I am asking for a little help from each of you today. And don’t worry, I’m not asking for money! LOL
I need some help to gain better understanding and acceptance of something that seems so clear to me, but not so much for many others.
I became a Vegan about six months ago, because it finally hit me that eating meat and dairy products were the cause of so much torture, cruelty, suffering and killing of defenseless creatures.
Now please don’t stop reading here, because you think I am actually trying to convert you to Veganism. I truly am only looking for your help in gaining better understanding.
I have spent a lot of time thinking back to all the years that I ate meat and dairy, and I did have knowledge of what went on in slaughterhouses. And I see that somehow, I just blocked those images out of my mind because I liked meat and cheese. I have eaten these things all my life, and I suppose the wiring in my brain was just powerful enough to block anything out.
So what made me change? How did I break that brain connection and accept the realties of what I was actually doing by my actions of eating meat and dairy?
Well, the actual moment that triggered it was a video I saw about cattle export in Australia. There is a huge movement by the Australian people to stop the export of cattle to Indonesia because of the horrific atrocities that are happening to these animals.
Now I have watched many PETA videos in the past, and as disturbing as the images were, I did not become Vegan. And it would have been easy for me to watch the Australian one and disconnect because it’s in another country. But for me, it clicked that not only do I have love and compassion for these animals regardless of what country they are in, but I know that the identical cruelties are going on right here in the USA. And I am the cause of that.
I have to give so much love to my oldest Daughter as well, because she really helped push me over the edge with seeing how I can make a difference.
When speaking to her about wanting to go Vegan, I told her that in a way it seems futile. I felt that regardless of me stopping the eating of meat and dairy, the grocery store would still be full of those things for sale. My Daughter then told me that actually every person who stops eating meat and dairy saves over one hundred lives. And that doesn’t even take into account the environmental impact that potentially helps save thousands of human lives every year.
That was it, my turning point. For me, it was all about compassion. If my stopping could save one life then it was totally worth it to me.
As I made the switch to Vegan, my oldest Daughter continued to talk to me about the health benefits of eliminating meat and dairy from our diet. So I started doing a lot of research on my own. I found a fabulous site called NutrionFacts.org that is run by Dr. Michael Greger. This amazing human being literally spend his life doing research on health and diet and then shares it freely with everyone. I don’t think he is Buddhist, but he certainly is an incredible example of loving kindness, compassion, selflessness and equanimity.
If nothing else comes from this article, I hope that each of you will spend a little time on his site and watch some of the videos. Each one is completely backed up by the most current research from the most respected sources around the World.
So getting back to my question, and plea for help…
Can you please tell me how you block those brain receptors from connecting the reality of cruelty and killing, from the hamburger or Mocha Frappuccino that is in front of you?
And believe me, I am not saying this sarcastically or as a ploy to get you to be Vegan. I just truly want to understand.
I have love and compassion for you also, and I do not hold judgement on any of you for your choices.
But the information that you share with me here can be of great benefit in wisdom for me and perhaps many others.
And if you have any questions regarding my thoughts here, please let me know those as well.
May you each live freely and comfortably, free of suffering, cruelty, sickness or pain.
May you be well, happy and peaceful.
