Happy Cows make Better Milk (Gong your Cow!)

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam,

This dairy farmer really, really gets it! We are what we eat, and milk

from such a cow would be medicine (check your Ayurveda: Milk, Honey,

Ghee and Almonds are great builders of Ojas)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlxBfVkeCF4 & NR=1

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlxBfVkeCF4 & NR=1>

 

He's got, at least, a moon Gong, an earth Gong, a sruti box type thingy,

he uses chimes, and he chants.... Ya gotta love this!

 

Blessings,

Dharam Singh

Millis, MA

www.gongsongs.com

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

oh!! but I hope the cows aren't always chained up like that and allowed to

graze in open pastures. that too will make them happy

 

 

On Fri, Mar 13, 2009 at 9:38 AM, d h a r a m <pranahsaurus wrote:

 

> Sat Nam,

> This dairy farmer really, really gets it! We are what we eat, and milk

> from such a cow would be medicine (check your Ayurveda: Milk, Honey,

> Ghee and Almonds are great builders of Ojas)

> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlxBfVkeCF4 & NR=1

> <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlxBfVkeCF4 & NR=1>

>

> He's got, at least, a moon Gong, an earth Gong, a sruti box type thingy,

> he uses chimes, and he chants.... Ya gotta love this!

>

> Blessings,

> Dharam Singh

> Millis, MA

> www.gongsongs.com

>

>

[Guest guest]

Sad to see the animals on such short chains, gong or no gong!

 

Sat Nam

 

Joan

On Friday, March 13, 2009, at 05:38 AM, d h a r a m wrote:

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Thank you for Gong in Fattoria!

 

How great! I think the chains are only on the cows while he milks them, then

they roam outside.

 

I bet the milk in those cows is tasty and they are relaxed to the max!

 

Thanks for sharing this Dharma Singh.

 

Sat Nam, Gurumukh Kaur

 

Note: Gurmukh of LA is in Washington DC for 2 days - March 25th, 26th. We have a

few spots left if you want to do a workshop with her - check out my web site.

 

Peace!

 

Elizabeth Greathouse, Owner

http://www.YogaHouseStudio.com

202 285 1316

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam,

 

Dharam,

Great video, the cows seem to really enjoy the gong.

Did you understand the mantra he was chanting at the end of the video?

Peace Love & All Light,

Guru Sadhana Seva

Philly, Pa

 

 

Kundaliniyoga , d h a r a m <pranahsaurus wrote:

>

> Sat Nam,

> This dairy farmer really, really gets it! We are what we eat, and milk

> from such a cow would be medicine (check your Ayurveda: Milk, Honey,

> Ghee and Almonds are great builders of Ojas)

> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlxBfVkeCF4 & NR=1

> <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlxBfVkeCF4 & NR=1>

>

> He's got, at least, a moon Gong, an earth Gong, a sruti box type thingy,

> he uses chimes, and he chants.... Ya gotta love this!

>

> Blessings,

> Dharam Singh

> Millis, MA

> www.gongsongs.com

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi,

 

He sang the Hare Krishna, Hare Rama chant.

 

Alisa in CT

 

Kundaliniyoga , " sadhana72002 " <sadhana72002 wrote:

>

> Sat Nam,

>

> Dharam,

> Great video, the cows seem to really enjoy the gong.

> Did you understand the mantra he was chanting at the end of the video?

> Peace Love & All Light,

> Guru Sadhana Seva

> Philly, Pa

>

>

[Guest guest]

Indeed, there is nothing " happy " about dairy farming.

 

http://www.goveg.com/whatsWrong.asp

 

The cow is also kept pregnant her entire adult life and separated from her

calves when they are only a few days old. Male calves are immediately put in

small crates and raised as veal. These animals are killed in the same

slaughterhouses as animals raised for meat.

 

We already know that as yogis, we have a responsibility to understand what we

are putting in our bodies, and what impact our food choices have on ourselves,

as well as our environment. Unless you are raising your own cows or buying

products from a reliable and humane source that cares for their animals, be

aware that consuming dairy products is not karma-free. It supports a horrific

industry.

 

Sat nam.

 

Nimrita

 

Kundalini-Yoga , " Guru Ram Kaur " <grk wrote:

>

> Sat Nam

>

> This dairy farmer is keeping these poor animals chained, standing up in small

stalls - unable to lie down or have access to the outside. No milk from such

cruel practices can be good for anyone, and anyone with a conscience would not

partake of it. I wonder if the dairy farmer would feel happy if he were living

chained up in a small stall - and how much better he would feel if someone

played the gong for him!

>

> With blessings

>

> Guru Ram Kaur

>

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam,

The man playing the Gong is Massimo

Piazza, Gong and sound healer brought in by the farmer. A good guy.

That would make this farmer a guy who is trying to do things better.

Many years ago in Mexico I met the first person who was what we now

call a "vegan". He didn't wear leather shoes/belt or eat flesh, so as

to not cause harm in any way. It caught my attention as I had hunted

and knew intimately what death was about, and was at a huge crossroad

in my life. I think it is possible to live in this non-harming way if

it is warm where one lives, and there is plenty of fruit to glean, or grass ;o) .

However, I lived in Fairbanks, AK where you'd be pretty challenged to

not have, at least, some dairy (Yogi Tea, anyone?). One needs the fat

in the colder climates. The Native peoples in this region even have

larger than normal livers so as to handle their almost totally

NON-vegetable diets. So, the idea of walking around in cotton shoes

wasn't going to fly. I'd have to cause some harm just to walk around,

be it in leather shoes or synthetic shoes created in a plant that

spewed PVC laden gasses into the collective air supply, that employed 7

year old children for 14 hours a day. Then I have to put on those shoes

just to walk to my car............................. You wanna talk

about what driving a car does? Do you really wanna? How about living in

a house made of trees? (I knew a guy, a Christian who live in a hole in

the ground. He made his own tools and totally went off grid, to totally

observe Ahimsa, non-harming. He truly loved Jesus and wanted to emulate

that example. Bless him! God Bless him! He is walking his talk. He was

70 when he made this decision. He may write a book and may not. My

point is living in America almost guarantees that one's very existence

is a crime against mankind and all of nature. Try and argue against

that. Sometime Liberals, and I am one, and you armchair gurus really piss me the F*#k

off. Lighten up for once! Your minds create enough toxicity everyday to

kill a small rodent.

 

Don't nail one dairy farmer to the post who is trying to bring some

consciousness to his trade and do something a little better than what

is expected and assumed. I doubt if he gets paid one cent more for his

milk because he does this.

Gimme us all a break.

 

Dharam

Millis, MA

 

If you don't see God in all, you don't see God at all

-YB

 

 

 

 

mmmmmm wrote:

 

Indeed, there is nothing "happy" about dairy farming. http://www.goveg.com/whatsWrong.asp

The cow is also kept pregnant her entire adult life and separated from her calves when they are only a few days old. Male calves are immediately put in small crates and raised as veal. These animals are killed in the same slaughterhouses as animals raised for meat.

We already know that as yogis, we have a responsibility to understand what we are putting in our bodies, and what impact our food choices have on ourselves, as well as our environment. Unless you are raising your own cows or buying products from a reliable and humane source that cares for their animals, be aware that consuming dairy products is not karma-free. It supports a horrific industry.

Sat nam.

Nimrita Kundalini-Yoga , "Guru Ram Kaur" <grk wrote:

 

 

Sat Nam

This dairy farmer is keeping these poor animals chained, standing up in small stalls - unable to lie down or have access to the outside. No milk from such cruel practices can be good for anyone, and anyone with a conscience would not partake of it. I wonder if the dairy farmer would feel happy if he were living chained up in a small stall - and how much better he would feel if someone played the gong for him!

With blessings

Guru Ram Kaur

[Guest guest]

You can gong crack, too, but I'm still not gonna smoke it.

[Guest guest]

Baba brother ji,.

There was a time in the huge war over abortion when the best response I

ever saw on a bumper sticker was "if you don't believe in abortion,

don't have one".

Same applies to milk.

I also remember a time when nothing excited vegetarians more than

talking about meat!

 

Let's move in the affirmative, or at least move on? Yeah, changes need

to made in many, many ways, but at the same time it's a perfect world.

All is as it should be, or at least one needs to relate to that

perspective at some point in one's evolution, sooner or later........at

some point.

 

There are blessings all around, is all I'm trying to say.

Dharam

Millis, MA

 

Baba wrote:

 

You can gong crack, too, but I'm still not gonna smoke it.

[Guest guest]

You can crack a gong and it won't be playable.

 

Gurubandhu

 

Kundalini-Yoga , " Baba " <baba_sf wrote:

>

> You can gong crack, too, but I'm still not gonna smoke it.

>

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam Prithi

 

If these cows are kept in the way you describe that is great. However, it is important to understand that most cows are not kept in such a way and there is still a great deal of cruelty in the dairy industry quite apart from that particular aspect. As Nimrita has commented, cows are kept constantly pregnant, with their calves being taken away from them and the male calves killed for meat. The disgraceful practices in slaughterhouses need no further comment and that is also where the poor dairy cow ends up after her useful milk producing life is over. If we aspire to the yogic way of life - with one of the most basic tenets being AHIMSA - non violence - how can we in good conscience consume dairy products?

 

Added to this you have the health implications. Milk is not the wonderfully healthy food it is advertised to be. Contrary to all the pro-milk publicity, milk does not make strong bones or healthy children - see the report 'White Lies' from the Vegetarian and Vegan Foundation (VVF) - in fact osteoporosis is most prevelant in those areas of the world where most dairy is consumed. Milk is certainly alkaline but it produces a highly acidic response in the body - to return the body to its required alkaline state, calcium is leached from the bones into the blood stream. The majority of cows are milked while pregnant so all the hormones which flood their bodies are passed into their milk (not to mention the antibiotics). The growth hormone IGF1 in cows is identical to the growth hormone IGF1 in humans. That is also what is being consumed. You can see the implications. Then there is the permitted level of pus cells in every pint. Thanks to our scientists, cows are producing 5 times the normal amount of milk - their udders frequently are stretched to near ground level and they frequently suffer from mastitis (hence pus in milk). And so on and on and on ......... I would urge everyone to read the 'White Lies' report produced by Dr. Butler of VVF which can be ordered from their website - www.vegetarian.org.uk

 

There are so many delicious and healthy alternatives to milk from cows - rice milk, oat milk, soy milk to mention just a few - and they are readily available in supermarkets (at least in the UK). If not, they can certainly be found in health food shops.

 

With blessings to all

 

Guru Ram Kaur

UK

[Guest guest]

Hey yogis,

solutions are what people want to hear about, because after a while we

all started hearing about problems with the mild substitute soy milk,

and then you found folks wanting non or low fat soymilk. Low fat

soymilk.....Oh my goodness! I'm gonna break my leg just trying to get

away from you.

What's next, the Middle East? Torture? Fourteen year old mothers? This party ain't goin' no where. Where's the joy?

Build up agni (digestive fire) with

yoga and meditation.

Take care of that. After all, one's age is a function of their ability

to digest, not so

much one of their age.

 

It is not, and never was, my intent

to promote dairy with my video submission. Some of you got that, and

much more.

I was sharing a video about the value of the gong. Pretty simple. The

Gong as a tool for healing, whatever and whoever.

Start a new subject line if you got an axe to grind.

 

There is a lot of evil in the world but lets try and see some good

whenever possible. I do believe in silver linings, or else I would have

long, long ago dug myself a hole in the ground, and maybe gonged some

crack!......thanks Baba ;o)

 

Blessings,

Dharam

http://gongsongs.com/links

 

 

The ultimate paradox is that

negation becomes affirmation

-Rollo May

[Guest guest]

John Lennon said, “There are no problems, only solutions.” I say, “Joy is a tricky topic!” Joy as a peak experience happens to everyone sometimes, to quote philosopher, Ken Wilber, “even Nazi’s love their children.” Joy, as a stable state is a reflection of living from upper triangle chakras (which intrinsically include and are supported by the lower triangle) and is the essence of Grace shining through the heart. We do the best we can from where we are. Yogi Bhajan gave us tools to learn to distinguish what chakra we are speaking from, or what chakra a person is listening to us from. That understanding is the path to peace and a function of the digestion of disowned aspects of ourselves. The fullness of the sound of the gong brings the mind to stillness. I recently purchased a 28” paiste gong and I highly recommend to anyone wanting to experience joy, find a gong and sing with it! I loved that the cows were moo-ved to join in with their voices! Sat Nam! Sat Dharam Kaur/Susan Brown 

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam Guru Ram Kaur,

 

Milk has it's pros and cons. It creates mucus. In today's dairy industry, some

cows are not treated as well as can be. Many people are allergic to milk and

there are other reasons.

 

In ayurveda, milk is often used as a " carrier " . Many prescriptions are

formulated with milk as the carrier including using milk with triphala. In

fact, milk has mucus producing properties. With certain herbs, milk can have

mucus reducing properties. Milk can have a soothing effect on the whole

digestive system and nervous system. YB has one recipe using milk, honey and

jalapenos for colds. Without milk, this would irritate the whole digestive

mucus membranes. YB also gave recipes to us like Yogi Tea. People asked him

about using soy milk and substitutes instead of milk. He just said that he is

just giving us the recipes like he got them so did not make a commitment either

way. I think he was saying that the choice is ours and see for ourselves.

 

I know one Ayurvedic vaidya who says that the cow milk in India will not give

one allergies. I do not know if this is true but it is something to think

about. One reason for allergies is the physical emotional relationship that

occurs when someone eats or comes in contact with a certain stimulus and the

body overreacts. This can occur because of the stresses in our society but also

because of the things normally found in products that contain milk such as

chemicals used making pastries, white sugar, etc. People react to those and it

carries over to reaction to the milk, eggs, wheat, etc.

 

 

GuruBandhu

 

 

 

Kundalini-Yoga , " Guru Ram Kaur " <grk wrote:

>

> Sat Nam Prithi

>

> If these cows are kept in the way you describe that is great. However, it is

important to understand that most cows are not kept in such a way and there is

still a great deal of cruelty in the dairy industry quite apart from that

particular aspect. As Nimrita has commented, cows are kept constantly pregnant,

with their calves being taken away from them and the male calves killed for

meat. The disgraceful practices in slaughterhouses need no further comment and

that is also where the poor dairy cow ends up after her useful milk producing

life is over. If we aspire to the yogic way of life - with one of the most basic

tenets being AHIMSA - non violence - how can we in good conscience consume dairy

products?

>

> Added to this you have the health implications. Milk is not the wonderfully

healthy food it is advertised to be. Contrary to all the pro-milk publicity,

milk does not make strong bones or healthy children - see the report 'White

Lies' from the Vegetarian and Vegan Foundation (VVF) - in fact osteoporosis is

most prevelant in those areas of the world where most dairy is consumed. Milk is

certainly alkaline but it produces a highly acidic response in the body - to

return the body to its required alkaline state, calcium is leached from the

bones into the blood stream. The majority of cows are milked while pregnant so

all the hormones which flood their bodies are passed into their milk (not to

mention the antibiotics). The growth hormone IGF1 in cows is identical to the

growth hormone IGF1 in humans. That is also what is being consumed. You can see

the implications. Then there is the permitted level of pus cells in every pint.

Thanks to our scientists, cows are producing 5 times the normal amount of milk -

their udders frequently are stretched to near ground level and they frequently

suffer from mastitis (hence pus in milk). And so on and on and on ......... I

would urge everyone to read the 'White Lies' report produced by Dr. Butler of

VVF which can be ordered from their website - www.vegetarian.org.uk

>

> There are so many delicious and healthy alternatives to milk from cows - rice

milk, oat milk, soy milk to mention just a few - and they are readily available

in supermarkets (at least in the UK). If not, they can certainly be found in

health food shops.

>

> With blessings to all

>

> Guru Ram Kaur

> UK

>

[Guest guest]

Rai Kaur ji,

You bring some good points into the mix and, of course, being a vet

you've got my

attention as I've always loved the science, except under Bush ;o).

Neutrality and objectivity is it's

cornerstone. May I add some more science to the mix? Sound effects the

minds and bodies of humans, yes, but it also simply effects matter, and

the very

molecules of the environment. Doesn't matter whether you're a knuckle

dragging bipedal hominid (like my brother), a

cow, a fire hydrant, or the marble parkarma of the Harimandir Sahib

(Golden Temple), where the very buildings hold the vibrational memory

of the Shabad Guru and nearly around the clock chanting for hundreds of

years. The molecules there are completely different than anywhere else

I've ever been (and no, I'm not doin' peyote....). Sound, whether heard

or not, effects everything, and either blesses it or makes it ugly

(check the Masaru Emoto link below). In the beginning was the Word. Some call it a

big bang. Some say AUM. The Gong, according to one long Tall Yogi, and

I paraphrase, "is not an instrument, it is God". (I don't mean to bring

religion into this, and use the God Card, but......)

 

Dr. Hans Jenny documenting the effects of sound on matter in his study

of cymatics.

Check it out at....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3csi-2Hrzhg & NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY6z2hLgYu

go to 4:30min mark

 

Additionally, Masaru Emoto ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masaru_Emoto

) had something to say about one intentions and thoughts with regard to

how they effected the formation of ice from water.

 

The gongs Massimo is using the the video....

a New Moon Gong - 210.42

Hz and a

Earth Year Gong - 136.1

Hz

 

No where near the 8,000 Hz, or 1,000 - 3,000 Hz you make note of, and I

would scarcely call it a "grating noises, like metal rubbing on metal",

or "AIRCRAFT NOISE AND SONIC BOOM". You do make note of 1 Hz, which is

so sub-subsonic and funky that I don't even know if the most tricked

out sub-woofer can reproduce that without melting.

Some people don't like Gong. Many people do, so one certainly can't

make any generalizations about humans. I imagine some Cows like it

(judging from the nuzzling one gave the gong), and some cows don't. My

cats seem to find it interesting and sometimes can be found sleeping

right in front of the speaker when I put on a recording of some gong,

which I run 24/7. I play a gentle, grounding style. No appetite

problems here with me or my cats, btw. Molly's a lil' pig!

 

http://www.gongsongs.com/lunar/Wahhao.mp3

http://www.gongsongs.com/lunar/Lunar-sample.mp3

 

Sat Nam,

Dharam

Millis, MA

 

"Different strokes for different folks"

-Sly Sylvester

 

 

Rai Kaur Khalsa wrote:

 

Sat Nam, All - I've been reading this thread with interest for the past week or so from the unique perspective of a practicing veterinarian and a practicing yogi for well over three decades. I watched the video of the cows being "gonged," and my initial reaction was one of alarm. Having learned from Yogi Bhajan, and from life, that emotional "reactivity" is notably ineffective, I centered myself instantly, watched the remainder of the video from a considerably more neutral place, and then meditated on it all for a while. After meditating, reading all your posts, chatting with a few colleagues, and just plain thinking, I've concluded that my initial reaction was likely quite appropriate. Meditating with a gong for a yogi can most definitely be a blissful experience, but a cow is not a human, and the bovine response to life simply cannot be compared to ours. There are different incarnations for a reason. Dairy cows are lovely simple beautiful creatures who would not be particularly up

lifted by attending a performance by the New York Philharmonic. I understand this farmer had the best intentions in attempting to decrease his cows' stress level and likely believes that the deep essence of the gong's resonance would vibrate into the cows' subconscious minds in a profoundly peace-inducing way, but introducing loud unfamiliar sounds into their already less than bucolic environment intuitively seems counterproductive. If anyone is interested in reading some science on the subject, I'm enclosing some notes from a few published papers (with citations to others) I sought out on the subject. I understand that it may be difficult to consider the sound of a gong as "noise," but remember your incarnation

1. ARTICLE: Milkproduction.com

Behavior

Mary Beth de Ondarza, Ph.D

Published: January 02, 2001

"Noise

Cows are more sensitive to noise than people are. Cow's ears are most sensitive to high frequency noises (8000 hz) while people are most sensitive at 1000-3000 hz. For this reason, cows may be more sensitive to grating noises, like metal rubbing on metal, than people would be. Intermittent and strange noises are especially stressful to cows. If they normally live a quiet life, cows will be more sensitive than if they always have a lot of different noises around them. In a Texas study, a ringing telephone significantly increased the heart rate of the calves on pasture."

2. JUNE 1988

EFFECTS OF AIRCRAFT NOISE AND SONIC BOOMS ON DOMESTIC ANIMALS AND WILDLIFE: A LITERATURE SYNTHESIS

Engineering and Services Center

U.S. Air Force

Fish and Wildlife Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

"Dairy cow

Exploding paper bags causes cessation of milk ejection. (Ely, F., and W.E. Peterson. 1941. Factors involved in the ejection of milk. J. Dairy Sci. 14(3):211-223)

General noise reduces feed consumption, milk yield, and rate of milk release. (105 dB) (Kovalcik, K., and J. Sottnik. 1971. The effect of noise on the milk efficiency of cows. Zivocisna Vyroba 16:795-804)

Tractor engine sound (97 dB) increased glucose concentration and leukocyte counts in the blood; reduced level of hemoglobin. (Broucek, J., M. Kovalcikova, and K. Kovalcik. 1983. The effect of noise on the biochemical characteristics of blood in dairy cows. Zivoc. Vyr. 28(4):261-267).

General noise (1 kHz, 110 dB) causes an increase in glycemia, nonesterified fatty acids, creatin; decrease in hemoglobin and, thyroxin concentration Broucek, J., M. Kovalcikova, and K. Kovalcik. 1983. The effect of noise on the biochemical characteristics of blood in dairy cows. Zivoc. Vyr. 28(4):261-267)."

3. Noise pollution

By Green Living Tips Published 04/13/2008 Noise pollution - an underrated environmental problem

"In dairy cows, excessive noise reduces feed consumption, milk yield, and rate of milk release"

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam Rai Kaur Khalsa Ji,

 

Thank you for your post. If I may add my two cents, I just wanted to say how

much I agreed with your post. It was very informative, not only for the whole

question about cows and gongs, but also taking great care in not responding to

anything when in a non-neutral space. Something for me to keep in mind.

 

This being said, I appreciated your perspective--it's not about us, but rather,

about the cow, and its probable perception of the gong. The gong, in a barnyard

environment, really isn't an appropriate environment--with all the sounds of

pumps, cows mooing, farm equipment, cats meowing, plus everything else that goes

on in a farm (I grew up on one), I don't see how the sound of a gong could help.

It wouldn't help us either, really--imagine a Kundalini Yoga class in a barn and

you'd get the idea.

 

I did, however, see a documentary on television where they were playing

classical music (the calmer pieces) and the researchers noticed a beneficial

effect on the cows. They also noticed that they gave more milk. Also, in the

book, " The Secret Life of Plants " , it was shown that harmonious music, such as

classical music and easy listening (I'd like to add Kundalini Yoga music to

this!) had a beneficial effect on plants as well, whereas disharmonious music,

like rap, heavy metal, rock and such, made the plants grow away from the

speakers or even die.

 

Being interested in the sound current for some time now, I think it's important

to distinguish between the sounds emanating from the gong versus conventional

music--the former carries an organic sound, rich with tones and overtones mixed

together harmoniously, whereas the latter has clear, precise notes in a linear

sequence--both are quite different sounds. So, I think your post is absolutely

accurate when you mention that a gong may very well be noise to a cow; I'm

adding that conventional music, and not gongs, are beneficial to cows,

especially in a barn environment.

 

Blessings,

 

Nadh Singh

 

Kundalini-Yoga , " Rai Kaur Khalsa " <vmd3ho wrote:

>

> Sat Nam, All -

>

> I've been reading this thread with interest for the past week or so from the

unique perspective of a practicing veterinarian and a practicing yogi for well

over three decades. I watched the video of the cows being " gonged, " and my

initial reaction was one of alarm. Having learned from Yogi Bhajan, and from

life, that emotional " reactivity " is notably ineffective, I centered myself

instantly, watched the remainder of the video from a considerably more neutral

place, and then meditated on it all for a while. After meditating, reading all

your posts, chatting with a few colleagues, and just plain thinking, I've

concluded that my initial reaction was likely quite appropriate. Meditating

with a gong for a yogi can most definitely be a blissful experience, but a cow

is not a human, and the bovine response to life simply cannot be compared to

ours. There are different incarnations for a reason. Dairy cows are lovely

simple beautiful creatures who would not be particularly uplifted by attending a

performance by the New York Philharmonic. I understand this farmer had the best

intentions in attempting to decrease his cows' stress level and likely believes

that the deep essence of the gong's resonance would vibrate into the cows'

subconscious minds in a profoundly peace-inducing way, but introducing loud

unfamiliar sounds into their already less than bucolic environment intuitively

seems counterproductive. If anyone is interested in reading some science on the

subject, I'm enclosing some notes from a few published papers (with citations to

others) I sought out on the subject. I understand that it may be difficult to

consider the sound of a gong as " noise, " but remember your incarnation

>

>

> 1. ARTICLE: Milkproduction.com

> Behavior

> Mary Beth de Ondarza, Ph.D

> Published: January 02, 2001

>

> " Noise

>

> Cows are more sensitive to noise than people are. Cow's ears are most

sensitive to high frequency noises (8000 hz) while people are most sensitive at

1000-3000 hz. For this reason, cows may be more sensitive to grating noises,

like metal rubbing on metal, than people would be. Intermittent and strange

noises are especially stressful to cows. If they normally live a quiet life,

cows will be more sensitive than if they always have a lot of different noises

around them. In a Texas study, a ringing telephone significantly increased the

heart rate of the calves on pasture. "

>

>

>

> 2. JUNE 1988

>

> EFFECTS OF AIRCRAFT NOISE AND SONIC BOOMS ON DOMESTIC

> ANIMALS AND WILDLIFE: A LITERATURE SYNTHESIS

>

> Engineering and Services Center

> U.S. Air Force

>

> Fish and Wildlife Service

> U.S. Department of the Interior

>

>

> " Dairy cow

>

> Exploding paper bags causes cessation of milk ejection. (Ely, F., and W.E.

Peterson. 1941. Factors involved in the ejection of milk. J. Dairy Sci.

14(3):211-223)

>

>

> General noise reduces feed consumption, milk yield, and rate of milk release.

(105 dB) (Kovalcik, K., and J. Sottnik. 1971. The effect of noise on the milk

efficiency of cows. Zivocisna Vyroba 16:795-804)

>

>

> Tractor engine sound (97 dB) increased glucose concentration and leukocyte

counts in the blood; reduced level of hemoglobin. (Broucek, J., M. Kovalcikova,

and K. Kovalcik. 1983. The effect of noise on the biochemical characteristics of

blood in dairy cows. Zivoc. Vyr. 28(4):261-267).

>

>

> General noise (1 kHz, 110 dB) causes an increase in glycemia, nonesterified

fatty acids, creatin; decrease in hemoglobin and, thyroxin concentration

Broucek, J., M. Kovalcikova, and K. Kovalcik. 1983. The effect of noise on the

biochemical characteristics of blood in dairy cows. Zivoc. Vyr. 28(4):261-267). "

>

>

>

>

> 3. Noise pollution

> By Green Living Tips Published 04/13/2008

> Noise pollution - an underrated environmental problem

>

> " In dairy cows, excessive noise reduces feed consumption, milk yield, and rate

of milk release "

>