Vegetarianism in Modern World

Both my husband and I have been vegetarians for the past 5 or 6 years.  We made the decision to do so based on ethical considerations after I read about how farm animals are treated both on the farms and at the slaughter yards.  No longer did I believe the common misconceptions that these animals were treated well on farms and that their lives were ended painlessly and humanely.   A few years later we became interested in Buddhism and were pleased to learn that they also promoted vegetarianism. 

Health benefits of being vegetarian was not initially one of our concerns.  However, since abandoning meat eating, my husband has lost 25-30# without really trying.  He was overweight, so this was a good thing, especially since both of his parents became diabetics as overweight adults.  He has not become diabetic and likely will not now that his diet is so health and his weight is normal.  Although I was not overweight, my eating habits were not especially healthy until I began following a vegetarian diet.

Unlike 10-15 years, there are now all kinds of packaged vegetarian foods that make preparing vegetarian meals simple and easy.  At first, it may seem a daunting task for people to prepare meals for families that follow vegetarian guidelines.  By checking out the products available at local grocery stores as well as searching the internet for vegetarian recipes, an individual will be able to start preparing vegetarian meals fairly quickly and easily.  For us, the change to meatless meals was completely painless.   I believe that anyone who changes to a compassionate and healthy vegetarian diet will quickly adapt and be happier.  Especially, since they will know that because of their decision many animals will be saved from needless suffering. 

~ By Beverly McDaniel (Chuan Dao)