Vegan is the new Black. There seems to be a growing number of people shouting from the rooftops that they are vegan. People do not start conversation with “Hello” anymore. It starts with someone stating, “I’m Vegan”. In a recent conversation I introduced my self to someone and said My name only to have them answer “I am a Vegan”. I was a little taken back and then said, that’s cool, so what is your name? They answered and immediately afterwards gave me a spiel on veganism and how they are saving the environment and animals. I thought this was unusual just because in the state of things in the world there are so many other things to talk about. I am not opposed to veganism or proposing meat or any other dietary plan that may fit for your life. But in the scale of appropriateness this is skewed just slightly. Though it may be saving animals, it loses it’s shimmer when the ego is placed on the plate per se and its pushed in front of you to eat without any hint of interest.
Although I used to be a vegetarian for 17years and a raw foodist in my life, I never felt the need to state it to anyone unless asked or if I went to a dinner. I do want to say that Siddartha was a vegetarian when he was an aesthetic until he realized the middle path and was offered and drank milk that was given to him from a woman who saw him starve. When I studied in India, many yogis who went into deep meditation ate “Ghee”. Ghee is goat butter. The reason for this was because it protected their “Nadis” from the vibration and gave them a grounding sensation when deep in meditation. In some teachings of the Buddha to his desciples; as a monk was that things are taken as a gift when it is placed in your begging bowl. Before America was America the native Americans hunted for what they needed and also thanked the animal for their sacrifice. The story of the antelope in native medicine tells of this. The antelope offered itself as a blessing. I am using these as examples that our origin is not that of a vegan. Our teeth have incisors for the sole purpose of eating flesh. But please be aware that I am not promoting either one but I do think that we should have the knowledge of everything at hand before declaring what we thinking is right or wrong and condemning others for doing what they do. Posting saving the animals on your FB and eating meat are different things entirely.
I can say that in the world today, I do not agree with the mass meat farming and animal cruelty. I do believe that there are conscious ways of eating in the world today and if you stay conscious through these ways, you can see everything without the labels and ego based separation.
T.
OM&Co. 