Modern medicine contains alcohol and meat extracts. Does taking such medicines cause sinful karma. What to do when there is no option?

Transcript

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Question.
Modern medicine contains alcohol and meat extracts. Does taking such medicine cause sinful karma? What to do when there is no option? Answer. What causes sinful karma is more the intention than the action.
The action does matter, no doubt, but the intention is more important. So, when we are taking medicines, the intention is not to enjoy. The intention is to heal the body.
And that is why taking medicines in and of itself doesn’t comprise severe bad karma. Of course, as devotees, we don’t want to even indirectly cause violence to anyone and that is why we will try to the best of our capacity to avoid using any products which involve meat. So, if we investigate enough, it is possible that in many cases we will find vegetarian alternatives to medicines that contain meat products or intoxicants.
Of course, in some cases, it may be that these alternatives are not possible. Either they are not available easily or they are not available cheaply or they are not available in adequate, appropriate dose what the doctors prescribe. Under such circumstances, we should know that it is our intention that is important and as we are not intending to seek material pleasure by those activities of taking medicines which contain these products, the amount of karmic implication will be minimal.
And we live in a contaminated material world where we cannot be possibly pure in everything. Krishna also says thus, some extent, sarvarambha hi doshe na dhume na agnirva avrtaha. He says that actually everything in the material world is ultimately contaminated just as fire is covered by smoke.
So, all endeavours that we do are contaminated. Therefore, the best that we can do is that, sahajam karma kaunteya sadosham api natyajet. So, in 1848 Krishna describes it.
Don’t give up your karma. Taking care of the body is also a part of our duty so that we can do our karma and our dharma. So, whatever is required, we do that.
As much as possible we try to avoid medicines involving non-vegetarian products or alcohol. But when it is not possible, we do the needful and pray to Krishna that we take these medicines and become better devotees. And by the devotional intent of our life, we can go ahead in our life and know that these are the inevitable falls in material existence just like there is smoke and fire.
Thank you.