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My Vegan Evolution
by M. Joy Katz

Our understanding of the importance of being Vegan is just the first
step in our spiritual journey. With veganism firmly planted in our
souls, we learn to spiritually walk, then run, and then fly. Our
understanding of being Vegan heightens and expands as we do.

Thirty-three years ago, I became a 12-year-old ethical vegetarian. In
my early adult years, though, somehow, I found myself still preparing
meat for my fiancé. One day, I realized I could not lower my standards
for a relationship. I stopped, and he (the man who was to become my
first husband) eventually became vegan himself. Veganism marries us to
a greater universal truth beyond the marriages of person to person.

At age 21, a magazine entitled Ahimsa was placed in front of my eyes
while I was eating. It was written by H. Jay Dinshah, founder of the
American Vegan Society. His brilliant writing convinced me instantly.
I could no longer rationalize eating ice cream or dairy cheese. And
that was that, I was henceforth a vegan. I clearly saw that animals
had a right to live free of abuse. I then gained an even loftier
overviewing of the rights of animals upon meeting the founders of
Gentle World. From them, I learned to actually love animals. The
guilt-free reality that comes with being vegan opened the doorway to
having real relationships with animals. It was a time of discovering
that animals have personalities and unique individuality just like we
do. They have proven to be exceptionally loyal friends that I wouldnt
trade in for most human friendships! Once the animals had become
personal friends, the desire grew stronger in me to help save them. It
became a great part of my lifes mission to, as Ella Wheeler Wilcox
says, speak the word for beast and bird, till the world shall set
things right!

When I first became vegan, it seemed so easy to see the truth of it.
And it becomes easier with time. Why couldnt others see what was so
obvious? I became a bit of a misanthrope because mankind was so blind
to the plight of animals. The resentment I felt towards humanity was
easily felt by people and didn't do much to encourage converts. But
once again, I evolved my consciousness. I saw, as Light; founder of
Gentle World taught, You cannot cure the human race if Loves not in
your heart; Loves where you have to start! With this new viewing, I
was on the road to inspiring people to become vegan through whatever
angle I could reach them. There is an art form in discovering what it
will take with each individual for them to become enlightened to
veganism. For example, my brother was convinced through the scientific
and medical aspects. Later on, the actual reason: compassion came to
him. Inevitably, if we dont understand the ethic that it is wrong to
cause suffering and pain and then make that a part of our being, our
veganism wont as likely endure. Being a vegan because of health
benefits makes people more likely to cheat on their commitment. Then
comes the understanding that it is not our health that will suffer so
much when we fall, but a gentle animals, whose life is in our power to
save.

In its early years, my veganism was born of an innocent child not
wanting to hurt animals. I grew up in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. I
never knew another vegan/ vegetarian, (except my best friend at the
time who joined me.) There were no health food stores that I knew of,
and I came from a standard American meat- eating family. The desire
not to hurt animals was seen by me as a stroke of enlightened genius,
that I only wish I saw other truths of life with such clarity. As the
years went on and the animal rights movement developed, I learned that
veganism was, in fact, a Truth; something that was right and
reasonable no matter from what angle you looked at it. Books like Diet
for a New America by John Robbins or Beyond Beef; The Rise and Fall of
the Cattle Culture by Jeremy Rifkin exposed the environmental sanity
of a plant-based diet and the humanitarian aspect that, with the halt
of meat production, world hunger could be ended. At the same time,
medical findings of Michael Klaper, M.D. and Neal Barnard, M.D., and
others, proved that plant-based nutrition was the cleanest fuel for
our human bodies. (Its worth a mention that when I became vegan, I
didnt know it was healthier! Quite the contrary, people were alarmed
that my parents allowed me to follow my convictions. They wondered
where would I get my protein? She will die, they thought.) Veganism,
for me, had now evolved to a great Truth that I shared with some of
the great minds of all time. These vegetarians, such as Tolstoy,
Gandhi, Einstein, George Bernard Shaw, Shopenhauer, Thoreau, Da Vinci,
etc. knew there could be no spiritual advancement while attaining ones
nourishment from cruelty, torture and the exploitation of others.

In my evolving veganism, I learned that preparing incredibly delicious
food for others was a powerful aid, one of the strongest. So I fed
people, lots of people. I fed them food just like what they were used
to eating; Lasagna, burgers, shakes, all plant-based and incredibly
delicious. Long hours preparing the food at The Vegan Restaurant on
Maui in its beginning years, co-authoring Incredibly Delicious;
Recipes for a New Paradigm by Gentle World, catering Celebrity
Vegetarian banquets in California, food fairs, packaged plant-based
foods sold to retailers and free seminars with meals all were ways of
spreading the vegan message. Delicious taste was worth a thousand
words and tantalized even the average meat-eating truck driver who
never before thought of the Vegan concept.

With the desire to be a good example of the rewards of veganism, I
evolved my own dietary practices and endeavored to improve my own
health. I now grow my own food veganically. I eat fresh from the
garden with food full of life-giving vitamins and minerals. (I
supplement with B-12 sublingual dots). I pass medical exams with
impressive figures. Example is the best teacher. Now my family eats a
plant-based diet. Those who have chosen to be a part of my life have
become Vegan; even my dogs (and with attention to meeting their
nutritional needs, they thrive on it!)

And now I forage through my veganic garden for my dinner, a flower and
food-filled garden to nourish the senses. I use both vegan and organic
principles in gardening. I dine by the riverside and think to myself,
Wow, look where my veganism has taken me thus far! And where will it
lead me next?

Being Vegan, I walk the Earth dressed in a confidence that this path
is leading me to commune with the higher realms of consciousness and
further away from the trivial pursuits of mankind. Being vegan is a
peaceful solution to what ails our planet today. We change the world,
the course of history even, by changing ourselves; by reprogramming
our thoughts; we evolve human consciousness. Being vegan, we become
forerunners of a new race of truly human beings. Once we become vegan
it doesn't stop there! Veganism is a dependable ally that we use on
our spiritual journey, for all of our days.

M. Katz
Co-author of Incredibly Delicious; Recipes for a New Paradigm by
Gentle World
ISBN#0-929274-25-3