Don't Be Rude

Many times we use being right as an excuse for being rude. But, as the saying goes, you get more flies with honey than with vinegar.

I have to live my life true to my values. As a Buddhist, lovingkindness and compassion are cardinal virtues. This means being a nice person who speaks the truth with kindness. There is no need to be rude.

Being Vegan is the right thing to do. But not everyone can see through the cultural conditioning. It is socially acceptable to eat meat. It has been normalized. And the horrors of the slaughterhouse are carefully hidden away. More people are ignorant, not malicious.

I am Vegan because I love animals, and I don't eat those I love. 

But to come at people with guilt about not really loving animals, being sinful, horrible people, and animal murders will alienate far more than it will win. Such abrasive tactics are not the way of Buddhism.

Buddhism does not evangelize, it does not shove Buddhism down people's throats. Why? Because people will awaken when they are ready to awaken. Buddhists share their religion with those who are seeking the truth. We should treat Veganism the same way.

The fact that you are reading this means that you are either a Vegan or sympathetic to the values of Veganism. After all, this Blog's subtitle is: "Personal Reflections by a Vegan Buddhist Teacher on Truth, Love, and Life.