Since human civilization, mankind is keeping cows and drinking milk.
It’s an important and essential part of human culture to drink milk ; with that we have the power to create wonderful things and understand the higher aim of life.
Contrary to modern propaganda and veganism it is an important and healthy food item that everyone should drink to develop his brain and body.
Miracle food
Dr. Patel: I think, sir, go-rakṣya must be the backbone of the economy. ¶
Prabhupāda: No, health, brain, everything. Milk is miracle food. And we are practically experiencing in our farms that if the cows are protected nicely, they can supply immense milk. We are getting in our farms, extra milk. Everyone is eating so many preparations—sandeśa, rasagullā, rābrī. They are surprised. In their history they have not eaten all these things.
Dr. Patel: They are eating the milk-producing animal, so milk will not…
Prabhupāda: No, they advertise milk is bad.
Dr. Patel: Who?
Prabhupāda: These Europeans, Americans.
Dr. Patel: Really?
Prabhupāda: Yes. “Don’t eat milk.” Do they not? And they cannot drink also. In Bengal there is a proverb, kule pete ghiya[?] [indistinct]. If you supply preparation made of ghee to the dog, he cannot digest it.
https://prabhupada.io/spoken/760815mw.bom
Prabhupāda: Yes. So it dies before. All these food grain plants, when the food grains are ripened, they dry. So it is not required to kill the plant. When it is already dead, you can take it, food grains. When you take milk, the cow is not killed. The milk is nothing but transformation of the blood. So we are taking milk means blood. The blood is in a red color, and milk is in white color, but it is blood. Unless it is blood, how so much liquid comes from the body? So we take the same blood in a very intelligible way so that cow may live, he can continue to give me more and more, and I take more benefit from the wonderful food, milk. This is intelligence. And because cow blood is very beneficial for health, if I kill the cow, that is not very good intelligence. In our New Vrindaban the cows are giving more milk than others, because they know we shall not kill them. They are happy. You’ll get from Bhāgavatam…
https://prabhupada.io/spoken/750726r1.lb
By friction one can get fire from wood, by digging the earth one can get food grains and water, and by agitating the milk bag of the cow one can get nectarean milk. 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-gītā, advises go-rakṣya, 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. ¶
https://prabhupada.io/books/sb/8/6/12 (Purport)
Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead wants milk
“So far attending pujas at the houses of the Hindus there (Trinidad) […] we should not accept any prasadam prepared by them. However, if they insist then we can take fruits and milk and offer them to Krishna.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, 14/6/72)
“Even by killing vegetable, you are also as sinful as killing animal. But because we offer to Krsna, therefore we are not sinful. Krsna wants it.”
(Morning Walk, 22/4/74)
Only this cow’s milk will help you. It is so nice. And it gives very nice brain, not pig’s brain. So it is so important thing. Other…, why Krishna says go-rakshya? He did not say that “pig-rakshya.” No. “Dog-rakshya.” No. Now they are interested in dog-rakshya instead of cow-rakshya. This is the civilization. They’ll spend millions of dollars for dog, not for cow.
So this kind of civilization will not bring any peace and prosperity. You have to take Krishna’s civilization if you want actually… That is human civilization.
Excerpt from lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.21
Benefits cow spiritually
“The system of worshiping Krsna by offering flowers from a tree is also beneficial for the living entity who is confined to the bodily existence of that tree. When flowers and fruits are offered to Krsna, the tree that bore them also receives much benefit, indirectly. The arcana process, or worshiping procedure, is therefore beneficial for everyone. […] the cows and the elderly gopis who offered milk to Krsna were also elevated to the transcendental position.”
(Krsna Book, Vol. 1, Ch. 6)
