What is Vegan Spirituality?

How can it help activists and animals?

Is Spirituality a Part of Your Life?
As an animal advocate, how would you react if asked, “Are you a spiritual person?” Some of you may have an immediate knee-jerk reaction against the word “spirituality,” which often brings to mind religion and churches. Most places of worship, as we are painfully aware, ignore the worldwide plight of animals and, in fact, openly exploit animals at potlucks, fishing and hunting outings, and other traditional “family” activities. Many of us have found ourselves frustrated when we tried to change their policies to be cruelty-free and animal friendly. We all know sincere people who consider themselves spiritual seekers but who participate in all the socially programmed rituals of animal abuse and killing. They may be exploring Buddhism, attending meditation retreats, practicing yoga, studying shamanism, or reading spiritual books. But they have not yet made the connection between their desire to become spiritual and the correlating need to live nonviolently, with kindness, respect, and compassion for all beings; not just the human ones.
Beyond the Mind
So why would I call you a spiritual person? Eckhart Tolle said, “All the things that truly matter—beauty, love, creativity, joy, inner peace—arise from beyond the mind.” Spirituality is what we feel and deeply know in our hearts and spirits, i.e., “beyond the mind.” The fact that you care about the suffering of animals, in spite of society’s pressure on you to ignore it, means you are in touch with your true heart and your true spirit. Spirituality is the unseen, but deeply felt, love that dwells in your heart. In that sense, you have truly been called by love to do what you can to help liberate animals from human violence, and you have answered the call.
The Two Most Revolutionary Ideas
The two most radical and revolutionary ideas ever conceived are the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” and the profound counsel, “Love One Another.” In my book Peace to All Beings: Veggie Soup for the Chicken’s Soul, I explain how nearly every religion is rooted in those very concepts. While many religious people acknowledge that, indeed, their faith is based on that radical love, nevertheless religions tend to add on loopholes making it possible to rationalize not doing unto others (such as, animals, slaves, women, etc.) as you would have them do unto you. The Golden Rule is so revolutionary because it asks us to act from our spirit, which is unselfish, connected to all life, and free of cultural and religious dogma. It is the highest ideal for human behavior. If we evolve in that direction, we will become what I call “Homo Ahimsa”—the kind, compassionate, nonviolent human being we are destined to be. By taking the vow of ahimsa, of nonviolence and love, also known as veganism, you have demonstrated what it is to live a spiritual life—one in which your heartfelt beliefs are in synch with the way you live. You are demonstrating how to love one another, not just the human ones, but everyone. You are demonstrating what spirituality truly is.
Setting Your Spirit Free
We are dual-natured individuals. We have a survival nature that tells us to protect ourselves at the expense of others if necessary; and we have our other core nature–our spirit that longs to care for others, even at the expense of ourselves. Anyone who has committed themselves to be a voice for animals is demonstrating that they are spiritual, in the sense that they have allowed their spirits the freedom to express this most radical, unselfish love. It is this love and this spirituality that will transform the world into a place of freedom and peace for all beings. It is this love that stirs one to take action to help free animals from human domination and violence. Veganism at its core is the ultimate spiritual practice, for it is love in action for all life.
How Vegan Spirituality Helps Activists and Animals
The Prayer Circle for Animals (circleofcompassion.org), which I co-founded with Will and Madeleine Tuttle, states that by practicing vegan spirituality, we:
l) Create an energy field of compassion and caring for all beings of Earth
2) Hasten the transformation we are seeking for a world at peace
3) Strengthen us all for the work ahead
4) Elevate global consciousness to the awareness that all life is sacred and interconnected
and to the joyful acknowledgement of our kinship with every being
There is an endless well of peace and joy that comes from opening our hearts to animals. There is also grief, despair, loneliness, and even burnout from bearing witness to the endless sufferings they are enduring. A vegan spiritual community and access to spiritual tools can help us all stay strong and positive, showing the world how beautiful the vegan life can be.
The Physical and the Metaphysical—The Sanctuaries in Our Hearts
Through a combination of physical actions and metaphysical prayer, also known as focused thought, we greatly increase the chances that worldwide animal liberation will become a reality.  There are physical sanctuaries for animals all over the world. As spiritual vegans, we also create sanctuaries in our hearts.
Focusing our thoughts on a clear vision, knowing it is true, and refusing to doubt it, can manifest that vision like a magnet. Holding the vision of a world in which no animals are exploited helps to bring that vision into reality. The more people who hold that intention, see it in their minds, imagine it, and feel the joy of it, the more power is generated to bring it into the tangible, visible world. Love is the most powerful force in the universe. All we need to do is get in synch with it.
Veganism—the Ultimate Spirituality
Many people are on a journey to live from the highest ethic, to discover their own true nature, to awaken in consciousness, to find lasting inner peace, to understand their soul’s mission on Earth, and to learn to live in a sacred and mindful manner on the Earth. When we understand what spirituality really means, it helps us to assist other spiritual seekers to see that veganism is an essential part of a spiritual path. There will always be a sense of incompleteness and numbness until one opens one’s heart to the animals and lives by the vegan ethic. Tina Volpe and I wrote The Missing Peace to demonstrate through the stories of many people that the ultimate inner peace is found when we give it to others—not just human others, but all others.
When we really think about it, veganism is the ultimate spirituality, the highest form of consciousness in which one realizes that all life is sacred. Through this practice of love, we can heal the world and liberate all living beings.
© 2014 Judy McCoy Carman, M.A. Author of Peace to All Beings: Veggie Soup for the Chicken’s Soul; co-author with Tina Volpe of The Missing Peace: The Hidden Power of our Kinship with Animals. Co-Founder with Will and Madeleine Tuttle of The Prayer Circle for Animals (www.circleofcompassion.org); Author of the Peace to All Beings website (www.peacetoallbeings.com) where you can find the Animal Prayer Flag project. Judy can be reached at judycarman@ymail.com.

This was originally posted on the Sustainable Activism page at www.idausa.org.  

Share

New You tube video of prayer flags accompanied by Daniel Redwood's beautiful song

Please enjoy this video of some of the many photos of flags you all have  sent me.  Daniel Redwood sings "With Us, Not For Us," to accompany the video. You all made this possible.  Tears come every time I watch it, even though I'm the one who put it together.  Daniel's song is so full of meaning and power, and you all are spreading powerful prayers on the wind for the animals of earth. 

Gandhi said there is nothing more real or powerful than prayer.  Thank you for all you are doing to bring freedom, peace, and happiness to all beings everywhere.

Click here to see the video and please share it-- Animal Prayer Flags You Tube with Daniel Redwood's music

Mindful Grief and a Retreat for Activists

I write these updates every week and they are sent to everyone who has signed up to receive them at www.circleofcompassion.org.  Hope you like it.  

 

Prayer Circle for Animals Weekly Update

Please share with friends!!

Our prayers for all animals continue to circle the earth, to

uplift humanity’s consciousness, and to bless the animals themselves.

 Thank you for joining people around the world who are praying this

prayer in many different languages but all with the same love:

“COMPASSION ENCIRCLES THE EARTH FOR ALL BEINGS EVERYWHERE

 

My Cow Neighbors

When we moved into our rural home 8 years ago, there was a 5 acre lot just to the west of us.  Our house was only about 100 yards from the fence line. About 4 years ago, a young couple built a house on the 5 acres.  Recently they brought 12 cows to their property.  Most mornings I greet them from my front porch, because one of their favorite hangouts is under the trees by our fence. They are literally my next door neighbors and my friends. These cows are so precious and so full of personality.  They seem to enjoy my singing and conversing with them about the day.  When I am with them I banish thoughts of their fate from my mind, because I just want to share joy with them. 

 

From Joy to Tears

However, as they get older, it is getting harder. From my back porch, I saw the neighbor building a corral and chute for loading the cows the other day. I was overcome with a flood of emotions and tears—the desire to stop my friends from being killed, the anger at my neighbor’s ignorance, my grief that then pours into the river of tears being shed by all of us for all animals being killed every second of every day. 

 

Mindful Grieving

What I want to say to you is that by taking on the liberation of animals we are entering into a profoundly beautiful relationship with animals, but we are also accepting ongoing grief as a part of our lives.  We cannot let ourselves be overcome by it, because the animals need us to keep going, but we can give ourselves permission to cry once in a while and share our grief with others who understand. It’s so important.

 

Vegan Spirituality Retreat June 22

With all this in mind, I wanted to be sure you knew about the Vegan Spirituality Retreat in Malibu June 22 (www.veganspirituality.com).  Activists need support, renewal, and tools to help us stay the course and not burn out. I will be one of the speakers this year and would love to see you there.   

 

Prayers for All Activists

As airline attendants tell us on every flight, we must put the oxygen mask on ourselves first so that we can help others who aren’t able to do so.  This week let us send out prayers and caring thoughts to all activists.  May all of you feel the comfort and guidance of the Light of the World that dwells in us and in everything.  May all of you feel the Love that surrounds us all, shows us the way to free the animals and gently reminds us to take care of ourselves so that we can care for them.

 

      

Thanks to all of you, compassion is encircling the earth for all beings.  Thank you for your devotion to truth, love, liberation and peace for all beings.

With Love, peace, and gratitude from Judy, and also Will, Madeleine, Tara and the Circle of Compassion team

If you haven’t already done so, please join us at the Prayer Circle for Animals Facebook page.  You can share ideas and prayer requests there.  These updates will be posted on that facebook and on www.circleofcompassion.org so that you can share them if you wish.  Thank you.   https://www.facebook.com/groups/prayercircleforanimals  

 

To support our work and help us expand this ministry, please go to http://circleofcompassion.org/donations.html

 

 

May all beings be happy.  May all beings be free.

***************************************************************************  

Please visit the website www.circleofcompassion.org often to see updates and special prayers, and also to join in our “A prayer a day for animals” which features a prayer for a different group of animals each day of the week. 

 

Over 800 people are signed in to this Prayer Circle at circle of compassion.     Many more are joining us when these prayers are shared via social media.  Please share this widely so that we may continue to add more people to our ever-expanding circle of compassion.

			circle of compassion   Home   Our Vision   Articles   Prayers   Gift Shop   Links   Handouts   Join Us   Weekly Update Newsletter   Newsletter Archive   Donations
			View on www.circleofcompas...	Preview by Yahoo

 

Under Siege—Can Hearts Change In Time?

This is my latest"Eating as Though the Earth Matters"  "Planet Kansas" article for the Kansas Sierra Club. 

Sierra Club Planet Kansas, Spring, 2014, Issue

Eating as Though the Earth Matters column

Under Siege—Can Hearts Change In Time?

Iowa is under siege.  As hog farms proliferate over the state, the threat to public health grows along with them.  In Ted Genoways’ onearth article, “Hog Wild: How Factory Farms are Poisoning Iowa’s Water,” he explains that, while the state inspector staff has been cut by 60 percent, the growing number of farms is producing so much manure that it cannot be contained by the lagoons.  So the toxic, antibiotic, chemical, and bacteria-laden manure is being applied as fertilizer to millions of acres.  We all know what happens then—it runs right into the rivers and streams threatening life downstream.

Meanwhile, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and other dangerous gases are vented (incompletely, of course) from the barns to pollute the air.  According to Genoways, Iowa is overrun now with more than 8,500 of these polluting “farms” that produce over 5 billion gallons of liquid manure each year.  One of the biggest owners of hog farms is the weirdly named New Fashion Pork.  They also own the packing plant in St. Joseph, Missouri, which kills 15,000 pigs every single day.  The air and water pollution, cruelty to animals and plant workers, and the sheer unbridled voraciousness of such an operation is thought provoking to say the least—how did we get into such a mess? 

This article brought to my mind some farmers who saw what they were doing to the water, air, land, animals, and indeed their own health, and gave up everything they knew in order to stop contributing to such destruction. 

Howard Lyman was a fourth generation cattle, pig, and poultry farmer who loved the land, studied agriculture in college, and grew the family ranch and wealth significantly with his knowledge and expertise.  The ranch was in Montana, and he farmed it for forty years.  Following what he had been taught in school, he used “modern methods” to increase crop and animal yields. But as the years went by, he noticed that the flowers and birds that once graced his land were seldom seen or heard.  There was nothing of nature left—only units of production and all the equipment and chemicals it took to keep the profits going. 

Howard, like so many of us, loved nature, being outdoors, and appreciated the beauty of the countryside.  Yet, from his up close and personal viewpoint, he could see that nature was being devastated by his very actions.  After recovering from a life-threatening illness caused in part by his consumption of animal products and his constant contact with agricultural chemicals, he and his wife made up their minds to put an end to the business that had brought them so much financial gain.  They became possibly the only vegan ex-cattle ranchers in Montana at the time.

Howard went on to work as a lobbyist for the National Farmers’ Union in Washington, D.C. and worked on legislation for the National Organic Standards Act.  He has spoken internationally, appeared on Oprah, and wrote the books, Mad Cowboy and No More Bull. 

Howard wrote a chapter in my book The Missing Peace.  “The question we must ask ourselves as a culture,” he wrote, “is whether we want to embrace the change that must come, or resist it.  Are we so attached to the dietary fallacies with which we were raised, so afraid to counter the arbitrary laws of eating …that we cannot alter the course they set us on, even if it leads to our own ruin?  Does the prospect of standing apart or encountering ridicule scare us even from saving ourselves?” Of course, he is referring here to the whole gamut of destruction caused by animal agriculture, including human disease as well as the devastation to wildlife, the soil, the air, water, ecosystems, and our own emotional well-being.  He longs for “the sweet smell of grain and not the forbidding smell of excrement.” 

Another rancher, this one from Michigan, is Harold Brown.  Like Howard he was raised on a farm where rabbits, pigs, dairy cows, and beef cows were grown to be used and slaughtered, and wild animals were hunted.  Naturally, he ate a lot of animal flesh, dairy products, and was taught by his family not to get emotionally attached to the animals they were going to kill and eat.  Like so many young people today, whether farmers or not, his veins were loaded with cholesterol, and at the age of 18 he had a heart attack.  His dad had several heart attacks and a stroke several years later.

In reaction to his doctor’s warnings, Harold had to change the way he ate.  When he discovered that he could reverse heart disease by eating a vegan diet, he made that commitment to his own health.  However, by opening up to the philosophy of veganism—which is to do no harm—he began to see animals, not as commodities as he was raised to believe, but as individuals.  Harold now writes and speaks in order to encourage people to question what they have been taught about animals and to help save the world from the ravages of animal agriculture. 

John Robbins, in his book The Food Revolution: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World, describes a profoundly soulful encounter with a pig farmer.  Robbins asked to tour the farmer’s pig farm for an article he was writing.  Inside the pig barn, he viewed unimaginable suffering, stench, and pollution.  The farmer’s wife invited Robbins to dinner, and to his own surprise, he impulsively accepted the invitation, despite his horror at the conditions for the pigs and the damage being done to the environment by the farm. 

Expecting only small talk and a quick exit, Robbins was shocked when the farmer suddenly raised his voice causing his wife and children to disappear into other rooms, leaving Robbins and the farmer alone together.  Inexplicably, almost as a confession, the farmer began to tell a story about a pet pig he had as a boy.  His father raised pigs for slaughter, but this one turned out to be a friend.  The boy often slept in the barn in the summer with the pig by his side, and they swam together in the nearby pond.  But one horrible day, his father told him that it was time to kill the pig.  If he refused, then he would no longer be his son.  So he killed his friend, and kept up the family tradition of raising pigs, no matter the cost to his heart, the land, or the pigs. 

Not too long after that, Robbins heard from this fellow about a complete life transformation.  Because of that emotional breakthrough, the farmer and his wife had the courage to give up completely on the only life they knew and start over.  They created a pig sanctuary and invited  local school children to come and learn about how amazing pigs are, and they support themselves with their organic vegetable farm. Robbins commented in his book, “When I look at many of the things happening in our world, I sometimes fear we won’t make it.  But when I remember this man and the power of his spirit, and when I remember that there are many others whose hearts beat to the same quickening pulse, I think we will.”

When we look at animal agriculture, animal rights and environmental activism go hand in hand.  While each movement may look at it from a slightly different viewpoint, we all see the same devastation leaking and blowing and carving its way into every ecosystem and into everything that sustains life on our planet.        

In the Winter issue of “Planet Kansas,” Michael Brune delivered some great news about solar and wind outcompeting coal and gas.  Iowa, he stated, is getting 25% of its electricity from wind now.  That’s Iowa, the state that is under siege from pig farms.  Which way will we go?  He calls the fossil fuel companies zombies because they are “already dead.”  But the pig farmers are very much alive and causing every bit as much destruction as the fossil fuel companies do.  Brune calls for an end to pessimism, and I couldn’t agree more. The stories told above make it clear that even those making big profits can change.  There is so much we can do, and so many people waking up to the need to take personal responsibility and to take immediate grassroots action.  As I’ve said before, one of the simplest, quickest, and most far reaching actions we can all take is to boycott animal agriculture and join the millions who have taken the vegan pledge of no harm to ourselves, the earth, and all the beings who share the earth with us.  

Note from me (not in the published article):

Please share with your friends who love the earth and air and water. We all need to work together to bring peace to earth for all beings and all of nature. 

Massive Easter, Earth Day, Animals in Labs Week, Cosmic Grand Cross, "Noah" the Movie--lots going on!!

Prayer Circle for Animals # 163: Massive Easter, Earth Day, Animals in Labs Week, Cosmic Transformational Global Prayer Wave, April 21, 2014

Prayer Circle for Animals Weekly Update

Please share with friends!!

Our prayers for all animals continue to circle the earth, to

uplift humanity’s consciousness, and to bless the animals themselves.

 Thank you for joining people around the world who are praying this

prayer in many different languages but all with the same love:

“COMPASSION ENCIRCLES THE EARTH FOR ALL BEINGS EVERYWHERE

Advance apology: This will be a little longer than usual.  So much is happening this week.

Easter is on Sunday; World Week for Animals in Labs starts Sunday; Earth Day is the 22^nd; the release of the movie “Noah” is in theaters, and on top of all that, there is an astrological Grand Cross with transformational power reaching its peak on the 23^rd.  I hope I can do justice to the tremendous potential that lies within this week.

Easter’s message of an end to animal sacrifice and forgiveness “for they know not what they do.”

As we’ve discussed before, many Biblical scholars believe that Jesus was a vegetarian who taught nonviolence and may have been crucified primarily for his demonstration against the highly lucrative animal sacrifice in the Temple. Yet he forgave those who killed aniimals and who persecuted him  

Animals in Laboratories are crucified and tortured daily in sacrifices to the gods of money and “science.” 

This week is dedicated worldwide to the awareness of their suffering and our ongoing work to bring an end, once and for all, to using animals in experiments as well as supporting the work of those who are developing non-animal tests that can actually help people and animals.  In Defense of Animals is encouraging people to leaflet, demonstrate, and educate people about the cruelty and uselessness of animal testing.  At the website http://www.wwail.org you can find encouragement by seeing what many groups are doing as well as find ideas for action.

Earth Day brings with it the promise of human consciousness rising as more and more people learn that we are here to care for the earth and not destroy it.

The fact that Earth Days all over the planet keep growing and multiplying is a sign that we human beings have the capacity to change our ways, to become nonviolent and to see the earth as a sacred, holy place.  While the vegan message has been just a squeak among the rain barrels and recycling craft booths at Earth Day events, thanks to activists it is growing louder and more visible every year.  As we know, none of the green ideas will save the earth if veganism is not at the heart of it all. 

“Noah” the movie is in theaters now.  Noah and his family are clearly portrayed as vegan.

Noah and family, descendents of Adam and Eve’s son Seth live as vegans. In the film, the descendents of Cain have overrun the earth and devastated it with weapons, mining, cities, and endless violence.  When Noah is out one day with his sons, an animal runs by having been speared by people.  Noah tenderly caresses the animal as he takes his last breath.  When the boys ask him why people would kill an animal, he explains that they want to eat him.  The boys ask why, and Noah tells them that the men think it will make them stronger.  “Will it?” the boys ask.  “No,” answers Noah, “Only God makes us strong.”  Noah often refers to the animals as “the innocents.”  During the flood, a violent king manages to get onto the ark.  He kills animals in the ark to eat them, and tries to convince one of the sons that you have to eat them in order to “be a man.”  Of course, putting Hollywood and the Bible together to try to tell a cohesive story has its drawbacks, but what is important to us and to the animals is that this message of compassion and kindness was crystal clear in a movie that will be seen by millions.  And it has been released at a time that is positively exploding with transformational energy.

The Grand Cross is a powerful celestial alignment.

It is occurring now and for several months, but it will reach its peak this week on April 23.  Four planets are at an equal distance from each other forming a cross in the sky (even more interesting since it is so close to Easter).  The Cross aligns with our equinoxes and solstices causing what many believe to be “the turning of the age.”   According to www.universallifetools.com  “…the Cardinal Grand Cross [opens] a Quantum Gateway of potential to a most cherished ancient truth; a cosmic truth built upon the foundations of LOVE and a deep reverence for all of LIFE.   People are awakening en-masse to a higher wisdom and transcending the social, political and religious frameworks built on fear, to co-create a new world based on foundations of LOVE, compassion, sovereignty and unity.” 

A Prayer Wave for this Week Full of Promise

Great Spirit, Light of the World, we give thanks for all the activists around the world working to educate people about animals in laboratories and those teaching vegan truths at Earth Day events.  Strength and wisdom pours through us from Universal Love to empower each one of them to carry the precious message of the sacredness of all beings.  We give thanks for the producers of the movie “Noah,” for their courage in so clearly connecting violence toward animals with war and environmental devastation.  We give thanks for the many scholars who put forth the possibility that Jesus was vegetarian, opposed animal sacrifice, and taught nonviolence and compassion for all beings.

We feel the Cosmic and Grand Cross energy of Love, Compassion, and Reverence for Life moving in all hearts and strongly drawing all of us to Higher Consciousness and Wisdom.  We see people at Easter services finally understanding Jesus’ message and refusing to eat ancient traditional meals of sacrificial lambs and others.  We see everyone who attends the movie “Noah” suddenly understanding that human violence is directly connected to eating animals so  that they may free their own souls and the animals at the same time.  We see them transforming to lives of ahimsa.  We see animal experimenters falling to their knees at the grief-filled realization of what they have done to animals, receiving forgiveness, and going forth to create cruelty-free scientific methods.

Above all, during this powerful and sacred time, a Prayer Wave of Divine Love and Tenderness will flow through each of us to encircle the world and bless every single animal on earth. ‘Though we appear to be physical, yet we know we are timeless spiritual beings and One with all life. Together we raise our voices and sing a new song with the innocents of earth. We sing your song with you, dear animals, and we know that Love and Justice will prevail so that all of you will be safe and free to live in peace.              

Thanks to all of you, compassion is encircling the earth for all beings.  Thank you for your devotion to truth, love, liberation and peace for all beings.

With Love, peace, and gratitude from Judy, and also Will, Madeleine, Tara and the Circle of Compassion team

If you haven’t already done so, please join us at the Prayer Circle for Animals Facebook page.  You can share ideas and prayer requests there.  I will post these updates on the facebook so that you can share them if you wish.  Thank you.   https://www.facebook.com/groups/prayercircleforanimals  

 

May all beings be happy.  May all beings be free.

***************************************************************************  

Please visit the website www.circleofcompassion.org often to see updates and special prayers, and also to join in our “A prayer a day for animals” which features a prayer for a different group of animals each day of the week.  Please forward this widely so that we may continue to add more people to our ever-expanding circle of compassion.