Don’t Be Afraid

When I became vegetarian one year ago yesterday, I was fortunate that not many people questioned why I chose to be vegetarian. When someone would ask, I would give very limited reasons, so as to avoid being dragged into a political debate. I started out vegetarian for animals’ sake, and then for my own health. Not many people can understand the concept that animals have feelings and thoughts. How can we decide which animals to eat and which not to? For example, Hindus won’t eat cows; Jewish won’t eat pigs or shellfish – and not many people will argue with them on why they won’t eat those animals – that would just be plain rude, wouldn’t it? Then why for someone who has religious freedom to eat whatever they want and chooses not to eat animals, it’s considered absurd? Most North Americans gawk at people who eat dogs because we wouldn’t eat our own dog, but don’t feel the same about the average cow or pig? What about chickens? Who doesn’t love seeing a cute baby chick all yellow and peeping? Then when they’re grown up, we think of the smelly chicken coop, and yet still want to eat them and their eggs?

It’s a twisted cultural society we live in. When we think of others as deserving of happiness as much as we believe we deserve, our attitudes towards others change. This mentality should be extended toward humans and animals equally.

A thought occurred to me this week: it’s funny how some people get defensive when your beliefs ‘suddenly’ differ from their own. What do they have to fear? Is it insecurity in their own beliefs that they feel threatened? It really is strange to hear how others defend killing other beings for the sake of their own needs when we have so many other options. Same goes for war – but that’s another issue for another day.

As we get older, most of us grow as individuals and with that our beliefs change as ignorance diminishes.  When I mean ignorance, I speak from the Buddhist concept of “ignorance.” We must all continue to grow as individuals and society to improve ourselves.

I apologise for the abruptness of this post. Trying to write for two days with sciatic pain and distractions have been too much to bear. I appreciate each of you who read this and continue the vegetarian/vegan way by practising love and compassion.