This blog post is a result of a discussion I had with my father over the reality of what is behind the food that we eat. I was speaking on how far reaching the disconnect is between people and the food they eat. I generally find that most people do not want to know the true price (economic, ethical, and environmental) of the food that they eat. I know when I was eating meat, never once did I stop to think about the feelings of the animals I was eating, or the reaching devastation that big industrial feed lots and industrial agriculture had on the environment.
I suspect that there was a lurking notion in the back of my mind that would ceep into the forefront of my thought from time to time based on brief conversations I had with people or articles I had read. But the majority of my nutritional information came from my childhood and what I learned and read in school and popular exercise magazines. But whatever notion I had it was far from a prominent thought. It simply was not a part of my life.
This is a major problem. Why wouldn't it be important where my food came from? Why would this not be something that was taught and impressed upon me from an early age. Food and water are absolutely vital to life. With out either, life ends. I spent the majority of my life completely disconnected from that which is the building block of absolutely everything. Remember the saying, "You are what you eat?" I sure do. I remember learning that in a 7th grade science class. I never questioned that. It made sense to me and seamed logical.
There is nothing OK about all the antibiotics and growth hormones and torture and GMO seeds.
The question I get all the time is "Isn't it hard to be Vegan?". I would say if you are going vegan for personal health reasons, then yes it is very hard and inconvenient and there are probably easier ways to eat just as healthy.
However, if your reasons for going vegan are because you became aware of the true price that is paid for your meat and you choose to connect with that fact and turn towards that suffering and could not in good conscious continue to be so mindless then the decision is effortless.
The problem that I often face and struggle with is that while I am very passionate about a lot of things in my life I am often very unskillful in transmitting that passion. The first time I quit smoking (Yes, the first- It has not been 4+ years since I have had a smoke) I was an avid crusader against smoking. I chastised my friends and denounced such a gross and disgusting habit... Very unskillful. And of course when I started smoking again a couple weeks or sometimes days later my words slowly began to loose power because of my lack of action.
Once I started cycling and running and I would rally groups of my friends to join me only to take them on far longer/ harder work outs then they were capable leaving them with a bad taste in their mouth and wanting nothing to do with my companionship in exercise...again, very unskillful.
While my father and I were speaking he was telling that he did not want to hear about it. I began to be more and more frustrated with the disconnect and was trying to point out that people need to at least know the facts before they make a decision or else it really is not a choice, just another lazy apathetic action based solely out of habit and self. He calmly told me at one point that I reminded him of certain religious persons who try to force their views on others. I understand what that feels like... Very unskillful.
I immediately realized that this was neither the time and the place for this conversation.
No doubt one of the greatest spiritual teachings that I have been imparted to me was in the form of "oh yeah, your that guy who thinks he special. Why don't you sit down and shut up and listen to some people who have some actual experience"... More Skillful
The lesson there is that the best way to lead is by example and often times our rewards and "passions for crusade" only serve to further peoples prejudice. The 'ol talk less, do more. Those who know me, know I have a Loooooong way to go in this area. But it is not a race
There is the saying that goes when the teacher is ready the master will appear.
There are Buddhist Monks who on their journey down the 8 fold path will not take something that is not offered. They extrapolate this even to the point of not picking up and reading a book on a friends coffee table because that book does not belong to them and it was not "offered". Perhaps when we crusade for reform we are "taking peoples time" when they do not offer it.
The Dalai Lama talks often about only teaching to those who ask to receive the teachings..
That seems to be a much more skillful way to approach this area of life. Lead by example. When it all boils down to it, the rest it just ego anyhow.
What are you passionate about? What are the ways that you bring attempt to bring about change in this world? What do you struggle with? Where do you have the most to grow?
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