Pariprashnena — Q&A Archive

I choose to avoid things like this as much as possible. I cant recalal coming across any specific Vedic injunction to not use silk products. However I think it is best to avoid where ever you can those things that directly require killing to procure them.

There is in India a company who have developed a method to get the silk without killing the creatures.

About the Horn and the conch, I expect that the Horn came from a cow who died naturally. I hope the same is for the conch. Does anyone know about the procurement of conchs for temples.

There are many references in SB to Krishna and others wearing silk cloth (e.g. 10.75.24, 10.83.29, 10.84.48-49). It doesnt specify (non)killing the silkworms though.

killing worms? can someone explain me that?

The worm makes a silk thread and winds it around and around itself to make a cocoon, inside the cocoon it turns into a moth. To get the silk cocoon, people boil them so the creature inside dies and they unravel the silk and make things from it.

I read that there are no silk worms in the wild anywhere in the world. All of them are captive in farms where they cultivate" them to kill them for the silk. Of course they keep some aside for breeding purposes.

my god! it is disgusting.
[img]http://www.fredskorpset.no/upload/24206/DSCN1210%20Silk%20worms.JPG[/img]

http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/105/fiber <--- (full article)

Silk

Still produced primarily by worms in China, this fiber is also edging toward organic certification. Traditionally, keeping silk worms alive has precluded extensive use of synthetic pesticide and fertilizers. But the pesticide methoprene is now being used as a hormone disrupter to slow the worms growth rate, extending the time during which they produce silk. Methoprene, in combination with the plant-based steroid hormone phytoecdysone, has been shown to increase silk production. It is the inhumane treatment of the silkworms, however, that concerns many consumers. Traditionally, the pupae are killed'97either by baking or drowning'97before emerging from their cocoons, which breaks the long silk threads.

Happily, there are alternatives. Wildcrafted silk is organic, produced without killing the pupae and available from select retailers. Alkena Textiles, a joint venture among China, Switzerland and Germany, makes organic silk, cotton, linen, hemp, ramie and wool. Alkena claims to produce organic and biodynamic silk in accordance with the European Economic Community (EEC) organic standard, which prohibits the use of methoprene but would not necessarily rule out killing the worms.

Organic Silk Resources:

Aurorasilk (www.aurorasilk.com) offers Wildcrafted Tussah Silk.

are silk dhotis made like this? by worms?

All silk is worm comes from the worms bottom

Really? Never knew that...

yes but honey is bees vomit also.

nicest things in material world!!! puajjjj

[quote][cite] abhiram:[/cite]my god! it is disgusting.
[/quote]

I think they are rather cute. Never knew this about the production of silk, I dont think I am buying silk garments from now on, as organic silk will probably be a bit out of budget... GO COTTON!

Correct Abhiram. I avoid that also. Bees are not treated well.

silk can be made without killing the worms but its different:
http://www.ahimsapeacesilk.com/

I also heard Bhakti Vidya Purna Maharaja that silk is fine if you are wearing to worship the deities. In this way you dont take the reaction or something like that...

There is silk that doesnt require murder, it is a great thing. This is what I think, anyone who thinks they can wear murder and get away with it, they would want to very pure in devotional service. I dont think I can take the chance.

Thank you for bringing this back to everyones attention. After reading the postings on this thread, I checked and found that I had a 100% silk tie! I have discarded it, and will purchase a polyester or cotton one instead. Thanks again!