Veganism

What is veganism?

Veganism is a way of life which embodies kindness, generosity and respect for each other, the planet and all living things. Veganism denotes a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude-as far as practical and possible-all forms of exploitation of and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, animals and the environment.

Please watch this 12-minute video from Non-Violence United to find out more:

Those of you that have come to classes or events sponsored by World Peace know our dedication to the practice of ahimsa as a core spiritual teaching. For those of you not familiar, please let us share with you what ahimsa is, how it relates to veganism and why it is so important to all of us at World Peace.

What is ahimsa and how does it relate to veganism?

Ahimsa is the Sanskrit term for non-harming or all-loving and is a basic teaching in yoga philosophy. The term ahimsa refers to our thoughts, our words and our actions. Practicing ahimsa requires compassion and empathy for all others. It calls us to treat others the way we would like to be treated. This directly relates to veganism in that when we see ourselves in a fish, cow, deer or any other living being just as we do with our cats and dogs or fellow humans we are unlikely to harm them. We have profound respect for our own life and when we see ourselves in others we have respect for their life. The practice of ahimsa is then a practice of connecting with all living beings and becoming the peace you would like to see in the world.

The goal of yoga is self-realization, eternal bliss and recognizing the oneness of being and we cannot achieve oneness if we are harming others. This is why so many yogis choose to follow ahimsa, veganism as a path to spiritual bliss.

Ahimsa is a practice which means that we do the best we can with the greatest intentions. Some days are better than others - it's a life long practice.

All of us are unique and posses the powers to attain spiritual bliss; we can all live a life of ahimsa starting today. Yes, we may have hurt others in our past, but we have the opportunity to move forward in a positive way and can create a peaceful world based on living a life of ahimsa.  By taking this vow, we not only begin to heal the world and those around us, we are catapulted to a higher state of being; we become peace, joy, love and bliss.