Namaskar
This issue looks at vegetarian diet and ethics, with some words of wisdom
to
start with.
Dharma
Why vegans were right all along
Article at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/famine/story/0,12128,865087,00.html
Famine can only be avoided if the rich give up meat, fish and dairy
George Monbiot
Tuesday December 24, 2002
The Guardian
The Christians stole the winter solstice from the pagans, and capitalism
stole it from the Christians. But one feature of the celebrations has
remained unchanged: the consumption of vast quantities of meat. The
practice
used to make sense. Livestock slaughtered in the autumn, before the grass
ran out, would be about to decay, and fat-starved people would have to
survive a further three months. Today we face the opposite problem: we
spend
the next three months trying to work it off.
Our seasonal excesses would be perfectly sustainable, if we weren't doing
the same thing every other week of the year. But, because of the rich
world's dispro****tionate purchasing power, many of us can feast every day.
And this would also be fine, if we did not live in a finite world.
By comparison to most of the animals we eat, turkeys are relatively
efficient converters: they produce about three times as much meat per
pound
of grain as feedlot cattle. But there are still plenty of reasons to feel
uncomfortable about eating them. Most are reared in darkness, so tightly
packed that they can scarcely move. Their beaks are removed with a hot
knife
to prevent them from hurting each other. As Christmas approaches, they
become so heavy that their hips buckle. When you see the inside of a
turkey
broilerhouse, you begin to entertain grave doubts about European
civilisation.
This is one of the reasons why many people have returned to eating red
meat
at Christmas. Beef cattle appear to be happier animals. But the
improvement
in animal welfare is offset by the loss in human welfare. The world
produces
enough food for its people and its livestock, though (largely because they
are so poor) some 800 million are malnourished. But as the population
rises,
structural global famine will be avoided only if the rich start to eat
less
meat. The number of farm animals on earth has risen fivefold since 1950:
humans are now outnumbered three to one. Livestock already consume half
the
world's grain, and their numbers are still growing almost exponentially.
This is why biotechnology - whose promoters claim that it will feed the
world - has been deployed to produce not food but feed: it allows farmers
to
switch from grains which keep people alive to the production of more
lucrative crops for livestock. Within as little as 10 years, the world
will
be faced with a choice: arable farming either continues to feed the
world's
animals or it continues to feed the world's people. It cannot do both.
The impending crisis will be accelerated by the depletion of both
phosphate
fertiliser and the water used to grow crops. Every kilogram of beef we
consume, according to research by the agronomists David Pimental and
Robert
Goodland, requires around 100,000 litres of water. Aquifers are beginning
the run dry all over the world, largely because of abstraction by farmers.
Many of those who have begun to understand the finity of global grain
production have responded by becoming vegetarians. But vegetarians who
continue to consume milk and eggs scarcely reduce their impact on the
ecosystem. The conversion efficiency of dairy and egg production is
generally better than meat rearing, but even if everyone who now eats beef
were to eat cheese instead, this would merely delay the global famine. As
both dairy cattle and poultry are often fed with fishmeal (which means
that
no one can claim to eat cheese but not fish), it might, in one respect,
even
accelerate it. The ****ft would be accompanied too by a massive
deterioration
in animal welfare: with the possible exception of intensively reared
broilers and pigs, battery chickens and dairy cows are the farm animals
which appear to suffer most.
We could eat pheasants, many of which are dumped in landfill after they've
been shot, and whose price, at this time of the year, falls to around £2 a
bird, but most people would feel uncomfortable about subsidising the
bloodlust of brandy-soaked hoorays. Eating pheasants, which are also fed
on
grain, is sustainable only up to the point at which demand meets supply.
We
can eat fish, but only if we are prepared to contribute to the collapse of
marine ecosystems and - as the European fleet plunders the seas off West
Africa - the starvation of some of the hungriest people on earth. It's
impossible to avoid the conclusion that the only sustainable and socially
just option is for the inhabitants of the rich world to become, like most
of
the earth's people, broadly vegan, eating meat only on special occasions
like Christmas.
As a meat-eater, I've long found it convenient to categorise veganism as a
response to animal suffering or a health fad. But, faced with these
figures,
it now seems plain that it's the only ethical response to what is arguably
the world's most urgent social justice issue. We stuff ourselves, and the
poor get stuffed.
---
Title: What's New.
Source: Natural Life, Sep/Oct2002 Issue 87, p24, 1p, 4bw
Introduction of 'The Jumbo Vegetarian Cookbook';
What's New
Reviews of new products & services for simple, healthy living
Veggie Food for Kids
The authors of The Jumbo Vegetarian Cookbook (2002, Kids Can Press) were
introduced to vegetarianism when their daughters announced they were
giving
up meat. Both moms were concerned that their growing teens' nutritional
needs wouldn't be met, but a little research taught them differently. So
they have created this book with more than 125 nutritious and delicious
meatless dishes, designed to appeal to people of all ages, but especially
kids, whether they're eating or cooking. The
wonderfully illustrated book includes an introduction to vegetarian foods,
basic cooking terms, helpful hints, safety tips and great menu ideas.
---
Vegetarian diet: panacea for modern lifestyle diseases?
http://qjmed.oupjournals.org/cgi/content/full/92/9/531
http://qjmed.oupjournals.org/cgi/reprint/92/9/531.pdf
Autor: Segasothy M; Phillips PA
Dirección: Department of Medicine, Northern Territory Clinical School of
Medicine of Flinders University, Alice Springs, Australia.
m.segasothy@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Vegetarian diet: panacea for modern lifestyle diseases?
In: QJM. 2000 Jun; 93(6):387
Fuente: QJM; 92(9):531-44, 1999 Sep.
ISSN: 1460-2725
País de publicación: UNITED KINGDOM
Resumen: We review the beneficial and adverse effects of vegetarian diets
in various medical conditions. Soybean-protein diet, legumes, nuts and
soluble fibre significantly decrease total cholesterol, low-density
lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides. Diets rich in fibre and complex
carbohydrate, and restricted in fat, improve control of blood glucose
concentration, lower insulin requirement and aid in weight control in
diabetic patients. An inverse association has been re****ted between nut,
fruit, vegetable and fibre consumption, and the risk of coronary heart
disease. Patients eating a vegetarian diet, with comprehensive lifestyle
changes, have had reduced frequency, duration and severity of angina as
well
as regression of coronary atherosclerosis and improved coronary perfusion.
An inverse association between fruit and vegetable consumption and stroke
has been suggested. Consumption of fruits and vegetables, especially
spinach
and collard green, was associated with a lower risk of age-related ocular
macular degeneration. There is an inverse association between dietary
fibre
intake and incidence of colon and breast cancer as well as prevalence of
colonic diverticula and gallstones. A decreased breast cancer risk has
been
associated with high intake of soy bean products. The beneficial effects
could be due to the diet (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids,
minerals, fibre, complex carbohydrate, antioxidant vitamins, flavanoids,
folic acid and phytoestrogens) as well as the associated healthy lifestyle
in vegetarians. There are few adverse effects, mainly increased intestinal
gas production and a small risk of vitamin B12 deficiency.
---
ETHICS
While the goal of meditation is Cosmic Consciousness, it is necessary to
follow a moral, ethical life as well. Without a firm moral base, the
mental
strength and knowledge we gain from meditation can lead to personal and
social harm. Therefore, in Ananda Marga one must be willing to sincerely
follow a code of ethical conduct to the best of one's ability . This
ethical
conduct is called Yama and Niyama.
YAMA
The following five principles of Yama deal mostly with helping us to
achieve
a positive sense of balance in our dealings with society.
Ahimsa', the first principle of Yama, means action performed without the
intention of harming anyone or anything by thought, word or deed. As long
as
one is chained to the desire to harm or exploit, one's progress towards
peace and spiritual understanding is hindered. The dynamics of life
however,
do at times involve the use of force. To take a very basic example, every
time we breathe we are killing thousands of micro-organisms. Here the
intention is not to harm the bacteria, but simply to breathe. In other
instances, it might be necessary to use force to preserve human lives and
liberties and this would be in accordance with Ahimsa' as long as the
action
was not motivated by hatred or anger.
The second principle of Yama is Satya. Satya means to guide all thought,
speech and action with the feeling of welfare. We should stick as close to
the objective truth as we can, but sometimes even a lie may be in the
spirit
of Satya. For example, if an innocent person running away from a violent
mob
comes to hide in your house and the mob asks you where that person is, you
should in the spirit of Satya tell them, "He went that way." :)
Asteya, the next principle, means not taking, either physically or
mentally,
what rightfully belongs to someone else. In striving for true balance in
our
dealings with others, the thought of stealing is almost as bad as the
physical act itself. Therefore, Asteya also has more subtle implications.
For example, the thought of stealing - mentally stealing - from others
will
violate Asteya. Not acknowledging the use of written or other works by
someone else can also violate Asteya. The principle of Asteya reminds us
that we should not actively take from others.
Brahmacarya, the next principle of Yama, refers to a state of mind in
which
we see everyone and everything as an expression of the Supreme. To
practice
Brahmacarya, we must open our minds to delve into the hidden depths of
creation and to see that there is a single flow and a single consciousness
pervading all forms. A person who is truly established in Brahmacarya will
have no tendency to harm, to selfishly lie, to steal, or to exploit others
through over-indulgence. It is the hardest Yama to follow. But if we
continue with our meditation, and try to apply the other principles of
Yama
and Niyama to our lives, gradually we will find ourselves taking this
perspective more and more of the time.
The meaning of the next principle, Aparigraha, is that we should live in
such a way as to have more to share with others. Aparigraha means that we
should limit our consumption of luxuries out of sympathy for the suffering
of others and out of respect for the common ecological heritage of
humanity.
For one person to hoard wealth while his or her neighbours are in dire
poverty is a clear violation of Aparigraha. This principle also has
ecological implications: minimize your resource consumption. It also has
psychological im****tance. When we cling to something that we don't really
need (when sharing it or the wealth that it represents would alleviate the
suffering of others), we are fostering a tendency of mind which closes us
up
in a very small world. This runs against the current of our spiritual
practices which lead us to ever greater, universal identification. It is
also true that the excessive enjoyment of physical comfort tends to dull
the
mind and make spiritual effort more difficult.
NIYAMA
The principles of Niyama explained below deal more with our own personal
integration than with our relations to society. Both Yama and Niyama are
essential, and we can see that each compliments the other.
Shaoca, the first principle of Niyama, is the cultivation of cleanliness,
both physical and mental. A clean body and environment have a very
positive
effect on the mind, but it is im****tant to maintain internal cleanliness
too. Shrii Shrii A'nandamurti emphasizes the im****tance of developing a
strong, supple, and relaxed body through exercise, yoga postures or
asanas,
and through eating a pure and balanced diet. Some people find that a
vegetarian diet helps them maintain a clear, calm state of mind. The
mental
aspect of Shaoca involves combating tendencies toward selfish motives and
greedy thoughts. One way to strive for mental cleanliness is to cultivate
the spirit of giving to others and of serving their needs - physical,
mental, and spiritual.
The second principle of Niyama is Santosa or contentment. Shrii Shrii
A'nandamurti defines Santosa as "a state of proper mental ease." In order
to
achieve Santosa, we can remind ourselves throughout the day that behind
our
anxieties and our tensions we have a vast reservoir of creativity and
energy
which we can use to solve any problem. We very often have movements
during
the day when our minds are not fully engaged in what we are doing -
perhaps
we are waiting to see a doctor, perhaps we are riding the bus, perhaps we
are going for a walk - and at times like this it is very helpful to repeat
our mantra mentally. This state of 'half meditation' is very conducive to
the development of Santosa.
Tapah is the practice of sacrificing petty personal pleasures in the
greater
joy of serving others. This is really an essential part of achieving real
self-integration for we do not live alone. Indeed, the person who sees
spirituality as for being alone develops a sense of personal spiritual
capitalism which can be detrimental to the spiritual path. In every
living
being there is the desire for the Infinite, and as we expand our minds in
meditation, we come to feel the poignancy of that universal desire as our
own. At that point, the natural thing to do is to try to share with others
the possibility of fulfilling that desire through helping them physically,
mentally, and spiritually. Compassionately recognizing our common nature
we
lead others along the path of self-fulfilment by our service, by our love,
and by our example.
Svadhayaya is the principle of clearly understanding a spiritual subject.
One must read or listen to all spiritual works so as to understand their
meaning and nor merely for regurgitation. It is essential to understand
its
significance - the underlying idea. It is the inner meaning that counts.
Iishvara Pranidhana means to accept Iishvara - the controller of the
Universe (ie the Supreme Consciousness) as one's only shelter in life,
(not
money, employment, relation****ps, personal talents or abilities, etc) and
to
move with accelerated speed (by one's spirituality) towards that Supreme
Shelter. Whether in happiness or sorrow, prosperity or poverty, one
surrenders to the will of Cosmic Entity, knowing that ultimately nothing
happens without God's grace.
---
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