MIRACLE FOOD!!

By His Holiness Danavir dasa Goswami

 

It is quite well-known that Lord Krsna is fond of milk products, He even has received a name for His stealing of butter and yogurt, Makhana-cora. Every Vedic authority agrees that milk is1  very important for human society because it is nutritious for physical health (longevity) and because it nourishes finer brain tissues required for high intellectual capacity.2  Since time immemorial, cow’s milk has been utilized by human society and thus the cow is one of the mothers, gomata.3 

Recently, within the last fifty years, however, some vegetarian persons, known as vegans, have concluded that dairy products are unhealthy for human consumption and should be rejected.4  In Melbourne, on July 2, 1974, the founder-acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, had an interesting discussion with dairy research scientists on this subject.

Guest (2): We were very interested in your comments on the dairy industry in particular. Dr. Harrap is in charge of the dairy research. How do you relate your strong interest in dairy products to modern thinking on cholesterol and similar problems? This doesn’t disturb you?

Satsvarüpa: There are modern theories that milk is actually harmful.

Dr. Harrap: Well, that butter...

Dr. Muncing: The milkfat and...

Dr. Harrap: Yes, milkfat.

Prabhupäda: Milk is harmful? How it is harmful? If it is harmful why you are giving milk to the child?

Dr. Harrap: There is a certain difference here in that milk that we get from cows has a very low proportion of what we call polyunsaturated fatty acids, only about two per cent, whereas in human milk this is about ten or twelve percent. It’s a much higher level. So milk from cows, which are ruminants, is quite a lot different from the milk that we get from the non-ruminants, and of course, humans are non-ruminants.

Prabhupäda: But I think there is a book, “Miracles of Milk,” written by one American gentleman. He has greatly valued the milk and milk products. Similarly, we Indians, we give very, very importance to milk and milk products.

Dr. Harrap: Yes, I think this is so, has always been so here, but in recent years there has been shown to be a relationship between the cholesterol level in the blood and the ratio between the saturated and polyunsaturated fat in the diet. The lower the level of polyunsaturated fat, the higher the level of cholesterol in the blood. And this has been associated with heart disease. So there is quite a move to, among many in the medical profession to prescribe diets which are low in saturated fats.

Prabhupäda: (aside:) Have you got our picture, Kåñëa stealing butter?

Dr. Harrap: And we are doing some quite interesting work at the dairy research laboratory aimed at making ruminants’ milk, cow’s milk, much more like human milk in this way by a special feeding techniques to the cows.

Prabhupäda: Yes, milk means cow’s milk. Milk means cow’s milk because you find in this book that kåñi-go-rakñya. Go means cow. Cow protection, cow’s milk is important, not other animal’s milk.

Dr. Harrap: Yes, what about human milk?

Prabhupäda: Human milk is natural.

Dr. Harrap: Yes, but then that’s very different to cow’s milk.

Guest (2): It’s very obvious that His Grace isn’t suffering from cholesterol. (laughter) Cholesterol is no problem for you.

Dr. Harrap: But we’ve had very close connections with India in the dairy research laboratory in that Dr. Chulak... Yes, you know him? One of our staff members some years ago spent several months in India developing methods of making cheese from buffaloes’ milk.

Prabhupäda: No, India’s position is different now. India has practically no milk, and no food. Due to our leaders’ mismanagement, there is no milk. India is depending on your milk powder sent by Australia or by Europe. There is no milk. But milk is very important because Kåñëa said that kåñi-go-rakñya-väëijyaà vaiçya-karma svabhäva-jam. Find out that verse. You do not have that Kåñëa Book?

Disciple reading:

kåñi-go-rakñya-väëijyaà
vaiçya-karma svabhäva-jam
paricaryätmakaà karma
çüdrasyäpi svabhäva-jam

“Translation: Farming, cattle-raising and business are the qualities of work for the vaiçyas, and for the çüdras there is labor and service to others...”

Prabhupäda: So Kåñëa... We are following the leadership of Kåñëa. Kåñëa was so fond of cows, cows’ milk, cows’ butter, that He was stealing cows’ butter. Yes. Find out that picture.

Guest (2): Brian, you said it was the proportion between polyunsaturated and...

Dr. Harrap: The ratio between them, largely.

Guest (2): I see, rather than the quantity.

 Dr. Harrap: Well, you should... The advice is that you keep your general level of fats down, but of the fats that you take, you should increase the ratio between polyunsaturated and saturated. But there is quite a development of milk industry in parts of India. The complex near Annakadana(?), I think, is a very good example of this, isn’t it, of the, I believe, the cooperative dairy complex.

Prabhupäda: No, practically also we see. Formerly big, big saintly person they used to live in the forest, and their livelihood was fruits and milk. They used to keep cows and draw milk from them, and whatever fruits are available in the forest, and they have given us these literatures, Vyäsadeva. So the... He has written Mahäbhärata, one hundred thousand verses and similarly, this Çrémad-Bhägavatam, he has given us eighteen thousand verses. And each verse is full of so grave meaning that if you study, it will take months and months together. So they developed such nice brain simply by drinking milk and fruits. Yes.5 

 In this conversation, Srila Prabhupada rejects the theory that milkfat is harmful and rather points out that great sages such as  Srila Vyasadeva lived exclusively on milk and fruits.

 MILK FOR HUMANS?

Be that as it may, veganism holds a deeper conviction against dairy products, namely that humans are not supposed to consume dairy products because the cow’s milk is meant exclusively for her calf. They say, “Humans are the only species known to drink milk beyond infancy and the only species to drink the milk of another species.”6  Putting aside for the moment the correctness or incorrectness of this statement, still we see that human beings are the only species to have the capacity to understand Vedic literature and attain self-realization. Vedic literature teaches that cows and humans are meant to cooperate in the service of the Lord.7  It is God’s actual plan and nature’s way that cows produce far more milk than their offspring require, but ignorant persons cannot perceive the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s perfect arrangement for all living entities within this material world.

In the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krsna explains that human beings should not eat food just for sense enjoyment but should offer foodstuffs first to God and then partake of the sacred prasadam (remnants). He further delineates the types of food He, God, will accept; vegetables, fruits, water and milk.8  Utilizing cow’s milk for advancing spiritual principles is called brahminical culture.9   

TWO WRONGS

Vegan doctrine charges humans who use dairy products with contributing to the violence which is imposed on cows in the modern dairy industry. Vegans therefore propose that man should boycott milk products as a protest. This does not make sense. If cows are mistreated, that is wrong and should be rectified certainly. But if milk products are beneficial to man’s health, intellect and spiritual advancement, then why should they be dismissed? Two wrongs don’t make a right.

The culprit is the personality of Kali who influences people to eat meat and kill cows.10   But Kali will laugh twice when he succeeds in convincing human beings to throw away the cow’s valuable milk products.   

Some vegans use another angle, saying that because modern cows are exploited, their milk should not be used by humans. This notion overlooks the fact that humans are supposed to engage themselves and the cows in Lord Krsna’s service by offering nice milk products to Krsna and then eating the prasadam. By doing this, the humans and cows are transcendentally promoted. Exploited creatures can also be engaged in devotional service. Krsna’s own mother, Devaki, was incarcerated, mistreated, abused, and six of her newborn babies were mercilessly slaughtered, but she still delivered Krsna from her womb. Veganism is based on the false ideology that animals are not meant to be engaged by humans.

Real non-violence and respect for all living entities means to engage everyone in Krsna’s service. By blocking Gomata’s (mother cow) sincere offering of milk to her Lord Krsna, we commit great violence to her. When people are ignorant of God’s ultimate plan, they always error even when trying to become non-violent.11  It would be wiser for humans to utilize milk products which help them become Krsna conscious and then educate the populace in the principles of devotional service and demonstrate cow protected farm communities. Unless the poor ignorant people are educated about how to offer and consume the cows’ valuable milk products properly, the slaughtering business will continue.12  Two distinct practices are at work; 1) extracting liquid religiosity from the cows in the form of milk which is good and 2) slaughtering cows and bulls for meat-eating which is bad. The first activity does not cause the second since for thousands of generations citizens of India milked cows without slaughtering them. The argument that milking cows is encouraging slaughter of cows is illogical. Consuming modern milk products does not contribute to animal suffering and to suggest that it does is, in my opinion, an offense to Srila Prabhupada who encouraged us to do so.

MODERN MILK

Another argument lodged by vegans against milk products is the use of pesticides,  anti-biotics, and hormones in today’s factory dairy farming. Undoubtedly the preferable milk products are those produced by protected cows on ISKCON farms. Currently, however, as it was during Srila Prabhupada’s personal  presence, such milk products are difficult for most to obtain. Does Krsna like or accept the offerings made with modern commercial milk?13  Rather than speculate, it is best if we consult a mahatma,  a greatly advanced devotee of the Lord.

Fortunately, when Srila Prabhupada arrived on American shores, he brought with him the entire compendium of Vedic knowledge (sarva devamayo guru) and the ability to apply it with perfect discrimination. He often commented on how the whole atmosphere in Kali-yuga is polluted and thus everything is adulterated. Assessing the situation from all spiritual angles of vision, he established standards suitable for a Vaisnava society to flourish in the West.14  The standard he set for use of commercial dairy products was that, in the absence of such products produced on ISKCON’S own farms, commercial milk, butter and ghee should be used by devotees in offerings to the Lord at ISKCON temples and at devotees’ homes.15  Such offerings are pleasing to the Lord and the Lord accepts them happily despite the pollution inherent in the western world.16  Even the air we breathe, the water we drink and the vegetables and fruits everyone eats are affected by some pollution. Srila Prabhupada, however, strongly disapproved  the use of  other commercial milk products such as sour cream, yogurt or ice cream which contained rennet (the lining of a calf’s stomach sometimes used by modern dairies in making cheese) or animal gelatin (a jelly-like substance obtained by boiling animals’ bones and ligaments).17 

Another question is sometimes posed. Do all the mental nutrients of milk survive homogenization, pasteurization, refrigeration, etc.? Again, rather than guessing with our imperfect faculties, it is better to follow the path of the Srila Prabhupada, ISKCON’s acarya. Serious devotees of the Lord consider that Srila Prabhupada was sent by Krsna to illustrate, by his own example, how Vaisnavas should live in a modern contaminated world, or in other words, how to make the best use of a bad bargain. His comments and actions were not applicable only for the few years of his personal presence  they were to last for at least ten thousand years.

Srila Prabhupada told the world that milk products should be offered to the Lord because Krsna likes them and milk products help human beings develop healthy bodies and good brains to understand higher knowledge. To this end, he instructed his followers to offer commercial dairy products to the Lord and honor the remnants, which he did as well. Yes, the mental nutrients survive.

Now some vegans may object saying that industrial dairy practices have significantly worsened since Srila Prabhupäda was informed and the methods he commented on were not as bad as today’s. Granted, Kali-yuga worsens day by day, minute by minute, but this does not sanction the overturning of important Vedic principles. Otherwise by using Kali’s influence of time and circumstance as a device,  overintelligent, confused or inexperienced persons, could claim so many vital instructions to be invalid. Using this ploy, for example, someone might argue that due to the degradation of modern society, Vedic marriages should be adjusted to include homosexual marriages between two men or two women. The compromises could be endless based on the premise that “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”

Srila Prabhupada was not unaware of the dairy practices of the seventies, which have not changed much to date.18  Homogenization and pasteurization were standard practice then and now. Factory dairymen bred cows and took the calves away from the mothers then as they do now.19  Refrigeration was done then as it is done now. Pesticides were used then and now.

There is an illustrative story found in the Caitanya Caritamrta. Once while visiting Mathura, Lord Caitanya came to the home of a Sanodiya Brahmana. Sanodiya brahmanas were considered lower class and thus sannyasis were forbidden to take meals cooked by them.  The brahmana, fully aware of this, asked Lord Caitanya’s brahmana assistant to cook for the Lord. Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu however said, “Mädhavendra Puré has already taken lunch at your place. Therefore you may cook and give Me the food. That is My instruction.” Then He quoted a verse from  Bhagavad-gita and then gave His conclusion;

yad yad äcarati çreñöhas
tat tad evetaro janaù
sa yat pramäëaà kurute
lokas tad anuvartate

 “Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men follow. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.”

“A devotee’s behavior establishes the true purpose of religious principles. The behavior of Mädhavendra Puré Gosvämé is the essence of such religious principles.”

Lord Caitanya thought that if Madhavendra Puri, a superior Vaisnava, ate at the house of this lower-class brahmana  (according to public opinion), then it was correct. Lord Caitanya did not deem it necessary nor wise to research the pros and cons of whether such a decision on the part of Madhavendra Puri was judicious or correct according to sastra, or common sense. In the same way, it is proper on the part of Srila Prabhupada’s spiritual descendants to accept principles and standards according to his behavior, unless he specifically instructed us otherwise.

ISKCON  devotees should strive to draw milk products from their own protected cows, but until that becomes fully actualized they should follow Srila Prabhupada’s example, with regards to commercial milk products, by purchasing, cooking, offering, honoring (eating) and distributing to others. By not honoring this policy we become proudly overintelligent and thus stifle our spiritual growth.

FADS AND PUBLIC OPINION

With hopes of being accepted by New Agers and other so-called progressive thinkers, sometimes naive devotees lose sight of Vaisnava sadacara being excessively influenced by public opinion. Health fads are like clothes going in and out of style. Macrobiotic diets, for example, which  were the rage in the seventies, are currently out of fashion. Devotees should not be influenced by the latest new propaganda accusing milk of being harmful.

Srila Prabhupada: Then you are dictated by the public, not by the dictation of your spiritual master…And if you want to please the public, the public says, “You dance naked, and I will be very happy with you.” So I’ll have to do that. Then what is the use of taking a spiritual master? The public they have got their whims how to become pleased. Are we to follow all these things? We have to follow our instruction of the spiritual master. Why manufacture? “The public will be pleased like this.”

Devotee: Our success is in the spiritual master’s pleasure, not the public’s pleasure.

Srila Prabhupada: Yes, that is bhakti. Otherwise, why does Krsna say, sarva dharman pariyayja mam ekam saranam vraja: “You haven’t go to please so many religious instructions; you simply please Me.” (Room Conversation: March 3, 1975)

VEGAN GROWTH

Recently a few vegan supporters, somewhat familiar with Srila Prabhupada’s books, have conceived of a idea to build vegan membership. By bending the meanings of both veganism and Vedic teachings, they have manufactured a new term, “Vedic vegan.” They cite Dhruva Maharaja, Sutapa and Prsni (later to appear as Vasudeva and Devaki) as examples of vegans in the Vedas. Although an interesting notion, there are definitely some problems with this concept. First of all, we do not read from Srimad Bhagavatam where any of the great devotees mentioned above ever propounded a philosophy that milk products were not meant to be consumed by human beings. Dhruva Maharaja fasted for a temporary period of only six months before resuming his regular eating habits, which included dairy products, and ruling the earth for thirty-six thousand years.

Sutapa and Prsni, like Dhruva Maharaja, lived in the Satya-yuga when the process of meditation (astanga yoga) was current. They underwent severe austerities for 96,000 years eating only dry leaves. They did not embrace a foolish philosophy that milk is bad. If they did, then why didn’t they reject dairy products when they appeared as the father and mother of Krsna?

We live in Kali-yuga where the practice of astanga yoga is impossible. We cannot imitate Dhruva Maharaja, Sutapa or Prsni. And even if simply for so-called academic purposes we offensively mislabel these personalities as vegans so that we can become vegans like they, then we should also be prepared to follow the other aspects of their austerity namely eating only dry leaves and air. Otherwise simply using their example of renunciation to build  a case for discrediting milk is a prejudiced proposition.

We are a preaching movement, a branch of the Caitanya tree. Lord Krsna accepts milk products, Lord Caitanya accepts milk products, Raghunatha Goswami, who gave up all other foods, also  accepted milk. Every acarya in the Brahma gaudiya disciplic succession honors lacto-vegetarian prasadam. Pure Vaisnavas cannot support veganism which espouses that humans should not consume milk products. To label mahabhagavatas such as Dhruva Maharaja, Sutapa and Prsni as vegans is, in my opinion, a degrading contradiction. It is something like labeling Narayana as daridra (poor).

PARTIAL AMNESTY FOR LACT—IES

Inventing erroneous slogans like “Veganism is the embodiment of ahimsa,” promoters encourage devotees to become vegans. In the eyes of so-called Vedic vegans, non-vegan devotees are viewed as lesser, although a few receive concessional status as honorary vegans if they write a column on cow protection. And even though Srila Prabhuapada partook of a lacto-vegetarian diet (consuming dairy products), most likely he would also get grandfathered in for honorary vegan status because he started some farm communities.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE

Propounders of so-called Vedic veganism proclaim, “I don’t need anything to become self-realized and Kåñëa conscious, except love for Kåñëa. Milk, or any other material thing, can never be a necessity in spiritual matters such as these. Deity worship itself is not mandatory.20  It is love (not milk) which causes Kåñëa to personally give us the intelligence we need to understand Kåñëa consciousness. One can worship the Deity without dairy.21 ”

But do we have love for Krsna at present? If not, we must, as Rupa Goswami explains, accept things which are favorable for the discharge of devotional service.22  This is a cautionary note to those with sahajia tendencies. Love begins for sadhakas by following the instructions of the founder-acarya who instructed us to use milk products.23 

FISH OIL?

Even if we accept all the above proclaiming milk to be nutritious and favorable for the discharge of devotional service, one last smelly stigma remains…the belief that modern milk contains fish oil. Recently I spoke with Mr. Paul Freeman of the Freeman Company, considered one of America’s leading authorities today. He states that American dairies began using fish liver oil (two parts per million) in the early 1930’s to replace vitamin D3 which was stripped away during milk separation. At that time, fish oil was the only source of vitamin D3 available and it was used widely in commercial liquid milk. After World War II, a cheaper source of vitamin D3 was discovered which began to replace the more expensive and fishy tasting fish oil vitamin D3.24  By the late 1950’s, fish oil vitamin D3 had, by and large, perished in  commercial dairies across the country. 25 

Today less than one per cent of America’s milk uses vitamin D3 obtained from fish oil d  this is only to be found in specially-labeled “organic” or so-called “natural”  vitamin D milk sold in health food stores (primarily in Vermont).26  Mr. Freeman explains that there is only one company in America which produces vitamin D3 from fish oil, Garelik Farms located in Massachusetts, however it is quite possible that they have discontinued by this writing since it is no longer lucrative economically. 27 

Commercial liquid vitamin D3 milk that everyone purchases in the United States does not contain fish oil, nor did it during Srila Prabhupada’s stay with us.

CONCLUSION

Vegetarians and vegans who have given up eating meat, fish and eggs are to be encouraged for they have made a wise decision. This certainly saves them from the severe karmic reactions incurred in consuming animal flesh. Man should not unnecessarily harm animals for sense gratification. However vegetarians and vegans  are still implicated in eating non-flesh food which also carries karmic reactions (bhuïjate te tv aghaà päpä ye pacanty ätma-käraëät.)

More elevated than mere vegans and vegetarians are persons who offer and/or accept Krsna prasadam even though they reject prasadam containing dairy products. At least they honor some prasadam and thus they can make spiritual advancement. More fortunate still are the lacto-vegetarians who accept all types of prasadam including dairy products without discrimination.28  Perhaps they are not so sophisticated, perhaps they have more faith in Krsna, the Vedic scriptures and Srila Prabhupada or perhaps they just can’t resist the all-attractive Krsna prasadam. For whatever reason(s) they love prasadam¾ they are especially fortunate.29 

Just like when Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya was visited very early one morning by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He was still in bed when the Lord arrived. The Lord brought him some mahaprasadam from Lord Jagannatha. At that time the Bhaööäcärya had not even washed his mouth, nor had he taken his bath or finished his morning duties. Nonetheless, he was very pleased to receive the prasäda of Lord Jagannätha. By the mercy of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, all the dullness in the mind of Särvabhauma Bhaööäcärya was eradicated. After reciting the following two verses, he ate the prasäda offered to him.

çuñkaà paryuñitaà väpi
nétaà vä düra-deçataù
präpti-mätreëa bhoktavyaà
nätra käla-vicäraëä
na deça-niyamas tatra
na käla-niyamas tathä
präptam annaà drutaà çiñöair
bhoktavyaà harir abravét

The Bhaööäcärya said, “ ‘One should eat the mahä-prasäda of the Lord immediately upon receiving it, even though it is dried up, stale or brought from a distant country. One should consider neither time nor place. The prasäda of Lord Kåñëa is to be eaten by gentlemen as soon as it is received; there should be no hesitation. There are no regulative principles concerning time and place. This is the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.’ ” (CC Madya 6.223-226)

Although Veganism is a lower form of vegetarianism, it is not surprising that in ali yuga concocted philosophies deprecating milk proliferate. To compare veganism (a misconstrued form of material piety) to Krsna consciousness is a  offense to the chanting of the holy name. Devotees should carefully avoid associating with persons who are offensive toward prasadam containing modern dairy products and persons who are offensive toward the devotees who partake of such prasadam.30 

Srila Prabhupada wants devotees to make hundreds and thousands of preparations from milk products and the vegans says no.31  I feel sorry for vegans who are so unfortunate as to not appreciate the importance of milk in spiritual life.  They are befooled by rascals who say milk is unhealthy and who accuse dairy users of being violent to cows.32 

I encourage vegans who are becoming interested in Krsna consciousness to continue reading Srila Prabhupada’s books, chanting Hare Krsna and offering and honoring prasadam as they are able. They should not criticize, even within the mind, devotees who honor lacto-vegetarian prasadam. Vegans should realize that veganism is a stumbling block or at least a conditional position which should be overcome. They should pray that they may one day realize the importance of Srila Prabhupada’s words with regards to Krsna’s favorite food, the miracle food milk in spiritual life.

 

Footnotes:

 1. There must be sufficient milk in the human society. If you drink more milk and milk products, then your brain will be very sharp. You will understand things very nicely, correctly. Therefore milk is very important. (Lecture: October 20, 1975)

 2. There must be sufficient milk in the human society. If you drink more milk and milk products, then your brain will be very sharp. You will understand things very nicely, correctly. Therefore milk is very important. (Lecture: October 20, 1975)

 3. Of course, simply drinking milk will not make one immortal, but it can increase the duration of one’s life. In modern civilization, men do not think milk to be important, and therefore they do not live very long. Although in this age men can live up to one hundred years, their duration of life is reduced because they do not drink large quantities of milk. This is a sign of Kali-yuga…Milk should be drawn from the cows, and this milk should be prepared in various ways. One should take ample milk, and thus one can prolong one’s life, develop his brain, execute devotional service, and ultimately attain the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As it is essential to get food grains and water by digging the earth, it is also essential to give protection to the cows and take nectarean milk from their milk bags. (Srimad Bhagavatam 8.6.12 Purport)

 4. MILK: The Deadly Poison, by Robert Cohen, (317 pages)

 5. We are advocating cow protection and encouraging people to drink more milk and eat palatable preparations made of milk, but the demons, just to protest such proposals, are claiming that they are advanced in scientific knowledge, as described here by the words svädhyäya-çruta-sampannäù. They say that according to their scientific way, they have discovered that milk is dangerous” (Srimad Bhagavatm 8.7.3 Purport)

 6. Vegan Action: info@vegan.org PO Box 4353 Berkeley, CA 94704

 7. “It is the arrangement of God that cow’s own milk, she does not drink. She eats grass. That means God’s arrangement is like that, that “Let the human being drink the milk of cow, and the cow may eat grass.” Because they [cows] haven’t got good brain... Foodstuffs should be given, nice foodstuff given to the particular person for developing nice brain. Milk is a foodstuff which can develop your finer tissues of the brain so that you can understand higher philosophy. (June 14, 1972) Of course, in the infant stage animals live off their mother’s milk, so the calves drink some of the cow’s milk. But the cow gives excess milk, and that excess is specifically meant for us. …She gives you milk. You require milk. This is cooperation.” (May, 1974)

 8. “Toyam, and milk. So why? He is speaking in the human society. He’s not speaking in the animal society. Therefore it is already described what kind of foodstuff we shall take. So patraà puñpaà phalam. This is our Kåñëa consciousness movement. We offer to Kåñëa the patraà puñpam—flower, vegetables, grains, milk products—and we take prasädam. This is our movement.” (Lecture: January 7, 1974)

 9. “The Vedic civilization, the brähmaëas, they used to live in the forest, and the king would offer them some cows. So they will draw some milk. And in the forest there are fruits, so they will eat fruits and milk. And if the disciples go to the village, beg some food grain, then sometimes they cook some food grains. Otherwise the brähmaëas used to live in the forest, drink milk and take fruit. That is sufficient. There was no need of jumping here and there. Anywhere you keep cows. And what cows to maintain? No expenditure. The fruits? The skin thrown away, and the cow will eat. And in exchange it will give you nice foodstuff, milk. Or it will eat in the grazing ground, some grass. So there is no expenditure of keeping cows, but you get the best food in the world. The proof is that the child born simply can live on milk. That is the proof. So anyone can live only on milk. If you have got the opportunity to drink one pound milk maximum, not very much—half-pound is sufficient; suppose one pound—then you don’t require any other foodstuff. Only this cow’s milk will help you. It is so nice. And it gives very nice brain, not pig’s brain.” (Lecture: May 21, 1976)      

10. “The personality of Kali is he who deliberately commits all kinds of sinful acts which are forbidden in the revealed scriptures.” (1.17.28 Purport)

 11. “The Vedic culture offers so many nice, delicious foods, and mostly they are made with milk products. But these so-called civilized people—they do not know.” (Journey to Self Discovery 6.5)

 12 “Prabhupäda: Pure ghee is not available. So at least we can import pure ghee for our own use. If possible, we can sell also. At least for our own centers, food distribution.
Païcadraviòa: Çréla Prabhupäda, when we first got to Argentina it used to be for three dollars you’d get five kilos of butter, or for a dollar you got, like, twenty-four quarts of milk.
Prabhupäda: Australia.            
Bali-mardana: No, Argentina.  
Prabhupäda: Argentina, oh.     
Bali-mardana: There is also many cows... They produce many cows there.              
Rämeçvara: They have the reputation in Argentina of killing more cows than any country in the world.

Prabhupäda: No, because they do not know, what they will do except killing.” (Evening darsana: February 25, 1977)

 13. “In your country you have got enough nice grains, nice fruits, enough supply of milk, butter. So there is no question of accepting any other food. You can accept foodstuff within this group and become healthy and good brain, good conscience.” (Lecture: December  24, 1969 at Harvard)

 14. “I am so glad to hear that, because the sales manager of Darigold dairy is sympathetic to our Krishna Consciousness movement, you are being supplied 20 gallons of fresh milk weekly and free of charge. He is a good friend so keep him posted of our activities and encourage him sufficiently.” (Letter: July 4, 1971)

 15. “Prepare very nice foods of all descriptions from the grains and ghee collected for the yajïa. Prepare rice, dhal, then halavä, pakorä, puré and all kinds of milk preparations, such as sweet rice, rabré, sweetballs, sandeça, rasagullä and laòòu, and invite the learned brähmaëas who can chant the Vedic hymns and offer oblations to the fire.” (Krsna Book 24; Lord Krsna to cowherd men)

 16.“Now, if you have got sufficient foodstuff—a state I see in America. You have got sufficient grains, sufficient fruits, sufficient milk, milk products.” (Lecture by Srila Prabhupada: April 26, 1969)

  17. “So far foodstuffs offered do the needful. Whatever is available and also very nice, that is offerable, as long as no meat, fish, eggs, garlic, onions, or other very objectionable foodstuffs are there. Salads are all right, and there is no condition on which type of rice, the best available under the circumstances, that’s all. What matters is that everything is very nicely prepared and offered with great loving devotion, that is wanted.” (Letter: February 19, 1972)

 18. “In the Kali-yuga, the calves are separated from the cows as early as possible for purposes which may not be mentioned in these pages of Çrémad-Bhägavatam.” (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.17.3 Purport)

 19. “Vicitravérya: What happens is they have large factories where they have thousands and thousands and thousands of chickens in a very tight space, and they breed them for slaughter.

Prabhupäda: Oh.

Popworth: And young cows, calves are kept in a dark shed, deliberately kept in a dark shed and fed on an unnatural diet. They are not allowed to move, they are just kept in a space the size of their body. And for eight weeks, three months, they are fed on unnatural food, milk powder or something, devoid of certain necessary vitamins, to make the flesh whiter so that it gets a market. But that unfortunate beast, instead of walking in the fields under the open sky, he’s shut him down.” (Conversation with Mr. Popworth and E.F. Schumacher; July 26, 1973)

 20. “Although it is correct that one who fully engages in chanting the holy name need not depend upon the process of initiation, generally a devotee is addicted to many abominable material habits due to material contamination from his previous life. In order to get quick relief from all these, it is required that one engage in the worship of the Lord in the temple. The worship of the Deity in the temple is essential to reduce one’s restlessness due to the contaminations of conditioned life.” (Caitanya Caritamrta; Adi 7.76)

 21. “païca-gavya, païcämåte snäna karäïä

mahä-snäna karäila çata ghaöa diïä

After the first bathing, further bathings were conducted with païca-gavya [milk, yogurt, ghee (clarified butter), cow urine and cow dung] and then with païcämåta [yogurt, milk, ghee, honey and sugar]. Then the mahä-snäna was performed with ghee and water, which had been brought in one hundred pots.

PURPORT: All these items come from the cow; therefore we can just imagine how important the cow is, since its urine and stool are required for bathing the Deity.” (Caitanya Caritamrta: Madya 4.61 Madhavendra Puri bathing Gopala deity)

 22 A. “Civilized men must prepare various milk products that will enhance the condition of society. If one follows the brahminical culture, he will become competent in Kåñëa consciousness.” (Srimad Bhagavatam: 6.18.52 Purport)

B. “ Milk is very essential food for the human society.” (Lecture: March  26, 1966)

 23. “gavyam äjyaà haviùñv aham “Of oblations I am ghee and other ingredients obtained from the cow.” (Srimada Bhagavatam: 11.16.30 Krsna to Udhhava)

 24. This statement was confirmed by a highly-regarded specialist, Lauraine Rosenberry, formerly working at Cornell University.

 25.Vitamin D3 from fish oil has been replaced in practically all United States dairies. I confirmed this information  with three leading persons at Cornell University, as well as with Mr. Freeman, and Mr. Borgschulte at Givadaun-Roure Company. Givadaun-Roure is America’s largest distributor of vitamin D3 to the dairy industry. Further I contacted several large national dairies such as Land-O-Sun Dairies, Highland Dairy, Kroger, Suiza and Dean who confirmed that they use the vitamin D3 supplied by Givadaun-Roure. The vitamin D3 now used in liquid milk is an extract from wool and involves no violence.

 26. I gathered this information through direct telephone conversations with the chief persons at Cornell University’s Milk Quality Program. Note: Cornell University is the milk industry’s authority on such matters.

 27. A few people within the health food business feel that the vitamin D3 obtained without fish oil may not have fully synthesized all the isomers, therefore they prefer the fish oil vitamin D3 to be more complete or “natural.”

 28. “If we want peace and prosperity in the world, we should take lessons from this verse; every state and every home must endeavor to advance the cause of brahminical culture for self-purification, God consciousness for self-realization and cow protection for getting sufficient milk and the best food to continue a perfect civilization.” (Srimad Bhagavatam: 1.19.3 Purport)

 29. “I am the butter and the fire and the offering.

Purport: The Vedic sacrifice known as jyotiñöoma is also Kåñëa, and He is also the mahä-yajïa mentioned in the småti. The oblations offered to the Pitåloka or the sacrifice performed to please the Pitåloka, considered as a kind of drug in the form of clarified butter, is also Kåñëa. The mantras chanted in this connection are also Kåñëa. And many other commodities made with milk products for offering in the sacrifices are also Kåñëa.” (Bhagavad-gita 9.16)

 30. “Most of our preparations are made from milk products. Therefore we are so much fond of cow protection. It gives the basic principle of palatable foodstuff.” (Radio interview; July 27, 1976)

 31. “Milking the cow means drawing the principles of religion in a liquid form. The great åñis and munis would live only on milk… For a Sanätanist (a follower of Vedic principles) it is the duty of every householder to have cows and bulls as household paraphernalia, not only for drinking milk, but also for deriving religious principles…The cow’s milk is required for the sacrificial fire, and by performing sacrifices the householder can be happy.” (Srimad Bhagavatam: 1.17.3 Purport)

 32. “What brain they will have? Twenty rupees they get and they spend ten rupees for wine, and five rupees for cigarette, and fooding, say five rupees. No ghee, no milk. Soul killing civilization.” (December 10, 1976)