Buddhism and Veganism Page 13

  If we were to take time to listen, as individuals and as a society, we would quickly realize that indeed, Franck is not the only one suffering in the animal farming industry.

  According to Human Rights Watch, “Meatpacking is the most dangerous factory job in America.”1 Factory farm workers suffer high injury rates, due to a combination of strenuous hours, time pressure, heavy lifting, and handling of sharp knives and other dangerous equipment.2 They routinely inhale hazardous levels of particulate matter (from animal dander, feathers, and so on), ammonia (urine) and hydrogen sulfide gases (manure).3 However, “The worst thing, worse than the physical danger,” said one slaughterhouse worker, “is the emotional toll... Pigs down on the kill floor have come up and nuzzled me like a puppy. Two minutes later I had to kill them...”4 The psychological damage inflicted by the job is well documented.5 According to statistics, the mere presence of a slaughterhouse in a community guarantees a drastic increase in alcoholism, violence, domestic abuse, child abuse and suicide.6

  Listening can be difficult—even overwhelming at times— but it is the one and only way for us to develop more understanding and compassion. To open our hearts and listen propels us to live more responsibly, more beautifully, more meaningfully. We are 7.5 billion people on Earth, and every year we kill for consumption 70 billion land animals7 and 2.7 trillion sea animals.8

  If we were to listen deeply enough, we would hear the cries of these animals. Behind the alluring advertising, behind the closed walls of the farms and slaughterhouses, stand painful realities. Females are routinely raped, i.e., artificially inseminated. Many dairy calves are hyperconfined, forced into anemia, and killed at just one to five months old for veal meat. Male chicks, who cannot lay eggs or be sold for meat, are killed at birth. Animals are routinely castrated, their tails cut, horns cut, ears notched, teeth clipped, and beaks and toes sliced off, all without anesthesia. They are compelled to live in the filthiest conditions, often literally on top of each other, without ever seeing the light of day.9

  It is difficult for us to connect with the inner worlds of these living, feeling, breathing creatures. We can pet our companion animals, love them, feed them, play with them, share our joys and sorrows with them, and shed tears when their time comes. We can feel elated when looking at birds soaring in the air. We can be moved by the beauty of wildlife. We can be struck by the preciousness of life. Yet, when it comes to certain animals that we have, as a society, labeled as “items of consumption,” we can also be quick to disconnect.

  To be kept alive in what are often extremely unsanitary conditions, animals are fed enormous quantities of antibiotics. The meat industry has thus become one of the driving forces worldwide behind the development of antibiotic resistance in human disease-causing bacteria.10 Additionally, to produce more meat at a faster pace, young animals are injected with strong growth hormones. All of those chemicals will not only be found in the flesh, eggs and milk that people consume, but will also be released into the environment.11 The gases, urine, and manure produced by the animals also have a significant negative impact on ecosystems.12 Most people don’t realize that animal agriculture is the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.13 The United Nations has warned us: “A global shift towards a vegan diet is vital to save the world from the worst impacts of climate change.”14

  Feeding the world’s billions of farm animals requires tremendous amounts of water, grains, and land, making animal farming one of the worst strategies for resource management. Worldwide, animal agriculture is responsible for twenty to thirty percent of all fresh water consumption15 and for at least fifty percent of grain consumption.16 Livestock covers forty-five percent of the earth’s total land.17 Livestock and their feed crops are the leading cause of rain forest destruction.18 Providing for a meat-eater requires six times more land than for a vegetarian; providing for a vegetarian still requires three times more land than for a vegan!19 Animal agriculture is also the leading cause of ocean dead zones20 and, if the world keeps fishing at its current pace, scientists expect the oceans to be empty of fish by 2048.21

  In a world where human population is quickly rising and natural resources are becoming ever scarcer, isn’t it time to reconsider our dietary paradigm?

  A clever, healthy consumer

  As consumers, we tend to see ourselves at the end of the production chain. The meat, fish, eggs and dairy products are already available at the supermarket. The animal has already been killed. The damage has already been done. This is true, but it’s only half of the truth. The other half is that, whenever we pay for those products, we financially support the animal farming industry and propel that industry to continue. Therefore, as consumers, we are not only at the end of the production chain, but also at the beginning. We decide.

  Now, here is the great news: studies show that choosing a whole food, plant-based diet is a remarkably effective way to improve our health. Vegans tend to live longer, healthier lives,22 with lower rates of heart disease, cancer, respiratory diseases, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and other dreaded diseases of our time. Not only that, but in many cases, a whole food, plant based diet can help reverse these ailments.23 24 25

  Plants are perfect sources of protein and calcium and are processed more easily by our bodies than animal-sourced protein and calcium. In addition, they do not come with the cholesterol, saturated fats, and other harmful substances found in animal products. A vegan diet, with a variety of greens, vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, herbs and spices, complemented with a B12 supplement,26 provides us with all the fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other nutrients that we need.

  The Four Noble Vegan Truths

  At the core of Buddhist philosophy is the teaching on the Four Noble Truths: suffering, the causes of suffering, happiness and healing, and the path to happiness and healing. The task of a Buddhist practitioner is not to intellectually approve of those truths, but to awaken to them, in herself and in the world she lives in. This is essential.

  Sickness is suffering. Torture and killing is suffering. The depletion of natural resources is suffering. As Buddhist practitioners, we are called to open our eyes, hearts and minds to these realities. This is the first step. The second step is to look deeply and identify the main cause of these sufferings, namely our daily dietary food choices. The third is to realize that it is possible to put an end to this suffering. Going vegan decreases our chances of getting sick, puts an end to the torture and killing, and the unnecessary depletion of natural resources. Our last task is to engage on the path of healing and happiness, the path of veganism.

  The role of a Buddhist community, like the role of any spiritual community, is to cultivate love in action. Love is not something abstract. It is a practice, and this practice requires understanding. As a nun, monk, or lay practitioner, to learn about Buddhism is not enough. We also need to learn about the world we live in, so as to express our spirituality in a way that is concrete and relevant.

  To only learn about Buddhism is actually harmful to Buddhism. Buddhism is about the present moment, and about awakening to who we are, to the life that surrounds us. Life itself is the object of our meditation and the field of our experience. Life itself is the object of our love.

  We need to look at our real problems, such as our health issues, our feelings of alienation, our feelings of purposelessness, or our lack of connection. We are called to face the real situation of our society, the animals, and our planet. We need to use our energy of mindfulness, our calmness, curiosity, open-mindedness, and scientific spirit to search for solutions: solutions we can apply.

  Buddhism: a short (although still boring) history

  For better or for worse, the Buddhist community is steeped in a long history of tradition, which began 2600 years ago in India. At that time, Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) and his monastic disciples were all mendicants. Going from house to house every day to beg for food, they practiced humility, acceptance, a
nd gratitude. Begging allowed them to be in touch with lay people, to understand them better and offer spiritual guidance.

  All beings fear pain.

  All beings fear death.

  Empathize with them.

  Do not kill, and do not cause others to kill.27

  The Buddha encouraged everyone to abstain from taking life, so as to “free countless beings from danger, oppression, and animosity.”28 He instructed his lay disciples to adopt a right livelihood, not engaging in the trade of meat.29 He said that capturing and killing an animal creates suffering for the animal and negative karma for ourselves.30 He instructed his monastic disciples to never take part in animal ritual sacrifices31 and, when going on their daily alms round, to never accept the flesh of an animal when they had seen the animal being killed for them, heard that the animal had been killed for them, or even suspected that the animal might have been killed for them.32

  However strong this policy may seem, it still left room for a last case scenario: the case in which a family had already cooked their non-vegetarian meal and wanted to share it with the monks and nuns. In that case, the begging monk or nun could accept the offering. Already at that time, this gesture attracted criticism.33 To put things into context, one should remember that monks and nuns often traveled to share the Dhamma with strangers, and that their training emphasized acceptance and humility.34 With monastics often begging by the hundreds, it would most likely have been judged “too demanding” for the Sangha to ask for special vegan meals to be cooked for them every day.

  From these historical facts, we might infer that although the Buddhist monks and nuns preferred a plant-based diet, which was more in accordance with their vows of compassion, they accepted shares of meals cooked by non-vegetarian families, so as not to offend them and to give them a chance to learn about Dharma. “Some day,” they might have wished, “no one will offer us meat, and we will be able to only eat vegetarian food.”35 Before passing away, the Buddha told Ānanda (his personal attendant and one of his most senior disciples) that although the monastic Sangha should keep its core precepts, it could get rid of the minor ones as seen fit.36 Changing the monastic rules is nothing new. The Buddha and his Sangha created the precepts as they went along, regularly editing some, even dropping others. To do so, we need to understand what these precepts are about: compassion. After the Buddha’s passing, some traditions updated their precepts to implement mandatory vegetarianism. This was greatly facilitated by the fact that many communities settled in one place and began cooking (and often growing) their own food.

  Connecting

  In the community I belong to, which is the Plum Village community, our precepts require us to be vegetarians, but not vegans. In 2006, our teacher, Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, asked us to go vegan. Although we have been making progress towards a completely vegan diet, we are not there yet, both as a community and as individuals. Consuming eggs, milk and dairy is still, technically, not an infraction of our monastic code. One day, I hope it will be.

  I sometimes feel sad and disappointed when I see a brother or sister buying or consuming eggs and dairy products, but I practice patience. I take care of my feelings, remembering that I haven’t always been a vegan myself! I remember that, although I might practice better than they do in this particular area, there are many other areas in which they practice better than I. I remember that the purpose of becoming vegan is to bring more compassion into my life, not more pride and separation. Above all, I remind myself that I do not want to wait for everyone to be like me to be his or her friend.

  I practice taking care of myself first. I practice enjoying being a vegan. I keep learning about veganism and I try to cultivate good relationships. I keep in my heart the words of wisdom I received from an elder brother many years ago: “When you see someone doing something you don’t approve of, don’t be too quick to judge, and don’t be too quick to reprimand. If you don’t have a good relationship with them, you might cause them to feel hurt, to react strongly and to not want to listen to what you have to say. In other words: don’t corr ect... conn ect!”

  Planting seeds

  I want to maintain good connections with others, and only when I have enough acceptance and understanding for them, only when the time is ripe, do I want to share my suggestions. In the monastery where I live now, Blue Cliff Monastery in New York State, I recently gave a talk titled “Why vegan?”37 I was happy to learn that following this talk, several members of my community became fully vegan (until the time of this writing, at least!)

  Choosing vegan options for myself, when other options are available, is making a statement and opening possibilities for others. We teach by our actions.

  People who come to our practice centers know that vegan food can be delicious. One day, I learned that many young friends wanted to go vegan but didn’t know how to cook. This prompted me to organize a vegan cooking workshop. The following Sunday, we went to the market together, bought a variety of fresh produce, and cooked many delicious dishes. We had so much fun! If you would like to help family and friends discover the joy of plant-based eating, a nice and polite way is to invite them for a delicious and flavorful dinner, either at home or in a vegan restaurant.

  Another important, simple and effective way to spread the word of veganism is through social media. I share vegan clips quite regularly on my Facebook page, but spaced with other useful content that may still, by the way, include clips of funny, cute animals, which I hope will water the seeds of joy and tenderness in my friends! I avoid sharing massively in one go and, above all, I do not only share about veganism. No, I don’t want my friends to block me! And yes, I have been meditating on this.

  If I had to summarize in one sentence what I have learned from Buddhist practice, it would probably be this: “I can always contribute, but I can never control.” I am one of the many conditions co-creating all the people I meet. Because I am one of them, I can always contribute, and I want to do so beautifully. But because I am only one of those many conditions, I can never fully control anyone or anything. Remembering this helps me to connect to my own creative power while, at the same time, preserving my sanity and peace of mind.

  I want to sow seeds in people’s hearts, and I try to do so peacefully and skillfully. Whether these seeds will sprout and bear fruit or not depends on the conditions. When my sharing seems to have no effect, I find consolation in the fact that I have planted a seed. I remember that the seed is still there, waiting for conditions to manifest, and one day, when I least expect it, it might surprise me by growing into a strong and beautiful plant.

  Caring for our “Francks”

  The animals need our compassion; this is essential and undeniable but our “Francks” deserve it too.

  There are many ways to help those working in the animal farming industry. As individuals, we can learn to be their good friends. Buddhist practice can help. With mindful breathing, we can better handle our emotions. We can slowly move past the limiting labels of “victims” and “perpetrators” and “good” and “evil.” We can begin to understand their past, social conditioning, and day-to-day realities. We can begin to love. Love brings us more peace. Love gives them a chance to bloom as human beings, and a human being who has fully bloomed cannot kill anymore.

  As a society, we can learn to make better choices–locally, regionally, and nationally. It has already been done, and it can be done again.38 We can inform. We can educate. We can unlock governmental funds for animal farmers to grow grains, fruits and vegetables. To protect the physical and mental health of our citizens is not only a noble moral endeavor, it is also a wise economic investment. A healthy nation spends less on health care, less on prisons, and is more creative and productive.

  In summary

  If you are a Buddhist, I would like to suggest to you: Going vegan will help you better realize your spiritual ideals. Going vegan is good for your health, the animals, the Earth, and future generations. Going vegan can help you become a better role
model for society. Please consider.

  If you are already vegan, please remember: This is about compassion... and everyone needs and deserves compassion. Just like a good Buddhist needs non-Buddhist friends, a good vegan needs non-vegan friends. So please, connect.

  References:

  1. “Blood, Sweat and Fear: Workers’ Rights in U.S. Meat and Poultry Plants.” Human Rights Watch Report, January 2005

  2. “Workplace Safety and Health: Safety in the Meat and Poultry Industry, while Improving, Could Be Further Strengthened.” A report by the Government Accountability Office. 2005.

  3. “Concentrated Animal Feedlot Operations (CAFOs) Chemicals Associated with Air Emissions.” Prepared by the CAFO subcommittee of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) Toxics Steering Group (TSG). 2006.

  4. Slaughterhouse: The Shocking Story of Greed, Neglect, and Inhumane Treatment Inside the U.S. Meat Industry, by Gail A. Eisnitz.

  5. Dillard, Jennifer. “A Slaughterhouse Nightmare: Psychological Harm Suffered by Slaughterhouse Employees and the Possibility of Redress through Legal Reform.” Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law & Policy, forthcoming.

  6. “Slaughterhouses and Increased Crime Rates: An Empirical Analysis of the Spillover From “The Jungle” Into the Surrounding Community,” by Amy J. Fitzgerald, University of Windsor, Linda Kalof, Michigan State University, and Thomas Dietz, Michigan State University. Organization & Environment, June 2009.

  7. “Factory Farms,” A Well Fed World

  8. Mood, A. & Brooke, P. “Estimating the Number of Fish Caught in Global Fishing Each Year,” July 2010.

  9. A Plea for the Animals: The Moral, Philosophical, and Evolutionary Imperative to Treat All Beings with Compassion, by Matthieu Ricard.

  10. Food Animals and Antimicrobials: Impacts on Human Health, Bonnie M. Marshall, Stuart B. Levy