REQUEST TO & FROM A MOTHER

Today on the occasion of Mother's Day, I went to meet the cow, our mother to wish her for Mother's Day and make a request to her. I requested her to shower her blessings and mercy on her children who are suffering so badly due to the deadly covid virus. The good news for all of us is that, she mercifully agreed to shower her heartfelt blessings, prayers, mercy on all her children. After all, that's the heart of a mother - always wanting and desiring best for her children. I was elated, my mission accomplished - now, the suffering of humanity will reduce.

As I was leaving, the cow also had one personal request. She requested me with tears in her eyes to request her children not to abuse, exploit and slaughter her mercilessly. I could literally feel her pain and suffering as she made this request. This was the pain of a mother. Tears swelled up in my eyes. I didn't know what to reply her. I did tell her that I will pass on her request to her other children and I walked away as quickly as I could. I just couldn't look into her tear filled eyes.

As I was walking, I was thinking of what kind of a big, motherly heart the cow has. Tolerating all the merciless torture by her very own children and yet wishing well for them. Who can have a bigger heart than her and who can have a more cruel heart than us, her children who are ready inflict unlimited pain and death on our own mother. We need to acknowledge the fact that one of the main cause of suffering of humanity (including Covid) is the cruelty we inflict on such a massive scale on innocent animals especially the cows. How can we expect a society that tortures one's own mother to be happy and peaceful?

On this Mother's Day, let us vow to stop this cruelty on the cow, our mother and become her worthy children. I feel that will the best Mother's Day gift we can ever give to mother cow, to mother nature and to every other mother on this planet.

- Achyut Gopal Das

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