Clearly this is something, that goes beyond my understanding.
In most Vaishnava and Vedic traditions, "Prasāda" is a food offered to the Lord and ultimately it is distributed to devotees as a blessing. Main objective underlying this practice of eating moderate amounts of food - Prasada- a Sattvic - blessed and sentient diet that can lead humans to attain purity of consciousness, spirituality and longevity. Sattvic tendencies include the ethical principles of non-harm and benevolence.
Use of cow milk in preparation of Prasāda in ancient Vedic and Vaishanava cultures was strongly linked with cow's motherly status. Cows were treated like a part of the family.
Whereas in present era of dairy farming industry, cows are merely more than a milk and meat producing creatures, living extremely painful life in "milk factories" with "right" of living up to milk producing age and "duty" to face slaughter in order to provide meat. Cows and also other "milk-producing" animals are purely considered in terms of their milk-producing capacity. Calves born by the cows are taken away from cows for various uses such as selling them for producing veal. Milk which cow produces for own calf would go for sell. Raising non-milk-producing animals- "stock" means lack of efficiency.
In this scenario of modern extremely efficient "milk-producing" practices is not at all in agreement with fundamental vedic concepts of non-harm and benevolence. Therefore, Prasāda which is prepared from use of milk from dairy induistry should not only be far from being a Sattvic diet by fact and definition, but also appears like a testimonial of being a part of cruel and exploitative treatment of cows and other animals. From scientific aspects, there is a clear evidence that milk, sold today at shelves of shops is not similar to milk 1000-2000 years ago. Since modern dairy farms keep draining milk from a cow approximately 300 days in a year. During times of pregnancy, cows secrete 30 times higher estrogens, which makes milk a potent carcinogen and a kind of Rajsic food.
Even after knowledge about this issue, I have heard several reasons for cow milk being accepted in Prasadam. Such as,
In most Vaishnava and Vedic traditions, "Prasāda" is a food offered to the Lord and ultimately it is distributed to devotees as a blessing. Main objective underlying this practice of eating moderate amounts of food - Prasada- a Sattvic - blessed and sentient diet that can lead humans to attain purity of consciousness, spirituality and longevity. Sattvic tendencies include the ethical principles of non-harm and benevolence.
Use of cow milk in preparation of Prasāda in ancient Vedic and Vaishanava cultures was strongly linked with cow's motherly status. Cows were treated like a part of the family.
Whereas in present era of dairy farming industry, cows are merely more than a milk and meat producing creatures, living extremely painful life in "milk factories" with "right" of living up to milk producing age and "duty" to face slaughter in order to provide meat. Cows and also other "milk-producing" animals are purely considered in terms of their milk-producing capacity. Calves born by the cows are taken away from cows for various uses such as selling them for producing veal. Milk which cow produces for own calf would go for sell. Raising non-milk-producing animals- "stock" means lack of efficiency.
In this scenario of modern extremely efficient "milk-producing" practices is not at all in agreement with fundamental vedic concepts of non-harm and benevolence. Therefore, Prasāda which is prepared from use of milk from dairy induistry should not only be far from being a Sattvic diet by fact and definition, but also appears like a testimonial of being a part of cruel and exploitative treatment of cows and other animals. From scientific aspects, there is a clear evidence that milk, sold today at shelves of shops is not similar to milk 1000-2000 years ago. Since modern dairy farms keep draining milk from a cow approximately 300 days in a year. During times of pregnancy, cows secrete 30 times higher estrogens, which makes milk a potent carcinogen and a kind of Rajsic food.
Even after knowledge about this issue, I have heard several reasons for cow milk being accepted in Prasadam. Such as,
- Cow that provides milk for preparing Prasāda, would be fortunate one to get blessings of the Lord.
- We don't consume meat and therefore we are not responsible for the slaughter of cows. We have been using cow milk as a part of our tradition and stopping use of milk would not help in preventing slaughter of cows.
- It is hard to make any impact by not using cow milk from dairy industry
It looks like trivializing the cruelty on animals and should be in conflict to ethical principles and about justification for having Sattvic food to prepare Prasāda. When I consume milk I feel sometimes like a person having a share in cruel treatment of animals. It also reminds me of a character of Bhishma in Mahabharata. Despite of being in a perfect position to raise voice against stripping of Draupadi in royal court, he did not act. I do understand that Bhishma was able and enough to prevent stripping of Draupadi, whereas Hindus, jains and Vaishnava have far less ability to prevent exploitation of cows and other animals. To be precise, I think use of milk in Prasadam should be minimized.
Cows at modern Rotary milking parlor
Source : Wikipedia
Cows at modern Rotary milking parlor
Source : Wikipedia
Care of "Mother" cow"
Source : Wikipedia
Copyright: Himalayan Academy Publications, Kapaa, Kauai, Hawaii.
Above two pictures reveals the sharp contrast between two concepts. Raising few cows at home, offering them status as "holy mother" cow, providing care is one kind of exchange of love, co-existence and positive human-animal relationship. Whereas dairy farming industry primarily treats cows as milk producing machines, and therefore it's no less than exploitation of cows.
How to empathize with the sufferings of animals ?? I am asking myself.
Source : Wikipedia
Copyright: Himalayan Academy Publications, Kapaa, Kauai, Hawaii.
Above two pictures reveals the sharp contrast between two concepts. Raising few cows at home, offering them status as "holy mother" cow, providing care is one kind of exchange of love, co-existence and positive human-animal relationship. Whereas dairy farming industry primarily treats cows as milk producing machines, and therefore it's no less than exploitation of cows.
How to empathize with the sufferings of animals ?? I am asking myself.
trinad api sunichena
taror api sahishnuna
Let us be more humble than a thread of grass..Let us be more tolerant than trees..
taror api sahishnuna
Let us be more humble than a thread of grass..Let us be more tolerant than trees..
