Kindness in Action

Kindness in Action

I’m not anti-suffering. I’m not anti-violence. I’m not anti-meat.
I stand for something, not against it. I stand for Love. I stand for peace. I stand for justice. I stand for hope and kindness. Love, peace, justice, kindness – these things are larger than anything I could fight against.

I don’t see veganism as a protest. Veganism is a revolution, a philosophy, a chance to create kindness in the world and within ourselves.

And to me, veganism is spiritual, a chance to reach for our highest callings. As spiritual beings having a human experience, we must be called to bring that luminous, loving essence into our similar existence. A thought is of limited power until our hands get involved.

Sure, all people fall short of perfection, but if we don’t aim for the highest, we will never reach any higher rungs.

It’s important to stand for – not against – something. Many have fought against a system, or a corporation, or a policy, or a government. But those who succeed do so because they are standing for their vision of a better place.

I am not here to fight a system. I am here to build a better one.

Campaigns should not be thought of as fighting against a specific company, or slaughterhouses, or Big Macs. As vegans, our campaigns are about realizing our true potential, about creating a world where people care about all beings and our environment. We need to show Love in all our adventures, interactions, and campaigns.

People want to believe in something. People buy into visions, so what vision are we creating and selling?

Let’s talk of our hopes of communities growing food together, communities supporting each other, communities helping people achieve each others’ dreams. Talk of communities doing unto others as they’d have done to them, and communities not doing unto others as they’d not have done unto them. Talk of communities modeling kindness in action.

We are Lovers. We never have to fight against something, if we fight for Love. I’ve been discouraged fighting against wars. I’ve been hurt fighting against old energy policies. But we cannot be broken fighting for Love. Patience can run out, but kindness is all abundant. We create and receive more each moment.

When I’m asked, “What is vegan?” I say this:

Vegan is seeking a better world. It is an action word – a verb. It is creating Love. It is kindness in action.