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[Posted June
20, 2006]
Milk: Secret to Long Life
His Divine Grace A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Founder-Acharya of the
world-wide Hare Krishna Movement, Brahma Sampradaya Acharya
purport, Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto
8, Chapter 6,
Text 12
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Milk
is compared to nectar, which one can drink to become immortal. Of
course, simply drinking milk will not make one immortal, but it can
increase the duration of one's life. In modern civilization, men do not
think milk to be important, and therefore they do not live very long.
Although in this age men can live up to one hundred years, their
duration of life is reduced because they do not drink large quantities
of milk. This is a sign of Kali-yuga. In Kali-yuga, instead of drinking
milk, people prefer to slaughter an animal and eat its flesh. The
Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His instructions of Bhagavad-gita,
advises go-rakshya, which means cow protection. The cow should
be protected, milk should be drawn from the cows, and this milk should
be prepared in various ways. One should take ample milk, and thus one
can prolong one's life, develop his brain, execute devotional service,
and ultimately attain the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
As it is essential to get food grains and water by digging the earth,
it is also essential to give protection to the cows and take nectarean
milk from their milk bags.
The people of this age are inclined toward industrial enterprises for
comfortable living, but they refuse to endeavor to execute devotional
service, by which they can achieve the ultimate goal of life by
returning home, back to Godhead. Unfortunately, as it is said, na
te viduh svartha-gatih hi vishnum durashaya ye bahir-artha-maninah
[
Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.31]. People without spiritual education do
not know that the ultimate goal of life is to go back home, back to
Godhead. Forgetting this aim of life, they are working very hard in
disappointment and frustration (moghasha mogha-karmano mogha
jnana vichetasah [Bhagavad-gita 9.12]). The
so-called vaishyas
—the industrialists or businessmen—are involved in big, big industrial
enterprises, but they are not interested in food grains and milk.
However, as indicated here, by digging for water, even in the desert,
we can produce food grains; when we produce food grains and vegetables,
we can give protection to the cows; while giving protection to the
cows, we can draw from them abundant quantities of milk; and by getting
enough milk and combining it with food grains and vegetables, we can
prepare hundreds of nectarean foods. We can happily eat this food and
thus avoid industrial enterprises and joblessness.
Agriculture and cow protection are the way to become sinless and thus
be attracted to devotional service. Those who are sinful cannot be
attracted by devotional service. As stated in Bhagavad-gita
(7.28):
yesham
tv anta-gatam papam
jananam punya-karmanam
te dvandva-moha-nirmukta
bhajante mam dridha-vratah
"Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life,
whose sinful actions are completely eradicated and who are freed from
the duality of delusion, engage themselves in My service with
determination."
The
majority of people in this age of Kali are sinful, short-living,
unfortunate and disturbed (mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagya hy
upadrutah [SB 1.1.10]). For them, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has
advised:
harer
nama harer nama
harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
nasty eva gatir anyatha [
Chaitanya-charitamrita Adi 17.21]
"In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy the only means of deliverance is
chanting the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no
other way. There is no other way."
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