Vegan lifestyle articles that discuss ways of living in peace with humans, animals, and the environment.
By M. Butterflies Katz, Gentle World
October 2003
Our understanding of the importance of being Vegan is just the first step in
our spiritual journey. With veganism firmly planted in our souls, we learn
to spiritually walk, then run, and then fly. Our understanding of being
Vegan heightens and expands as we do.
Thirty-three years ago, I became a 12-year-old ethical vegetarian. In my
early adult years, though, somehow, I found myself still preparing meat for
my fiancé. One day, I realized I could not lower my standards for a
relationship. I stopped, and he (the man who was to become my husband)
eventually became vegan himself. Veganism marries us to a greater "universal
truth".
At age 21, a magazine entitled Ahimsa was placed in front of my eyes while I
was eating. It was written by H. Jay Dinshah, founder of the American Vegan
Society. His brilliant writing convinced me instantly. I could no longer
rationalize eating ice cream or dairy cheese. And that was that, I was
henceforth a vegan. I clearly saw that animals had a right to live free of
abuse. I then gained an even loftier 'overviewing' of the rights of animals
upon meeting the founders of Gentle World. From them, I learned to actually
love animals. The guilt-free reality that comes with being vegan opened the
doorway to having real relationships with animals. It was a time of
discovering that animals have personalities and unique individuality just
like we do. They have proven to be exceptionally loyal friends. Once the
animals had become personal friends, the desire grew stronger in me to help
save them. It became a great part of my life's mission to, as Ella Wheeler
Wilcox says, "speak the word for beast and bird, 'till the world shall set
things right!"
When I first became vegan, it seemed so easy to see the truth of it. And it
becomes even easier with time. Why couldn't others see what was so obvious?
I became a bit of a misanthrope because mankind was so blind to the plight
of animals. The resentment I felt towards humanity was easily felt by people
and didn't do much to encourage converts. But once again, I evolved my
consciousness. I saw, as Light; founder of Gentle World taught, "You cannot
cure the human race if Love¹s not in your heart; Love's where you have to
start!" With this new viewing, I was on the road to inspiring people to
become vegan through whatever angle I could reach them. There is an art form
in discovering what it will take with each individual for them to become
enlightened to veganism. For example, my brother was convinced through the
scientific and medical aspects. Later on, the understanding of compassion
came to him. Inevitably, if we don't understand the ethic that it is wrong
to cause suffering and pain and then make that a part of our being, our
veganism won't as likely endure. Being a vegan because of health benefits
makes people more likely to "cheat" on their commitment. Then comes the
understanding that it is not our health that will suffer so much when we
fall, but a gentle animal's, whose life is in our power to save.
In it's early years, my veganism was born of an innocent child, not wanting
to hurt animals. I grew up in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. I never knew
another vegan/vegetarian, (except my best friend at the time who joined me.)
There were no health food stores that I knew of, and I came from a standard
American meat-eating family. The desire "not to hurt animals" was seen by me
as a stroke of enlightened genius. I only wish I saw other "truths of life"
with such clarity. As the years went on and the animal rights movement
developed, I learned that veganism was, in fact, a Truth; something that was
right and reasonable no matter from what angle you looked at it. Books like
Diet for a New America by John Robbins or Beyond Beef; The Rise and Fall of
the Cattle Culture by Jeremy Rifkin exposed the environmental sanity of a
plant-based diet and the humanitarian aspect that, with the halt of meat
production, world hunger could be ended. At the same time, medical findings
of Michael Klaper, M.D. and Neal Barnard, M.D., and others, proved that
plant-based nutrition was the cleanest fuel for our human bodies. (It's
worth a mention that when I became vegan, I didn't know it was healthier!
Quite the contrary, people were alarmed that my parents allowed me to follow
my convictions. They wondered where would I get my protein? "She will die",
they thought.) Veganism, for me, had now evolved to a great Truth that I
shared with some of the great minds of all time. These vegetarians, such as
Tolstoy, Gandhi, Einstein, George Bernard Shaw, Shopenhauer, Thoreau, Da
Vinci, etc. knew there could be no spiritual advancement while attaining
ones nourishment from cruelty and the exploitation of others.
In my evolving veganism, I learned that preparing incredibly delicious food
for others was a powerful aid, one of the strongest. So I fed people, lots
of people. I fed them food just like what they were used to eating; Lasagna,
burgers, shakes, all plant-based and incredibly delicious. Long hours
preparing the food at The Vegan Restaurant on Maui in its beginning years,
co-authoring Incredibly Delicious; Recipes for a New Paradigm by Gentle
World, catering Celebrity Vegetarian banquets in California, food fairs,
packaged plant-based foods sold to retailers and free seminars with meals
all were ways of spreading the vegan message. Delicious taste was worth a
thousand words and tantalized even the average meat-eater who never before
thought of the Vegan concept.
With the desire to be a good example of the rewards of veganism, I evolved
my own dietary practices and endeavored to improve my own health. I now grow
my own food 'veganically'. I eat fresh from the garden with food full of
life-giving vitamins and minerals. (I supplement with B-12 sublingual dots).
I pass medical exams with impressive figures. Example is the best teacher.
Now my family eats a plant-based diet. Those who have chosen to be a part of
my life have become Vegan; even my dogs (and with attention to meeting their
nutritional needs, they thrive on it!)
And now I forage through my 'veganic' garden for my dinner, a flower and
food-filled garden to nourish the senses. I use both vegan and organic
principles in gardening. I dine by the riverside and think to myself, "Wow,
look where my veganism has taken me thus far! And where will it lead me
next?"
Being Vegan, I walk the Earth dressed in a confidence that this path is
leading me to commune with the higher realms of consciousness and further
away from the trivial pursuits of mankind. Being vegan is a peaceful
solution to what ails our planet today. We change the world, the course of
history even, by changing ourselves; by reprogramming our thoughts; we
evolve human consciousness. Being vegan, we become forerunners of a new race
of truly human beings. Once we become vegan, it doesn¹t stop there! Veganism
is a dependable ally that we use on our spiritual journey, for all of our
days.
M. Katz
Co-author of: Incredibly Delicious; Recipes for a New Paradigm by Gentle
World ISBN#0-929274-25-3
www.gentleworld.org
[email protected]
(Incredibly Delicious contains tips on: feeding pets vegan, on vegan-organic
gardening, and healthy hints. It includes quotes from the great timeless
thinkers as well as modern-day authorities, a resource section containing
plant-based alternative products and cruelty-free companies, in addition to
more than 500 incredibly delicious, cholesterol-free plant-based recipes
from beginner to gourmet international cuisine!)
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