Vegetarianism is an essential teaching of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition (also called Chaitanya Vaishnavism, Krishna Consciousness, or Hare Krishna) in particular. The religion’s principal Guru of the modern age, Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, made being vegetarian one of the four requirements for initiation into the faith. In the 1960’s and 70’s, the Hare Krishna movement was influential in the spread of vegetarianism in the United States with their vegetarian restaurants in many major U.S. cities. These devotee run restaurants were usually called Govinda’s, another name for Krishna which means cow protector. They were often the only vegetarian restaurants in an area. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada believed so deeply in vegetarianism that he felt that until one stopped eating animal flesh, one couldn’t even begin to advance spiritually. He felt it was one of the first, most important steps in a spiritual life to be protectors of cows and all animals.
The Gaudiya Vaishnava’s Supreme God is Krishna. Krishna grew up in the pastoral paradise of Vrindavana where he loved, played with, and protected the cows and all animals of the field and forest. We see reference to the importance of preserving all life in the major texts of the faith. For example, the Shrimad Bhagavatam tells us again and again that we must befriend all beings (sarva bhūta-suhṛt, SB 6.9.39, 5.10.8, 7.13.3, 8.8.21,11.7.12, etc.) in the same affectionate manner that Krishna shows to all beings in the Bhagavad Gītā (suhṛdaṃ sarva-bhūtānāṃ, BG 5.29). This is because “all the living beings…are equally part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead” (SB 11.2.52). The Gītā instructs us to treat all beings with a sense of equality (BG 5.18), especially since Krishna is situated in the heart of all living beings (BG. 18.61). Practitioners must become sensitive to the suffering and wellbeing of other living beings if they are to follow religious principles (SB 6.10.9), and advanced spiritual practitioners are those who “delight in the welfare of all beings” (sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ, BG. 5.25).
Furthermore, the Bhagavad Gītā advocates what we might consider to be “social activism” when Krishna tells us that we must always be engaged in “working for the welfare of all living beings” (BG 5.25, 12.4), and behave in such an exemplary way that other people will follow our example (BG 3.21) so that we might protect the world (loka saṅgraham, BG 3.25).
The Gita, encourages eating plant-foods that are in the mode of goodness, or are Sattvic (17.8). We can understand these foods as those that must be procured in adherence to the religious principles described above (and others), including the sattvic principle of non-violence (ahiṃsā, BG. 17.14), since these are considered sattvic behavior (sāttvikaṃ paricakṣate, BG 17.17).
Spiritual Advancement?
Some might argue that dairy is important for spiritual development, but if the cow and her calf suffered, how can this be? Ahimsa Parmo Dharma means “Non-Violence is the supreme law of the universe” or “One’s highest duty is to be nonviolent.” Would you want your spiritual advancement to cause suffering? If one seeks spiritual advancement at the expense of another being, especially our dear mother cow, then this would be considered a “selfish motivation” (haituka). This is not in the spirit of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition which exclusively seeks the Loving Service of the Divine with no selfish motives other than to serve Krishna and others in the cultivation of devotional love or Bhakti (e.g. Śrī Śikṣāṣṭakam, verse 4, bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi).
Conclusion
Commercial dairy is liquid meat and should be avoided to fulfill Prabhupada’s directive of cow protection, to boycott a cruel industry and to create a compassionate world where all sentient beings are honored, respected and protected.
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BOOK RECOMMENDATION: Holy Cow by Steven J. Rosen