Talking to the Vegetarian Sceptics
It is not uncommon to come across people who are a little sceptical about being vegetarian, especially in countries such as New Zealand and Australia with our historically rural based economies that not only produce in plenitude but also actively encourage the consumption of meat and animal products. However, I do think it would be fair to say that the number of sceptics has dwindled over recent years as the evidence stacks up in favour of the vegetarian diet – or at least the idea that the consumption of more fruits and vegetables and less fatty foods is good for us physically, environmentally and spiritually.
It is very similar with meditation. When I first became aware of meditation in the early 1970’s, it was considered to be something that only hippies and people on the fringe of society did. When the New Zealand Sri Chinmoy Centre started offering free meditation classes in Auckland in 1983, there was still a strong trace of this sentiment but by the mid 1990’s, all sorts of people from all levels of society were attending workshops to learn about and start practising regular meditation.
As a result of that, these days we often have teenagers coming to our classes who tell us that their parents recommended they attend. This is often because the parents themselves had attended a course in the 80s or 90s at our meditation Centre or one of the many similar groups that offer meditation classes. Perhaps they recognise that meditation is something that will help their children deal with the pressures of everyday life and at the same time, help them to develop a sense of their own spirituality. It is nice to see that meditation and its benefits are being accepted as an activity that can enhance all aspects of life and bring a balanced and spiritual dimension to peoples lives no matter what their social, cultural or religious background. It is surely a sign of a healthy and progressive society.
Well, I stray… Without further ado, I would like to introduce a short and slightly humourous article written by our friend Noivedya Mark Juddery from across the ditch in Australia. Noivedya is a member of the Canberra Sri Chinmoy Centre and a writer, author and journalist by profession. Among the many and varied articles he has written over the years, this one looks at how to talk to sceptics of the vegetarian diet and was published on the Ezine @rticles web site.
His introduction:
As more and more people become vegetarian, for moral, spiritual, environmental and health reasons, their friends and acquaintances still quiz them about why they don’t eat meat. While vegetarians shouldn’t have to justify their diet any more than anyone else, many people still want them to “defend” themselves. Here are some of the ways that vegetarians can reply to common questions and comments from the “sceptics”.
We do hope you enjoy Talking to the Vegetarian “Sceptics” – by Noivedya Mark Juddery.
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