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Wish-fulfilling CowCows represent the All-good. The image of fruits of nature emerging from a cow's horn -- a horn of plenty -- is tied to the Cow of Plenty of Indian mythology, whose name is Surabhi. She belonged to the Vedic sage, Vasishtha. Kamadhenu is the sacred cow as she relates to Hindu ritual. Her 5 gifts are sacred offerings. They are: milk, curds (yoghurt,) butter, urine (considered a pure substance that can serve as medicine,) and manure (which is used for plastering walls and floors, and which, dried, is used as fuel.) She also gives us a further gift, her offspring -- a calf, the source of further cattle.
In the Himalayan tradition, butter is sculpted to make offerings such as tormas, and it also provides the oil that fuels butterlamps. Ghee, clarified butter, is the very essence of cow. As such, it is the substance that, in India, is used to bath sacred images. Classification of Chinese Buddhist scripture (p'an-chiao) owes a debt to Chih-i (538-597), who thought Dharma could be understood in terms of successive stages of refinement, similar to the way ghee is produced from milk:
Hindu deity, Lord Vishnu, in his avatar or active form as Krishna, is called Govinda and Gopala: "the cow-finder" and "cow-protector." These epithets are references to his existence in Vrindavan as a herdsman. This is metaphorical in the same way that King David (The Bible: Old Testament. Psalm 23) sang, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." From the viewpoint of a devotee of Krishna the Cowherd, the cosmic cow is seen as incorporating all deities. Cow = WealthThe Maasai of East Africa, who live off the milk and blood of their prized cattle are frequently heard to make the claim that all the world's cattle actually belong to them. If that is so, then they once were rich beyond belief, for there is evidence to show that cows were the world's first "portable" wealth. Once, the world was divided into those who kept wealth in the form of cattle, and those who did not. Herders of sheep and goats were considered by the cattle-rich, as somewhat inferior. On the other hand, the Greeks and the Romans looked down on all those who used butter instead of olive or other vegetable oil. The English word chattel meaning possessions derives from capital ( < caput = head.) It further evolved into cattle, the collective word for cow. In other words, especially in lands where the Romans left their imprint, cattle means wealth. And in many other cultures, besides. There is a motif in the mythology of the world known as "cattle-raiding." In classical mythology, Hermes the Trickster steals the cattle of the sun. One of the most famous Irish tales (c. 1100 CE) is The Cattle Raid of Cooley (Táin Bó Cúalnge). [Link to the finale in which the brown Bull of Cualaigne appears. No longer available.] Heavenly CowIn Indian folktales, Dhol is the name of a white cow that holds the earth between her horns. And we know the Indian cow has been protected for millennia for the economic reasons this symbolism expresses. A less direct symbolism is expressed by the fact that the white cow is "the vehicle" of Goddess Parvati. In ancient Egypt, there were a number of cow deities. Nut, the sky goddess emanates as Mehueret, the Flood. Another is Hesat and milk was referred to as "beer of Hesat.'" The Egyptian goddess of fertility, Bata, was depicted as a cow, or as a human with the ears and horns of a cow. She was a deity of Upper Egypt (Sudan.) Even today, that part of the world has a special relationship with cows. The Masai of East Africa consider that all the cattle in the world belong to them. Cow-horned Hathor, daughter of Ra, is another Egyptian goddess associated with the heavens. The Celestial Cow, who carries the sun's disc between her horns, she is later portrayed as a slender woman wearing the horns. As "Eye of Ra" she transforms into avenging Sekhmet -- lion-headed death deity, goddess of war and pestilence -- to punish humans for their transgressions. She nearly wipes out all mankind before Ra manages to arrest her activity by getting her drunk with beer that had been colored to look like blood so that she once again becomes benevolent. EuropeEuropa was a once a Phoenician maiden whom Zeus desired. Jealous Hera turned her into a white cow and chased her towards the west, the region that today bears her name.
Indo-europeans carried the notion of a cosmic cow with them to northern Europe, for in the mythology of the Eddas, Audhumla ("Without Impurity") was the creator of humankind. From a stone, she licked Man into being over a period of three days. She was created from ice-melt at the beginning of time, and preserves herself while sustaining the status quo by licking the salt and hoar frost which would otherwise build up on Niflheim, abode of the gods. The titans or Ymir feed on her milk. In southern Gaul, Damona was the name of this cow who exists in relation to the waters of the earth. The ultimate food was the milk of such a cow. Ethne is an Irish goddess, who subsists on milk from a sacred cow. The Basques had a special relation with the cow. They used to worship Mari at her sacred caves or "houses of Mari." It is believed that her guardian, a fiery-eyed, red-haired cow (or bull?) Beigorri, may occasionally be seen there still. It is this animal that is painted on the walls of the sacred caves, many of which contain evidence of occupation from over 20,000 years ago. Is it a cow or not?There seems to be a definite idea as to what constitutes Cow that is rather different from the vague categorization of deer / antelope /gazelle. Cows are definitely not water buffalo nor are they yaks. The Hindu Goddess Durga slew a primordial demon Mahisha, who had at first taken the form of a huge water buffalo but the bull, Nandi is the vehicle of, and hence all bulls are sacred to, her consort, Maheshvara or Shiva. Though people cannot deny there is a relation here, the distinction between buffalo and bull is considered very important. Many people who would never eat roast beef will eat "buff burger".
The YakFor Tibetans who live in mountainous terrain, we can say that the yak [a male term, actually] is their cow.
*Yogurt or curd need some culture from a previous batch that contains an essential lactophile bacteria. Greatest Places says:
A dri is the female yak.
The Dalai Lama has been quoted as saying that mixing Buddhism and Christianity is like "trying to put a yak's head on a cow's body." This kind of reference to the cow in discussions of religion/philosophy is a very ancient one in the Indian tradition. Even a thousand years ago, when the Nyaya metaphysicians disputed Buddhists about matters of ontology [being-ness/existence] they referred to "eternal cow-ness" as being distinct from "bovine particulars." WordplayCattle (kine is an archaic English word) are grouped into herds that consist of cows, heifers and calves. To control breeding, bulls are kept apart. Steers are castrated bulls that are raised for meat. Non-agricultural people do not seem to know what an ox is, nor the relation between oxen and steers. An ox is a powerful draught animal and a young one is known as a bullock. The flat wildflower with a yellow centre is called an ox-eye daisy, and a person who is gazing longingly at a loved one is said to be "making calf eyes." Bovine is an adjective derived from the Latin bos. Yes, boss. Gentle The cow epitomized gentleness and appears in The Bible as the opposite of the fierce predators. Isaiah XI, 6-7:
The BullTaurus is today the second constellation in the Western hemisphere, in
the spring. Many
different cultures have seen the red-eyed bust of a bull in the arrangement of
stars, and the notion of a Bull of Heaven is very ancient. The Mediterranean island of Crete was the legendary home of the Minotaur -- a bull-headed monster according to the Greeks, but archaeologists of the 19th century revealed a misunderstanding. Ancient Cretan culture is called Minoan after Minos, the legendary ruler of the island. The largest building on the site was found by Sir Arthur Evans to be extremely complex in its layout -- a veritable maze. Add to these two facts the discovery of the emblem of the Minoans, a double-headed axe or labrys (not unlike a flattened dorje) that was found carved into stone pillars and we have a Laby-rinth and a Mino-taur. The Minoans did have a sacred relationship with the bull, and bull-leaping youths depicted on the walls of the palace at Knossos indicate some elaborate ritual associated with it. This involved dancing or tumbling between the sharp horns of unrestrained bulls. Horned altar stones similar to contemporary abstract sculptural pieces were also found there. Sadly, other aspects of this seem to have a root in reality. Legend has it that offerings of youths were made regularly to the Minotaur, and indeed human remains were recently found that indicate the intentional butchering of human beings.
While serving in Persia, the Romans encountered the cult of
Mithras,
Sol Invictis,
They prayed, "Spirit of Spirit, if it be your will, lend me immortal life so that I may be reborn, and the sacred spirit breathe in me again." Greek carving (3rd century CE) of Mithras Tauroctonos. Mithras vanquishing the Bull of Darkness with his dagger, though originally a Persian image, became characteristically Roman. Mithraism vied in popularity with Christianity to the extent that several of the important aspects of its mythology were assimilated to Christianity by the late 4th century. One of these is the important date of 25th December, the winter solstice which marks the birth of the Lord of Light, who is essentially a solar deity. It was customary to mark the day with gift-giving. Mithras can also be said to have been born of a virgin, and to have lived among shepherds. His priests were the Magi.
ShivaNandi means joyous. Nandi the Bull is the vahana (vehicle) of Shiva. However in ancient times, there was worshipped the Lord of Joy (Nandikeshvara), who was depicted as a man with a bull's head. The bull is also the emblem of Adinath, the first Jain tirthankara. In South India, on the north shore of the Cauvery, is the Hindu temple called Vallalar Koil that is sacred to Shiva as Sri Vadhanyeshwar. At this shrine, Parvati his consort is called Gnanambika (Wisdom Mother.) At this place is the shrine of a yogi, Sri Medha Dakshinamurti. He is depicted under a banyan tree but somewhat surprisingly he is seated on Nandi, Shiva's bull. The bull, a symbol of male sexuality, is the driving force of attainment in many symbolic systems. Consider Zeus, sky god of the Greeks who, in the form of a white bull, unrelentingly pursues Europa. It may be that the prototype of that myth is the Indian cosmogony in which the First Being, Purusha, out of loneliness, splits into two aspects, male and female. The female, aware that the two are brother and sister, out of shame assumes the form of a cow and flees her brother's advances. Accordingly, he becomes a bull, so she eludes him by becoming a mare. No matter what form she assumes, he changes to correspond, and so all the various animals of creation are born. Arrogance According to legend, Vrishabha Deva (Nandi) was getting too proud of the fact that he was the one who carried the Great God. Shiva wanted to teach him a lesson, so he placed a lock from his matted hair on the bull. Unable to bear the weight, Rishaba Deva felt humbled and realized his mistake. He prostrated before Lord Shiva begging his pardon. Shiva not only forgave him, but also initiated him into the mysteries of Divine Wisdom. Thereafter, when Shiva imbued the form of the yogi Dakshinamurti, Nandi also served as his mount.
OxIf, as we have seen, the cow stands for wealth, then the ox stands for work. Any castrated male animal of the cattle family, especially if it is to be used for hauling logs, a cart or a plow, can be called an ox. The plural of ox is oxen, one of the few English words still in current use that retains the ancient ending in its plural form. A young ox is a bullock and that is how the mind is depicted in the first of
2009 ushers in the Year of the Female [Ch: yin] Earth "Ox," so let's face it, this is actually the Year of the Cow!
~ 18th-century image < John Platts. A Library of Wonders and Curiosities Found in Nature, . . . . 1884.
No Bull. Death is a Cow with Calf. Aeons ago, during the time of Buddha Padmattara, a
certain layman, seeing some monk being accorded a chief place in the sangha by
that buddha, made the aspiration that he might achieve the same status under a
future buddha. After he had spent many intervening lives in the heavens,
he became a monk under Buddha Kashyapa. Later, he finally took a human birth
during the time of Buddha Shakyamuni. Sceptics offered him various fine things to test him, but he realized what
they were doing and did not give in. That led to his being showered all
the more with donations and respect so that he, himself, began to believe that
he was one of the arhats. At the time, a large number of monks were outside doing walking
meditation. He went over to them and said, "Where, venerable sirs, is
the Buddha staying? We'd like to see him." So seeing him, Bahiya went over and threw himself down prostrate at His
feet. He said, "Teach me the Dharma, Blessed One! Please, teach me,
Tatagatha, something that will benefit me in the long run and make me
happy."
That is how you should train yourself. So that when for you there is only the seen in reference to what is seen, only the heard in reference to what is heard, only the sensed in reference to what is sensed, and only the cognized in reference to what you cognize, then Bahia, there will not be any distinctions any longer. So that when you are not "thereby", you will not be
'therein.' When you are not "therein", you will be neither
'here' nor 'there' nor in between. This, just this, is the end of
stress." Then the Blessed One, having gone out to Shravasti, and then returning from his alms round and having eaten a meal together with a large number of monks, saw that Bahiya had died. On seeing him, he said to the monks, "Take Bahiya's body up on a litter
and carry it away and cremate it; then build him a memorial. Your companion in
the holy life has died."
~ Khuddaka, Udana 1-10 Much later, according to the Dhammapada (v. 101, or Thousands v. 2) when Buddha was telling his disciples that Bahia had attained release after hearing just one verse, a monk asked how it was possible for a single verse to lead to Nirvana. The Buddha answered:
Bull of No-DeathTo Hindus and Buddhists, the King of Dharma and Lord of Death are one and the same: Yama, here with his sister/consort Yami and their water buffalo are shown in a bronze image at the Patan Museum, Nepal. One of the Tibetan Buddhist dharmapalas is a manifestation of Manjushri, the midnight blue Defeater-of-death, Yamantaka also called Yamari (Yama's enemy) or Vajrabhairava (absolutely terrifying) who may be depicted as riding or standing on a bull while trampling Yama, god of death, underfoot.
The Golden CalfIn the most ancient Indian texts, the Vedas:
In Genesis 32 we learn how Aaron the princely brother of Moses decided that it would benefit the wandering Israelites to have a visible, tangible representation. He (24) . . . told them, 'Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.' and "Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!" It is as if the bits of gold cohered of themselves to form the calf -- the ultimate symbol of prosperity. Later (Deuteronomy 9: 21) we find that Moses " took that sinful thing of yours, the calf you had made, and burned it in the fire. Then . . . crushed it and ground it to powder as fine as dust and threw the dust into a stream that flowed down the mountain." Of all the Israelites, the descendants of Levi were the only sept (sub-clan) that remained true to the-god-without-form, and so they had the duty and the honour of being attendants at the temple in Jerusalem where the sacred Ark of the Covenant was later installed. White Buffalo-Calf Woman The symbolic animal is correctly referred to as a bison, but we could say that a bison is a type of buffalo, just as a yak is. At least a thousand years ago, the Lakota Sioux, a people of the American plains (who had migrated south from their Iroquoian homeland), say that at a time of extreme drought and lack of game, a female spirit (wakan) appeared to two brothers. The one who reached out to touch her was incinerated.
HH Kusum Lingpa Rinpoche identified White Buffalo Woman as Yeshe Tsogyal. He believes that she is the one who delivered the first pipe -- he considers it a ter -- to the first pipe guardian. (Chief Arvol Looking Horse is the current guardian of the Sacred Pipe of the Lakota.)
Basques: These distinctive people, who inhabit Western Spain, have a language (like Burushaski that is spoken in the Himalayas) that is one of the world's few unique tongues. Geneticist Luiga Luca Cavalli-Sforza found Basques strikingly different from their neighbors as far as heredity. Govinda: The Indian religious path that emphasizes devotion to deity is called bhakti, and one way to practice this is by singing bajan or hymns. "Govinda" is probably one of the most famous of these, for the arrangement on an EP disc that also included the Krishna mantra by George Harrison of The Beatles (Apple Records, 1970) made the Top Ten on British record charts. The traditional bhajan [song of praise]:
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"The nomads call
their animals "wish-granting yaks," for they provide all their needs -
- hides and wool for warmth and shelter, meat and milk products for food, and
even dried dung for fuel." Inextricably linked to the fortunes of
Tibet, the yak may go a long way to help preserve her 
vanquisher of the Bull, and that religion became
exceedingly popular among legionnaires of the Empire stationed everywhere. 
The
northern musk-ox, like oxen or yaks, are classified as Bovidae, but at least up
to 1997, it has been classified in the same sub-family as
