My friend and Hindi teacher Mamta ‘s family used to have cows. She used to call me to her house to study. In this way, I got the chance to not only learn a language, but also got to meet her amazing family, make cow dung patties with her Mom, cook millet flat bread with them on cow dung fire, sing and dance with them, and learn about life. Her mother was a strong person with a huge heart.
She used to say:” The only wealth that stays with you forever, even after death, is what you give away to a good cause.”
She taught her children to worship God twice daily, respect and love Him. Nobody would eat a morsel without first saying their prayers.
They all stayed together in one room, one big bed at night in the winter. Other than that, they mostly spend all day together in the courtyard. It was always amazed meeting them. They shared everything. Mamta had so many sisters. If I would give her a gift, let’s say a new blouse, one day she would wear it, one day a sister, one day another sister. At home, for work, they were wearing simple clothes. When going out, to the temple, or for some work, they used to wear something new and nice.
A very caring family.
Their cows were living in the courtyard with everyone, and Mamta taught me how to serve them. There was a younger cow called Lakshmi who was my special friend. In summer, I used to bring her a lauki every time I came for class. Lauki is a cooling vegetable, and she loved it. Before class, I used to go stroke her and feed her lauki, and take her blessings.
Once, when I was late for class, I went straight inside the room to study without meeting her. She got so upset! When she heard my voice, she ran inside the room to demand her lauki and get her strokes.
If you give cows any habit, they like to follow it. They like consistency, steadiness. They like regularity.
Mamta told me how just a few years ago every family in Vrindavan used to have cows. Near the Yamuna were the grazing grounds. People of one neighbourhood used to hire one man as a cowherd who used to pick up all the cows in the morning and bring them to the Yamuna to graze. He would stay with them all day to make sure they are safe while they walk, eat, rest, and in the evening, he would bring them home. At night, they would stay with their human families, being taken care of like mothers.
Farmers who had oxen would take care of them as they would of their father. When coming home from the fields with their oxen, the farmer would massage the oxen’s legs and feed him really nicely before having food himself.
Everyone’s first duty was always to make sure the cows and bulls are taken care of.
Uncastrated bulls weren’t kept at home. They were allowed to roam the forests and grazing fields to impregnate the cows. But they still knew where their home is and used to come there if they needed help.
That was Vrindavan before. It was a small village. There were almost no roads, no cars. Not many houses. In every house, people used to sing prayers together in the evenings. River Yamuna was clean. One could even drink the water.
Then, modernization came. Electricity came. Plastic came. Supermarkets came. Cars came. The grazing grounds disappeared. The streets are now filled with poisonous garbage for cows to eat.
Cows are not anymore wanted on the streets. They have nowhere to go.
It is becoming more and more difficult on the road. They are getting picked up and are disappearing. They need help.
Cows are sattvik by nature. They like to be in nature. They do need to roam. Ideally, the go out to graze, and in that way they can find exactly the locally grown herbs, leaves, and grasses that they need. They smell the food and know. They know not only which herbs they need, they also know which herbs their owner needs, and they will go out and eat the right herbs for their owner, too, and in this way produce medicine for him in form of their milk and urine.
Cows like to eat the top parts of the grasses, the tips, and, if they are allowed to, then move on. In this way, the plants get trimmed, their roots grow deeper, the plant gets stronger. The soil gets softer and becomes more fertile. Plus, the cowdung and cowurine fertilizes the ground. On naturally fertile ground, plants grow healthy. Healthy plants don’t attract pests to eat them. They become more resilient. Cows need connection to nature to stay healthy. They need fresh grasses, they need contact to the soil, space to roam, fresh air, sunlight.
They are herd animals. They don’t like to be alone. They have very deep friendships, and they remember their friends, human friends and cowfriends alike, even for years without seeing them, and once reunited have the same affection still.
Cows are very loving and grateful. They like being protected. When they feel understood and cared for, they are very cooperative, and they very much reciprocate any love they get. They love giving.
Being with cows is very healing on all levels. There is nothing like it. They just flood you with love and nourish you until your heart is overflowing and you just want to yourself go out and give love.
Being with them gives strength, gives faith, gives gratitude, and makes one braver to face struggles and do the right thing even when facing difficulties.
The Vedic scriptures say that one can become sinless by serving cows. They bestow many blessings upon mankind. Service to cows brings auspiciousness. Any country where cows are happy and protected will be prosperous. They not only bless us with material wealth, but even more with spiritual wealth. They have the power to purify one’s intelligence and one’s desires.
They have the power to make us kinder, happier, and more compassionate.
If you want to change your life for the better, love a cow.
