By Mahaksa (das) KCS (SK)
Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada and his harinam-sankirtan mission!!
Few days back there was very interesting article by Dusyanta dasa about our prasadam diet. It was taken very properly and deeply to show us how a piece of food on our plates is connected to a spread branches of actions and reactions. And just by single choice what do we support? Huge hellish factories or Vaisnava communities.
And because in our society Veganism is spreading, there was explanation how by Veganism we can’t achieve Vaisnavas results nor even proper material results. And it is undoubtfully true. So then there came a contra-comment that by utilizing slaughter’s milk we are also not able to achieve Vaisnavas results and what to speak of material results at all. So who is right?
I am not going to write again about the things which are already many times written by intelligent devotees properly based on guru, sadhu, sastra. I want to say something about few general arguments which I hear again and again from different devotees and managers.
I. So, if somebody says that ahimsa milk, cow protection and ox power production is presently not possible and Prabhupada would make different instructions if he would see how the time changed from his presence. Such person should make immediate resignation from his managemental and spiritual post. (just to save his own self-respect, not to speak about consequences awaiting him)
II. The most important point is that we must drink milk. SB 1.8.5 Purport: “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.”
SB 3.5.7 Purport: “The body can be maintained by any kind of foodstuff, but cow’s milk is particularly essential for developing the finer tissues of the human brain so that one can understand the intricacies of transcendental knowledge.”
SB 8.6.12 Purport: “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.”
Prabhupada, Room Conversation, New Vrindavan, June 24, 1976: “But children must get at least one pound, milk. If they drink more milk they become stout and strong.”
Lecture BG 1.31 London 1973: “But if you cannot give them cows’ milk, the children will be rickety, not very healthy. They must drink sufficient milk. So cow is therefore considered mother.”
III. Shop milk is danger, specially the long lasting ones and milk supplements for children cause milk allergy! In UK it is already well known fact. For those who have milk allergy, try fresh cow milk, most people have realized that they have allergy for just shop milk.
IV. The claims that we utilize milk during preaching and Prabhupada did as well. So it is all right when Brahmacari van is going around most probably is not going to take cow with them, that is surely yukta vairagya. But when one see temple with established community claiming not to have means for cow program (whatever kind of program, even if it would be just one cow for Deities) and at the same time we see how new luxury cars and other items are appearing, so then how it is? As in the article http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16479#comment-20085 it is proven that Prabhupada wanted temples to have ahimsa milk, so then it becomes mind considerable staff that we have money for luxuries but do not have means for proper milk.
V. For general devotees there is a lot of opportunities how you can get proper best ahimsa milk. If you live in a city you can adopt a cow and you will get milk products. OK, you are not so rich? Buy ahimsa milk for proper price. Let say shop milk cost 1? and ahimsa milk cost 2?. It seems too costly to pay just one euro more? You try to make me laugh, check your way of life, one chocolate for your child cost 2? every day! Shop herbs’ tea cost 1,50? every week. I gather herbs for whole year in two an hours, I had never need since my twenty to waste money in commercial teas which are so processed that it already lost its power. This is just few little examples for very poor person, that just stop buying commercial teas and you can effort ahimsa milk. And for those who have average salary I guarantee you that you waste so much money that you could have ahimsa milk every day. And for those who are businessmen and have second initiation, where is your own cow protection?
VI. I was thinking about those devotees in our movement who have stopped to drink milk at all. I have realized it is a form of strike. I use to drink proper milk but I will strike with you. We should get boards, stand before temple on Sunday feast of LOVE as Srila Prabhupada established and demand our spiritual rights. We should have signs like this:
“We giving you donations and you buying cars, BUT WE WANT COWS!”
“You give to our children poisonous food and milk, instead of liberating us, you are implementing us into ugra karma.”
“If you do not have faith in Krisna and His instructions, do not be leader.”
VII. Set an example. I do not buy shop tea and for this saved money I buy higher cost proper milk. If leaders do not want to set the example then we set and they will start to feel shame which could lead to mind change.
Thank you for your time, your servant Mahaksa Das
Comments