happy cows

[Guest guest]

Do I dare to say this? I am gradually becoming very disappointed with all the

Vaisnava swami's because it seems like there is not one single one of them --

inside ISKCON or out -- who is truely committed to cow protection, who truely

believes that without cow protection, spiritual progress is not possible.

 

Srila Prabhupada was a sannyasi, and at they same time he did so much work all

over the world to encourage devotees to establish cow protection -- including

its vital component of working the oxen.

 

Can anyone name a swami anywhere in the world who is a strong advocate for cow

protection like Srila Prabhupada was?

 

To me the ideal test would be this: When he initiates a disciple, he uses

only ghee produced by protected cows who are the mothers of working oxen. And

the grains which are thrown in the fire have been planted by oxen. That would

be the ideal test.

 

And failing that, at least he would be working to build the social structure

where that could happen. That's what Srila Prabhupada was doing, he was

building a social structure in which cows could be protected.

 

But to initiate a disciple while pouring ghee from slaughtered cows onto the

fire, while pretending to be in favor of cow protection, would be failing the

test of commitment to cow protection.

 

The thing is this: when you build a social structure which is ideal for the

protection of cows (small-scale devotee family farms) that turns out to be

also the kind of social structure which is best to provide for the social and

spiritual needs of human beings as well.

 

Is there any swami or guru in the world who is strongly standing for this? If

not, it just seems like a depressing and demoralizing thing for us to pretend

that our movement is protecting cows -- when in fact our leaders are

fundamentally indifferent to the idea, and cannot see how it practically

relates to spiritual progress. It just feels like hypocrisy to say that our

movement stands for cow protection, when the practical fact is that so many of

our leaders appear to consider it either a sentiment or an outright

botheration. Are there really any leaders in our movement who are activiely

working toward building a social structure where cows are protected, where

oxen are engaged in service to Krsna?

 

Names, anyone?

 

your servant,

 

Hare Krsna dasi

 

"Hrimati (dd) ACBSP (Mayapur - IN)" wrote:

 

> Our cows are happy, therefore they give plenty of milk. Vedic civilization

> gives protection to all the living creatures, especially the cows, because

> they render such valuable service to the human society in the shape of

> milk, without which no one can become healthy and strong. In your country

> the dog is protected, and the cow is killed. The dog is passing stool and

> urine in the street, he is considered the best friend of man, and the cow

> is all pure, stool, urine, and milk, but they are taken to the slaughter

> house and killed for food. What kind of civilization is this. Therefore we

> have to preach against all this nonsense.

>

> ============ REF. Letter to: Rupanuga -- Vrindaban 7 December, 1975

[Guest guest]

Dear Mataji,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

 

Thank you for your bold response to my message.

May I introduce one cow (and her son) that I claim to be very happy. Her

name is Vishnupriya.

I make, with my own hands, ghee from her milk to be offered to Sri Sri Radha

Madhava. The Pujaris use her ghee every morning for the Lords Massage.

You may see her picture at the following link:

http://www.hrimati.meyerhoff.net/7.htm

 

We live harmoniously along with our two cows in our hut located amongst the

beautiful fields of Mayapur.

 

Hoping this meets you in the best of health by the grace of Krishna.

 

Your humble servant,

Hrimati dasi

[Guest guest]

> Can anyone name a swami anywhere in the world who is a strong advocate for

cow

> protection like Srila Prabhupada was?

 

Well, not that an endorsement here means I universally do or don't agree

with any of his other policies, but Radhanath Swami did spend years as a

brahmacary milking cows by hand every day, has pushed disciples in the

direction of cow protection, directed donations to the erection of a small

scale barn by the temple at NV after Kirtanananda had separated the cows

from the center of the community, and is the GBC for a community (NV)

where cows are given reasonable protection at a cost over $100K US per year

while recieving about 1500 gallons milk yearly in return, so it ain't about

the milk.

 

All of which may not meet your criterion in toto but at least is a step or

two above most others.