Differentiation of live and non-living forms is only a reflection of our ignorance. Same non-living entities–rocks and minerals and carbon and nitrogen and hydrogen make us (living entities). We would not even exist without them. They are the raw material utilized to create us first and even after our birth we are not a free entity. There is a continuous exchange of these materials to support our ongoing existence. And we are the ones boasting about our superiority over non-living forms.
We stumble on a rock and curse it, not realizing that the same rock dust is making our bodies. Considering ourselves as separate from the universe is ego and realizing oneness with everything living and non-living entities is smelling the fragrance of life–the consciousness. Don’t let this turn into a practice of compassion. Go deep and let the compassion be a Realization. Once it is realized, it will express itself.
Compassion cannot be preached, cannot be learned, cannot be practiced, it can only be expressed from the deepness of the heart, after realization. Millions are into a practice of compassion to “achieve” God–it’s all fake. God is not that cheap. Hard work, internal reflection, acceptance of our own faults is required before compassion surfaces. It is the reward of your hard work internally.
Desires Are A Straight Path Towards Destruction
Desires (for objects of pleasure) cloud your mind, cloud your judgment, cloud your memory (of who your well-wishers are and who is not) destroys your intellect (ability to differentiate right from wrong). Once intellect gets destroyed–man perishes.
People’s minds are filled with desires for non-vegan foods and with such clouded minds, they don’t see anything but those objects of pleasure only (Vishaya- poison in Sanskrit). Advice from their own family, friends, doctors, other well-wishers don’t mean anything to them. Such videos also don’t mean anything to them.
Desires are a straight path towards destruction–examples are all over–obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and even pandemics. Once one is blinded by desires, the atrocity of violence doesn’t bother them.
Good thing is that all of us are awakened towards such violence as we still have a spark of the soul still lit up and we are ready to sacrifice our desires for the well-being of innocent animals, but others are not. Looking at them, they look just like other human beings, but at the mind level, they are totally different.
People have the potential to turn around, turn away from their self-destructive desires, but only they can do that, no one else can. All we can do is, provide examples of our health, our well-being, our compassion, and become beacons for establishing peace and harmony in this world.
Author: Dr Shrenik Shah
Dr. Shrenik Shah is the President of World Vegan Vision, NY, and a practicing internist in NJ. He has been vegan for over 17+ years. He became a major advocate of veganism when he became aware of the cruelty involved in the dairy industry, artificial insemination of the cows against their will, the slaughter of male calves, and so on. Just being a vegetarian was not enough. Besides adopting a vegan lifestyle, he has guided many of his patients in adopting a vegan lifestyle and experience weight reduction, lowering of cholesterol and blood sugars with great success. He has solid proof of the health benefits experienced by his patients. Dr. Shah brings a wealth of medical and dietary knowledge and experience about the vegan lifestyle and freely shares his expertise with members. He has delivered lectures on the benefits of veganism and is available for such engagements. Dr. Shah is well-traveled around the world and is aware of the positive effect of a vegan lifestyle on the environment by reducing global warming and other environmental impacts like the disappearance of many wild species via habitat destruction.
