Quotes: Vedic Biotechnologies (Srila Prabhupada)

Care for Earth (krishi-palana)

(ahimsa to plants and cows) Room Conversation with Dr. John Mize. June 23, 1975, Los Angeles. Vegetable has also life, but we are not killing. When you pluck out the flower, the tree is not killed. When you take a fruit, the tree is not killed. When you take grains, automatically they die; then you take the grains. There is no question of killing. But even it is killing, it is not as murderous as killing a cow. Why the state hangs a man when he kills a man? The man can plead that "So many animals are being killed every day. If I kill one man, what is the wrong there?" The punishment is that "You have killed one important animal." Therefore the Bhaga..., krsi-go-raksya [Bg 18.44], that cow should be protected because it is a very, very important animal. It does not say "other animal." Or does not say "all animals." He said cows, because important. It's supplying you milk, so important food. She is your mother, and you are killing mother? Is that your civilization, killing mother? "Mother is old, and mother is no more supplying milk. Kill." Is there any such sanction? Rather, old mother is given more protection. And what is this civilization, killing the mother? In the morning we require milk immediately, and the mother cow is supplying. And when she cannot supply, kill her. What is this philosophy?

(the Earth can feed 10 times more people) Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.30. October 2, 1975, Mauritius.  Everywhere there is sufficient land to produce food grains. Not only in your country; I have traveled all over the world -- Africa, Australia, and other, in America also. There are so much land vacant that if we produce food grain, then we can feed ten times as much population as at the present moment. There is no question of scarcity. The whole creation is so made by Krsna that everything is purnam, complete. Purnam idam purnam adah purnat purnam udacyate, purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavasisyate [Iso Invocation].

Care for Animals and Cows (Pashu-palana, Go-rakshya)

(dead cow gives away its skin and meat) Garden Conversation. June 14, 1976, Detroit. So similarly, when the cow is dead, you dig, or put it within the... Or take it. No, nobody will object. In India, that is the system. When the cow is dead, there is a class, they are called cobblers, camara. They are informed and they'll come; they'll take it. And they'll eat the flesh and take the skin, and tan it in their own method, and then prepare shoes. They sell it in the market. So without any price, they get the skin, they eat the flesh. So nobody is harmed. But there is a class... [break] ...they are not going to starve. From economic point of view, it is very good. So why you are killing and maintaining so big, big slaughterhouse? Let everyone maintain the cows for taking milk. And when it dies, you take it, you meat-eaters. Make that arrangement.

(taking care of cows and increasing milk yields) In New Vrindavan we are keeping cows. That is an example. And the cows are giving milk, delivering milk, double than other farmers. Why? Because the cows know that "These people will not kill me." They are not in anxiety. Suppose you are engaged in some work, and if you know that "After seven days, I will be killed," can you do the work very nicely? No. Similarly, the cows know in the Western countries that "These people giving me very nice grains and grass, but after all, they will kill me." So they are not happy. But if they are assured that "You'll not be killed," then they will give double milk, double milk. That is stated in the sastra. During Maharaja Yudhisthira's time, the cows' milk bag was so filled up that in the pasturing ground they were dropping, and the whole pasturing ground became moist, muddy with milk. The land used to be muddy with milk, not with water. That was the position. Therefore cow is so important that we can get nice food, the milk. Milk is required every morning. But what is this justice, that after taking milk from the animal and kill it? Is that very good justice? So it is very, very sinful, and we have to suffer for that. And they are stated in the sastras that "If you do this sinful act, you will go to this kind of hell." There are description in the Fifth Canto.

(the advantage of caring is regular milk) Garden Conversation. June 14, 1976, Detroit. Paramanna, puspanna, khicaranna, so many things. What is that? If you kill the cow you get the meat only one time. But if you allow the cow to live and take milk, and from milk you can make hundreds and thousands of preparations. That is enjoyment, real enjoyment. In Delhi, there are shops, very respectable shops: one side salt, and one side sweet. But the salt side or sweet side, they're all based on ghee. This preparation, dahi bada, so nice. Combination of grain and yogurt. So introduce this. They do not know. It is a new type of civilization we are trying to introduce for the benefit of the human society. They do not know it. Crude civilization. Primitive. Kill an animal and eat. And when you are civilized, you are supposed to know so many things; why should you kill the animal? You utilize the animal. This milk is taking the blood without killing. That is humanity. You are eating beef because of the blood. So if you take the blood in a different way, you get the same benefit.