Edit (24/07/2023): I’ve come back to edit this blog post 7 months after making the decision to practice vegetarianism to more holistically reflect how I feel about it now that I truly identify with it.

TLDR;

• I have witnessed fit, strong and healthy people who abstain from animal products, so I know it is possible and that I have access to the same food sources.
• I believe that all sentient beings are suffering and that, as conscious humans, we should focus our energy on alleviating suffering where possible and minimising acts that cause harm or suffering.
• I can no longer differentiate between looking at one species of animal and another and logically comprehend why one can be acceptedly killed as a “food animal” and another can be considered a pet. This goes as far as not being able to differentiate between an insect and a cat, as far as the value of their lives are concerned.
• I believe in karma and rebirth.
• I believe that it is the duty of humans to be custodians of the balances of nature, and that the agricultural revolution was a tipping point of disharmony we need to learn how to rectify.
• I believe that eating eggs, dairy products and honey can be done in a way that is kind to animals and doesn’t cause suffering to the animal, and therefore I don’t subscribe to veganism (although think it’s admirable) and instead opt for organic produce and hope we can move towards a commercial relationship with animals that gives them good and happy lives and doesn’t breed them just for work and/or premature death.
• It’s not meat-eating itself that concerns me. I would probably still eat meat if I knew the animal had not been intentionally killed for food (although the possibility of this happening, beside an accident, is pretty much zero due to all “natural” related animal deaths rendering the meat unfit for eating). However, I’m really uneasy about the thought of lab-grown meat.
• My cooking skills are getting so much better.

Spiritual beliefs: death dictates decisions

I don’t consider myself Buddhist. Chiefly because I drink alcohol (I try to subscribe to all of the other precepts and follow the noble eightfold path as a spiritual guide). 

Through reflection inspired by a mixture of Buddhist ideals and Stoicism’s memento mori practices, I often try to make my decisions based on how I’d feel about the result on my death bed. Buddhists believe that the quality of their death can influence their rebirth. By quality of their death, I effectively mean how peaceful they are at their time of passing. A more peaceful death will bring a rebirth where there is less suffering.

Buddhists dedicate much practice to meditating on death to remove fear of it. They also strive to accumulate good karma through virtuous acts, helping them to avoid regret at the time of death.

The decision to be ignorant and eat animals for pleasure, knowing deep down they suffered and died young for such a worthless cause, would bring great guilt if reflected on honestly. 

Practicing wholesome acts not only alleviates the suffering of other beings through acts of kindness, but also eliminates nihilism in oneself by giving life purpose. 

Unlike YOLO, which is about material regrets (like not visiting certain countries or not having intimate relationships when young and attractive), this regret is more in line with not expressing enough love to someone you care about. 

Eating meat

I’ve been uncomfortable with the idea of killing animals for food for a long time. Growing up as a meat eater and, admittedly, enjoying the taste, smell, and variety, I continued to separate the food from its source.

Over the past five years, I have become increasingly appreciative of wild animals. Sitting in a garden on a summer’s day, I find joy in birds, bees, and butterflies. Videos of animals being playful bring a smile to my face.

Most of us love cats and dogs, but strangely, I’ve noticed some similarities between them and all other living beings, such as insects. For example, bees clean their faces with their legs, just like cats do with their paws. Even more surprisingly, spiders can have mannerisms that are similar to our beloved pets.

I stopped killing insects a long time ago. I can usually wave away a wasp, spiders don’t bother me, and my practice with mosquitoes has got better (although, in the 7 months of being vegetarian I have been extremely close to killing them; if I had have been able to find them!!) I have a tricky situation coming up where I want to redevelop the garden attached to the flat I live at. I know this will inevitably mean some pest insects that have been able to thrive in the unbalanced landscape will be disturbed and killed. My justification is that I am restoring the garden to a better ecosystem that will be tended and the balance of species will be better controlled so that ants and aphids together won’t be able to take over and destroy growing plants (that could feed many other species, including me!) I endeavour to be as natural as possible with this project though.

Pests are a response to something. Generally, if you keep your environment clean, dispose of waste properly, take care of stagnant water, and avoid living in areas with natural habitats that attract creatures that disturb you, then you should be able to live without disruption or be prepared to handle seasonal changes.

There are many ideals that are hard to live up to, but I still believe it is worth trying other methods before resorting to killing.

Dead animals

Roadkill has been a source of distress for me for a long time. I loathe driving and witnessing how humans can be so careless when they’re in a hurry to get somewhere. They disregard the lives of creatures as if they are of no value compared to their activities. ~2 years ago, a cat ran out in front of my car. I had to slam on the brakes, and it got past me, but it was hit by someone driving in the opposite direction (who was either driving too fast or not paying attention). This made me very sad and made me realise how much I care for the lives of animals. I stopped eating meat for a couple of months, but eventually returned to it. However, I never felt quite the same about it – I always felt like I shouldn’t be eating it.

That’s a perfectly natural feeling. A bit of research shows how young animals are kept in captivity, subjected to pain, drugs, and pure suffering, all for our energy needs. I can’t help but ask myself: what am I doing in my life that’s so good that it requires such a sacrifice?

It’s not a fair trade-off.

To do something meaningful, something I can practice intentionally, I want to reduce the amount of time I spend mindlessly consuming animal products. By cutting out meat, I can do my part to reduce animal suffering.

For the record, if an animal had a happy life in relative freedom before dying naturally, I’m less concerned about consuming its meat. It’s the meat and dairy industries that breed animals for slaughter that cause suffering.

I’m aware of the dairy issues, so why not veganism?

I have read about and watched videos of the inhumane treatment of cows and chickens for their milk and eggs, respectively, and find it completely unacceptable.

My opinion, at present, is that the problem of overpopulation and gluttony, caused by ignorance and lack of thought, is the root of this cruelty.

I don’t believe that eating eggs or using milk is wrong, inherently. If the animal is free to roam on grass, healthy, happy and treated well, then I have no guilt for consuming their by-products.

I don’t want to criticise veganism, as I think it’s incredibly selfless and kind. However, I don’t think that turning everyone vegan is the answer to solving the problem on a large scale. It’s too ambitious, especially for those in poverty or who are surrounded by ignorance.

We should continue teaching children that greed, waste, and killing are wrong. Encouraging ongoing boycotts of industries that use animals with anything less than free-to-roam welfare for food is a must. We should demonstrate how fast-food and demand affect supply chains.

I cannot give up cheese and I plan to buy organic eggs. In the UK, this guarantees the animals have access to grass for a large portion of the day.

I’m doing it “for me”

It’s a political issue. We need to encourage and educate people to be more mindful of their consumption levels and to ensure they are raised in loving, caring, safe, and educational environments. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of young people engaging in violent behaviour or flaunting gluttony and greed online, so meat-eating is likely the least of their worries.

But that’s not really why I’m doing this.

Practicing vegetarianism gives me a way to control my gluttony and discipline myself. It also helps me feel less guilty about my consumption, animal welfare, and the disgust at the sight of people queuing for McDonald’s drive-through on New Year’s Day.

Subsequently, I’ve become a better cook as I’ve need to cook more for myself instead of relying on pre-made meat dishes and fast food.