What is the religion of eating our mother and father, brother and sister?

How can we take the cow’s milk, and then kill her? Which religion supports this kind of ingratitude? How can we be so inhuman as to kill and eat the flesh of cows, bulls, and calves? Do we not see how this is causing havoc in human society? Please protect cows, and be peaceful and happy!

Sometimes, we see that people eat meat of animals, and that makes us sad.

We are sad because the killer becomes responsible for being killed. This cycle of violence can continue endlessly.

Sometimes we are shocked to see that they eat the meat of cows and bulls, calves too. It’s called “beef”.

They don’t seem to feel anything about this. Sometimes they even say their religion “supports” or “encourages” such meat eating.

But do you know that the cow is our mother? The bull is our father. All the calves are our brothers and sisters.

Sounds strange?

Well, when you were born, did you take the milk of your mother? Did your father contribute to your birth in this world? At least some of you have brothers and sisters older or younger to you? Do you kill them and eat their flesh?

Most of us take cow’s milk when we are babies. We continue when we are children. In most cases, we even continue as adults. We take yoghurt, buttermilk, cheese, milk sweets, and so many preparations made with cow’s milk.

If we take the cow’s milk, is the cow not our mother? Do we not owe a debt of gratitude to mother cow in return for her milk? How can we take the cow’s milk, then slaughter her?

The cow gives milk when she gives birth to a calf… then is the calf not our brother or sister?

The bull is responsible for making the cow pregnant. So, is the bull not our father?

What civilization is this? In our modern “animalization”, we have forgotten these debts to so many living entities.

We mercilessly slaughter the poor cow and her family.

But beware my dear reader – what goes around, comes around, it’s the law of karma.

We are cruelly slaughtering the cows, bulls, and calves. Similarly, our other “brothers and sisters” will slaughter us.

It will happen as war, it will happen through exploitation, it will happen as mass shootings. But happen it will.

War - especially unnecessary war is a result of karmic reactions. As you sow, so shall you reap.

For every hair on each body of every cow, bull, or calf we have killed, we will face the consequences. We have killed them unnecessarily. We will suffer slaughter ourselves. We will endure the same fate.

  • The war in Palestine is a result of cow killing.
  • The war in South Sudan is a result of cow killing.
  • The war in Ukraine is a result of cow killing.
  • Do we want more?
Why are there so many mass shootings in America? Is it not the cruelty we perpetrate every day that comes back to claim our own lives? The lives of our children?

Which religion allows you to kill and eat your father, your mother, your brothers and sisters?

No religion of God!

A society devoid of cow protection and brahminical culture is not under the direct protection of the Lord, just as the prisoners in the jails are not under the protection of the king but under the protection of a severe agent of the king. https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/1/14/34/ Purport

Why is the middle east always in turmoil? Why is Africa always so violent? Why are the Muslims killing the Christians, the Christians killing the Muslims? The Jews killing the Muslims, the Muslims killing the Jews? Why are the Muslims killing each other?

Is a Muslim who kills unnecessarily even a Muslim?

Is a Jew who kills unnecessarily even a Jew?

Is a Christian who kills unnecessarily even a Christian?

Are Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhists who tolerate such killing even Hindus, Sikhs, or Buddhists?

Is it really necessary to kill the cows, bulls, calves in the presence of so much other less violent food?

Why is the middle east always in turmoil? Why are the Muslims killing the Christians, the Christians killing the Muslims? The Jews killing the Muslims, the Muslims Killing the Jews? Why are the Muslims Killing each other?

Only a demonic understanding of religion would allow you to kill your own mother, father, brother, and sister, and eat their flesh.

If your “religion” is encouraging you to kill your family members, then it is questionable. What type of religion promotes such acts?

Do you regularly eat the flesh of your mother, father, brothers, and sisters in the form of beef? Can you answer whose religion you are following?

Look deeper into your respective scriptures, find gratitude and compassion

Stop it! I implore you! Most of the heinous violence in the world is caused by this… until we stop killing cows, bulls, and calves, there will never be peace on earth.

God Loves Cows! God does not like to see cows killed. Please protect cows!

God says, in His Song of God (Bhagavad Gita)

कृषिगोरक्ष्यवाणिज्यं वैश्यकर्म स्वभावजम् ।

Farming, cow protection and business are the natural work for the vaiśyas

https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/18/44/

See “cow protection” above?

Please see the International Society for Cow Protection for more information on how you can help.

How can Krishna and Allah be the Same Person?

How can Krishna and Allah be the same person, when so many Muslims see the followers of Krishna as “kafirs” or non-believers worthy of being put to death?

Sri Krishna with Srimati Radha
Sri Krishna with Srimati Radha
Allah, the primary name of God from the Quran, written in Arabic script

Question

Hare krishna prabhuji!
Please accept my humble obeisances
All glories to Srila Prabhupada

Srila Prabhupada and Sankarshana Das Adhikari Maharaj have said time and again that Krishna and Allah are the same. I do understand both of them have dedicated all of their time to Bhakti yoga and hence have reached this understanding, however I don’t think I am able to wrap my head around this.

The thing is, the Quran talks about how all kafirs(non muslims) should be killed and so many things. Personally, I don’t believe that those fanatics who so-call kill in the name of Allah go to Jannah. I don’t think those people who destroyed a location of ISKCON Bangladesh and harassing the devotees there will get a place even in heaven. They also talk about eternal damnation for kafirs. I don’t believe in eternal damnation just cause you don’t follow this and that. Isn’t our karma that decides the country and religion we are born in? Those people who act like this are just fanatics ( religion with no philosophy). Krishna in BG says He is our friend, well wisher and more. He even sits in our heart even if we are demons. But in Quran, Allah is someone who would rather choose a sinful muslim than a pious kafir. How can we say Krishna and Allah are same? I am just not able to find any answer that puts me at ease. Why are there different religions in this world? Sorry to say, but wouldn’t the world be a better place if there was only Sanathana Dharma? This entire Allah and Krishna topic drives me crazy..

I would like to get the answers to my questions. Kindly forgive me for my offenses that I have inadvertently done 🙏.

Your confused servant…

Answer:

Hare Krishna!

I have read the Quran. It is a delightful text. Yes, there are some verses which can cause misunderstanding, but this is true also of Vedic scriptures… so therefore we have the GPS of Guru (spiritual master in disciplic succession), Sadhu (community of saintly souls), Shaastra (scripture)… in the Abrahamic cultures, only Shaastra – scripture is remaining… the Guru (disciplic succession) and Saadhu (communities of saintly souls) pillars have been destroyed by thousands of years of violence.

We need to understand this on the level of our highest understanding… for example, someone might think that Krishna is a “Hindu god”… but we know that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Similarly, we have a better understanding of Allah than most Muslims… we understand that Allah is an impersonal name for Krishna.

In general, if we are talking of a Supreme Person, and they are talking of a Supreme Person, then they must be the same person, because there cannot be 2 Supremes. Otherwise we end up with the 6 blind men situation… https://dasadas.com/2022/07/28/the-ultimate-synthesis-of-advaita-dvaita-achintya-bheda-abheda/

If someone regards the devotee of Krishna as a kafir (non-believer), then that person is in ignorance because they don’t know who is a kafir and who is not. An atheist is a kafir… but we can’t expect everyone to understand… According to the Abrahamic traditions, we see that Muslims, Christans, and Jews are all called “brothers of the book” because their scriptures are practically all the same… and still they fight like cats and dogs. This is not the fault of their respective religious traditions or scriptures but that they have lost the context and culture that comes from Parampara – disciplic succession. For example the one of the ten commandments is “Thou Shalt Not Kill” and all the Christians do morning, evening, and night is kill, kill, kill, for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Simply scripture alone can be easily weaponized… “Shastra” (weapon) and “Shaastra” (scripture) can be used in similar ways. Both of these can be used to protect or to destroy… recall that a knife in the hands of a surgeon is different from a knife in the hands of a criminal.

Now, as far as the Quran (scripture followed by Muslims) is concerned, it was taught to people who were not very advanced… for example the Quran contains instructions that from this day henceforth, no Muslim shall have a sexual relationship with his mother. Why is such an instruction given? Because such things were happening back then!

But it is not that the Quran does not contain the pathway to the highest instructions… In the conversation between Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Chand Kazi (See https://vedabase.io/en/library/cc/adi/17/), they argued on the basis of the respective Vedic and Islamic scriptures, and a common understanding was reached by mutual loving enlightened discussions. I have met many many advanced Muslims, who see Krishna as Allah Himself. In particular I have met at least 2 “Muslim Brahmins” in Hyderabad myself, and have interacted with many such saintly souls.

As far as Bangladesh goes, many more people have been killed in their recent riots, of all religious backgrounds, and to be honest, their sufferings are unfortunately going to be heavy… we should be compassionate upon them and not be caught up in the cycle of hatred. It is 100% sure that everyone gets their just dues. The low-class rascals who destroyed an ISKCON temple in Meherpur, Bangladesh will face the wrath of Allah, because know it or not, Lord Jagannath (Lord of the Universe) is Allah Himself, and ignorance of the law is no defense.

Also, you should know that I have met foolish so-called adherents of Sanatan Dharma also… they are no better than animals in human form… Such people, whether they called themselves Sanatan Dharmis or Muslims or Christians or Sikhs or any other designation does not matter, because they are still in animal consciousness… however, they can follow whatever they can manage to follow and gradually they will be elevated – we cannot judge the value of the tradition they are claiming to follow just by seeing that they are not very advanced.

So, in conclusion, as Srila Gurudeva has said, the perfectly Krishna Conscious person is simultaneously the best Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Jew, and whatever other bona fide system of religion exists… Sanatana Dharma is not outside of these traditions… the perfection of those traditions is in Sanatana Dharma.

Don’t think that the average “Hindu” is properly following Sanatana Dharma (The Eternal Nature), most of them don’t even understand the meaning of Sanatana Dharma! 🙂 They think Sanatana Dharma is some sectarian religion followed only by Hindus!

I have written many articles on this subject matter, in general:

My humble request to you is to get fully immersed in Krishna Consciousness, so that we all can have the same vision as Srila Gurudeva Sankarshan Prabhu and Srila Prabhupada have. Are you already initiated in the disciplic succession of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples and grand-disciples? If not, what is your personal plan to get to that point?

Make full use of the context and culture which we still do have available!

I hope this helps.

Muslim Brahmin in Hyderabad

Can a Muslim be a Brahmin? Can a Vaishnava be as good as a Mullah or Rabbi or Christian priest? Here are some great insights from a Maulvi in Hyderabad!

Not long ago, I was out on the street distributing the Bhagavad Gita in the South Central Indian City of Hyderabad. Hyderabad, like most cities in India, is a beautiful confluence of many cultures. Specifically, in Hyderabad, there is a significant mix of Hindu, Muslim, and Christian populations, and the history of the city has a strong Muslim flavour. For the most part, people have lived in harmony for hundreds of years. There have been flash-points and incidents of hatred, but relatively rare.

One day, as I stood on the street, I saw an elderly gentlemen, clearly Muslim from his long white beard with moustache shaved off, a baggy light-coloured Salwar Kameez, and a distinctive skull cap. He walked slowly, with a walker, that he gently placed in front of him, and then moved his legs closer to the walker, shuffling by slowly. I respectfully made way for this gentleman and greeted him with a little bow.

He passed back-and-forth a few times, and seeing his friendly countenance, I asked him if he would read the Bhagavad Gita. He said he most certainly would, if I had a Hindi version available. He then told me that he had been to the ISKCON Radha Madan Mohan temple in Abids, Hyderabad several times for the Sunday feast program, and had participated in Harinam Sankirtan, and taken Prasad many times at the temple. The surprise must have been clear on my face, because he then said “Do you know that I am a Brahmin?”.

He then explained “I am the Maulvi of this mosque around this corner. I have dedicated my life to Allah. I don’t eat meat and I don’t drink alcohol. I teach the scripture. So how am I not a Brahmin?”. He then added “The Gita was spoken by Allah and the Q’uran was spoken by Allah, so why would I read one but not the other?“. I was very much gladdened by his mature understanding. This is exactly our Vaishnava understanding too.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna describes the qualities of a Brahmin…

शमो दमस्तप: शौचं क्षान्तिरार्जवमेव च ।
ज्ञानं विज्ञानमास्तिक्यं ब्रह्मकर्म स्वभावजम् ॥ ४२ ॥

śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaṁ
kṣāntir ārjavam eva ca
jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ
brahma-karma svabhāva-jam

Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, knowledge, wisdom and religiousness – these are the natural qualities by which the brāhmaṇas work.

https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/18/42/

So, if we see any living entity from any cultural background or any religious orientation who has these qualities, we must accept them as good as Brahmins. Of course, Krishna also says that Brahmin is not only by quality, but also by the work they do…

चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागशः ।
तस्य कर्तारमपि मां विद्ध्यकर्तारमव्ययम् ॥ १३ ॥

cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ
guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ
tasya kartāram api māṁ
viddhy akartāram avyayam

According to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by Me. And although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the nondoer, being unchangeable.

https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/4/13/

Srila Prabhupada describes the 6 duties of a Brahmin…

Brāhmaṇas are supposed to acquire six kinds of auspicious qualifications: they become very learned scholars (paṭhana) and very qualified teachers (pāṭhana); they become expert in worshiping the Lord or the demigods (yajana), and they teach others how to execute this worship (yājana); they qualify themselves as bona fide persons to receive alms from others (pratigraha), and they distribute the wealth in charity (dāna).

https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/5/17/11/

Based on instructions from the Vaishnava Acharyas, the great saintly teachers, we accept that Prophet Muhammad is an empowered messenger sent directly by God, practically, speaking a “shaktyavesha avataar” or a living entity but with the power to act in a way empowered by God. We accept that Jesus Christ is the son of God, a pure devotee fully dovetailed with the desire of God. We accept that there is only one God, known by different names and different degrees of understanding, as an impersonal spirit (Brahman), as a localized supersoul (Paramatma), and as the Personality of Godhead (Bhagavan).

When our constitutional position, or dharma, is deteriorated due to the contaminations of matter, the Lord Himself comes as an incarnation or sends some of His confidential servitors. Lord Jesus Christ called himself the “son of God,” and so is a representative of the Supreme. Similarly, Mohammed identified himself as a servant of the Supreme Lord. Thus whenever there is a discrepancy in our constitutional position, the Supreme Lord either comes Himself or sends His representative to inform us of the real position of the living entity.

On the Way to Krishna, Chapter 2

I offered my deepest respects to that great Maulvi, that Muslim priest, who has realized the essence of Allah Consciousness in principle. Surely, he is very very close to Allah. By speaking his sweet realized words, he gave me hope that this world can be rectified from its current sectarian path.

In the same way, all the Muslims should accept the advanced Vaishnavas as good as their own Maulvis and Hazrats.

The Christians should accept the advanced Vaishnavas as good as their own nuns, monks, and priests.

The Jews should accept the advanced Vaishnavas as good as their own Rabbis.

This is the principle. One God. Many scriptures according to time, place, and circumstance.

So, what was our conclusion as we parted ways? We concluded that the genuine mature follower of any genuine faith tradition is very similar, they love God, and they love all of God’s creation. They see God everywhere, and see everyone as God’s children, to be loved and served. But the follower-in-name, a materialist or religion-politician of any faith is equally sectarian or in many cases, inhuman, and unfortunately, also evil.

Pursuing the Highest Instruction of your Scripture

Every scripture has higher and lower instruction. Pursue the highest instruction always. The lower instructions are for animal-like humans… we should strive to go deeper, higher.

I was out a couple of days ago, looking to meet people interested in spiritual life. I do this often, and especially in December every year, I’m in marathon mode.

It was in Kensington market in Toronto, I was out with my son.

We met a gentleman who introduced himself as Altaf. Altaf Bhai is from Pakistan and also has some Agra connections. He told me he is a yogi, even though he is a Muslim. I thought why not, yoga means to reconnect to God, so why can a Muslim not be a yogi. He started speaking some intricate philosophy. But I could see that there were many gaps in his knowledge. He was secretly trying to convince me to become a Muslim. I’m OK with that, but I’m not OK with ignorance.

As the conversation progressed, however, he began to say things that were insulting to another very very great personality, Lord Shiva. He said that Lord Shiva was actually satan. I had to stop him there. It is one thing to not know something, but for someone like me who knows better, it is a crime to stand there and listen to such things. According to the Vedic texts, the personality known as Satan in the Koran and Bible is actually the personality named Kalipurusha. Not to be confused with the goddess Kali devi, this personality is in charge of the current age of quarrel and hypocrisy. But I couldn’t get in a word edgewise with Altaf – he just didn’t want to hear anything.

He then mentioned sacrificing cows. He said that the Quran does permit sacrificing cows. He said that Allah gave us all the animals for our enjoyment.

A yogi who recommends cow slaughter? A yogi who does not know the basics of yoga? Hmmm… this was very fishy.

Every scripture has higher instructions and lower instructions. The lower instructions are meant so that humans who are on the level of animals may find something to adhere to, and rise higher, and when they do rise higher, then there are higher instructions to follow.

For example, there is also an instruction in the Quran that one should not have sexual relationships with one’s mother, or with the father’s wife. Why was this instruction present? Because at that time and in that place, there were men who did not hesitate to do so. So the Prophet had to include that instructions, just to civilize those animal-like men.

The highest instruction, of course, is to see every woman who is not your wife as your own mother. It does not matter if she is younger or older or what – if she is not your wife, she is as good as your own mother. Treat her with respect. That will resolve a lot of problems at one stroke, but that is another topic for another day.

Similarly, the instruction about ritual sacrifice of animals was in a place where food was hardly available – it was the barren desert after all. The instruction of ritual sacrifice and to cause the least amount of pain to the animal was there because there were people who took sadistic pleasure in torturing animals. This does not mean that the Quran encourages opening of slaughter-houses and killing of animals on a large scale. I couldn’t convince him, but this message is for him and other Altaf’s of the world.

It is not necessary to be a bloody thirsty animal killer to follow Islam, to be a Muslim. Meat is not for spiritualists, unless it is a question of absolute necessity.

I did not have the heart to tell Altaf about the hellish punishments given in the Vedic scripture for killing a cow. And I don’t want to shock my dear readers too. But it is not good, not in this world, nor in the next.

One of the greatest Muslims in the history of the world was Haridas Thakur. Born in Bengal, he is recognized as one of the greatest spiritual leaders of the world. He chanted the Hare Krishna Mahamantra constantly, and was able to convince Muslims with arguments from the Koran that he was doing the highest thing. If you want to read about Haridas Thakur, this book is highly recommended. http://torchlightinternational.com/shop/namacarya/.

Haridas Thakur was disliked by both the Muslims and the Hindus, because he knew both scriptures better than most and he personally followed both scriptures perfectly. Indeed, a Qazi had him whipped in 22 marketplaces, and while most people would die after 1-2 such beatings, Haridas Thakur felt no pain. He was praying for his assailants to be forgiven all the while!

In every scripture, including the Bhagavad Gita, there are higher and lower instructions, for example in the twelfth chapter of the Gita, Krishna says the following:

But those who worship Me, giving up all their activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, having fixed their minds upon Me, O son of Pṛthā – for them I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.

Just fix your mind upon Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and engage all your intelligence in Me. Thus you will live in Me always, without a doubt.

My dear Arjuna, O winner of wealth, if you cannot fix your mind upon Me without deviation, then follow the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga. In this way develop a desire to attain Me.

If you cannot practice the regulations of bhakti-yoga, then just try to work for Me, because by working for Me you will come to the perfect stage.

If, however, you are unable to work in this consciousness of Me, then try to act giving up all results of your work and try to be self-situated.

 If you cannot take to this practice, then engage yourself in the cultivation of knowledge. Better than knowledge, however, is meditation, and better than meditation is renunciation of the fruits of action, for by such renunciation one can attain peace of mind.

https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/12/ texts 6-12

Do you see how the highest goal may be unattainable for most? So Krishna gives alternatives. But those alternatives are not the highest thing. The highest thing is what Krishna mentioned first.

Similarly, in the Quran also there are lower and higher instructions, meant for people of different kinds.

I have many Muslim friends who are both Muslim and Vegetarian. In fact, many are vegan. See https://veganmuslims.com/ for a more background on that.

As I told Altaf, I was neither rejecting him, nor was I rejecting Prophet Muhammad, and I certainly am not rejecting Allah. What I am emphatically rejecting is his ignorance, and I am even more strongly rejecting words that are supposedly sacred but are actually meant to spread ignorance around. This applies to anyone from any tradition. I could not give him anything else except a vibration of the Mahamantra – Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. May Altaf find peace in this life and the next.

My plea to all my Muslim brothers and sisters is this – please dear souls, please go higher in your knowledge and adherence of your own scripture. Follow the highest instruction of your scripture. Continuously chant the names of Allah with pure love and devotion, and you will find you will lose all taste for blood and flesh.

This is my prayer to everyone else, to Buddhists, to Christians, and to Jews. Thou Shalt Not Kill.