Goshala
Nurturing and Protecting Our Holy Cows
How Cows are important, Quotes From Srila Prabhupada
Cows are considered sacred and important in the Vedic culture and are revered as the mother of all creatures. They are considered to be a symbol of wealth, strength, and abundance. Cows provide milk, which is a nutritious food that is essential for human growth and development. Cow dung is also used as a natural fertilizer and fuel.
How Cows are important, Quotes From Srila Prabhupada
Cows are considered sacred and important in the Vedic culture and are revered as the mother of all creatures. They are considered to be a symbol of wealth, strength, and abundance. Cows provide milk, which is a nutritious food that is essential for human growth and development. Cow dung is also used as a natural fertilizer and fuel.
Srila Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON, emphasized the importance of cows in several of his teachings. Here are a few quotes from him:
- “The cow is the most important animal for developing the human body to perfection.”
- “The cow is meant for giving milk, and it does not become necessary to kill the cow for this purpose.”
- “Cow protection is the business of the vaisyas and along with their natural inclination to trade, they should give protection to the cows.”
- “One who is sufficiently intelligent should use the human form of body from the very beginning of life – in other words, from the tender age of childhood – to practice the activities of devotional service, giving up all other engagements. The human body is most rarely achieved, and although temporary like other bodies, it is meaningful because in human life one can perform devotional service. Even a slight amount of sincere devotional service can give one complete perfection. Therefore, human life is meant for performing devotional service. One who has been born in India, as a human being, should make his life successful by performing devotional service to the cows, brahmanas, and devotees of Vishnu.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.6.18 Purport)
In summary, cows are considered important in Vedic culture for their contribution to human society and their sacred nature. Srila Prabhupada emphasized the importance of cow protection and the role of Goshala in promoting a sustainable and spiritually conscious way of life.
How We are taking Care of Cows
ISKCON Kurukshetra takes great care of its cows and considers them an important part of its spiritual community. The cows are provided with a clean and comfortable living environment and are fed a nutritious diet of fresh grass and hay.
The milk produced by the cows in the Goshala is used to make Krishna’s sweets and other preparations that are offered to the deities in the temple. These offerings are then distributed to the devotees as prasadam, which is considered to be spiritually purifying.
The cows at ISKCON Kurukshetra Goshala are treated with love and respect, and their well-being is given top priority. They are not subjected to any kind of cruelty or exploitation and are allowed to live out their natural lives in peace. In addition to providing milk, the cows also play an important role in promoting sustainable agriculture. Their dung is used as a natural fertilizer, which helps to enrich the soil and promote healthy plant growth.
Overall, ISKCON Kurukshetra’s cow protection program (Goshala) is an important part of its mission to promote spiritual and sustainable living. It serves as an example of how cows can be treated with love and respect while also contributing to the well-being of human society.