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Cow is a mother who feeds you milk throughout your whole life
For the Indian villager with
his agrarian life, the conservation
of natural resources is an integral
part of daily existence. He
is expert in using nature's
gifts to manufacture all his
requirements, from his mud hut
to his homespun clothes. And protecting cows has always been
the most important feature of
the village conservation program;
every homestead has at least
one cow.
The cow and bull are indispensable in rural India, where
about eighty percent of the
population lives. The cow, eating
only grass, happily supplies
milk, which provides virtually
all of the nutrients our bodies
need. From milk we get cheese,
curd, butter, ghee, whey, cream,
yogurt, and an endless variety
of milk-based preparations well
known to experts in traditional
Indian cookery. Because the
cow supplies milk, she is accepted
in the Vedas as our mother. |
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| The cow and bull are indispensable in rural India, where
about eighty percent of the
population lives. The cow, eating
only grass, happily supplies
milk, which provides virtually
all of the nutrients our bodies
need. From milk we get cheese,
curd, butter, ghee, whey, cream,
yogurt, and an endless variety
of milk-based preparations well
known to experts in traditional
Indian cookery. Because the
cow supplies milk, she is accepted
in the Vedas as our mother.
In India it is well known that cow dung has antiseptic
properties, and in any Indian
village one will see cow-dung patties drying in the sun to provide
an excellent fuel for cooking
fires. The urine of the cow
is prescribed as a medicine
for the liver by the Ayurveda,
the Vedic scripture on the science
of healing.
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bull is also an invaluable asset
to the small farmer. The strong
bull enjoys working all day
pulling a plow through the fields.
The use of the bull may be slower
than machinery, but it does
not compact the soil and reduce
its productivity as does heavy
modern machinery. There are
other problems with machinery
in India, such as its inability
to cope with seasonal changes
and monsoons. (What to speak
of the problems of finding spare
parts or a mechanic). Because
the bull provides for food,
he is considered our father. |
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Vedic society it was recognized
that a symbiotic relationship
exists between man and cow.
The cow produces far more milk
than her calf requires. If the
calf is allowed unrestricted
access to the udder, mastitis
will develop, which could lead
to the cow's death. When the
cow is done
calving, she will peacefully
continue to produce milk. Of
course, if she's not milked,
she will feel pain. People
object now about the exploitation
of cows in dairies that are
more like factories. The calves
are taken from their mothers
at birth, and cows are slaughtered
when past milking age. This
is not the Vedic system, which
demands that the cow be as well
looked after as most people
today look after their dogs.
But are there any practical
examples of the Vedic system
in operation, where the cow
is not grossly exploited and
made to suffer in exchange for
her milk and flesh? Of
course, rural India is one good
place to look. |
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| Another example
is the International Society
for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON),
among whose principles is cow
protection. Indeed, in the Bhagavad-gita
cow protection is given the
status of a religious principle.
All ISKCON farms are dedicated
to this important principle,
and the results can be seen.
The cows are happy and peaceful
and produce abundant, creamy
milk. On ISKCON farms (there
are fifty worldwide), the cows
and bulls capture many prizes
at local shows. |
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of the main purposes of ISKCON
is to establish self-sufficient
farming communities. The farming
techniques employed are traditional
and organic and as far as possible
avoid the use of modern machinery.
Men and animals work harmoniously
together to glean just enough
for survival,
forgoing machines designed to
produce more for profit making. |
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