Life Cycle Of Dairy Cows Ver2F - Book Summary

Here is a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Life Cycle of Dairy Cows Ver2F" by Pravin K. Shah, focusing on its key arguments and content:

This document, authored by Pravin K. Shah and published by the JAINA Education Committee, details the lifecycle of dairy cows in America, arguing that it is inherently cruel and incompatible with the Jain principle of Ahimsa (non-violence). The text aims to encourage a critical re-evaluation of dairy consumption within the Jain community, especially in light of modern industrial farming practices.

The text outlines the dairy cow's life in four distinct phases:

Birth: The cow's life begins with artificially induced conception and a nine-month gestation period within her mother's womb.
Productive Life:
- Separation: Upon birth, calves are separated from their mothers very quickly, causing distress to both. The calf is then force-fed colostrum to survive.
- High Yield Production: To maximize milk production, cows are kept pregnant continuously for their entire productive lifespan (3-4 years). They are also injected with hormones to produce significantly more milk (around 24.5 quarts daily) than their natural capacity (8 quarts in 1960). This intensive production leads to a life of stress for the cow.
- Culling: Once a cow becomes less productive (around 4-5 years old) or develops incurable diseases, she is "culled" from the herd.
Unproductive Life Journey:
- Auctions and Transport: Approximately 30% of dairy cows are culled annually. They are transported to auction rings where they are handled with indifference by low-paid workers. The transport itself is described as traumatic, with no food or water provided.
- Auction Process: At auctions, cows are paraded and sold to the highest bidder, often for meat production, at very low prices. The author notes witnessing these events firsthand.
Final Extinction:
- Slaughter: Cows are loaded onto trucks for a final, undignified journey to slaughterhouses. This loading process is often abusive, involving tail twisting, nose ring pulling, and stunning with electrical prods.
- Slaughterhouse Practices: The text describes the slaughterhouse process, where cows may be conscious during throat cutting and bleeding. The collected blood is processed into powder and fed back to future generations of cows, making them "no longer vegetarian."
- Shortened Lifespan: Dairy cows are typically slaughtered at 4-5 years of age, despite their natural lifespan being around 15 years.

The document also addresses Organic Milk, stating that while organic farms may avoid antibiotics and hormones, they still engage in practices like continuous pregnancy, selling male calves for veal/beef, and culling cows after their productivity drops. Thus, organic milk is not considered cruelty-free.

The author highlights stark statistics: 2.8 million four-legged animals and 189.5 million birds are killed weekly in the USA. He argues that the dairy industry is intrinsically linked to the beef industry; if dairy demand is reduced, beef demand and price will also be affected. The text strongly criticizes the "middlemen" involved in cow transport as being the most abusive handlers, driven by consumer demand.

Jain Practice and Critiques:

The core of the argument within a Jain context is that dairy consumption contradicts the principle of Ahimsa.

Five-Sensed Beings: Cows are five-sensed animals with minds, and cruelty to them is considered the highest sin, leading to rebirth in hell and karmic accumulation like Narak Ayushya Karma (karma for hellish birth), Adattädäna Karma (karma from stealing milk without permission), and Antaraya Karma (karma from forceful separation).
Misconceptions: The author refutes the common argument that removing excess milk is necessary to prevent a cow's suffering. He cites a pediatrician who explains that naturally, cows produce just enough milk for their calves, with only a small percentage producing more.
Cruelty Equivalence: The text asserts that from a cruelty standpoint, milk production is no different from meat production, as cows are tortured throughout their productive lives, their male calves are killed, and they are ultimately slaughtered.
Mithyätva (False Belief): The author argues that believing there is no cruelty in milk production under modern systems is a state of Mithyätva, a profound ignorance of reality. He distinguishes this from having a reason to consume dairy and seeking to reduce harm.

Call to Action and Conclusion:

The document urges the Jain community to:

Study the Subject: Investigate the cruelty in the dairy industry, as considerable literature is available.
Eliminate Dairy: The most rational solution is to remove dairy products from diets and religious rituals to reduce demand and, consequently, the suffering of cows.
Practice Rational Jainism: Emphasize that America is a place to practice religion rationally. Blindly following traditions without considering their ethical implications, especially in the current environment, undermines the ideal of non-violence.
Support Veganism: Commends individuals and groups practicing veganism, including Jain youth and prominent figures like Gurudev Shri Chitrabhanuji and Pramodaben, for their dedication to true Jain non-violence.

The author concludes by expressing a strong desire for the Jain community to re-evaluate their practices and adopt a vegan lifestyle to uphold the true spirit of Ahimsa. He acknowledges the potentially sensitive nature of the topic and seeks forgiveness if feelings were hurt.