Back in the late 70s before meeting the devotees I had adopted a vegan diet out of ethical considerations. It just seemed like the right thing to do if one was serious about the treatment of animals. I had also recently spent some time working on a farm where I was appalled at what I saw. In London I lived with several families of vegans and worked in their vegan cafe. The food was great! It was inspired by its own type of bhakti.
Later at the temple the devotees convinced me with great enthusiasm that a diet of milk, sugar and ghee was far superior. After all it was pleasing to Krsna. Certainly this was the higher taste, especially considering that we lived on opulent maha-prasad, taken straight from the altar. So with slight reluctance I renounced a simple diet of brown rice for the sweet pleasure of Krsna's remnants.
Krsna likes milk yes!
Because he loves the cows!
Krsna lived an idylic life, roaming the pastures and tending the cows. His whole life and the livelihood of his family and community was based on cow protection and milk production. He is known as Govinda, one who gives pleasure to the cows and the senses. The cows were like family members. They all had names and were cared for in a personal way. Even today in India cows roam freely and they are treated with reverence and respect(hopefully).
If there is anyone living here in America who lives in this way or even knows someone who does, then consuming milk from such protected cows is a good practice. Yet as devotees, who care about the treatment of animals, how can we justify buying milk, cheese and yogurt from the supermarket. Even so called 'organic' milk does not mean that it is 'non-violent' milk.
Can you imagine Krsna roaming the wild countryside of West Virginia playing on his flute and then stopping into Krogers to buy some milk? Or driving to Sams Club to buy some cheese? Krsna consciousness is not a dogmatic principle. It is a living breathing philosophy that requires intelligence, intuition and reflection to be executed nicely.
Lets be VeganforKrsna together until we are able to create societies based on the agrarian principle.