For Spirituality
“Awakening is not changing who you are, but discarding who you are not.” – Deepak Chopra
Increasingly, people are coming to veganism as a way of forging a deeper connection with the natural world, while living a life that reflects kindness, justice, compassion, and love back out into it. At a time when there is so much suffering and struggle, making the decision to stop funding one of the most dangerous industries on the planet and instead to nourish ourselves naturally is both powerful and life-affirming.
People may connect with veganism as part of their religious beliefs. We know that compassion is at the core of all major religions, and veganism is compassion in action, so they are a perfect match! But there are also many people who do not follow a particular religion but who want to live a more meaningful life, one where positivity outweighs negativity, and where kindness banishes cruelty. They may feel a deep connection to the beauty of the planet and to our animal kin, and wish to align their actions more closely with their beliefs. Or they may feel that the modern food system is based on profiteering from marketing chemicals dressed up as food, when we could be living healthily on the natural bounties that the Earth provides.
These — and many other paths — have brought spiritual people to veganism.
What Is Spirituality?
Spirituality means different things to each of us, but we love this definition by Christina Puchalski of the George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health.
“Spirituality is the aspect of humanity that refers to the way individuals seek and express meaning and purpose and the way they experience their connectedness to the moment, to self, to others, to nature, and to the significant or sacred.”
However we define the word, for those of us who find meaning in creating a kinder, more loving, safer, and healthier world, veganism is a core component.
That is why we have developed a beautiful, free 7-Day Vegan for Spirituality course, which introduces participants to the issues surrounding veganism through a lens of universal spiritual themes: love, compassion, altruism, awe, wisdom, truth, and forgiveness.
We Are All Connected
The more we know about humans’ impact on Earth, the more it is obvious that the health and wellbeing of humans, animals, and the planet are all intricately and irreversibly connected. For example, when we spray chemicals on the Earth, we pollute it, killing wildlife, and harming our own health. When we lock animals inside filthy factory farms and feed them drugs to keep them alive, we create antibiotic-resistant pathogens which kill us, whilst also polluting rivers.
We are all connected, so if we create a food system that is good for one, it will be good for all. Choosing plant-based vegan foods creates positive ripples for us, other people, other animals, and the planet we all share.