Soma Juice 0 Report post Posted January 28, 2009 Why are cows still considered holy to this day? i cant see why they are more worth than other milk bearing animals or just other animals? I understand their importance in ancient india for their milk but why now? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Beggar 0 Report post Posted January 28, 2009 <table style="border-left-width: 0pt; border-top-width: 0pt; border-bottom-width: 0pt;" width="989" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="border-right-style: none; border-right-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: medium; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: medium;" valign="top" width="54" height="100%"><!--mstheme--> </td> <td style="border-right-style: none; border-right-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: medium; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: medium;" valign="top" width="795" height="100%"><!--mstheme--> KRSNA IS A COWHERD BOY Letter to: Rupanuga -- Vrindaban 7 December, 1975 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. Letter to: Hayagriva -- Montreal 14 June, 1968 The community in which Krishna preferred to belong was Vaisya community, because Nanda Maharaja happened to be a Vaisya king, or landholder, and his main business was cow protection. It is understood that he had 900,000 cows and Krishna and Balarama used to take charge of them, along with His many cowherd boy friends, and every day, in the morning He used to go out with His friends and cows into the pasturing grounds. Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.19 -- Hawaii, January 15, 1974 So in this movement, our one program is to respect the cows. We chant this mantra, namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya ca. The brahminical culture and the cows... Why they have selected the cows? There are so many animals. Why cow protection is so important in Krsna consciousness? Why Krsna personally Himself became a cowherd boy and was taking the care of the cows and the calves? Oh, that is very essential. Evening Darsana -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C. Give protection to the cows. Krsna mentioned specifically, go-raksya. That is our request, because Krsna says go-raksya. And in His practical life He played as a cowherd boy giving protection to other cows. There is a picture, Krsna is sitting, and the cow and the calf is feeling very safety. Krsna is embracing. So because we want to be Krsna conscious, we want to follow His personal behavior and instruction. Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.1-2 -- London (Tittenhurst), September 13, 1969 Just see Krsna's picture, how He's loving the cow. You see? He is instructing by His practical life how He is compassionate with the cows. He played as a cowherd boy. Why? Because if in human society these two things are neglected, cows and the brahmana, that is animal society. Animal society. That is not human society. That is the idea. Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.10.4 -- London, November 25, 1973 So it appears that how much strictly the cow protection was there so that the gavah, payasodhasvatir muda. They were... You'll see Krsna. He is always with cows, and how the cows look very happy with Krsna. And Krsna is personally teaching how to protect cows. He became a cowherd boy. He was king's son, Maharaja Nanda; but His business was to take the cows and the calves daily to the pasturing ground. And it was very sportive engagement with the cowherd boys. The cows were grazing, and the boys, they took their meals in a pot, tiffin carrier. Not tiffin carrier in those days. Some way or other. And they used to eat them, distribute amongst the friends. Sometimes a tiffin carrier was stolen by one boy, and he was searching, and then it was... So just like the boys do. This was the children's life, to take protection, to give protection to the cows, to the calves. The small children, up to six years, seven years old, they used to take care of the calves, and the elderly men, the used to take care of the... Or elderly boys, they used to take care of the grown-up cows. So the cows were fed very nicely. Vrajan. Therefore Vrndavana is called Vrajabhumi, "where there are many cows." It is called Gokula. Gokula. Go means cows, and kula means group. Gokula. Govardhana. Govardhana Hill. Because the cows were grazing on the hill, and profuse grass was being grown, and they are enjoying. So there should be arrangement. Just like here we see, there are so many open fields and the cows are grazing. But they cannot be happy because they know that they are simply raised for being killed. They cannot be happy. </td></tr></tbody></table> Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theist 1 Report post Posted January 28, 2009 Yes by all means protect the cow but one should not neglect other animals also. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bija 0 Report post Posted January 31, 2009 Why are cows still considered holy to this day? i cant see why they are more worth than other milk bearing animals or just other animals? I understand their importance in ancient india for their milk but why now? posted by soma juice I have often thought these things too Soma. And have found several personal benefits from accepting this tradition of cow worship and plant (tulasi) worship. Coming in contact with these traditions of mother cow and sacred tulsi helped me focus upon two aspects of nature. And to hold deeply these single two nature pieces as living spiritual presence and grace of God. Gradually this sense of the sacred broadened my vision, to what earth really is. Vibrant, sacred, and deeply spiritual realm of living consciousness. So, I can see why a single animal or single plant is held in high regard this way. But, as for someone like yourself who seems to have developed a certain spiritual culture naturally, maybe you have always sensed or intuited the broader vision? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sonic Yogi 0 Report post Posted January 31, 2009 If I had the land and the money, I would love to have some cows. Unfortunately, in this day and age in the western countries they make it almost impossible to protect cows because you need lots of land for all the old retired cows and bulls. It is a damn shame. Cows are so beautiful. But, since I can't protect a cow I have chosen to care for a cute little Beagle dog that wondered into our yard and was not being protected. She is a very sweet little dog and very cute as well. I couldn't stand to just let her run wild around the neighborhood until she got out on the road and got killed, so I took her in. She wasn't more than a pup at the time. The people that owned her weren't watching out for her so I chained her up in the yard. When they came over to get her I was going to tell them to not let her run around without a collar or she would get killed. They never showed up so I have been taking care of her since then. Cows are great, but I am not going to abuse or neglect any animal that is in trouble. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bija 0 Report post Posted January 31, 2009 [ATTACH]2005[/ATTACH] funnily enough this pic looks like my dog...i like cows too Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
