If we take milk from dairy farms, do we get the karma?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

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If we take milk from the dairy farms, then do we also become a part of the karma cycle? In the Bhagavad Gita Krishna says that gahana karmanogati. The way karma works is complicated.
So at one level we understand the basic principle that we are responsible for our actions. Actions have consequences. Now specifically which action will lead to what kind of consequence and at what level we can avoid what action.
That is something which has to be decided based on context. So what do I mean by that? Say, we live in an interconnected world. And within that each one of us can do certain changes and each one of us can’t do certain changes.
So for example, in the Bhagavad Gita Arjuna, he did not want to fight a war. And naturally it would be, it’s good for us to avoid confrontation, what to speak of, physical and violent confrontations. So that is a noble desire.
But at the same time Arjuna was a part of the society which is Kshatriyas. Kshatriyas are martial guardians of society. And there are times if antisocial elements have become dominant.
Now police may say that we don’t want to use guns. That’s true, you should not use guns indiscriminately. But if rioters are going and killing people and the police say I don’t want to use violence, well then why did you become a police? You cannot be squeamish at that time.
So sometimes our choice is not between something good and something bad. It is between one thing which is bad and other thing which is worse. So then we have to, violence is not good at any time.
But sometimes violence is less disruptive than the consequence of non-violence in that particular situation. Say if police don’t do anything while rioters are going wild, the police violence is bad, it will lead to casualty, it will lead to loss of life. But the consequence of non-violence might be worse.
Because the rioters might kill many more people, might disrupt far more things. So basically the point I am making is, sometimes life doesn’t present us a choice between good and bad. Sometimes the only choice is between bad and bad.
Then we might have to decide which is less negative choice. So to some extent the predicament that we face in today’s world, especially with respect to milk and other cow products is like that. Traditionally within the Bhakti culture and in the broad Indian culture, the cow is considered to be an integral part of the, not just society but practically human family.
There are many families in the past who would drink milk only from their cow. Because just like a baby drinks milk from her own mother, his own mother. So like that there is a personal relationship with the cow.
And there have been, especially if cows are grown, are taken care of naturally and they are cared for, then they give milk that is abundant and nutritious. And there is a lot of health benefits of taking that kind of milk. So that’s one aspect to it.
It’s an important part of our culture. And there are health benefits, there are personal and devotional issues with it. But at the same time, as you rightly said, in today’s world, even dairy farming is a business.
And in the business, the cows are seen simply as units from whom production is to be maximized. And thus they are not seen as sensual beings. And often they are subjected to violence and then as soon as they don’t have any utility, then they are just discarded.
And that discarded means they are slaughtered. That’s the way it is done is in some ways reprehensible. So what could we do? So in spiritual life, there are certain things which are principles and certain things which are preferences.
So the principles, for example, say if we practice chanting, we practice mantra meditation. So practicing mantra meditation is the principle. Now some of us might practice this, maybe sit down at one place and meditate.
Some of us might stand up and maybe go for a morning walk and their prayerfully chant the mantra. So that’s a preference. There are principles and there are preferences.
So I would say principle is that we should do what we can to avoid violence to the cows. We should also do what we can to be a part of the culture in which cow milk and cow products have played a very significant role. So that’s the principle, these two principles.
Now which principle do we give more emphasis to? That could be a preference. So some devotees may feel that, OK, because cow milk is such a big part of our culture, then let me take whatever milk is available here. Let me prayerfully offer it to Krishna.
And if I am going to take that milk, then the cow may meet an unfortunate fate. But because it’s milk, but that is anyway going to happen because my not doing it is not going to stop the economy. Because I am so small.
So at least the cow who is getting that milk, who is giving that milk will be benefited in some ways by that. It could be one way of looking at it. Now the other way of looking at it could be that, now the cows are subjected to unbearable violence.
So I just can’t be a part of it. So better let me not. I won’t do this at all.
I won’t take any milk. And that is also one way of looking at it. And that’s also fine.
The healthiest resolution would be that if we could, we could in our own small ways contribute to a culture where cows are taken care of in a holistic way. Say, I believe in Gita Nagari, we have cows being taken care of and we get milk, which is what we can call as Ahimsa milk. And we use that.
So that would be best. But if that is if that is possible, that’s the best, even if it’s a little more cumbersome or a little more expensive to get that. But that would be, we will be continuing the culture.
At the same time, we will not be a part of, continue the traditional culture, but not be a part of the current culture of violence. So that we can do is best. If not that, then what we do, we could say is a preference.
And there will be for devotees when we make choices, the primary focus shouldn’t be to be karma conscious. Will this give me karma? Will this not give me karma? We want to be Krishna conscious, not just karma conscious. Now, how can I best serve Krishna in this situation? So if I feel inspired to serve Krishna by abstaining from milk, that’s fine.
If I feel inspired to serve Krishna, OK, let me take the milk, let me share the milk. But let me help also share spiritual consciousness by which this problem will eventually be addressed at the root as more and more people become spiritual conscious, that’s also fine. Does that answer your question?