Morning Walk Conversation Prabhupada: …not within the Vedic culture. Vedic culture means this varnasrama-dharma: four varnas, four asrama. And those who are lower than the sudras, they are not in the Vedic culture. They are called candalas. Among these candalas, the mleccha, yavana, are also there. There are. Kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa abhira-sumbha yavanah khasadayah. So they are also candalas, fifth status. Fourth status, up to sudra, and then all fifth status. So amongst the fifth status, there are all meat-eaters, without any restriction. And there are dog-eaters. So amongst them, the fifth status, one who eats dog, he is considered most abominable. Pusta Krsna: Would a Vedic king try to prohibit such persons from eating… Prabhupada: No. Pusta Krsna: …animals of any kind? Would a Vedic king try to prohibit the fifth-class men from eating the animals? Prabhupada: No. Animals, you can eat if you like. But there was no slaughterhouse. If you like, you can kill your own animal and eat. That was open. But the state did not maintain any slaughterhouse. And the third-class, fourth-class men, they would eat. So simply by saying that “You don’t eat,” they will not accept that. They’re free, but the state would not maintain the slaughterhouse. At the present moment also, if the slaughterhouse are closed, then immediately seventy-five-percent meat-eating will be stopped. They maintain slaughterhouse. That is the most sinful activity. Pancadravida: That was Nehru’s contribution? Prabhupada: Eh? Pancadravida: Nehru started that slaughterhouse? Prabhupada: No, it is British contribution, the mlecchas. Before British period, even in Mohammedan period, there was no slaughterhouse, neither the public used to take cow’s flesh. Still in Mohammedan country, Afghanistan, these places, they do not take cow’s flesh. Lamb, goats. In the Vedic culture, the cow is recommended to be protected, not other animals. Other animals, the meat-eaters can eat. Pusta Krsna: Even the buffalo. Prabhupada: Eh? Pusta Krsna: Buffalo. Prabhupada: Yes, buffalos. Cow is very important animal. Therefore it is recommended to protect it. From social benefit point of view, it is essential that cow should be protected so that you can get lots of milk preparations and keep your health very nice. So many nice preparations can be made from milk. In New Vrindaban, the other farmers, they come. They are surprised to see: “Oh, so many nice preparations!” They are appreciating. They do not know. It is the industrialist who has introduced this meat-eating. Because they are attracting men from village to work in the factory, so they have made it a policy that “We shall eat cow’s flesh. That’s all. We don’t require…” In Russia, practically, they eat only cow’s flesh. They do not know anything else to eat. Jagadisa: Srila Prabhupada, in your books you’ve stated that the position of the cow is as important as the position of the brahmana. Prabhupada: Hm ? Yes. Go-brahmana-hitaya ca. We offer respect to Krsna as the well-wisher of the cows and the brahmanas. Brahminical culture and preparation from milk makes a man perfect for spiritual understanding. Therefore they are two very important items, go-brahmana hitaya ca. In the society, if there is no brahminical culture and no cow protection, that is animal society. That is not human society. We are trying to bring the animal society to human society to fulfill the mission of human life. This is Krsna consciousness. Pusta Krsna: Prasadam distribution is very important? Prabhupada: Yes. Pusta Krsna: We find that when people taste the Sunday Feast, it’s so nice that they want to give up meat-eating. Prabhupada: Eh? Pusta Krsna: When people taste the Sunday Love Feast at the temple, it’s so nice that they want to give up their meat-eating. Prabhupada: Yes. Pusta Krsna: At least, they express that sentiment. Prabhupada: No, they’ll do if they are continually eating. Jayadvaita: In New York so many people are coming, they want to start a Saturday feast also. Prabhupada: Do it. Pusta Krsna: Jaya. Prabhupada: Yes. There is no harm. We want to distribute all the days prasadam. Yes, if possible. Give them all. Nalini-kanta: We’ve heard in America that they are eating their own children. They perform abortion, and then they take that fetus and they… Brahmananda: Yes. Bhagavan: Who is that? Brahmananda: Some hippie cults. Pancadravida: Andy Warhol… Ramesvara: It’s not widespread. Brahmananda: Eh? Ramesvara: It is not widespread. Nalini-kanta: We’ve seen in the newspaper that… Ramesvara: Hippies. Prabhupada: That will increase, this idea. They’ll put forward some scientific method… (devotees laugh) Yes. Now for the abortion the so-called scientists, they’re explaining in a scientific way that “This is very good action.” That I was talking with that Indian scientist. I gave him slaps: “Rascal, you are scientist.” The government engages that “Write scientific book for killing your own child.” And they’ll accept: “Oh, it is scientific.” That’s all. Pancadravida: Now the scientists… Prabhupada: Anything nonsense you do, that is scientific, artist. Pancadravida: Now the scientists have another plan for changing all the plastic to eatable foodstuffs. Prabhupada: No. Pancadravida: There’s something they put on the plastic so you can now eat it. Prabhupada: Yes. Just like the Germans, they extracted fat from stool. And that was used as butter. This is scientific. They’ll have to eat stool even. They have eaten. In the last war, concentration camp, they have eaten their own stool. There was no food. So nature will punish them in that way. They’ll eat everything. This godless civilization will lead people to such condition of life. Kadharya bhaksana kare, tara janma adho pate yaya. This life they will eat everything, all nonsense thing, and next life they become pig, cats, dogs. That’s all. This will be. Nalini-kanta: The scientists are saying that milk is the major cause for heart attack. Milk is a very harmful food. It causes heart attack. Prabhupada: Just see. Milk is the miracle food, and they are condemning by a scientific process. Pancadravida: These Chinese people, they hate to drink milk. They like to take yogurt and butter and things, but they won’t drink milk. Prabhupada: Yes. Pusta Krsna: Is yogurt as healthy as milk? Prabhupada: No. Yogurt is healthy when you cannot digest properly. One who can digest, for him, milk is better. Pancadravida: (Heavy wind static) Even now the… Prabhupada: Where? (end)
with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
April 6, 1975, Mayapur