"Non-violent" Milk?
BY: DUSYANTA DASA
Mar 31, 2011 — WALES, UK (SUN) — One of the most recurring principles is that in ISKCON, there are statements that just don't tie up with what Srila Prabhupada has written. It's easier to misunderstand what has been said by someone, but when its written, then what reason is there for misunderstanding the points made? And here again for the millionth time in ISKCON we have members, devotees no doubt, who have misunderstood what Srila Prabhupada has written about "violence" and "non-violent" in terms of Milk and Agricultural produce. In other words, food.
If we all just stick to what Srila Prabhupada says by reading His books, and stop listening to what is said in ISKCON corridors, then perhaps we will have a better understanding of what is actually going on.
Srimad Bhagavatam 3.29.15:
"A devotee must execute his prescribed duties, which are glorious, without material profit. Without excessive violence, one should regularly perform one's devotional service."
In the third paragraph of the purport Srila Prabhupada focuses on the significant word used in this Text, which is natihimsrena (with minimum violence or sacrifice of life). Even a devotee has to commit violence, but it should not be done beyond what is necessary. Then Srila Prabhupada frames this word "minimum violence" within the context of vegetarians and food. Eating vegetables is Violence. The law of nature is that a living entity has to kill another living entity for eating purposes, but that violence should be minimised.
Again Srila Prabhupada says we have to commit violence, that is a natural law. We are not to extravagantly commit violence, but as much as ordered by the Lord. So in this way the violence we commit as ordered by the Lord and as it is necessary, that is called natihimsa, not ahimsa. Conditional life means we are put in situations where we have to commit violence, but we should not commit more violence than necessary or ordered by the Lord.
Srila Prabhupada practically repeats the same theme three times in this purport, that we have to commit violence but it should be minimised or as ordered by the Lord. The cow protection farms that operate in ISKCON seem to have got it into their heads that the milk produced from protected cows is called "Non-violent Milk", but in this purport from Srimad Bhagavatam 3.29.15, the proper framing for cow protected milk and all produce from Agriculture is Minimum Violence. There is no such concept as Ahimsa Milk or Ahimsa Cauliflowers or Ahimsa Grains, etc.
The most that we can lay claim to as farmers is that we can produce minimum violent produce in ISKCON. Then there is the whole question of whether the produce is organic or chemical, and whether the practices are actually sustainable and carbon free footprint. who knows what is going on in ISKCON farms? I have been a farmer for over 35 years, with 10 years in ISKCON. I believe the cows are supervised and cared for excellently on most ISKCON farms, but as far as non-violent farming is concerned, it doesn't exist.
