Dr. Sulekh Chand Jain
During the last few years, I have received hundreds of emails from Jains, mostly in North America and in India, on the subject of consuming dairy products. I have also talked to a few sadhus. Frankly, I must admit that majority of the email and feedback (more than 75%) are in favor of the use of milk and dairy products in food and in poojas. In fact, quite a few have justified its use.
I realize that old habits, customs, and traditions, especially those prevalent over thousands of years are extremely difficult to change. Still, with the facts and data about how milk is produced today (not in the past), I humbly submit the following for consideration by the Jain community.
- Rational, critical, and factual debate is healthy and must continue;
- We must look at each viewpoint from an anekantavad perspective;
- At the minimum, we should admit that today (and I stress again, today) the production of milk the world over is full of untold cruelty and suffering for the producers of milk —the cow and her children;
- Milk is a product of himsa and it has clear footprints of himsa;
- Mr. Atul Gandhi; a Jain in USA calls milk as “Liquid Meat”
- Wherever possible and feasible, the Jain community must start the journey to reduce the consumption of milk and dairy products. The thousand mile journey starts with the first step; and,
- If we don’t do that, then “ahimsa” will just become an empty slogan.
Happily, there are many non-violent alternatives. Instead of cow’s milk, one might try delicious, healthy, and cholesterol-free soy milk, rice milk, pecan milk or almond milk and available in many flavors, these options can be found in nearly every major grocery store. Better still, one can purchase a soy milk-making machine; these allow users to create their own soy and other milk at home. In India, soy milk is readily available in supermarkets and from Godrej Products and several other distributors.
As for other non-dairy products, companies such as Tofutti, So Delicious, Soy Cream, and Rice Dream all make rich, tempting ice cream. Tofutti also makes sour cream and cream cheese, Soy Garden makes a healthful non-dairy butter, and there are numerous non-dairy cheeses too. Remember, all of these alternatives are guaranteed to be non-violent as well.
The easiest, most effective, and most important thing you can do to stop this cruelty, is to buy alternatives to dairy products. With the abundance of choices nowadays, it is becoming easier and easier to remove cruelty from your diet.
For vegan recipes, visit vegweb.com, vegcooking.com, or simply Google away. There are thousands of different recipes online, for every cuisine or taste imaginable.
One can make at home very delicious youghurt and ice creams from Soy Milk. We have been doing it for many years.
Many celebrities and famous artists have embraced the vegan lifestyle and commitment to cruelty-free food; these include: Joaquin Phoenix, Jessica Biel, Orlando Bloom, Alicia Silverstone, Natalie Portman, Liv Tyler, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Connelly, Elizabeth Berkley, Woody Harrelson, AFI, Common, Benji and Billy of the band Good Charlotte, Weird Al, Thom Yorke, Fiona Apple, Erykah Badu, Moby, Shania Twain, Fugazi, Dr. Benjamin Spock, Dennis Kucinich, President Bill Clinton and former US Vice President Al Gore, Chelsie Clinton (daughter of President Clinton) and many more.
Resources, and for more information visit: www.veganoutreach.org www.pcrm.org www.factoryfarming.com www.viva.org.uk www.peta.org
These lines above express the pain and suffering of the animals that are being exploited and tortured for the need of the human greed.
Now you decide; is this consistent with Ahimsa.
