Mail Archive

Dangers of Meat Eating / Cow Killing

• Subject: Dangers of Meat Eating / Cow Killing
• From: Sherry <krishna@krishna.org>
• Date: Thu Nov 21 17:05:35 1996
• Message-Id: id7050

Dear Sherry



Hello, Hare Krishna!



Thanks for visiting the Sudarsana site and sending some mail. The 

vegetarian info came from a vegetarian cook book called "The Higher 

Taste" published by the Hare Krishna movement. I don't have it with me 

now but I know the reports quoted are a little old, I think late 70's. 

It's probably much worse now but you would be in a better position to 

research that than me as your family is "in the business".



It is hard to understand why it's not good to kill animals if you're 

eating them. I was a meat-eater before I joined the Hare Krishna's and I 

couldn't understand vegetarians at all.



I started reading Srila Prabhupada's [the spiritual master of the Hare 

Krishna movement] books and was interested in the philosophy and I 

started visiting the Hare Krishna restaurants and eating "prasadam", 

vegetarian food cooked for Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead 

with love and devotion. The Hare Krishna's cook for Krishna, not 

ourselves. After the food is offered to Krishna we distribute "Krishna 

prasadam" (Krishna's mercy) to everyone. So it's a different 

consciousness altogether. The consciousness of the cook affects the food 

and when it's cooked by a pure devotee and offered to Krishna it becomes 

completely spiritual.



So anyhow, as a result of reading Srila Prabhupada's books and eating 

prasadam I automatically became a vegetarian because I only want to eat 

food that has first been offered to Krishna and Krishna doesn't eat meat. 

He only eats foods in the mode of goodness: grains, milk products, 

vegetables and fruits. So I'm not a vegetarian because meat is bad for 

me, I'm actually not a vegetarian, I'm a Krishnatarian, only eating food 

that Krishna has tasted...



So whatever justification you have for eating meat it doesn't matter to 

us because Krishna doesn't eat it, actually Krishna says "go brahmana 

hitaya ca", it means Krishna is the best friend of the cows and the 

saintly people. So if you kill cows you are killing Krishna's [God's] 

best friends, it's a very great sin and now the whole world is suffering 

so much bad karma [reactions] for cow-killing on such a massive scale. It 

is a science unknown to the Westerners, if the cows and the bulls are 

kept happy and the saintly men are protected the world will be a very 

comfortable place, but if the cows and bulls are not protected and the 

saintly men are not protected the world will be just like hell...



   "They are sending animals to the slaughterhouse, and now they'll 

create their own slaughterhouse. [Imitating gunfire:] Tung! Tung! Kill! 

Kill! You see? Just take Belfast, for example. The Roman Catholics are 

killing the Protestants, and the Protestants are killing the Catholics. 

This is nature's law. It's not necessary that you be sent to the ordinary 

slaughterhouse. You'll make a slaughterhouse at home. You'll kill your 

own child--abortion. This is nature's law. Who are these children being 

killed? They are these meat-eaters. They enjoyed themselves when so many 

animals were killed, and now they're being killed by their mothers. 

People do not know how nature is working. If you kill, you must be 

killed. If you kill the cow, who is your mother, then in some future 

lifetime your mother will kill you. Yes. The mother becomes the child, 

and the child becomes the mother.Mam sa khadatiti mamsah. The Sanskrit 

word is mamsa. Mam means "me," and sa means "he." I am killing this 

animal; I am eating him. And in my next lifetime he'll kill me and eat 

me. When the animal is sacrificed, this mantra is recited into the ear of 

the animal--"You are giving your life, so in your next life you will get 

the opportunity of becoming a human being. And I who am now killing you 

will become an animal, and you will kill me." So after understanding this 

mantra, who will be ready to kill an animal?

Bhagavan dasa Gosvami: Many people today are discussing this topic of 

reincarnation, but they don't understand the significance of the 

effects--

Srila Prabhupada: How will they understand? All dull-headed fools and 

rascals, dressed like gentlemen. That's all. Tavac ca sobhate murkho 

yavat kincin na bhasate. A rascal, a fool, is prestigious as long as he 

does not speak. As soon as he speaks, his nature will be revealed--what 

he really is. Therefore that priest who came did not stay long. He did 

not want to expose himself." (from "Journey to Self-Discovery" 6.2 by His 

Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada)



>Hello,

>

>I am a student attending college in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, and I am 

>doing a research paper on the effects of a vegetarian diet on your 

>health.  After reading your web site, a few concerns have arised and I am 

>wondering if you could clarify them for me.

>You have stated that the added chemicals in meat are dangerous to the 

>human body and our health.  I am wondering where you recieved your facts 

>from and if you have scientific studies to back them up.  Do you have any 

>definite numbers on the amount of chemicals that are given to beef 

>cattle?  I am also wondering if you have done any research on the raising 

>of cattle without any antibiotics or added chemicals, which is happening 

>now.  I'm sure these practices would improve the quality of meat.

>I also have a comment on the livestock industry and the conditions of 

>them.  I grew up in a farming and ranching community and I must disagree 

>with you on your comment that all cattle are raised in poor conditions.  

>Most of the ranchers I have came in connect with are extremely good to 

>their animals becasue it is in fact the animals that support them.  Why 

>would you treat something poorly if you depened on it for your 

>livelihood?  How many livestock areas have you personally checked out and 

>found to be inhumane?  Do you have any statistics on the treatment on 

>animals at these facilities?

>My last comment has to do with heart disease.  You stated that the 

>Journal of the American Medical Association wrote the 90 to 97% of heart 

>disease could be prevented by a vegetarian diet.  I was wondering if you 

>had the reference that you got that information out of so I could find it 

>and perhaps reference it in my own paper.

>I understand that you are most likely very busy, but it would be greatly 

>appreciated if you could get back to me in a couple of days.  I would 

>really like to use some of your information in my paper, but I need 

>references to support my facts.  I thank you for your time.

>

>Sherry

>

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