Cows, Cows, Cows

Cows are Cool!

“Cows are Cool – Love ‘em!” That’s the title of a charming book by Dr. Sahadeva Das, the president of ISKCON’s Secunderbad temple, in India. His book offers a series of anecdotes from around the world about the intelligence, compassion, devotion and even heroism of cows, and it surely warms the heart. Cows are intelligent and compassionate, and if given the chance they Most city dwellers have no idea that cows are domestic animals who appreciate and reciprocate the kindness and love of humans. As a former city dweller I also had little exposure to cows prior to moving to the village several years ago, but that has changed. There are now some really cool cows in my life, and it is a rich and rewarding experience. Here at our Gitagrad community near Kharkov, Ukraine, I regularly visit with our heifer, Kartika (who seems to be determined to remain as such—she is having difficulty getting in a family way). Since I’ve been back from traveling this past summer I’ve spent more time with her, and gotten to know her better. A few days back I went to the pasture to visit her while chanting japa, stroking her throat and scratching behind her ears. She loves it. Then I patted her sides and hugged her while talking to her, and she surely enjoyed the attention.

There were several of the neighbor’s cows nearby so after visiting with Kartika I went to make acquaintances with them. They were a bit stand-offish as cows typically are to strangers. Cows want to make friends sl-o-w-ly. You have to approach them cautiously, even shyly, otherwise they frighten. Then hold your hand out for them to smell. As I did that I noticed that Kartika was standing there staring at me, giving me what could only be called the ‘evil-eye’—she was jealous! And that was confirmed when I went back over to her and she gave me the cold shoulder, standing ten feet away and not even glancing at me. Wow, isn’t that just like a woman?!

At the end of the day I returned to bring her home. The other cows were also on their way home, and as they were leaving Kartika was mooing as if to say “I want to go too!”  After her anchor post was free she happily began to trot in the direction of home. But she has her own mind about how she wants to get there. The first stop was an apricot tree near the road. She stopped there to gobble up as many fallen apricots as she could get, obviously enjoying herself. The problem is that the seed pits are not so good for her stomach so I tried to dissuade her by pulling on her rope. Nope. That wasn’t going to work. Next I took a switch and hit her lightly on the hind quarters. She responded by moving ahead of me, and then quickly doubling back around to the apricots, kicking up both of her hind feet as she did so. I took it to mean “take a hike—I’ll do what I want.” So I conceded the point, and picking up the available fruits, removed the pits and hand fed her to her continued delight. Time to go now? No. 

Just at that time Ekanatha Bhakti, the devotee who is her regular caregiver came along. He told me that she usually takes her sweet time to go home. So we talked and dawdled as we waited on Kartika to sample all of the greenery on the way back to her house (barn). It’s rather small, just big enough for the family cow, and a small stove to warm the place on very cold nights. In Ukraine the typical village house does not have facility for more animals, typically because one cow sufficiently provides milk for the entire family. Why then have more? But if Kartika does get pregnant it might be difficult for her to get through the door! Ekanatha has plans for a new barn, which will also include room for a few oxen, but we’ll have to wait on donations for that.

The Cows of Lithuania

This year I visited Lithuania in the spring and again in the summer, and on each occasion spent some time with cows at New Gaudadesha, a member of our Gitagrad Family of Communities, located in the National Park and Recreation Area at Ignalinus. Our devotees there are preparing themselves for serious self-sufficient living. Two of the men, Petras and Bhakta Narada have made a serious commitment to self-sufficiency and toward that end a serious commitment to cows. This year they obtained calves of an indigenous breed—a heifer named Padma (which means Lotus), who will be under Narada’s care, and two bulls, Kana and Balai (affectionate names of Krishna and Balarama), that Petras will train to plow the field. Petras is seriously into growing grain with the help of the soon to be oxen.

The leader of New Gaudadesha community, Krishna Katha, also has an old ox, Nandi, who is massive: almost six feet tall at the shoulder and nine feet long. Huge as he is, he is very gentle, and he likes to work. Krishna Katha and others are planning a community that will function according to the gift-economy of Spiritual Economics (as do all of our Gitagrad communities). The natural beauty of the area attracts thousands of visitors each year from all over Europe. Krishna Katha’s wants to attract the visitors by having a bakery and wholesome natural prasadam restaurant that operates on a gift basis similar to the Karma Kitchen in Berkeley, California, the Seva Cafe in Pune, India, and more than two dozen others around the world. These restaurants are run by activists who want to make the world a better place. There are no prices on their menus. At the Karma Kitchen, instead of bringing a bill after your meal they give you a note that says: “Your meal has already been generously paid for by guests who came before you. If you like, you may leave a gift to pay for the meals of those who come after you. Have a nice day! 

The attractive feature of the Krishna Katha’s café will be the natural manner in which all of the food there is grown and prepared. They will show their customers how the bread, baked goods and food has been grown and cooked in the most natural and wholesome way—from the plowing of the field with the oxen, planting and harvesting of the grains and vegetables, milk products from protected cows, all of which are then cooked to wholesome goodness over a wood fire, and then made transcendentally better by being offered to the Supreme Lord with love. They plan to take their guests on tours of the Krishna Village and teach them how this simple and natural life can be the solution to not only our economic problems, but is also the attainment of the modern holy grail—sustainability.

The Cows of Nikolaiv

Bhakta Oleg, also affectionately known as Bhakta Nanda, has made it his goal to save as many Ukrainian cows as possible. Oleg is the leader of the community near Nikolaiv, in southern Ukraine close to the Black Sea. Beginning just three years ago, Oleg already has a herd of more than twenty cows, mostly of the local breed—the generic “Brown Cow.” Some were saved from the slaughterhouse, and others were given to him by devotees who had tired of caring for them. Their village was home to a dairy operation during the Soviet era, and therefore there is a very large pasture is available for the animals. It’s southern location also mean shorter winters with lower requirements for feed during the winter months. When asked how he will care for so many animals Oleg replies cheerfully and confidently “Krishna is the maintainer of all living beings. I am just His helper!”

Dr. Sahadeva Dasa has written two other books about cows, “Cow and Humanity - Made for Each Other,” another heartwarming book that examines the relationship between cows and humans, and a sober book meant to make us think about how we are living: “To Kill Cow Means to End Human Civilization.” In it he examines the relationship between cows and human beings, explaining how a happy and prosperous human society is dependent on a supportive relationship with cows and bulls. All three of these books can be read on his website. Or, what the heck, read it right here!

To Kill Cow Means to End Human Civilization

Cows are cool. I hope that one day you will be able to have a warm relationship with a loving bovine. Moooo!