Sacred cow shrine

 

Sacred cow shrine

 

During the mad cow disease epidemic, in order to avoid the fate of being slaughtered, the young bull Kaul fled his home and joined the herd led by the cow master to go to India, the holy land of sacred cows. Master Niu told the little bull Kaul: Indian civilization is closely related to religious civilization. Indian religious civilization was established very early, at about the same time as Chinese civilization. Hindus' reverence for cows can be traced back to 1500 BC, during the Shang Dynasty in China. At that time, some ancient scriptures in India even defined killing a cow as killing a person, and threatened that God would punish the murderer of the cow. Therefore, Indians have elevated the status of cattle very high. But the sacred status of cows in India is not new.

Mr. Niu said that the Aryans in ancient India were nomadic people, and the importance of cattle to them was self-evident: beef could be eaten, milk could be drank, cow urine could be used as medicine, and cow dung could be used as fuel and fertilizer. When the Aryans gradually settled down and transformed from a pastoral society to an agricultural society, cattle could both cultivate and pull carts for transportation, and slowly transformed into one of the irreplaceable tools for agricultural production. The importance of cows was emphasized in India's ancient religious texts "Rigveda" and "Purana". However, at that time, cows could still be killed, eaten, and used for sacrifice. Cows are not only an important production tool closely related to agricultural life, but also appear in Indian religion. By the 6th to 5th centuries BC, Buddhism and Jainism gradually emerged. They share a common characteristic - not killing. The rapid development of Buddhism and Jainism had an impact on Brahmanism at that time. Brahmanism also adapted to social changes and began to slowly absorb and accept some characteristics of Buddhism and Jainism: reducing the use of animal sacrifices, and even warning people not to You can kill for the sake of appetite. By the 8th century AD, the ancient Brahmanism gradually developed into today's Hinduism. Non-violence and non-killing also became a moral value. People regarded the killing and eating of animals as a religious and social taboo.

The little bull Kaur asked:

When China's Lao Tzu left Hangu Pass in the west, he also rode an ox. While resting, he wrote the masterpiece "Tao Te Ching". In Chinese mythology, cows are given the role of "Bull Demon King" and cows are not worshiped as gods. Why do Indians worship cows so much?

Mr. Niu said that in Hinduism, the cow is the mount of the main god "Lord Shiva"; therefore, it is regarded as a "divine animal" by Hindus. The cow is just the mount of the god, not the god itself. Lord Shiva's mount is a white bull, and there is also a statue of a bull outside the Hindu gate. The name of this sacred cow is Nandi, which means "joy, happiness". It is very important in Hinduism. It is not only the mount of Lord Shiva, but also the guardian of the gate and the leader of the eight ghosts and gods in Hinduism. Therefore, Hinduism’s reverence for cows is not only due to the requirements of vegetarianism, but also because it has adapted to the times and has become an integral part of religion.

 Lord Niu took his herd to the Hindu temple. In the temple, you can see statues or murals of cows, and believers also worshiped them. The famous Indian leader once said: "Respecting and protecting cattle is the most noble behavior of human beings. This kind of profession can make people transcend the ordinary and become holy."

The little bull Kaur and the other cattle tribe were very surprised. In India, you can see herds of cattle strutting across the road everywhere. Some even lie unscrupulously in the middle of the busy road, ignoring the traffic at all. vehicles and crowds. It can be seen that Indians respect cows very much, just like worshiping gods.

 Master Niu said, why did I bring you here? Because there is also a law specifically protecting cows in India. Article 48 of the Indian Constitution prohibits the slaughter of cows, calves and other milk-producing cattle. In other words, even if the cow is not a sacred cow, it cannot be slaughtered at will in India. Therefore, in India, a cow works hard all its life. When it gets old and can no longer work, it can either enjoy life in the owner's home, or it can only be exiled on the streets and allowed to wander around and fend for itself. I am old and this is my final destination. You are still young, but you can be respected here and not bullied. This is a paradise for cattle.

 When Mr. Niu said this, he sang "Holy Cow Song" excitedly:

 

Weeping in the village and hearing songs at night,

There are so many changes in the world.

When I sing and cry, I forget my heart and purify myself.

Sing the sacred cow song in silence.

The source of all misfortune,

Lies always hide the truth.

In fact, life is all cattle,

Work and rest, life and death, are determined by God.