Hi all,
The recent controversy surrounding DEFRA’s attempts to slaughter Shambo, the bull in Skanda Vale, has highlighted a serious misunderstanding about why the cow and the bull have a special place in Sanatana Dharma. [sm=banghead.gif]
Because Sanatana Dharma is a multi-level, multi-layer system of philosophy and belief, the answer needs to be given in several level.
At the level of “Advaita Vedanta” or using the Jnana yoga system, the answer is simplicity itself. In a word: cannibalism. Or rather, abhorrence to it.
That’s because in Advaita Vedanta.there is nodifference between a human being and any sentient being. Cow is a higher mammal. One might as well eat human meat!
However, I must stress that very few Hindusadhere to the strict Advaita discipline, although most are aware of it. In many ways, it is the hardest route to follow. Also, the Jain concept, I believe, of ahimsa means that violence to any living thing is abhorrent. The Buddhist position is similar, I believe.
But the average Hindu takes the ‘dvaita’ path, in that he/she is devoted to Shree Krishna, Shiva or Shakti (in the forms of Ma Durga, Ma Kali or Ma Saraswati). There are other variations, also. The rest of this post is concerned with that stance.
1. Cow is a pet - In our home in India, we had a pet cow. I could no more eat a cow, than a Westerner could eat a dog or cat. In fact, according to the Highway code in Britain, a dog is a notifiable animal and even its accidental death MUST be reported. [sm=cat.gif]
2. Cow's usefulness for Indian agricultural economy - Just as a horse in the West until the 19th century.[sm=animal-smiley-085.gif]
3. Dietary considerations - Would you kill the goose that laid the golden egg? Aesop wouldn’t! What better way to protect it from indiscriminate killing by poachers, non-believers etc. than by giving it holystatus![sm=FIFangel.gif]&nb