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Hare Krishna to all the devotees here. I have been genuinely drawn to Krishna consciousness and have been studying the philosophy seriously. But I have a sincere doubt that I cannot resolve on my own and I am hoping someone here can help me understand.

I am a 19 year old from India trying to understand Ahimsa as deeply and honestly as possible. Not to justify anything — genuinely to understand.

My confusion is this.

ISKCON teaches that we should not eat nonvegetarian food because it causes harm to living beings and goes against the principle of Ahimsa. I understand and respect this deeply.

But I cannot reconcile the following three things and I want to understand them honestly.

First — the dairy question.

Modern commercial dairy in India involves cows being forcibly and repeatedly impregnated through artificial insemination. Their calves are separated from them within hours of birth. The mother cries for days. Male calves are either abandoned on streets or sent for slaughter. The cows themselves are eventually slaughtered when milk production drops. Animal Equality India documented this across hundreds of farms in 2023. Most milk consumed by devotees including products like Amul comes from this system.

How is consuming this dairy consistent with Ahimsa when the suffering involved is arguably greater and more sustained than eating a single local farm egg where no animal dies and no mother is separated from her child?

Second — the pesticide question.

All agricultural production of the vegetarian food we eat involves pesticides that kill millions of insects and soil organisms. The Mahabharata itself acknowledges that plants have life and consciousness. Jain philosophy recognises even microorganisms as living beings with Prana. So the idea of zero harm through vegetarianism seems philosophically impossible. How does ISKCON reconcile this?

Third — the Gita's actual classification.

I read Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17 Verses 8 9 and 10 carefully. Krishna classifies Sattvic food as that which increases life, strength, health, happiness and satisfaction — juicy, nourishing and agreeable. Tamasic food is specifically described as stale, putrid, decomposed and impure.

Fresh properly cooked food does not seem to match the Tamasic description regardless of its source. Where exactly does Krishna explicitly say that food from animal sources is Tamasic or forbidden? I want the specific verse — not the interpretation.

I am not asking this to argue. I genuinely want to understand where the scriptural basis ends and where institutional tradition begins. Because if I am going to follow a principle I want to follow it honestly and completely — not selectively.

Thank you for any guidance. Hare Krishna