I've been following the milk controversy, and would like to give my input. Are vegans morally superior? No, they are not; they choose a different dietary program. I like milk; I drink organic milk and consume a balanced amount of dairy products.

Prabhupada seemed to be okay with milk, despite the fact that it is infused with vitamin D. Krishna apparently likes milk too. Think of how much milk is used around the world cooking Him mangal arotik sweets. I understand the passion and the necessity for cow protection, but people should choose whatever diet benefits them.



Milk And Cruelty
by Niscala dasi
Posted February 28, 2008

Vegans are our best allies in helping us be more pleasing to the Lord, who in His eternal pastimes, protects cows with as much love as one gives to family members. Not only the Lord engages in giving pleasure to mother cow, but all His dear associates do as well. How can we hope to one day be among them, when in this life we have engaged in giving pain to her, by supporting places where she is ruthlessly exploited?

The question of drinking milk is best answered not in an anaesthetic forum, but on a visit to the slaughterhouse where the by-products of milk production- the unwanted calves- are routinely slaughtered. I strongly encourage Mayesvara and others who view veganism as somewhat of a threat to the service of Govinda, to take this step. The only way to stop this slaughter of our innocent friends and mothers is to stop supporting it by drinking slaughterhouse milk, and to encourage others to do the same.

It has been argued that veganism may be dangerous for health, which is curious in this age, when the consumption of animal fats has been linked to many lethal diseases such as cancer and heart disease. All the nutrients found in meat and milk are there in plant foods- for where else does the animal get them from? -but without the risk of saturated animal fats. The propaganda by the dairy industry that lack of milk is a cause of osteoporosis is false, as in very poverty stricken areas of the globe where milk is rarely consumed, osteoporosis is virtually unheard of. The reason is these people labour hard to earn their living, whereas we earn it by sitting at a desk all day. Studies conducted on astronauts have found that the risk of weightlessness-induced osteoporosis is extremely high. Thus, it is stress on our bones through supporting our body weight that keeps them strong.

We know this to be true of our muscles- that stressing them regularly is the best method to keep them strong and fully functional. It is also true of our immune system, hence the value of immunization...The greatest risk to our skeletal system is lack of its use, and the greatest risk to our cardio-pulmonary system is the consumption of animal fats, for which our bodies are not designed. (Yet due to inorganic methods of farming, even our plant foods lack nutrients- especially trace elements, so a good supplement with trace elements may be necessary where access to organic fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains is not possible).

It has also been argued that Srila Prabhupada recommended milk drinking. First point is that Srila Prabhupada was attempting to convert people away from meat eating, at a time when most people believed that you could not survive without animal protein. They believed that plant protein was inferior- this has since been proven wrong.. Second point is that after setting up vegetarian temples and restaurants, he arranged for the purchase of numerous cow-friendly dairy farms so that milk and milk products could be taken without compromising cow protection. It is there in his conversations, that he specifically wanted these farms to produce milk not just for their own consumption, but to supply the temples and restaurants as well. We haven't done this. We have strayed so far away from his instructions, yet we have no qualms about using him to justify cruelty to mother cow. In respect to diet, the only difference between lacto-vegetarians and vegans is that the latter love cows to the point that they sacrifice their addictions.

What hypocrisy it is to call out "jaya Govinda" and yet support the killing of the innocent creatures which He loves most of all. Krishna loves cows so much that His planet is called Goloka Vrindavan. As we would not allow the destruction of a forest of sacred tulasi bushes (Vrinda), we should not allow the destruction of a herd of dairy cows (Go) through modern methods of exploitation for milk, followed by meat. At the very least we should not support it. We should not view vegans as a threat or even as outsiders, as they are pleasing Govinda in their own way, and may even be more pleasing to Him than we who call on His name without integrity of action.

There has been some discussion about vegan versus vegetarian diets and which is superior — morally, spiritually and health-wise. Here are some points that might be useful to consider.

Most large-scale modern farms treat their animals cruelly. Cows are injected with massive doses of antibiotics and growth hormones, and they are crammed into very small spaces. A lot of them get crippled because their legs can't hold their unnatural weight due to the growth hormones, and many become diseased because of their living conditions. These are very stressful conditions, and stress is known to produce toxins within the body. The milk produced from cows in large-scale farms not only promotes cruelty to the animals but is also unhealthy to ourselves.

For lacto-vegetarians, a better alternative would be to buy organic milk and milk products from farms that allow animals to roam free- range for at least for a good part of the day and that provide decent living spaces to them. These farms are typically family-owned and operate as a small-scale business. They often encourage you to write to them to obtain information about their farming practices and philosophy (check the labels on the container for contact information). Some of these people come across as conscientious human beings who are committed to treating their animals more humanely.

However, there are some downsides to this alternative. Cost is a factor, in that organic milk and milk products are more expensive than regular ones. More importantly, these farms must send male calves to the veal industry and the older cows for slaughter in order to survive against market forces. If they don't, they will have to shut down.

A vegan diet which satisfies all the nutrient requirements and contributes to physical well-being is the best option. If one is unable to follow a vegan diet but wishes to minimize one's participation in the cruelty to cows, one could do these three things: buy milk from organic and small-scale farms that treat their animals humanely, use milk sparingly as needed and, when possible, use soy milk as a substitute.

We can go on endlessly discussing and rationalizing about how Krishna liked his milk and how Prabhupada encouraged milk consumption, but ultimately, it all comes down to our conscience and how much compassion we are willing to extend — both to suffering animals and to own well-being. The only place where controversy exists is within ourselves.

For further reading:

Srila Prabhupada Kept a Cow, by Madhava Gosh das
What is the Price of a Gallon of Milk?, by Prema Bhakti das and Tapati dasi
Price of Milk Versus the Cost, by Madhava Gosh das
Giving up on Commercial Milk saves Cows?, by Syamasundara das
Vegan Ethics (1), by Vasu Murti
Vegan Ethics (2), by Bhakta Ole
Economic Nonviability of Devotee Milk Production, by Madhava Gosh das
Questions on Milk and Mothers, by Mayesvara das
Writer Admires Vegans’ Austerity, by Gaurav Mittal
Milk and Cruelty, by Niscala dasi
Milk Consumption and Karmic Offsetting, by Madhava Gosh das
Vegans and Non-Vegans Okay, by Krsna Avatar das



Milk Consumption And Karmic Offsetting
by Madhava Gosh
Posted February 29, 2008

IMHO, a sincere vegan is morally superior to a devotee who gluts on milk, justifying it with all sorts of thin rationalizations, yet does not contribute directly through work or indirectly through donations to cow protection.

By "gluts", I mean more than one glass of milk a day, and that includes all forms of milk including yogurt, ghee, cheese, ice cream, or whatever. For example, a 3/4 ounce slice of Kraft American cheese or equivalent is the same as 3/4 cup of milk. Two standardized slices or one thicker slice of cheese is over quota.

The maximum benefit of material brain power needed for development is achieved by that one glass of milk that Srila Prabhupada recommends. More than that, and milk can start to have negative health benefits, and there are lots of studies that can confirm this. The vegans are correct on that point.

I was stimulated to write this by Mayesvara dasa's article wherein he asked for proof that milk is beneficial to the brain and the topic of vegans came up. His question was answered in the comments, but it brought up other questions in my mind.

One question is, is the milk from commercial cows even to be considered on a par with milk from the cows SP was familiar with, or have modern practices reduced milk to a shadow of the value it once had?

Is it the material benefits of the milk itself on the brain that is necessary for spiritual development? Or is it the compassion one used to have to have in order to raise cows for milk instead of meat that helped develop the finer tissues of the brain?

The problem is that nowadays, as opposed to the culture SP was raised in, it is possible to have the milk without a relationship with, or even any compassion at all for, the cow that produces it.

Health benefits aside, I think for preaching purposes to vegans, it behooves us to show that we are at least attempting to manifest SP's vision of having milk from protected cows.

Macro economic factors make it virtually impossible to break even financially protecting cows in a slaughterhouse based agricultural system, therefore cow protection programs need to be, for the time being, supported by donations.

This is an opportunity for devotees who lack the facility to care for cows hands on to support cow protection vicariously. Using the same principle as is applied to the concept of carbon offsets, devotees can justify to vegans their drinking of commercial milk

By supporting a cow protection program, the net karmic footprint of commercial milk is reduced to zero.

There are many cow protection programs to support. I personally support GEETA, an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation located near New Vrindaban that protects New Vrindaban's cows. I know many devotees have a lot of baggage they are compelled to open up when ever they hear the words New Vrindaban, but the cows are innocents and shouldn't be expected to bear that burden. GEETA is operated separately from institutional New Vrindaban.

If you want to help me protect cows, you can make a donation now, and on a regular basis if you partake of milk products regularly, by checking out this site.

If you are really fired up, you can start your own fundraising site for cow protection. If you want to support GEETA, click here to make a really easy site that you could promote to your friends, family and associates.

Firstgiving.com can also be used as a tool to collect for other cow protection programs that are registered in the US and the UK.

Then we can show vegans that we are actually doing something positive for cow protection and not simply enjoying the sense gratification of milk consumption.

In regard to Mayesvara das's article Questions on Milk and Mothers: in the Vedic age, cows were properly taken care of, and calves were also properly fed milk; the rest of the milk was used by humans. Cows were like pets, and there was a relationship between the owner and the cows.

These days cows are seen as a source of both meat and milk, and the purpose is to exploit them for monetary gains. They are mentally traumatized, or at least they are not happy. Milk is homogenized, but rarely boiled before consumption, so the milk referred to in Vedic texts may be different from the milk we get in stores. Basically, what I am highlighting is that Vedic statements and cultural practices don't apply to current milk consumption. Therefore, it is inappropriate to quote Vedic texts or culture for current milk consumption.

Giving up milk reduces cruelty towards cows, but it may increase cruelty to our own body if we don't take a proper substitute for milk. Milk is an important source of protein and calcium, so vegans, who give up milk, need to make sure that they have sufficient protein and calcium. Also, soy milk has higher levels of plant estrogens, which might not be good for men.

We should respect the views of both vegans and lacto-vegetarians, who take milk products, and see the commonality between the two groups instead of trying to change others' views. I take milk, but I respect vegans. I also respect their austerity in being vegan. (I love paneer.)

My family has friends who are vegans and who raise their children as vegans. It seems to me very difficult to raise kids as vegans and to make sure that they get appropriate nutrients. So rather than trying to change them, I see them as being better than me in terms of leading austere lives. If I saw that they were not giving proper nutrients to their children, then I would surely intervene.

My question to Mayesvara prabhu: why would he want to change Vegans and PETA? Why not work with them and respect their views?