Vegan & Hare Krishna

The Bhagavad-Gita as well as many other books associated with the Hare Krishna, or Vaishnava, philosophy extol the wonders and benefits of animals products (primarily those from cows) such as milk, butter, yogurt and cheese.  Many Hare Krishna recipes call for these ingredients, and in large quantities to boot.  However, the delightful products they are referring are to are ahimsa products, meaning the animals from which they are derived were treated lovingly in the most non-violent way possible.

Protected cows grazing at New Talivan Farm, MS.

Cows raised by Devotees of Lord Krishna are treated exceptionally well, often getting massages, eat only the sweetest grasses, get bathed and cleaned by hand, and are adorned with beautiful garlands.  If only we could all be so lucky! They are treated with the utmost respect and devotion and live out their full life.  In exchange, the cows share their life-giving products with us and in so doing, act our mothers.  It is for this reason and many others that cows are considered sacred.

The Reality in the West

The unfortunate reality in America is that most dairy products produced from cows is done so cruelly and at great expense to both the cow's health and our own (when we consume the products).  On large dairy operations cows are kept in confined, cramped stalls away from daylight, fed corn that makes them sick, and then get pumped full of antibiotics and medications as a result.  Moreover, they are forced to produce milk unnaturally and are milked constantly with machines that rub them raw, producing infections and bleeding.  Eventually, many dairy cows are sold to slaughter, even from small farming operations.  This reality could not be farther from the principle and practice of ahimsa, or non-violence, performed by Devotees of Lord Krishna.  

 Eating Vegan When In Doubt

Despite that the recipes and text of Vaishnava literature discuss eating dairy, I believe that it is not always advisable to do so in modern times unless you absolutely know the product is made according to the principle of ahimsa.  The reality of our society is much different than that of a Hare Krishna society, so we need to re-evaluate the purchase, support, or consumption of certain sources of dairy in the context of modern America.  This warning holds true for many other products in our society as well, including vegetables and fruit.

When in doubt, I feel that eating a local, organic, whole-foods vegan diet is the best option to comply with the dietary and karmic principles as explained in the Bhagavad-gita. 

(Bounty of vegetables that are organic, locally sourced, & produced with fair labor practices)

The principles of the Bhagavad-gita, taught to us by Srila Prabhupada, support not just a vegetarian diet, but most importantly a lifestyle whereby suffering in the world is to be decreased to the greatest extent possible.  While we accept that it is impossible to avoid causing suffering, we can't just sit back on cruise control and assume that if we are eating fruits, vegetables, and dairy that we are doing good.

The reality of our modern world forces us to evaluate the karma in each of these foods and broaden the definition of suffering to include not only that of animals, but also environmental impacts and human rights that are entangled in the production of food crops.  

That is why I am offering these recipes that are both Vegan and Vedic.  It is not to say that dairy is bad, only to offer a solution to the problem of karma-free eating in our modern world.

Not All Dairy Is Bad

While I was visiting New Talavana Farm, near Gulf Port, Mississippi, I witnessed the practice of ahimsa cow raising.  The cows were treated lovingly, even having a special herbal ointment applied to one of them because she got a small wound (from bitting flies on her shoulders where she could not easily reach).

(Ahimsa cows grazing outside the milking barn at New Talavana Farm, Mississippi)

 The cows would come into the milking dairy on their own accord each day and were milked one at a time by hand.  Often, the "next in line" would wander over during the course of the milking and wait patiently outside for her turn.  I have never witnessed anything so peaceful and amazing.  I was able to milk these ahimsa cows and eat the delicious products.  It was quite wonderful!  I have also tried some raw milk from a local farmer's market, though decided against continuing with that unless I could actually visit the farm myself.

The bottom line is that dairy is not necessarily bad, but we must be discerning and proactive consumers!