The Vedic culture of ancient India has a long, honorable tradition of protecting all those who are seen as our mother. There are seven mothers listed in the sastras (scriptures) that deserve to be honored as ones own mother and treated with the same degree of respect. These include the earth, the wife of the king, your own mother, the wife of a brahmin (priestly class), the nurse (nanny), wife of the spiritual master and the cow.

The cow gives nice nourishing milk. From this so many nice food preparations are made like butter, ghee, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, etc. The cow gives these freely from the time a person is just a baby throughout their lifetime. Cows are giving this milk just like our own mothers did or wanted to. In many cases in the West, our own mothers did not breast feed us. Our strength came from the cow's milk.

Because she has given her life to us, we are directed to protect her. This is the meaning of civilization or "to be civilized."

Often modern "civilization" is run by terms like "efficiency" as an excuse to prey on the less fortunate in society for the sake of monetary gain. Cow slaughter falls under this misguided notion.

Once she has given us all her milk, mother cow is taken to the slaughterhouse as a reward for her years of feeding our children.

True "civilization" as outlined in the Vedas is one in which ALL CITIZENS are granted protection. This includes the animals, cows and people.