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World Vegetarian Day, Guhyasamaja Center, Fairfax, Virginia, US, October 2016. Photo courtesy of Guhyasamaja Center.
On October 1, 2016, Guhyasamaja Center in the Washington DC Metro Area of the United States celebrated World Vegetarian Day. Guhyasamaja Center shared this report with Mandala to help encourage other FPMT centers to promote vegetarianism and veganism to their students:
Our World Vegetarian Day program combined the philosophy of vegetarianism with cooking tips and a delightful meal to demonstrate how vegetarian and vegan diets are simple, easy, and ethical. “Many people ask me how to practice Dharma in our daily lives,” said organizer Ven. Losang Tendrol. “One of the most beneficial practices is to stop eating other sentient beings.”
The North American Vegetarian Society founded World Vegetarian Day in 1977 to promote the joy, compassion, and life-enhancing possibilities of vegetarianism. In 1978, the International Vegetarian Union expanded the celebration to kick-off a month-long promotion of this healthier lifestyle.
Ven. Tendrol explored the Buddha’s teachings on the relationship between non-violence and eating meat. In the Hinayana and Vajrayana traditions, meat is only permitted in specific situations. Non-Vajrayana Mahayana teachings forbade meat altogether because a bodhisattva cannot develop authentic motherly love for all sentient beings while taking lives. Traditionally, the karma of eating meat is considered a shorter life and one rebirth in the hell realm for every animal consumed. Even vegetarianism involves killing and stealing, for example, as is done in the eggs, milk, and honey industries. Ven. Tendrol ended her talk with advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche on how to eat meat if one’s health requires it.
Sample foods at World Vegetarian Day, Guhyasamaja Center, Fairfax, Virginia, US, October 2016. Photo courtesy of Guhyasamaja Center.
Animal rights activist Victoria Foote-Blackman offered a simplified approach to vegetarian and vegan cooking. “To be vegetarian or vegan is now very easy,” Victoria said. “Many healthy meat and dairy alternatives are readily available at grocery stores.”
Her engaging presentation included coupons for vegan products such as butter alternatives and recipes for easy, delicious meals. She introduced cookbooks and vegan products such as veggie burgers, soy milk, egg substitutes and even vegan ice cream.
The highlight of the celebration was, of course, the food! Victoria’s impressive menu offered sweet and sour seitan, a curried soy-based stir fry, rice noodles, veggies—and for dessert—whole wheat, apple sauce muffins and a vegan chocolate cheesecake! Ani Tendrol added a spicy, tomato dal curry. Participants so enjoyed the event that the ninety-minute program expanded to three hours of questions, lively discussion, and dining.
Dharma centers are a perfect setting for raising awareness about the disadvantages of consuming meat, from the health and environmental aspects to the ethical and karmic implications. Extensive Go Vegan! resources, with Dharma references, cooking instructions, and recipes, are posted on the Guhyasamaja Center blog. We encourage your center to plan its own vegetarian awareness event for the 2017 celebration.
A healthy meal was part of World Vegetarian Day, Guhyasamaja Center, Fairfax, Virginia, US, October 2016. Photo courtesy of Guhyasamaja Center.
Read more about FPMT’s activities to encourage vegetarianism on FPMT.org:
https://fpmt.org/tag/vegetarianism/
Benefiting animals is one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for FPMT:
https://fpmt.org/fpmt/vast-vision/#animals
Mandala brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from nearly 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read on Mandala, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.