Do watch this short video (only 4 min long) It presents a simple but powerful concept that can change your life and that of many others.
Excerpt: ‘I realized that what I was being pitched was a binary solution. It was either you’re a meat eater, or you’re a vegetarian. And I guess I just wasn’t quite ready. Imagine your last hamburger. (Laughter) So my common sense, my good intentions, were in conflict with my taste buds.And I’d commit to doing it later. And not surprisingly, later never came. Sound familiar? So I wondered, might there be a third solution? And I thought about it. And I came up with one. And I’ve been doing it for the last year, and it’s great. It’s called weekday veg. The name says it all. Nothing with a face Monday through Friday. On the weekend, your choice. Simple.
If you want to take it to the next level, remember, the major culprits, in terms of environmental damage and health, are red and processed meats. So you want to swap those out with some good, sustainably harvested fish. It’s structured, so it ends up being simple to remember. And it’s okay to break it here and there. After all, cutting five days a week is cutting 70 percent of your meat intake. The program has been great, weekday veg. My footprint’s smaller I’m lessening pollution. I feel better about the animals. I’m even saving money. Best of all, I’m healthier, I know that I’m going to live longer, and I’ve even lost a little weight. So please, ask yourselves, for your health, for your pocketbook, for the environment, for the animals, what’s stopping you from giving weekday veg a shot? After all, if all of us ate half as much meat, it would be like half of us were vegetarians.’
The practice of vegetarianism needs not be all or nothing.
Some mindful reduction of meat consumption
is better than total mindless meat consumption.– Stonepeace
Growing up in a wealthy society, meat is served on the tables – 3 meals a day. It has been hardwired in the brain and as time passes, it takes lots of effort to dissolve that “hardwired”. With new inputs (the truth about meat), there is situation where people having an internal battle – one day, ok I go veg, the next day back to the old self …
But, lots of Buddhists are making small steps (encountered some of them at the Exhibition and exchange experiences etc), like going vegetarian on 1st and 15th lunar calendar … some even go beyond – like 7 days in a row, or 49 days in a row on a yearly basis.
That’s is great, as they embark on the journey of taking small steps and keep moving forward – step after step after step. A beautiful experience which can be applied in whatever things we do in life …
What lacking here, is inspiring stories, external encouragements or some targets or … to achieve or move towards this goal.
Bearing in mind, you don’t have to turn 100% vegetarian if you are not ready today or by next year or …, but keeping the good intention (thought) of eating less meat … and let it evolves slowly … can be real beautiful process …
Yes! We need more inspiring stories of going veg. Postings are welcome at https://moonpointer.com/new/how-i-became-vegn Experiences from readers can also be seen there
😛
I did a direct change, where did the power come from – I don’t really know and it just happened. Maybe, I understand it and just do it and just so simple.
If you like, you could give this method a try!
Unsuccessful – don’t give up, let it goes slow for awhile and try again. Even if it fail again – just try again …
I might not be the right person to discuss or share any experience of how the “convert” process went (be it a SUCCESS or FAIL Attempt). Even, it is a fail attempt, it is worth sharing and we definitely have something to learn from it.
I don’t know, maybe, sometime by “forcing or control” too much, it just don’t work. But, once let go a little, it becomes so easy to become a veg*n.
I have a little experience to share on – following the “No Meal” after 1pm in a retreat. Never gone without dinner, I was afraid that I could not do it.
So, I told myself , why don’t I practice by eating very little and till no dinner before the retreat (giving myself a week). But, I started 2-3 days before (not what I planned – (procrastination!). Result – failed lor!
However, during the retreat, the first thing that Ajahn touched on was this issue (OMG!) and he gave a real example of a big man who keep on arguing that he can’t go without dinner. The surprise thing – he was able to do it in the retreat! Ajahn said actually our body don’t need so much food.
And me too I was able to go without dinner for the retreat (but my previous attempt at home failed). After the retreat, I didn’t even feel like having dinner. This went for few months just fruit juice/clear soup for dinner. Till one day I break it for – eating dinner to do my food review. Then, I am back to having dinner now (a light one now), might want to go without again …
From this, I think, is the mind and the thought that is indirectly controlling me (I was indirectly lead by my thoughts – thinking that I can’t do it) … Quite an interesting experience …
P.S :
Currently, many are doing some serious thinking about this lifestyle or diet and thinking of convert soon after they get to know more about veg*nism.
There are also people that I met who are 90% vegetarian and 10% eating seafood while trying … They are not afraid to share such experiences … Enjoy listening to such stories …
I think almost everyone who tried to go without dinner at first did wonder if they could do it. Me too… but yes, it definitely can be done. For retreats, as there is less use of physical energy since there is focus on training the mind instead, it’s easier to conserve energy and thus not need to eat much. Even entertaining many stray thoughts saps energy. Many monastics skip dinner for life too.
(Y)
haha… crystal i had the same fear as u… about no dinner for retreat, then amazingly i could live without dinner, it was amazing, ur tummy shrink and u feel better than eating 3 meals.
As for going veg once a week or weekdays, though its better than meat daily, it still has a problem because people will just become contented with being so and not move towards a full fledge veg diet.
I went veg gradually, but it never really occur fully, until i set a date where from that date onwards – no meat no matter who or what influence. I think it firms up the resolve by telling urself strictly, no means no. Like teaching the kid inside u.
Most people can go veg, just that they think of all sorts of things to scare themselves – fear failure, fear they can’t do it, fear health, fear social situations, etc. I fear it as well when i want to move on to veganism, can i really do it? Will I become unhealthy? Things like that pop up. Just ignore those thoughts and fear, they are all false. Just do it.
Dreamy, nice sharing 🙂
Remind me of the going veg*n on 1st and 15th. Sometime, it is good to revisit this topic again – Why do I go vegetarian on 1st and 15th? (just like Dharma, need to re-read again and again from time to time, to go deeper and deeper).
If I can do it so well, so automatically, should I go further a bit? (maybe that kind of question or reminder …)
Afterall, deep in everyone, there is a craving (just that sometime, it is unknown or that obvious) to be better, to see progress, to be more compassionate …
There are some who give up going veg*n on 1st and 15th, because they could not remember the date (I was thinking maybe need some reminders like alarm clock, sms …). Must it be on the 1st or 15th?
To be successful in anything, I guess, one need to understand and reason it out, put value on it, set a goal and move towards it and have a strong motivation to do it.
The first step can be very difficult – but NEVER TRY NEVER KNOW.
In the world of measurement, we fear a lot of things, guess, it is a good opportunity to learn NOT to fear FAILURE.
Whatever the outcome is, there is always something for us to learn.
🙂
I started to become vegetarian when I know I am pregnant. He gives me the drives to change overnight. What I eat is what he is eating. I wanted to give him the best and try to reduce bad karma to be added on him. With alot of blessing and knowledge in eating a balanced vegetarian diet everything is fine and he is 10 months old aready and is active and playful. i am still a vegetarian and it gives me energy to keep going in taking care of my family.
http://www.rawhealthyfood.blogspot.com
Shel Lin, You are a GREAT and WONDERFUL mother. (L) (Y)
Reducing the bad karma is VERY IMPORTANT. A very BEAUTIFUL gift you have given him.
If you observe closely, you might find that your BB boy will show compassionate unknowingly at a very young age via little incidents or actions. Or maybe some other good qualities.
If you help him to acknowledge those (via recording in word, photo etc or telling him), that is watering the compassionate seed (Buddha Nature)in him.
The future of our society depends on today’s generation.
Thank you Shel Lin, for the wonderful sharing! Can I trouble you to consider writing your account at https://moonpointer.com/new/how-i-became-vegn too?
😉