Why beef ban ? Afterall its just another kind of meat.
To eat or not to eat beef has been a discussion of topic in the recent history. Its a long answer for a very small looking question. It is not just a question of choice of food, its beyond somebody's food and choice. Indian value system is based on nature. Being with nature and living in harmony with nature. Every tradition in Indian system has some serious thought behind why it has been brought into practice. Be it spiritual living, architecture, food practices, art and culture etc. Everything has great rationale behind it, which is backed by scientific understanding. Let us now look at the some Frequently Asked Questions on consumption of beef.
1. Hindu scriptures advocate eating meat, Beef is supposed to be highest order of meat. Then why do some hindus oppose beef consumption?
Ans: No, none of the Hindu scriptures promote meat eating, and specially not the Beef. You will not find even single reference in the Vedas or Upanishads of promoting beef. India has had no history of eating beef which was promoted by any known scriptures. Corrupt practices of meat and beef consumption are only seen in the last few thousand years. This is a result of invasion, attrocities, forced upon habits, corruption of Holy books and cultural dilution through westernized education by the invaders which are still alive in bits and pieces across the country. They are not sanctioned by our culture. In a Sharp contrast, we can find various verses in our holy books of why a cow is sacred to our society.
There are 100s of verses, but only a few are listed below.
------------------------
Yasmintsarvaani bhutaanyaatmaivaabhuudvijaanatah
Tatra ko mohah kah shokah ekatvamanupasyatah
Yajurveda 40.7
Those who see all beings as souls do not feel infatuation or anguish at their sight, for they experience oneness with them”.
How could people who believed in the doctrines of indestructibility, transmigration dare to kill living animals in yajnas? They might be seeing the souls of their own near and dear ones of bygone days residing in those living beings.
------------------------
Anumantaa vishasitaa nihantaa krayavikrayee
Samskartaa chopahartaa cha khadakashcheti ghaatakaah
Manusmrithi 5.51
Those who permit slaying of animals; those who bring animals for slaughter; those who slaughter; those who sell meat; those who purchase meat; those who prepare dish out of it; those who serve that
meat and those who eat are all murderers.
------------------------
Ghrtam duhaanaamaditim janaayaagne maa himsiheeh
Yajurveda 13.49
Do not kill cows and bulls who always deserve to be protected.
------------------------
Aare gohaa nrhaa vadho vo astu
Rigveda 7.56.17
In Rigveda cow slaughter has been declared a heinous crime equivalent to human murder and it has been said that those who commits this crime should be punished.
-------------------------
Sooyavasaad bhagavatee hi bhooyaa atho vayam bhagvantah syaama
Addhi trnamaghnye vishwadaaneem piba shuddhamudakamaacharantee
Rigveda 1.164.40 or Atharv 7.73.11 or Atharv 9.10.20
The Aghnya cows – which are not to be killed under any circumstances– may keep themselves healthy by use of pure water and green grass, so that we may be endowed with virtues, knowledge and wealth.
-------------------------
2. I dont believe in Hinduism or any other religion nor god. I am an Atheist. I believe in free ideas and Some people's sentiments cant stop me from eating my Ham. I go by science, consuming vegetarian animals is good for health. various studies have shown this.
Ans : Really ? Do you know how many subsequent studies of beef consumption have concluded that all the medical problems in the US ( who is biggest beef consumer in the world) are related to beef?
http://www.medicaldaily.com/how-red-meat-affects-your-health-7-reasons-avoid-beef-253727
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2697260/
http://www.ewg.org/meateatersguide/a-meat-eaters-guide-to-climate-change-health-what-you-eat-matters/meat-and-your- health/
Beef and Pork are the biggest cause of chronic diseases in the world. US spends around $3.8 trillion on only health care !! 10% of the total GDP of India is spent on Health care. Pfizer once a bankrupt company, specialised in cardiac related medicine spins over 2 lakhs crores rupees every year. Where is that money going ? Obviously not India. And there are 100s of such pharmacuetical companies in India. Wondering a what a pound of beef or pork can do to our country? Vegetarianism is a craze in the US now. Not simply because it is fashion of the season. US has the worst health among the best healthcare providing countries in the world. Vegetarian food practices have come as a boon to its society.
So if you want to be healthy, give up meat specially Beef.
3. I dont care, God has made animals to be eaten. Animals reproduction rate is more than that of humans. If they are not consumed as food, earth will be over populated by animals and will cause lot of other issues.
Ans: Good argument to satisfy your taste buds. If humans are here to control the population of other animals, then who was controlling it before the advent of humans? How did Dinosaurs become extinct? There were no humans back then. There are various species of flora and fauna even today on the verge of extinction untouched by human existence, are you even aware? Growth, population explosion and birth rates are mere excuses to hog on to the beef culture.
4. Cows have human like emotions? Many animals are close to humans and share a great bond. They feel happy when we are happy, they feel sad when we are sad. So what is special with cow ? Ur arguments makes no sense to me.
Ans: Ofcourse all animals have certain emotions. But none can match or even come closer to that of a cow. The other animals that are very close to humans are dogs and horses. There are various references in our holy books on how a cow feels your pain. Whenever there is going to be new born in the family, it is the cow which knows it first compared to other animals. If there is a death, cows even shed tears and in many cases they refused to be milked in their deep sorrow. Cows seldom get angry and hurt their owners unless it fears for any kind of pain inflicted to it. Dogs are very protective about its puppies and often get aggressive when someone even very close to it tries to get closer to the puppies. Have you seen that with a cow ? Like dogs, cows are one of the most alert animals on the planet. They guard your homes.
Cows milk is most suited for human consumption among all milk yielding domesticated animals. Ayurveda has mutliple chapters dedicated only to cow and its products. Milk and milk products take highest priority in the medical benefits they provide us. Let us look at some extracts from various studies.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=130
http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/benefits-of-cow-milk-6265.html
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-downtown/the-benefits-of-cow-milk/article3026269.ece
5. But cow milk is for its calves not humans. By taking away milk from the cows, you are denying food for its calves. Humans are so selfish. You are hurting the cow by milking it.
Ans: Our Puranas have specific directions on how to, when to, how much to milk from each cow. Every indigenous breed of Indian cow has different milk yields. Some yield about 20 litres a day and some upto 70 Litres of milk a day. Kindly do a research on the milking Indian cows. Normally a cow gives birth to one calf at one time, more than one is a rarity. Each cow has 4 nipples. The Indian household milking practices are very sensitive to its calves and understand their needs. It is directed that we as humans only to milk 3 nipples and leave one full to the calf. The 3 nipples are milked only till they are 3/4 empty so that we dont hurt the cow. Cows are hurt only when they are milked with automated machines and not by human hands! Its is the industrailization that hurts the cow not household practices.
Effects of not milking a milking cow : Calves usually can consume only 20-22% of milk produced by its mother. If the rest of the milk is not milked, its starts drying out and causes severe infections in the cow. In worst cases cause death. Also, it has been observed that the capacity of the milk production goes down if not milked everyday. This in turn starves the calves! Now can you tell me how are human's hurting the cow?
The Gir breed of cow gives an avg of 60 litres per day and has become the highest exported breed to Brazil in the recent years. The quality of milk produced by Indian indigenous breed cows are unmatched. Studies in Denmark, US and Germany have shown that Indian breed cow produces the most healtiest milk in the world.
http://devinder-sharma.blogspot.in/2012/07/brazil-is-biggest-exporter-of-indian.html
6. Indian Cows are superior to Other breeds? So you are now differentiating between the various God made cows? You have a superiority complex and cannot think beyond your Vedas, Puranas and culture! Such narrow minded people!
Ans : Are you really educated or just a India (Hindu) hater? The Jersey cows are actually a cross breed between a indegenous European cow and a Fatter breed of Pigs. The other popular breed of Foreign cow is 'JUMAR' which is a cross breed of cow and Donkey! Some labs have confirmed that there are cross breeds of Horse and cows ! Did you notice that none of today's foreign breed cows have a 'hump' on their back? Why is that significant? Do Horses and Pigs have a hump ? The vanishing act happened after the cross breeding around early 1400s and mid 1500s. Do you even know what you have been drinking in the US and Europe in the name of cow milk ? God save Europeans!
There are two kinds of milks. A1 and A2. These are actually a kind of gene named as A1 And A2. All Indian cow breeds possess a rich A2 allele gene that provides a better and healthier quality of milk than foreign breeds.
“The A2 allele gene in Indian milk breeds of cows and buffalos are 100 per cent, while in foreign breeds, it is around 60 per cent,” scientists of the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR) have said in a report. Furthermore the frequency of this allele in Indian milk breeds is 1.0 (100 per cent), while in exotic breeds, it has been reported to be nearly 0.6 (60 per cent) or less, they added. Set up in 1984, NBAGR is an arm of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and is based in Karnal, Haryana. The scientists scanned 22+ breeds of Indian cows and found that in five milk yielding Indian cows — Laal Sindhi, Sahiwal, Tharparkar, Rathi and Gir — the status of the A2 allele was 100 per cent, while in other Indian breeds used for farming, its status was around 94 per cent! The scientists also scanned the status of this allele in the two most popular foreign breeds in India, Holstein Friesian and Jersey, in which the status of the A2 allele was 60 per cent only.
What is significance of hump on the Indian cows? Abundant Sunlight that falls on the Hump of an Indian cow is absorbed by the special tissue mass in the hump and converted into 'gold'. Its is reported that Indian cows have dissolved Gold in its milk. 0.442 ppm of Gold is found on an average in the Indian cow milk. This ratio perfectly suits the need of Gold consumption in the humans. refer to the below links for the Importance of Gold in food.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApKvzrNsLgk
https://www.purestcolloids.com/history-gold.php
https://indianinthemachine.wordpress.com/2012/05/09/the-story-of-monatomic-gold-the-secrets-of-the-real-arc-of-the- covenant-alchemy-electrical-super-conductivity/
http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/monatomic-gold-an-overview
7. But Humans are selfish. God did not make Cows to be used for ploughing and tilling in the land. We humans have extorted the nature!
Ans : First, Cows are not used in Ploughing fields, its the Oxes! Oxes are physically more stronger and are bested suited for tilling and ploughing. Ancient Indians knew the drastic effects of using heavy machines in Agriculture. Thats why Cow based agriculture and cow based industries are given the most prominence. Are you saying the Hindus who could build the most magnificient temples in the world, lift heaviest carved rocks to upto 100 feet high and place it on the temple roof could not design a machine to plough their fields? One should really watch the Ancient Aliens episodes on History channel to understand how the magneficient temples are built 1000s of years back. The scientists are still clueless about the exact ancient Hindu techniques of rock cutting and temple architecture. To assume that HIndus could not invent a machine to plough their fields is as crap as concluding Hindus were just cave men.
The use of Oxen in ploughing is far more scientific than using modern day heavy machines. What would do with the male calf if you are not going to use it in agriculture? Eat it? or keep feeding it in its cows shed? This is the best way to utilize a strong animal in harmony with nature. A farmer hardly needs 2-3 oxen for agriculture, whereas needs more milk yielding cows to feed his family. The birth rate of female calves to the male is at an average 3:1. The nature is so perfect !! If you think this is animal cruelty then you are a hypocrite. Why should your mother do the household work, cook for you and father should toil hard outside to feed you? Imagine a life without these two pillars? can you do everything on your own? Wash your clothes, work and earn for yourself, cook for yourself? So can i conclude you are cruel to your mother and father because you make them work for you? Not!! Similarly, everything in India is designed for a purpose. Indians are not barbaric, they plough their fields using oxens only to a certain age. After that, they are rested in the cow shed for the life time. We not only feed them with love, we worship them like we worship our mother. There is a complete natural menu for their fodder to keep them healthy and strong.
8. These methods are very primitive. They are no more effective to feed 7 billion people on this earth. You must be kidding to justify these methods in 21st century.
Ans : I am not kidding, but these are the best methods. Find a solution to growing increase in population, dont blame the food cultivation methods. The more you alter these methods, the more you will push the land towards being barren. Every kind of soil around the world has a certain capacity of yielding any crop. Any method to alter its productivity will give adverse results. The finest example of this is the use of chemical fertilizers in India in the name of green revolution. Soil fertility is measured with various parameters, its natural chemicals and their composition, Acidity, Organice matter, Cation Exchange Capacity, Organic carbon etc. Usage of chemical fertiliser and heavy machines alters the nature's balance and therefore reducing the fertility of the soil. So with every crop, the soil fertility will be degraded and will need more chemicals every time. More chemicals means more need for water to keep the soil moist! The land is bound to die after few cycles! I am not listing down the issues created by chemically grown food. We all know it very well.
So, the Only solution to this problem is cow based agriculture. Indians have always known how to utilize nature and not extort it. Cow product based manure has been proven to be the best compost for any kind of agriculture in the world. Cow dung and cow urine mixed with other herbals extracts and agricultural worms have yielded far better results than modern methods and even increased the fertility of the land. To keep your soil healthy and fertile, a cow is a must.
Benefits of cow based manure:
http://agri.and.nic.in/organic_farming.htm
http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/composting/manures/cow-manure-compost.htm
http://ecovillage.org.in/ecopedia/land-cow-iii-benefits-of-cow-dung
The highest rice, wheat , pulses, grains , vegetables and fruits are produced in the tropical countries like India, china, Thailand, Indonesia etc. Food produced in the entire world is equivalent to feed 14 billion people. Twice as much as the world population. Wondering what happens to the food? And this is produced using traditional methods. 9 billion humans worth food is actually consumed by the meat producing industry to grow fatter animals. Then animals are force fed with this food to produce more and more flesh. And the same flesh is consumed by the affluent rich countries who can afford read meat while the close to 2 billion of us on this planet sleep empty stomach. Worth it ?
We can feed the entire world with just half of the food production, half of the water to produce that food, half of the land and resources to cultivate the same food. See the difference? Just giving away meat can reverse the global warming.
2 Kilos of rice can feed 20 people while 1 pound of beef can feed 5 people. 1 kilo is rice is produced at an average of 25 litres of water and one pound of beef is produced with 2000 litres of water. Did it concern you yet ?
9. Why should i not kill the cow and eat its meat after it pauses to give milk? Its a burden to on me to keep feeding it. A fully grown cow fetches me a 40000 rupees to 1 lakh depending upon the breed. Its a win win situation for me and the butcher, leather tanner etc.. Its provides livelihood for so many people. Why Should you oppose a killing of useless cow?
Ans : We Indians are rational and practical not barbaric.Our thought process is not driven by business which only looks at benefits and balance sheets. Let us divert the topic to our families. What would do to your mother once she is old and completely dependant on you for a living? Would you send her to a butcher because she is no more useful to you or she is burden on you ? Am i Sounding ridiculous? So why cant you apply the same logic to a cow which has fed you for so long, worked for you for decades, fed you with ghee, butter, paneer and what not,nourished your children, gave you a healthy life ???
Lets talk Business, probably that is the only way you will understand. How much do you value a cow of its life time? Says 15 litres of milk a day for 20 years? consider 30/litre. 30*15 *365 *20 =3285000 rupees? Plus additional 50000 rupees if you sell it to the butcher for meat. 3335000/- and say if you have spent 200000/- rs on its food and care, your net profit is just 3135000/-. Does that make you a good businessman ? Lets see.
Lets calculate in the Indian way.These figures that i am quoting are not hypothetical, they are already being used and records are available. An average Indian cow gives you around 5-8 kilos of cow dung, 3-4 litres of Urine and 20 litres of milk per day. Cow urine is sold for making compost mixture and medicine at a rate of 20rs/litre.
20rs*4litres*365days*35 years = 1022000/- only with cow urine.
A single kilo of Cow dung mixed with wood-ash, dry herbs and leaves can create a compost manure of 30 kilos! This is sold in the market a wholesale prices of 10rs/kilo
.
10rs*5kg cow dung*30kg manure*365 days*35 yrs =1,91,62,500/- Staggering !! lets us give it 50% error correction (or say 50% of it is used for your own fields). Still is close to a crore rupees in 35 years. I dont know of any equity that can fetch me so much money!
20 litres milk*30rs*365days*20 years = 4380000 /-
And i am not giving my cow to the butcher for meat even if it dies naturally. I will rather bury it with full respect. We don't sell our mothers.
So the total income from a business perspective = 1022000(from urine) + 10000000 (From cowdung) + 4380000 from milk = 15402000/- 1.5 crores with just one cow. Imagine with 5 cows in the shed!! Which is better?
I have not calculated the amount of money it saves you on chemical fertilisers or the money you will make out of it if you market milk products like ghee or butter!
Spiritual and Scientific aspect for not killing a cow for meat.
Cow is a very sacred to Hindus. It is revered as a mother for all the reasons i have put earlier in this post. It is the Divine vahana of Lord Shiva. Shiva is accompanied by the White Nandi wherever he goes. It is believed that Nandi is very close to Lord Shiva and anything you wish for urself in the nandi's ears will reach Lord Shiva directly. That is why you will see people secretly telling their wishes into the Nandi's ears in the temples. We believe it is not just an animal, but a home for 33 crores Gods. During the samudra manathana it is believed that the waters in all the oceans were poisoned. To save the world from Ending Lord Shiva scoops the poison from the oceans and drinks it. Fearing that it will cause Shiva's end, Parvati asks him to spit out the venom. It is the Nandi that drinks all that venom and by the grace of Lord Shiva it survives. The moral being , cow is sacred and takes all the pain for our sake and keeps us happy. It is a non-complaining living being. You will never ever see a cow in complaining mode. Never!
Biologically, human body is designed only to digest vegetarian food. Meat is alien to Human body. If we closely observe the digestive system of the herbivorous animals and Humans, the digestive system are identical. Then how come so many meat eating people do not have any problems? That is because we cook food unlike the animals. But the meat if still meat. The health issues related to Beef and meat consumption is already discussed above. It is unnatural for human body to consume meat as it is simply not designed for it. Also, we are designed by God only to eat veg food. Look at the teeth pattern of herbivorous animals and humans. We all have flat teeth with half pointed canines. Human canines are designed to cut through the vegetable fibre and not to tear into the meat. Else we would all look like Draculas! Try biting into a sugar cane or a walnut without using your canines, you will know what i am saying!
10.Then how come some western countries where primary food is meat have longer lifespan and Indians who are primarily vegetarian have shorter lifespan?
Ans: There are records until the 1500s that people lived upto 250 -300 years. Buddhist monk who lived 250 years 'http://www.spiritscienceandmetaphysics.com/256-year-old-man-reveals-the-secrets-to-his-longevity/'. It is utterly false that Indians have shorter lifespan. Various factors have to be considered to get to a conclusion. The west has deliberately injected poison in our heads. Shorter Lifespan is one amongst them. More than 65% of India is poor and they do not have access to sanitation and good food. They usual suffer from Malnutrition related dieases and die sooner. So the average of the all whole country comes down to the 65 yrs. Affluent villages in Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Karnataka where agriculture is the main occupation, there the average lifespan is more than 90 years which is above the world average. There is a group of villages in Northern Karnataka where the average life span of a man is 128 years and for a woman is 133 years even today. There are various such places in Punjab and Haryana. Life style and means of food defines a lot. So let us not be fooled by the propagandist west.
Effect on Nature :
Beef affects the nature directly. The more you produce beef, warmer the globe gets. Just to produce more and more beef,Brazil has cut down its Amazon jungle by a staggering 20%. The Amazon rainforest has been facing severe deforestation problems for several decades, it has lost about a fifth of its forest in the past three. While there are many causes, one of the main causes is cattle ranching, particularly in Brazil. Trees are cut and the land is converted into a pasture for cattle grazing. According to one report, an estimated 70 percent of deforestation in the Amazon basin can be attributed to cattle ranching. Using these numbers, cattle ranching in the Amazon has resulted in the loss of an area larger than the state of Washington. Kindly go through the links to understand how beef production is leading to Deforestation of last known rain forests on this planet.
http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/may/14/brazil-beef-industry-pledges-cut-amazon-deforestation-rate- in-half
http://rainforests.mongabay.com/20brazil.htm
http://news.mongabay.com/2009/06/brazilian-cattle-giant-declares-moratorium-on-amazon-deforestation/
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/beef-production-is-killing-the-amazon-rainforest/
Additional Links on how giving up beef will benefit the nature by reducing carbon footprint in the world.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jul/21/giving-up-beef-reduce-carbon-footprint-more-than-cars
http://www.elsevier.com/about/press-releases/research-and-journals/dairy-industry-making-strides-toward-reducing-its- carbon-footprint
This the best site to study the adverse effects of ranches for beef. And How cow based industry is the only solution to all problems faced by the earth today.
http://www.cowspiracy.com/facts/
What do the non-hindu scriptures say?
Bible:
Acts 15:29
You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.
Leviticus 7:26
And wherever you live, you must not eat the blood of any bird or animal.
Leviticus 17:10
"'I will set my face against any Israelite or any foreigner residing among them who eats blood, and I will cut them off from the people.
Leviticus 17:11
For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.
Leviticus 17:14
because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites, "You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off."
Deuteronomy 15:23
But you must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water.
Islam on Beef:
You should instead take good care of these animals and use them for your benefit. Chapter 2 of Quran is Surah Bakar or Chapter of Holy Cow. Hence Cow is holy for you and should always be nurtured. Take her milk, ghee, butter and all benefits she bestows upon human beings without torturing her or depriving her calf of mother’s milk.
The Hadith of Zâd al-ma‘âd by Ibn Qayyim says that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
“You should use cows’ milk, because it is good for health, and cows’ ghee is good for health, but beef is bad for health.”
Actually, the literal meaning of the words the Prophet used is much stronger than that. He said that milk is “healing,” ghee is “medicine,” and beef is “disease.”
In the Book of Medicine of the Mustadrak al-Hakîm [a classical hadith commentary by al-Hakîm al-Nîsaburî], the first hadith is: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings upon him, said: “Allah did not create any disease without creating its cure; and in cows’ milk is a cure for every disease.” The third hadith in this book says on the subject of healing: “Because the cow grazes from every kind of plant.”
It does not matter if you are an atheist or liberal thinker. If u think this earth is for everyone and we have to preserve it for our own future, then cow is the only solution. Conclusion is clear, to save the country for the future generations, save the holy cow. Promote cow based industry and agriculture to save the planet from becoming a big desert. I stand by the beef ban, as my belief, my nature, my country's future, my farmers' future is far more important than your taste buds.
To eat or not to eat beef has been a discussion of topic in the recent history. Its a long answer for a very small looking question. It is not just a question of choice of food, its beyond somebody's food and choice. Indian value system is based on nature. Being with nature and living in harmony with nature. Every tradition in Indian system has some serious thought behind why it has been brought into practice. Be it spiritual living, architecture, food practices, art and culture etc. Everything has great rationale behind it, which is backed by scientific understanding. Let us now look at the some Frequently Asked Questions on consumption of beef.
1. Hindu scriptures advocate eating meat, Beef is supposed to be highest order of meat. Then why do some hindus oppose beef consumption?
Ans: No, none of the Hindu scriptures promote meat eating, and specially not the Beef. You will not find even single reference in the Vedas or Upanishads of promoting beef. India has had no history of eating beef which was promoted by any known scriptures. Corrupt practices of meat and beef consumption are only seen in the last few thousand years. This is a result of invasion, attrocities, forced upon habits, corruption of Holy books and cultural dilution through westernized education by the invaders which are still alive in bits and pieces across the country. They are not sanctioned by our culture. In a Sharp contrast, we can find various verses in our holy books of why a cow is sacred to our society.
There are 100s of verses, but only a few are listed below.
------------------------
Yasmintsarvaani bhutaanyaatmaivaabhuudvijaanatah
Tatra ko mohah kah shokah ekatvamanupasyatah
Yajurveda 40.7
Those who see all beings as souls do not feel infatuation or anguish at their sight, for they experience oneness with them”.
How could people who believed in the doctrines of indestructibility, transmigration dare to kill living animals in yajnas? They might be seeing the souls of their own near and dear ones of bygone days residing in those living beings.
------------------------
Anumantaa vishasitaa nihantaa krayavikrayee
Samskartaa chopahartaa cha khadakashcheti ghaatakaah
Manusmrithi 5.51
Those who permit slaying of animals; those who bring animals for slaughter; those who slaughter; those who sell meat; those who purchase meat; those who prepare dish out of it; those who serve that
meat and those who eat are all murderers.
------------------------
Ghrtam duhaanaamaditim janaayaagne maa himsiheeh
Yajurveda 13.49
Do not kill cows and bulls who always deserve to be protected.
------------------------
Aare gohaa nrhaa vadho vo astu
Rigveda 7.56.17
In Rigveda cow slaughter has been declared a heinous crime equivalent to human murder and it has been said that those who commits this crime should be punished.
-------------------------
Sooyavasaad bhagavatee hi bhooyaa atho vayam bhagvantah syaama
Addhi trnamaghnye vishwadaaneem piba shuddhamudakamaacharantee
Rigveda 1.164.40 or Atharv 7.73.11 or Atharv 9.10.20
The Aghnya cows – which are not to be killed under any circumstances– may keep themselves healthy by use of pure water and green grass, so that we may be endowed with virtues, knowledge and wealth.
-------------------------
2. I dont believe in Hinduism or any other religion nor god. I am an Atheist. I believe in free ideas and Some people's sentiments cant stop me from eating my Ham. I go by science, consuming vegetarian animals is good for health. various studies have shown this.
Ans : Really ? Do you know how many subsequent studies of beef consumption have concluded that all the medical problems in the US ( who is biggest beef consumer in the world) are related to beef?
http://www.medicaldaily.com/how-red-meat-affects-your-health-7-reasons-avoid-beef-253727
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2697260/
http://www.ewg.org/meateatersguide/a-meat-eaters-guide-to-climate-change-health-what-you-eat-matters/meat-and-your- health/
Beef and Pork are the biggest cause of chronic diseases in the world. US spends around $3.8 trillion on only health care !! 10% of the total GDP of India is spent on Health care. Pfizer once a bankrupt company, specialised in cardiac related medicine spins over 2 lakhs crores rupees every year. Where is that money going ? Obviously not India. And there are 100s of such pharmacuetical companies in India. Wondering a what a pound of beef or pork can do to our country? Vegetarianism is a craze in the US now. Not simply because it is fashion of the season. US has the worst health among the best healthcare providing countries in the world. Vegetarian food practices have come as a boon to its society.
So if you want to be healthy, give up meat specially Beef.
3. I dont care, God has made animals to be eaten. Animals reproduction rate is more than that of humans. If they are not consumed as food, earth will be over populated by animals and will cause lot of other issues.
Ans: Good argument to satisfy your taste buds. If humans are here to control the population of other animals, then who was controlling it before the advent of humans? How did Dinosaurs become extinct? There were no humans back then. There are various species of flora and fauna even today on the verge of extinction untouched by human existence, are you even aware? Growth, population explosion and birth rates are mere excuses to hog on to the beef culture.
4. Cows have human like emotions? Many animals are close to humans and share a great bond. They feel happy when we are happy, they feel sad when we are sad. So what is special with cow ? Ur arguments makes no sense to me.
Ans: Ofcourse all animals have certain emotions. But none can match or even come closer to that of a cow. The other animals that are very close to humans are dogs and horses. There are various references in our holy books on how a cow feels your pain. Whenever there is going to be new born in the family, it is the cow which knows it first compared to other animals. If there is a death, cows even shed tears and in many cases they refused to be milked in their deep sorrow. Cows seldom get angry and hurt their owners unless it fears for any kind of pain inflicted to it. Dogs are very protective about its puppies and often get aggressive when someone even very close to it tries to get closer to the puppies. Have you seen that with a cow ? Like dogs, cows are one of the most alert animals on the planet. They guard your homes.
Cows milk is most suited for human consumption among all milk yielding domesticated animals. Ayurveda has mutliple chapters dedicated only to cow and its products. Milk and milk products take highest priority in the medical benefits they provide us. Let us look at some extracts from various studies.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=130
http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/benefits-of-cow-milk-6265.html
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-downtown/the-benefits-of-cow-milk/article3026269.ece
- Listing down some major benefits of Cow milk.
- Sweet in nature, easy to digest, has coolant effect on the tummy, Improves digestion in young and old
- Improves Ojas : Ojas is the factor responsible for increasing immunity.
- Nourishes the body tissues ( Dhatu vardaka)
- Acts as natural Aphrodisiac
- Has the highest and optimum amount of Omega-3 contents.
- Increases life expectancy.
- Increases Breast milk in feeding mothers.
- Keeps intestines healthy ( peristalisis)
- Cow milk is considered the next best to mothers milk for young children. The only other natural product that new born babies can digest other than mother's milk and cow milk is coconut oil !
- Cow milk is best source of calcium and easiest to digest.
- Daily consumption of milk boost anti-ageing.
- Charaka Samhita has multiple chapters dedicated to medicinal usage of Cow's milk.
- One cup of cow’s milk provides 10.8% of the daily body’s need for potassium. Potassium is required for the contraction of muscles, including the heart and is also necessary for nerve transmission.
5. But cow milk is for its calves not humans. By taking away milk from the cows, you are denying food for its calves. Humans are so selfish. You are hurting the cow by milking it.
Ans: Our Puranas have specific directions on how to, when to, how much to milk from each cow. Every indigenous breed of Indian cow has different milk yields. Some yield about 20 litres a day and some upto 70 Litres of milk a day. Kindly do a research on the milking Indian cows. Normally a cow gives birth to one calf at one time, more than one is a rarity. Each cow has 4 nipples. The Indian household milking practices are very sensitive to its calves and understand their needs. It is directed that we as humans only to milk 3 nipples and leave one full to the calf. The 3 nipples are milked only till they are 3/4 empty so that we dont hurt the cow. Cows are hurt only when they are milked with automated machines and not by human hands! Its is the industrailization that hurts the cow not household practices.
Effects of not milking a milking cow : Calves usually can consume only 20-22% of milk produced by its mother. If the rest of the milk is not milked, its starts drying out and causes severe infections in the cow. In worst cases cause death. Also, it has been observed that the capacity of the milk production goes down if not milked everyday. This in turn starves the calves! Now can you tell me how are human's hurting the cow?
The Gir breed of cow gives an avg of 60 litres per day and has become the highest exported breed to Brazil in the recent years. The quality of milk produced by Indian indigenous breed cows are unmatched. Studies in Denmark, US and Germany have shown that Indian breed cow produces the most healtiest milk in the world.
http://devinder-sharma.blogspot.in/2012/07/brazil-is-biggest-exporter-of-indian.html
6. Indian Cows are superior to Other breeds? So you are now differentiating between the various God made cows? You have a superiority complex and cannot think beyond your Vedas, Puranas and culture! Such narrow minded people!
Ans : Are you really educated or just a India (Hindu) hater? The Jersey cows are actually a cross breed between a indegenous European cow and a Fatter breed of Pigs. The other popular breed of Foreign cow is 'JUMAR' which is a cross breed of cow and Donkey! Some labs have confirmed that there are cross breeds of Horse and cows ! Did you notice that none of today's foreign breed cows have a 'hump' on their back? Why is that significant? Do Horses and Pigs have a hump ? The vanishing act happened after the cross breeding around early 1400s and mid 1500s. Do you even know what you have been drinking in the US and Europe in the name of cow milk ? God save Europeans!
There are two kinds of milks. A1 and A2. These are actually a kind of gene named as A1 And A2. All Indian cow breeds possess a rich A2 allele gene that provides a better and healthier quality of milk than foreign breeds.
“The A2 allele gene in Indian milk breeds of cows and buffalos are 100 per cent, while in foreign breeds, it is around 60 per cent,” scientists of the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR) have said in a report. Furthermore the frequency of this allele in Indian milk breeds is 1.0 (100 per cent), while in exotic breeds, it has been reported to be nearly 0.6 (60 per cent) or less, they added. Set up in 1984, NBAGR is an arm of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and is based in Karnal, Haryana. The scientists scanned 22+ breeds of Indian cows and found that in five milk yielding Indian cows — Laal Sindhi, Sahiwal, Tharparkar, Rathi and Gir — the status of the A2 allele was 100 per cent, while in other Indian breeds used for farming, its status was around 94 per cent! The scientists also scanned the status of this allele in the two most popular foreign breeds in India, Holstein Friesian and Jersey, in which the status of the A2 allele was 60 per cent only.
What is significance of hump on the Indian cows? Abundant Sunlight that falls on the Hump of an Indian cow is absorbed by the special tissue mass in the hump and converted into 'gold'. Its is reported that Indian cows have dissolved Gold in its milk. 0.442 ppm of Gold is found on an average in the Indian cow milk. This ratio perfectly suits the need of Gold consumption in the humans. refer to the below links for the Importance of Gold in food.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApKvzrNsLgk
https://www.purestcolloids.com/history-gold.php
https://indianinthemachine.wordpress.com/2012/05/09/the-story-of-monatomic-gold-the-secrets-of-the-real-arc-of-the- covenant-alchemy-electrical-super-conductivity/
http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/monatomic-gold-an-overview
7. But Humans are selfish. God did not make Cows to be used for ploughing and tilling in the land. We humans have extorted the nature!
Ans : First, Cows are not used in Ploughing fields, its the Oxes! Oxes are physically more stronger and are bested suited for tilling and ploughing. Ancient Indians knew the drastic effects of using heavy machines in Agriculture. Thats why Cow based agriculture and cow based industries are given the most prominence. Are you saying the Hindus who could build the most magnificient temples in the world, lift heaviest carved rocks to upto 100 feet high and place it on the temple roof could not design a machine to plough their fields? One should really watch the Ancient Aliens episodes on History channel to understand how the magneficient temples are built 1000s of years back. The scientists are still clueless about the exact ancient Hindu techniques of rock cutting and temple architecture. To assume that HIndus could not invent a machine to plough their fields is as crap as concluding Hindus were just cave men.
The use of Oxen in ploughing is far more scientific than using modern day heavy machines. What would do with the male calf if you are not going to use it in agriculture? Eat it? or keep feeding it in its cows shed? This is the best way to utilize a strong animal in harmony with nature. A farmer hardly needs 2-3 oxen for agriculture, whereas needs more milk yielding cows to feed his family. The birth rate of female calves to the male is at an average 3:1. The nature is so perfect !! If you think this is animal cruelty then you are a hypocrite. Why should your mother do the household work, cook for you and father should toil hard outside to feed you? Imagine a life without these two pillars? can you do everything on your own? Wash your clothes, work and earn for yourself, cook for yourself? So can i conclude you are cruel to your mother and father because you make them work for you? Not!! Similarly, everything in India is designed for a purpose. Indians are not barbaric, they plough their fields using oxens only to a certain age. After that, they are rested in the cow shed for the life time. We not only feed them with love, we worship them like we worship our mother. There is a complete natural menu for their fodder to keep them healthy and strong.
8. These methods are very primitive. They are no more effective to feed 7 billion people on this earth. You must be kidding to justify these methods in 21st century.
Ans : I am not kidding, but these are the best methods. Find a solution to growing increase in population, dont blame the food cultivation methods. The more you alter these methods, the more you will push the land towards being barren. Every kind of soil around the world has a certain capacity of yielding any crop. Any method to alter its productivity will give adverse results. The finest example of this is the use of chemical fertilizers in India in the name of green revolution. Soil fertility is measured with various parameters, its natural chemicals and their composition, Acidity, Organice matter, Cation Exchange Capacity, Organic carbon etc. Usage of chemical fertiliser and heavy machines alters the nature's balance and therefore reducing the fertility of the soil. So with every crop, the soil fertility will be degraded and will need more chemicals every time. More chemicals means more need for water to keep the soil moist! The land is bound to die after few cycles! I am not listing down the issues created by chemically grown food. We all know it very well.
So, the Only solution to this problem is cow based agriculture. Indians have always known how to utilize nature and not extort it. Cow product based manure has been proven to be the best compost for any kind of agriculture in the world. Cow dung and cow urine mixed with other herbals extracts and agricultural worms have yielded far better results than modern methods and even increased the fertility of the land. To keep your soil healthy and fertile, a cow is a must.
Benefits of cow based manure:
http://agri.and.nic.in/organic_farming.htm
http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/composting/manures/cow-manure-compost.htm
http://ecovillage.org.in/ecopedia/land-cow-iii-benefits-of-cow-dung
The highest rice, wheat , pulses, grains , vegetables and fruits are produced in the tropical countries like India, china, Thailand, Indonesia etc. Food produced in the entire world is equivalent to feed 14 billion people. Twice as much as the world population. Wondering what happens to the food? And this is produced using traditional methods. 9 billion humans worth food is actually consumed by the meat producing industry to grow fatter animals. Then animals are force fed with this food to produce more and more flesh. And the same flesh is consumed by the affluent rich countries who can afford read meat while the close to 2 billion of us on this planet sleep empty stomach. Worth it ?
We can feed the entire world with just half of the food production, half of the water to produce that food, half of the land and resources to cultivate the same food. See the difference? Just giving away meat can reverse the global warming.
2 Kilos of rice can feed 20 people while 1 pound of beef can feed 5 people. 1 kilo is rice is produced at an average of 25 litres of water and one pound of beef is produced with 2000 litres of water. Did it concern you yet ?
9. Why should i not kill the cow and eat its meat after it pauses to give milk? Its a burden to on me to keep feeding it. A fully grown cow fetches me a 40000 rupees to 1 lakh depending upon the breed. Its a win win situation for me and the butcher, leather tanner etc.. Its provides livelihood for so many people. Why Should you oppose a killing of useless cow?
Ans : We Indians are rational and practical not barbaric.Our thought process is not driven by business which only looks at benefits and balance sheets. Let us divert the topic to our families. What would do to your mother once she is old and completely dependant on you for a living? Would you send her to a butcher because she is no more useful to you or she is burden on you ? Am i Sounding ridiculous? So why cant you apply the same logic to a cow which has fed you for so long, worked for you for decades, fed you with ghee, butter, paneer and what not,nourished your children, gave you a healthy life ???
Lets talk Business, probably that is the only way you will understand. How much do you value a cow of its life time? Says 15 litres of milk a day for 20 years? consider 30/litre. 30*15 *365 *20 =3285000 rupees? Plus additional 50000 rupees if you sell it to the butcher for meat. 3335000/- and say if you have spent 200000/- rs on its food and care, your net profit is just 3135000/-. Does that make you a good businessman ? Lets see.
Lets calculate in the Indian way.These figures that i am quoting are not hypothetical, they are already being used and records are available. An average Indian cow gives you around 5-8 kilos of cow dung, 3-4 litres of Urine and 20 litres of milk per day. Cow urine is sold for making compost mixture and medicine at a rate of 20rs/litre.
20rs*4litres*365days*35 years = 1022000/- only with cow urine.
A single kilo of Cow dung mixed with wood-ash, dry herbs and leaves can create a compost manure of 30 kilos! This is sold in the market a wholesale prices of 10rs/kilo
.
10rs*5kg cow dung*30kg manure*365 days*35 yrs =1,91,62,500/- Staggering !! lets us give it 50% error correction (or say 50% of it is used for your own fields). Still is close to a crore rupees in 35 years. I dont know of any equity that can fetch me so much money!
20 litres milk*30rs*365days*20 years = 4380000 /-
And i am not giving my cow to the butcher for meat even if it dies naturally. I will rather bury it with full respect. We don't sell our mothers.
So the total income from a business perspective = 1022000(from urine) + 10000000 (From cowdung) + 4380000 from milk = 15402000/- 1.5 crores with just one cow. Imagine with 5 cows in the shed!! Which is better?
I have not calculated the amount of money it saves you on chemical fertilisers or the money you will make out of it if you market milk products like ghee or butter!
Spiritual and Scientific aspect for not killing a cow for meat.
Cow is a very sacred to Hindus. It is revered as a mother for all the reasons i have put earlier in this post. It is the Divine vahana of Lord Shiva. Shiva is accompanied by the White Nandi wherever he goes. It is believed that Nandi is very close to Lord Shiva and anything you wish for urself in the nandi's ears will reach Lord Shiva directly. That is why you will see people secretly telling their wishes into the Nandi's ears in the temples. We believe it is not just an animal, but a home for 33 crores Gods. During the samudra manathana it is believed that the waters in all the oceans were poisoned. To save the world from Ending Lord Shiva scoops the poison from the oceans and drinks it. Fearing that it will cause Shiva's end, Parvati asks him to spit out the venom. It is the Nandi that drinks all that venom and by the grace of Lord Shiva it survives. The moral being , cow is sacred and takes all the pain for our sake and keeps us happy. It is a non-complaining living being. You will never ever see a cow in complaining mode. Never!
Biologically, human body is designed only to digest vegetarian food. Meat is alien to Human body. If we closely observe the digestive system of the herbivorous animals and Humans, the digestive system are identical. Then how come so many meat eating people do not have any problems? That is because we cook food unlike the animals. But the meat if still meat. The health issues related to Beef and meat consumption is already discussed above. It is unnatural for human body to consume meat as it is simply not designed for it. Also, we are designed by God only to eat veg food. Look at the teeth pattern of herbivorous animals and humans. We all have flat teeth with half pointed canines. Human canines are designed to cut through the vegetable fibre and not to tear into the meat. Else we would all look like Draculas! Try biting into a sugar cane or a walnut without using your canines, you will know what i am saying!
10.Then how come some western countries where primary food is meat have longer lifespan and Indians who are primarily vegetarian have shorter lifespan?
Ans: There are records until the 1500s that people lived upto 250 -300 years. Buddhist monk who lived 250 years 'http://www.spiritscienceandmetaphysics.com/256-year-old-man-reveals-the-secrets-to-his-longevity/'. It is utterly false that Indians have shorter lifespan. Various factors have to be considered to get to a conclusion. The west has deliberately injected poison in our heads. Shorter Lifespan is one amongst them. More than 65% of India is poor and they do not have access to sanitation and good food. They usual suffer from Malnutrition related dieases and die sooner. So the average of the all whole country comes down to the 65 yrs. Affluent villages in Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Karnataka where agriculture is the main occupation, there the average lifespan is more than 90 years which is above the world average. There is a group of villages in Northern Karnataka where the average life span of a man is 128 years and for a woman is 133 years even today. There are various such places in Punjab and Haryana. Life style and means of food defines a lot. So let us not be fooled by the propagandist west.
Effect on Nature :
Beef affects the nature directly. The more you produce beef, warmer the globe gets. Just to produce more and more beef,Brazil has cut down its Amazon jungle by a staggering 20%. The Amazon rainforest has been facing severe deforestation problems for several decades, it has lost about a fifth of its forest in the past three. While there are many causes, one of the main causes is cattle ranching, particularly in Brazil. Trees are cut and the land is converted into a pasture for cattle grazing. According to one report, an estimated 70 percent of deforestation in the Amazon basin can be attributed to cattle ranching. Using these numbers, cattle ranching in the Amazon has resulted in the loss of an area larger than the state of Washington. Kindly go through the links to understand how beef production is leading to Deforestation of last known rain forests on this planet.
http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/may/14/brazil-beef-industry-pledges-cut-amazon-deforestation-rate- in-half
http://rainforests.mongabay.com/20brazil.htm
http://news.mongabay.com/2009/06/brazilian-cattle-giant-declares-moratorium-on-amazon-deforestation/
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/beef-production-is-killing-the-amazon-rainforest/
Additional Links on how giving up beef will benefit the nature by reducing carbon footprint in the world.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jul/21/giving-up-beef-reduce-carbon-footprint-more-than-cars
http://www.elsevier.com/about/press-releases/research-and-journals/dairy-industry-making-strides-toward-reducing-its- carbon-footprint
This the best site to study the adverse effects of ranches for beef. And How cow based industry is the only solution to all problems faced by the earth today.
http://www.cowspiracy.com/facts/
What do the non-hindu scriptures say?
Bible:
Acts 15:29
You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.
Leviticus 7:26
And wherever you live, you must not eat the blood of any bird or animal.
Leviticus 17:10
"'I will set my face against any Israelite or any foreigner residing among them who eats blood, and I will cut them off from the people.
Leviticus 17:11
For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.
Leviticus 17:14
because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites, "You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off."
Deuteronomy 15:23
But you must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water.
Islam on Beef:
You should instead take good care of these animals and use them for your benefit. Chapter 2 of Quran is Surah Bakar or Chapter of Holy Cow. Hence Cow is holy for you and should always be nurtured. Take her milk, ghee, butter and all benefits she bestows upon human beings without torturing her or depriving her calf of mother’s milk.
The Hadith of Zâd al-ma‘âd by Ibn Qayyim says that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
“You should use cows’ milk, because it is good for health, and cows’ ghee is good for health, but beef is bad for health.”
Actually, the literal meaning of the words the Prophet used is much stronger than that. He said that milk is “healing,” ghee is “medicine,” and beef is “disease.”
In the Book of Medicine of the Mustadrak al-Hakîm [a classical hadith commentary by al-Hakîm al-Nîsaburî], the first hadith is: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings upon him, said: “Allah did not create any disease without creating its cure; and in cows’ milk is a cure for every disease.” The third hadith in this book says on the subject of healing: “Because the cow grazes from every kind of plant.”
It does not matter if you are an atheist or liberal thinker. If u think this earth is for everyone and we have to preserve it for our own future, then cow is the only solution. Conclusion is clear, to save the country for the future generations, save the holy cow. Promote cow based industry and agriculture to save the planet from becoming a big desert. I stand by the beef ban, as my belief, my nature, my country's future, my farmers' future is far more important than your taste buds.
