulting from the protection of innocent life. The sober mind can better concentrate on the forms, qualities and pastimes of the Supreme Lord. These aspects are non-different from Him and they are meant for the pleasure of the yogis looking to connect with Him in love. This is the special mercy of the Supreme Lord that is passed on in great abundance in the Vedic scriptures, the crown jewel of which is the Shrimad Bhagavatam.

In one sense the Supreme Lord hasn’t given us enough of His pastimes. The original poem, arguably the first book ever composed, is the Ramayana, which deals with the life and pastimes of Vishnu’s avatara of Lord Rama. The original Ramayana is quite lengthy according to standard estimation, but to those desiring to connect with God on a regular basis, there can never be enough verses describing the wonderful activities of the Supreme Lord and His spiritual forms which descend to earth to delight the saintly class of men. Therefore, people who follow in the disciplic succession of bhakti write their own poems, books and commentaries so that they can create even more points of interaction with their beloved Lord. The famous Ramacharitamanasa of Goswami Tulsidas serves as an example. The author took a different version of the telling of Rama’s life story so that his mind could have even more distinct pastimes to concentrate on. In the beginning of this work, the wonderful poet explains that there are actually millions of verses to describe Rama and His divine acts, but that he is only going to share a few that are known to please himself and also those interested in hearing about Rama.

With sobriety comes the ability to chant the holy names with full attention. Recite the sacred formula of, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, and try to hear the sound vibrations as you chant. Without any other effort, the hearing alone will bring God’s presence. With the personal influence of the Supreme Spirit resting comfortably within the consciousness, pious behavior will naturally follow. The restrictions on sinful activity that were previously followed with reluctance will be cast aside as being unimportant. Adherence to nonviolence will be as routine as getting up in the morning and taking a shower. Avoiding intoxication will be like avoiding foods that you don’t like; a restriction you don’t have to think about. The sweetheart loving the entire creation will cherish their bhakti-yoga even more, for through service to God one learns how to properly serve man and the rest of the creation.

In Closing:

To offer love the good mother never thinks how,

Provides milk on the spot for offspring does the cow.

Thus between humans and animals not much difference,

Both in protecting innocent children time is spent.

Places with violence and protection already exist,

Thus study both before either you dismiss.

Sober man knows existence’s purpose,

Following bhakti one animal flesh won’t miss.

To innocent creatures we already show compassion,

Why not to cows too following Krishna’s direction?

A Time For Charity

“O king, please now proceed to give away cows on behalf of the marriages of Rama and Lakshmana, and performing their ancestral rites, complete the marriage ceremony…On the third day, when the Pahlguna will be on the north, please perform the marriage ceremony my dear king. In the meantime, please proceed in distributing gifts for invoking blessings upon Rama and Lakshmana.”

(Janaka speaking to Dashrata prior to the marriage of Lord Rama to Sita Devi, Valmiki Ramayana Bala-Kanda, Sec 71)

When God incarnated as Lord Rama, His marriage was arranged to Sita Devi, the daughter of Maharaja Janaka. A very pious man known for being an expert transcendentalist, Janaka hosted the wedding ceremony and invited Lord Rama’s father, Maharaja Dashrata, and members of his kingdom. Janaka was so happy to get Lord Rama as a son in law that he also arranged for Rama’s three younger brothers (Bharata, Lakshmana, and Shatrughna) to be married to other members of his royal family. Thus the marriages of all four brothers took place simultaneously.

In the above referenced statement, we see that Janaka is requesting Dashrata to give away cows in charity in order to mark the joyous occasion. All important occasions in Vedic culture are celebrated by giving away cows in charity. When we were children growing up, we always looked forward to our birthdays for we were assured of getting lots of presents. In America, even the Christmas holiday is celebrated this way. People go out and feverishly shop for the perfect gift to give to their loved ones. Children especially love these occasions since they can never have enough toys. In the Vedic tradition, instead of receiving gifts, special occasions are times when we give generously to those in need. This is not just ordinary charity either, for gifts should be given to those who are worthy of them. We may meet a homeless person on the street in need of money, but if they spend the money we give them on drugs and alcohol, then we really haven’t done anything for that person. We maybe make ourselves feel better with this type of kindness, but the Vedas tell us that charity should serve a higher purpose than this. According to the Vedas, charity should only be given to brahmanas, or those dedicated to serving Lord Krishna.

When celebrating festive occasions, generally one gives away cows to the brahmanas. Cows are considered to be equal to one’s own mother since they freely provide milk to us. Brahmanas generally don’t earn a living, so they live off the charity of others. As the priestly class of men, brahmanas dedicate their lives to studying the Vedas and performing sacrifices. Their days are spent preaching the glories of the Lord and counseling the other three varnas or divisions of society (kshatriyas, vaishyas, and shudras). A cow is considered a great sign of wealth since it can supply ample amounts of food simply from the milk it provides. The economic problem can be solved simply by maintaining a few cows on one’s land.

Weddings in modern society have turned into very stressful affairs. Planning a wedding means deciding on a guest list and making sure it is not too large or too small. Weddings are held in expensive banquet halls so the price per guest is usually very expensive. Halls typically charge the host per head or per person attending, with a minimum number of guests required by the hall. Inviting too many guests means the cost will go up, while too few guests means the hall won’t agree to take the wedding. As far as wedding gifts go, the bride and groom-to-be usually register at various retail stores so that guests can pick out items to give as gifts. This ensures that the married couple won’t receive the same gifts from multiple people. It is now customary for most guests to give cash gifts at a wedding. According to the standard etiquette as it has evolved, the amount of the gift should be equal to or greater than the cost incurred by the host to allow that guest to come to the wedding. If an invitee can’t attend the wedding, then they are obliged to give a gift anyway. Feeling a sense of apprehension, many guests go so far as to bring a blank check with them to the wedding, which they later fill in with an amount they feel is commensurate with the type of service they are provided. This way they feel safe knowing that they won’t spend too much on a wedding gift. Due to the influence of Kali Yuga, this type of behavior is all too common and it has shifted the entire focus of a wedding from a mood of celebration, to a mood of miserliness. A wedding should be a joyous occasion, a time to share feelings of love and happiness with friends and family. Instead, people have become preoccupied with taking head counts, filling up seats, and tallying the gifts that come in.

From the example of Kings Janaka and Dashratha, we can learn the proper way to celebrate a wedding. A marriage is a joyous occasion, and it should be celebrated as such. In modern society, when a new child is a born, the father typically hands out cigars to friends and family as a way to celebrate. The Vedic example is very similar, except it is done on a larger scale and for every celebratory occasion. The marriage of Sita and Rama involved giving on a grand scale. Brahmanas were given charity and fed sumptuously. Entire villages were invited to the wedding by Janaka with nothing expected in return. Sita was Janaka’s pride and joy, so he wanted everyone to share in this most wonderful of occasions. He was getting God Himself as a son-in-law, so of course he would go to great lengths to celebrate their nuptials.

The Vedas represent perfect knowledge, originally passed down from God Himself. They give us the proper guidance we need to manage our daily affairs. Being a good host means following the proper standards of religion set forth in the Vedas. By liberally distributing gifts to the brahmanas, Dashratha secured their blessings upon his sons. We should follow his example by aiming to please the devotees of Krishna. Devotees are very dear to the Lord, so by pleasing them, we can make our lives perfect.

Cow Protection

American life is all about freedom. The Pilgrims settled on this land hundreds of years ago to enjoy freedom and to escape an oppressive government in Europe. Living in America means we can do what we want, whenever we want to without worrying about others interfering with us. As long as we don’t infringe on the rights of others, we are free to act as we wish.

One way Americans and others around the world enjoy freedom is by eating meat, especially beef. Cows and other animals are raised on farms with the express purpose of being sent to slaughterhouses. Eating beef, steak in particular, is a classic American tradition, with the quintessential family meal consisting of “meat and potatoes”. The beef industry even runs television advertisements where the tag line is “Beef. It’s what’s for dinner.” There are various grades of beef, based on the type of cow, how it is raised, and how it is fed. Simply eating meat is not enough, for people are more than willing to shell out extra money to feast themselves on high quality beef such as Kobe and Wagyu.

In principle, having the independence to act as we wish is not a bad thing. It is the natural yearning of the human spirit to be free. However, with freedom comes responsibility. If we maintain our bodies through unnecessary violence, then the laws of karma dictate that we will be forced to suffer in the future. God has given us an abundance of food grains for our sustenance. Cows play their part as well by freely providing us milk. In the Vedic tradition, cows are to be respected. Many people mistakenly believe that Hindus worship cows as gods, but that is not the case. Cows are respected and treated on the same level as one’s own mother since they provide us milk. Our mothers nourish us as infants with milk from their breasts, and in the same way one’s body can be nourished simply from the milk of a cow. According to the Vedas, there are seven mothers: the birth mother, the guru’s wife, the wife of a brahmana (priest), the wife of a king, a nurse, the earth, and a cow. Now we wouldn’t ever think of killing our own mother, so why should we kill cows?

Cows are killed so that people can satisfy the desires of the tongue. As the famous proverb says “As you sow so shall you reap”, one committing unnecessary violence simply to satisfy the taste buds will naturally by forced to suffer the same fate in the future. This is only fair. The need to respect and protect cows shouldn’t be a difficult concept for us to grasp.  Many of us keep pets in the home, such as cats and dogs. We view them as the essence of innocence, since they kindly serve as our companions and ask little in return. “Dog is man’s best friend” so the saying goes. People love their pets so much that they often treat them better than they do their friends and family. It is not uncommon for pet owners to take many pictures of their cat or dog and show them off to their friends, as if the pets were their own children. Owners will go to great lengths to keep their pets happy, gladly inconveniencing themselves by regularly taking the dogs for walks or by feeding gourmet meals to their cats. Cows should be given the same level of respect.

Just because the meat of a cow tastes good, doesn’t mean that they are any less innocent than a cat or a dog. Unlike a cat or a dog, cows actually provide us things of tangible value. Cows don’t bother anyone and the milk they freely provide can be used to prepare hundreds of varieties of palatable foodstuffs. In the Vedic system, a person’s wealth is determined by how many cows they have. One simply requires a small plot of land and a few cows and their economic problems are solved. This is a much more secure lifestyle than possessing large quantities of paper currency, which can devalue at any time. The recent worldwide economic crisis proves this fact. In the Vedic system, the brahmanas, or priestly class of men, are to live very meagerly, focusing all their time on serving God. Knowing this, kshatriya kings would regularly give away kine to the brahmanas so that they wouldn’t have to worry about food. Any occasion, good or bad, would always be marked by the giving away of cows to brahmanas, as that is considered the highest form of charity.

Cows are also considered valuable because they provide butter which is used in Vedic sacrifices. The material world is governed by the demigods, who serve as Lord Krishna’s chief ministers. By propitiating them, man is provided with rain which serves as the catalyst for food production. The demigods are worshiped in elaborate fire sacrifices called yajnas, where clarified butter, or ghee, is poured on the fire as an oblation. These sacrifices would not be possible were it not for the ghee. In this way, cows can be considered the sustainers of life.

Once we stop respecting our mothers, we eventually lose respect for other forms of life. This is evidenced by the increase in the practice of abortion. In order to satisfy the demands of the tongue, innocent cows are sent to slaughterhouses. So it shouldn’t surprise anyone that people would resort to killing innocent children in the womb in order to satisfy the desires of the genitals. Cows are very dear to Lord Krishna, who is also known as Govinda, which means “one who gives pleasure to the cows”. When the Lord personally came to earth around five thousand years ago, he grew up in a cowherd family, and he would regularly take the family cows out to the pasturing grounds as a child. One will often see the Lord depicted in pictures standing next to cows. Thus by respecting cows, we are following God’s example. There is no higher form of religion than to follow the instructions and traditions set forth by Lord Krishna.

Economic Stimulus

 

“(British Prime Minister Gordon) Brown also says the 20 countries at the summit will enact common policies to crack down on tax havens, regulate hedge funds, and rebuild trust in the financial system to ‘prevent a crisis such as this from happening again.’” (AP, 2009.04.02)

World leaders met recently in London as part of the Group of 20 Summit to combat the global financial crisis. Countries from around the world, with varying and sometimes competing interests, came together to form a consensus on the proper action needed to be taken. U.S. President Obama and Great Britain’s leader, Gordon Brown, both admitted that the measures agreed upon wouldn’t guarantee a reversal in the current economic situation, but they did say that their proposed policies would be successful in preventing a future slowdown. However, Brown did say that the policies enacted would prevent future crises of the current magnitude from happening.

Now these summits are all well and good. The leaders have very good intentions. They are all trying to do something to help the struggling people in their countries. Sometimes just knowing that somebody is trying to help can make a difference. However, like most meetings that involve group think, very little policy of substance is produced. Leaders become more interested in crafting any sort of policy that all parties will agree on, versus actually coming up with something that will be effective. As the saying goes, “Consensus is the absence of leadership.”

According to Vedic philosophy, such meetings over economic policy are unnecessary. The great sages of India were highly advanced in knowledge because they received it directly through the chain of disciplic succession. The original Veda, knowledge of the Absolute, was passed down from God Himself at the beginning of creation. This knowledge was later divided in various categories by God’s literary incarnation, Shrila Vyasadeva. The Vedas contain knowledge on all subjects of importance. The great sages all learned this knowledge directly from their teachers and without the need for group meetings and position papers. True knowledge comes to us by linking our consciousness with that of the Supreme. Lord Krishna has expanded Himself separately into each and every one of us through His Paramatma, or Supersoul feature. By dovetailing our activities with Krishna through the process of devotional service, we connect with the Paramatma, and then true knowledge is revealed to us.

According to the Mahabharata, considered the fifth Veda, economic success comes through cow protection and through low taxation. Cows are considered the ultimate sign of wealth since one can live off of the milk produced from them. Possessing a large bank balance may be nice, but paper currency and other commodities can devalue very quickly, as we’ve seen the past few months. A cow represents a tangible value since it can provide so many food preparations simply from the milk that it freely offers. Therefore the food problem is solved. Low taxation is important, because if taxes are too high, then producers will not have any incentive to create wealth.

The proposed plans from the G-20 are in direct contradiction to this. They don’t address the mass slaughter of cows that goes on today, nor do they tackle the issues of high taxes and regulation. Instead, they focus on taking more money from producers and giving to non-producers. Such policies are destined to fail.

In the end, whatever plan of action is enacted, the ups and downs of the economy can never be completely prevented. Just as birth, old age, disease, and death are guaranteed for the spirit soul in the material world, happiness and distress are also guaranteed. Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, tells us that we should be tolerant of these fluctuations.

“O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.” (Bhagavad-gita, 2.14)

So this eagerness of the politicians to act is unnecessary. Compromising and forging consensus will never solve any problem. All it does is pad the egos of the participant. “We have done something. We have solved the problem. Never fear, we were able to get along. There will be no more suffering.” These are the statements of our leaders. The true fact of the matter is that the government is mostly to blame for this crisis due to its encouragement of banks to give mortgages to unqualified borrowers. Now they are trying to fix the problem they never should have caused to begin with. They would be better suited leaving the economy alone and instead focus on making policy directed at filling the spiritual void in society. For if we engage ourselves in devotional service by chanting the holy names of God, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”, then no economic crisis will ever affect us.

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