Two New Disciples
Here at ISKCON Juhu on 8 December in the auspicious presence Sri Sri Radha Rasabihari I initiated two new disciples. Daniel and Magda, an elderly couple from Belgium are now Dasaratha Das, and Mandakini Devi Dasi. Immediately from the moment of initiation the disciple attains deathlessness, immortality. And if the disciple remains true to the initiation vows, deathlessness remains as his or her eternal asset. The vows required for initiation are to chant at least 16 rounds daily of the Hare Krishna mahamantra on japa beads and to strictly follow the four regulative principles:
1. No illicit sex (Sex is only for procreation.)
2. No intoxication (including coffee, tea, and cigarettes)
3. No meat eating (including eggs and fish)
4. No gambling
While some may find these rules to be extreme or unreasonable, what ones factually gets instead of identification with birth, death, old age, and disease is the most amazing reawakening of one's original natural pure state of consciousness, which is eternal, full of knowledge, and full of bliss. This perfectional state of consciousness is known as Krishna consciousness.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
I've got one question:
I have a family friend studying in the UK. He is a Hindu working for McDonald's. He has been telling me that he gets free food, and that the cheese they use there is beef based, and that also he started consuming beef. He has been arguing the following:
1. Why Muslims, Christians, and Jews can eat beef while Hindus cannot?
2. Also if everyone would turn vegetarian, there will be an overpopulation of cattle, cows, hens, etc...
3. Herbivores have flat teeth and carnivores have pointed teeth. But humans have both. So it is a clear signal that we humans can eat both, as humans can easily digest non vegetarian food.
4. Even plants and trees are living entities. But still we pluck and eat the fruits and vegetables.
I told him that cows are Krishna's favorites and that they provide milk so they are our mothers. I also told him that Krishna Himself says that consumers of beef will have to go through this repeated cycle of birth and deaths and be born 5000 times more as the worse lowly species. Then, he told me, "What is the proof that Krishna said all this? Bhagavad-gita was spoken so many years back and at that time there was no copyright. Maybe the one who wrote it is wrong and has interpreted Bhagavad-gita in his own way."
I did try my best, Maharaja. Please excuse me if I did any offense. Please advise me how I should answer him.
Thank You,
Your Servant,
Renu
1. Why Muslims, Christians, and Jews can eat beef while Hindus cannot?
Answer: Everyone can eat meat if they want to. But they will take the karma of becoming animals and being slaughtered and eaten by the very same animals that they ate. It does not matter how they designate themselves as Muslim, Christian, Jew, Hindu etc. Everyone is treated equally without any discrimination by the stringent laws of karma.
2. Also if everyone would turn vegetarian, there will be an overpopulation of cattle, cows, hens, etc...
Answer: The cattle are being artificially bred to support the beef eating industry. It is very simple to separate the cows and bulls into separate pasturing grounds.
3. Herbivores have flat teeth and carnivores have pointed teeth. But humans have both. So it is a clear signal that we humans can eat both, as humans can easily digest non vegetarian food.
Answer: Humans have two carnivorous teeth as a concession for the meat eaters. That's a fact. But besides that, their entire digestive system is herbivorous. When a human eats meat, it is very unhealthy because the rotting meat turns from fermentative into putrefactive while still present in the intestinal system. The carnivorous animals have a very short intestinal system to get the meat out before it turns putrefactive. It is because of meat eating that we see so much colon cancer in the human society.
4. Even plants and trees are living entities. But still we pluck and eat the fruits and vegetables.
Answer: Therefore we are forbidden to consume even fruits and vegetables unless they are first offered to Krishna to free us from the karma of killing them. We cannot offer meat to Krishna because He specifically instructs us to offer Him vegetarian foods, not meat foods.
I told him that cows are Krishna's favorites and that they provide milk so they are our mothers. I also told him that Krishna Himself says that consumers of beef will have to go through this repeated cycle of birth and deaths and be born 5000 times more as the worse lowly species. Then, he told me, "What is the proof that Krishna said all this? Bhagavad-gita was spoken so many years back and at that time there was no copyright. Maybe the one who wrote it is wrong and has interpreted Bhagavad-gita in his own way."
Answer: The words of Krishna spoken 5,000 years ago have been passed down carefully without any adulteration through an unbroken chain of disciplic succession. Besides that, the proof of the pudding is in eating. When he finds himself in the animal kingdom being readied for slaughter for as many times as there are hairs on the body of the cow that he eats, he will get his proof. But by then, it will be too late. It is more intelligent to learn by hearing than it is by being sent repeatedly to the slaughter house. But less intelligent fools are stubborn. They will only learn the hard way.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
1. No illicit sex (Sex is only for procreation.)
2. No intoxication (including coffee, tea, and cigarettes)
3. No meat eating (including eggs and fish)
4. No gambling
While some may find these rules to be extreme or unreasonable, what ones factually gets instead of identification with birth, death, old age, and disease is the most amazing reawakening of one's original natural pure state of consciousness, which is eternal, full of knowledge, and full of bliss. This perfectional state of consciousness is known as Krishna consciousness.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Initiating Two New Disciples in Mumbai
Dasaratha Das (on the left) Mandakini Devi Dasi (on the right)
Answers According to the Vedic Version:
Question: Arguments for Meat Eating
I would firstly like to thank you for all the nectar you are sharing with us. The photos are soooo full of life:))I've got one question:
I have a family friend studying in the UK. He is a Hindu working for McDonald's. He has been telling me that he gets free food, and that the cheese they use there is beef based, and that also he started consuming beef. He has been arguing the following:
1. Why Muslims, Christians, and Jews can eat beef while Hindus cannot?
2. Also if everyone would turn vegetarian, there will be an overpopulation of cattle, cows, hens, etc...
3. Herbivores have flat teeth and carnivores have pointed teeth. But humans have both. So it is a clear signal that we humans can eat both, as humans can easily digest non vegetarian food.
4. Even plants and trees are living entities. But still we pluck and eat the fruits and vegetables.
I told him that cows are Krishna's favorites and that they provide milk so they are our mothers. I also told him that Krishna Himself says that consumers of beef will have to go through this repeated cycle of birth and deaths and be born 5000 times more as the worse lowly species. Then, he told me, "What is the proof that Krishna said all this? Bhagavad-gita was spoken so many years back and at that time there was no copyright. Maybe the one who wrote it is wrong and has interpreted Bhagavad-gita in his own way."
I did try my best, Maharaja. Please excuse me if I did any offense. Please advise me how I should answer him.
Thank You,
Your Servant,
Renu
Answer: Arguments Against Meat Eating
Here are your questions with answers:1. Why Muslims, Christians, and Jews can eat beef while Hindus cannot?
Answer: Everyone can eat meat if they want to. But they will take the karma of becoming animals and being slaughtered and eaten by the very same animals that they ate. It does not matter how they designate themselves as Muslim, Christian, Jew, Hindu etc. Everyone is treated equally without any discrimination by the stringent laws of karma.
2. Also if everyone would turn vegetarian, there will be an overpopulation of cattle, cows, hens, etc...
Answer: The cattle are being artificially bred to support the beef eating industry. It is very simple to separate the cows and bulls into separate pasturing grounds.
3. Herbivores have flat teeth and carnivores have pointed teeth. But humans have both. So it is a clear signal that we humans can eat both, as humans can easily digest non vegetarian food.
Answer: Humans have two carnivorous teeth as a concession for the meat eaters. That's a fact. But besides that, their entire digestive system is herbivorous. When a human eats meat, it is very unhealthy because the rotting meat turns from fermentative into putrefactive while still present in the intestinal system. The carnivorous animals have a very short intestinal system to get the meat out before it turns putrefactive. It is because of meat eating that we see so much colon cancer in the human society.
4. Even plants and trees are living entities. But still we pluck and eat the fruits and vegetables.
Answer: Therefore we are forbidden to consume even fruits and vegetables unless they are first offered to Krishna to free us from the karma of killing them. We cannot offer meat to Krishna because He specifically instructs us to offer Him vegetarian foods, not meat foods.
I told him that cows are Krishna's favorites and that they provide milk so they are our mothers. I also told him that Krishna Himself says that consumers of beef will have to go through this repeated cycle of birth and deaths and be born 5000 times more as the worse lowly species. Then, he told me, "What is the proof that Krishna said all this? Bhagavad-gita was spoken so many years back and at that time there was no copyright. Maybe the one who wrote it is wrong and has interpreted Bhagavad-gita in his own way."
Answer: The words of Krishna spoken 5,000 years ago have been passed down carefully without any adulteration through an unbroken chain of disciplic succession. Besides that, the proof of the pudding is in eating. When he finds himself in the animal kingdom being readied for slaughter for as many times as there are hairs on the body of the cow that he eats, he will get his proof. But by then, it will be too late. It is more intelligent to learn by hearing than it is by being sent repeatedly to the slaughter house. But less intelligent fools are stubborn. They will only learn the hard way.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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