When Kali was awarded four places. He was first of all ordered by Parīkṣit Mahārāja. As soon as he saw that this black man is going to kill one cow, "Oh, who are you in my kingdom? You are trying to kill a cow?" He took his sword, "I shall kill you," immediately. So he fell down. "Sir, I am also your subject, and this is my business, killing. So what can I do? I must have some means of livelihood." Just like this butcher. His means of livelihood is to kill animal. So if the animal slaughterhouse is closed, then there will be so much unemployment. The butcher must have chance of killing. So that is not law, "Oh, butcher must have also employment." No. "Therefore slaughterhouse must be maintained." Not that. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja said that "You cannot live in my kingdom. I cannot provide you with any employment. You must go out."
Closing the slaughterhouses
Expressions researched:
"Close all the slaughterhouses"
|"Close your slaughterhouse"
|"close the animal slaughterhouses"
|"close the slaughterhouse"
|"close the slaughterhouses"
|"close their slaughterhouses"
|"close this slaughterhouse"
|"closed the slaughterhouses"
|"slaughterhouse are closed"
|"slaughterhouse closing"
|"slaughterhouse is closed"
|"slaughterhouse will be closed"
|"slaughterhouse, close"
|"slaughterhouses will be closed"
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 1
We are glad that people are taking interest in the nonviolent movement of Lord Buddha. But will they take the matter very seriously and close the animal slaughterhouses altogether? If not, there is no meaning to the ahiṁsā cult.
Therefore both Lord Buddha and Ācārya Śaṅkara paved the path of theism, and Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, specifically Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, led the people on the path towards a realization of going back to Godhead.
We are glad that people are taking interest in the nonviolent movement of Lord Buddha. But will they take the matter very seriously and close the animal slaughterhouses altogether? If not, there is no meaning to the ahiṁsā cult.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was composed just prior to the beginning of the age of Kali (about five thousand years ago), and Lord Buddha appeared about twenty-six hundred years ago. Therefore in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Lord Buddha is foretold. Such is the authority of this clear scripture. There are many such prophecies, and they are being fulfilled one after another. They will indicate the positive standing of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is without trace of mistake, illusion, cheating and imperfection, which are the four flaws of all conditioned souls.
SB Canto 6
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching this higher knowledge of retiring from materialistic life to return to Godhead, but unfortunately many parents are not very satisfied with this movement. Aside from the parents of our students, many businessmen are also dissatisfied because we teach our students to abandon intoxication, meat-eating, illicit sex and gambling. If the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement spreads, the so-called businessmen will have to close their slaughterhouses, breweries and cigarette factories. Therefore they are also very much afraid. However, we have no alternative than to teach our disciples to free themselves from materialistic life. We must instruct them in the opposite of material life to save them from the repetition of birth and death.
Aside from the parents of our students, many businessmen are also dissatisfied because we teach our students to abandon intoxication, meat-eating, illicit sex and gambling. If the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement spreads, the so-called businessmen will have to close their slaughterhouses, breweries and cigarette factories. Therefore they are also very much afraid. However, we have no alternative than to teach our disciples to free themselves from materialistic life. We must instruct them in the opposite of material life to save them from the repetition of birth and death.
Nārada Muni, therefore, advised the Haryaśvas, the sons of Prajāpati Dakṣa, that instead of begetting progeny, it would be better to leave and achieve the perfection of spiritual understanding according to the instructions of the śāstras. The importance of the śāstras is mentioned in Bhagavad-gītā (16.23):
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
The head of the state should be perfect and the next head should be selected by this perfect head of the state, not by the rascal voters. This is perfection. If the head of the state is perfect, then naturally the citizens will be perfect. Because all the laws are there. If the head of the state says, "No more meat-eating," all slaughterhouses will be closed. If the head of the state says, "No more intoxication," then all the cigarette factories and liquor factories will be closed. Is it not? Because... So therefore the head must be perfect. Then yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ (BG 3.21). In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that "What the chief man beḥaves, others will follow." Therefore it is called leader, leader.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prajāpati: They will come forward and say, "Now, what practical can we do to help implement these in the government, in the world? What can we do practical?"
Prabhupāda: Yes. That you take instruction from us. Because you are all rascals, you do not know. We are experienced. Take advice from us. First thing is that you close the slaughterhouse. Close the liquor house. Will they do that?
Prajāpati: It is a question of business. Businessmen have so much control...
Prabhupāda: Business or whatever nonsense it may be, but our first proposal is that you become sinless. But they will not agree. They will remain sinful, and still they will say, "In God we believe, we trust," these slogans. "We go to church, we pray," like that. This is the defect. A man has come for your... You are a physician for treatment. As soon as the physician says that "You don't do this," you say, "I cannot give up this." Then how he will be cured? Let him rot. This is the position.
Prabhupāda: So let them know what are the sinful activities. These are the sinful activities. Close all the slaughterhouses. Close all these illicit sex brothel houses, and close the liquor houses.
Prajāpati: The gambling also.
Prabhupāda: Certainly. Then their business will be finished. Then they will say, "Where we stand? It is all finished." Now you stand on a different platform.
Prajāpati: Yesterday, Śrīla Prabhupāda, in class, you mentioned how the churches, people could pay them for supposedly becoming very religious men. In Las Vegas, the capital of the gambling and the illicit sex and the intoxication, where all these things are very prominent, the churches there are very prominent also. These big demons, they pay large money to the churches and therefore they feel like they are very religious men even though they are committing all these sinful activities.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And by taking their sinful money, because they do not engage to Kṛṣṇa, they also become sinful. Affection. Infection. (break) They have mentioned something like sinful?
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: No. We should preach that "Stop these things. No illicit sex, no gambling, no meat-eating." Practically you teach them. This is the real social problem.
Umāpati: Should we also try to introduce legislation immediately to close the slaughterhouses?
Prabhupāda: No. If you want good men, good leader, you must be free from all these, I mean, sinful activities. Otherwise there is no question of good leader, or good man. There is no question. First principle is this. Just like a patient, he must abide by the prescription, that "You must do this, you must do not this." Then there is cure. And simply if he goes on in his own way, then there is no value of consulting a physician. So the first program is that "If you want really good leader and if you want to become yourself also good, then you must give up these four sinful activities. Otherwise, all your scheme will be failure."
Umāpati: So we would tell the people that if we were elected we would try to close the slaughterhouses.
Umāpati: So we would tell the people that if we were elected we would try to close the slaughterhouses.
Prabhupāda: No, no, that is different thing. Why you should say, revolting something. You say that "Don't eat meat." That is slaughterhouse closing. If you say that "Close your slaughterhouse," they will think that these are, what is called?
Umāpati: Radical.
Prabhupāda: Ideal, radicalist, idealist. But if you can induce them... That is also another process...
Umāpati: Through influence.
Prabhupāda: They agree. Then automatically, slaughterhouse will be closed. If there is no customer for meat, then slaughterhouse will be closed. Just like Gandhi started this movement, non-cooperation, "Don't cooperate with the British government." That was his... Because the Britishers were ruling India with the cooperation of the Indians. Otherwise, how they could rule? The soldiers were Indian, the police were Indian, the secretariat, office, clerks, they were Indians—all Indians. But they manufactured in such a way that they were cooperating. So Gandhi took the route that "You non-cooperate; then the Britishers will automatically go away." That was his movement. Similarly, if we educate public that "You must find out a leader who is free from these sinful activities.
Prabhupāda: These anarthas, problems, they have created under the influence of māyā. So if you want to solve it, you take to bhakti-yoga. Anarthopaśamam. Directly it will be solved, directly. Anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam, lokasya ajānataḥ. The rascals, they do not know. Therefore vidvān, Vyāsadeva, the most learned, vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām, he has done this sātvata, Vaiṣṇava literature, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That is the only solution. These rascals, they have created problems. Therefore we have started this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement for their benefit. Let them cooperate, and we shall make solution of all problems-political, social, everything. Let them come and cooperate. (pause) They are not agreeable to close the slaughterhouse? Yesterday, you were not present when that mayor came?
Bhagavān: I was there.
Prabhupāda: I requested that "You are one of the important men. Why don't you agree? Close the slaughterhouse. If you want to eat meat, take it when the cow is dead. We shall supply you?" What is their objection? What is the possible objection?
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: "We are giving up meat, and the slaughterhouse proprietors, they are sorry. Then how our business will go on?" As if that is a very nice business. The sooner you close that business, it is good for you. But he is thinking "How my business will go on? If all these people give up meat-eating, then how this slaughterhouse will go on?" That is the logic. And our logic is the sooner you close this slaughterhouse, the better for you. This is our logic. (to devotee:) Which way? (break) ...liquor shop, the breweries, they are worried, "How business will go on. They are giving up." Cigarette factory. They will be sorry.
Kuruśreṣṭha: In this state of Colorado, the main industry is slaughter.
Prabhupāda: Hmm?
Kuruśreṣṭha: The main industry in this state of Colorado is the slaughter of cows. (break)
Prabhupāda: ...jīva mā mara. The slaughterhouse maintainer is advised that "You don't die, don't live." Mā jīva mā mara. "Your position... Now you are... If you live, just see how horrible business you are doing. And if you die, you will be slaughtered. So better you don't die, don't live." Mā jīva mā mara. (break) ...nice park, nobody is coming. We Kṛṣṇa conscious people, we are taking advantage. (laughter) They have worked so hard, they are sleeping. We are taking advantage. So they are escaping or we are escaping? Just see how foolish they are.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: South Pacific Railway? ISKCON government means this, stop all these four things. No slaughterhouse, close. The meat-eaters may become agitated, they may complain, "No, you are not forbidden to eat, you can eat, but slaughter in your house."
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Natural death.
Prabhupāda: The government is not going to maintain slaughterhouse, that's all. We don't forbid you; you can do at your home.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. The cows will die one day from old age, then they can eat.
Prabhupāda: Yes, if you like to eat, the dead cow. Just like you are eating.
Hari-śauri: Maybe some time in the future this could happen when Kṛṣṇa consciousness becomes very powerful influence in the country, but unless we could actually close the slaughterhouse...
Prabhupāda: No, but now by imploring, we are requesting him that "You can take this cow and sell in your shop, butcher shop, you give us the skin. And you can tell the customer that it is as good, it is cheaper. So whatever money you get, that is your profit. You haven't got to invest anything."
Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Do you propose that we should do this now, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: (laughs) No, no, this is... Think over.
Hari-śauri: Yes, the proposition is very good, that's a fact.
Prabhupāda: First of all, you try one butcher, that "Why not make this advantage?" How does he react, see.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He actually took out the whole part about their going to the moon being childish. He deleted the whole section.
Yaśodā-nandana: Also in the Bhāgavatam, where Prabhupāda was talking about Lord Buddha... You mentioned that if the followers of Lord Buddha do not close the slaughterhouse, there is no meaning to such a caricature. That word was very nice. But in new book that word is not there any more. They have pulled the word. The meaning of the word is not... So many times.
Prabhupāda: It is very serious situation. Rāmeśvara is in direct...
Svarūpa Dāmodara: I think they're working too independently without consulting properly.
Yaśodā-nandana: Sometimes they appeal that "We can make better English," so they change like that, just like in the case of Īśopaniṣad. There are over a hundred changes. So where is the need? Your words are sufficient. The potency is there. When they change, it is something else.
| Page Title: | Closing the slaughterhouses |
| Compiler: | Labangalatika, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 28 of Jul, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=4, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=2, Con=9, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 15 |