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VEG member Donna Nikzi was one of more than 1,000 writers who entered
Vegan Fusion’s “A Vegan World is Possible” essay contest
in 2005. Her essay placed in the top 50, earning her a prize of a package
of NEWGREENS, a “super food” developed by Pure Prescriptions.
To read the essay of the Grand Prize Winner (awarded an expense paid trip
to Kauai, Hawaii), go to http://www.veganfusion.com/popup_pages/HeeWonKhym.html.
Check out Vegan Fusion at http://www.veganfusion.com.
A Vegan Diet is Possible!
by Donna Nikze, Contributing
Writer
As a concerned resident on our planet, I often wonder, “What
is required to put an end to the degradation of our earth? Why have we forsaken
our sacred covenant whereby we, as humanity, pledged to be the stewards
of this breath-giving and breathtaking garden? When will we awaken to the
immensity of our errors? We were given so much. Not too much for our inherent
capacity to care for, nurture, and sustain our home, but a wondrous lot,
in deed. And now, as we witness the consequences of our using, abusing,
killing, destroying, poisoning — the results of our arrogance and
irresponsibility gone mad — what are we to do? How do we begin now
to remedy our misdeeds? Is a solution possible?
My wonderings have led me to an answer that resides in the heart. The
words, “earth” and “heart” are inextricably linked,
as are the words “love” and “evolve.” Our hearts
contain the throne wherein sits the love that enfolds and evolves us.
Love keeps us calm and at peace. Love sustains us. Our choices and actions
must be guided by love in order for us to return to the garden and for
the garden to return to us.
Much of the food we eat today is not of the garden. It is not alive and
vibrant. It depletes and drains life away rather than infuse the body
with much needed sustenance. Love is the highest frequency, and so is
the food that comes from the garden. Love and health walk hand in hand.
In America, our physical health has been sacrificed in part by putting
profits first. It’s not hard to see how the quest for profits has
wreaked havoc in the garden...and in our bodies.
The air, the water, the plants, trees, and mineral-rich earth sustain
us. But what of our fellow creatures who are here to share the bounty
with us?
The word “animal” derives from the word “anima”
which means “spirit.” How is our spirit doing these days?
How many of us are well informed of the plight of our animals —
our spirits? How are we doing as good stewards? Do our hearts cry out
when we read, hear, or see the abominable conditions in which our farm
animals live? We love and cherish our pets — the animals who accompany
us on our journey and who bring great joy, healing, and unconditional
love to our lives. But why do we turn our backs on the sentient creatures
destined to be eaten after a life of torture? How many of us are aware
of the connection between factory farming and the rising levels of toxicity
in the air and water? And global warming? Or factory farming and the possibility
of disastrous outbreaks of life-threatening epidemics? Or factory farming
and the alarming increase in obesity and diseases? And what about the
devastation of the oceans? And all the animals that depend on the oceans
for sustenance? All indicators reveal that Americans have become less
healthy in the last 50 years as we have drastically increased the consumption
of meat and dairy. And as we export our habits to other countries, the
same repercussions multiply. We now consume vast and irreplaceable resources
to sustain our way of life — but at what cost to the well-being
all life on the earth including our children and future generations?
There are thousands of species that are now extinct due to our neglect
or inability to appreciate their indescribable worth and preciousness.
As the kingdom banishes more and more of its riches from the land, the
kingdom becomes impoverished and depressed. What will it take for us to
turn the tide? What will it take for us to awaken and appreciate the sacred
majesty of the irreplaceable treasure that we are losing? What can we
do as individuals to be active and effective “planners” for
the planet?
And what does love have to do with it all anyway? Love has always been
the vital ingredient in healing. It is the sweetest balm for the bitterest
pain. Love must be the active force between the palate and the plate!
All of our intentions, actions, and energy must be willing to put love
first. We must follow love’s directives because only love will sustain
us and lead us to the heart of this magical and mysterious journey into
and out of ourselves.
Within we hold the keys of creation. I don’t know what all those
keys are, but I do know that we must love, respect, appreciate, and observe
with profound wonder the harmony, majesty, and perfection of this world.
We must humble ourselves and fully embrace our humanity and humility to
be fully and truly human.
I understand the enormous consequences that a paradigm shift in our eating
choices would have on the economy and some of the coveted traditions of
our world. But we must weigh the short-term turmoil against the long-term
possible and very probable exhaustion of the systems that sustain life
on this planet. We can choose to change our daily choices now and in so
doing change the story of humanity. We are on a deadly path of destruction
and a collision course with ourselves. We can replace life-threatening
choices with life-affirming choices. It may seem an impossible challenge,
but it defines who we are as a humanity and it determines the outcome
of...everything. We must expand the scope of our seeing. We truly suspend
our destiny by the thread of our actions. What is it that we truly love
and value?
On the very bright and hopeful side of the struggle to return to balance,
health, and sustainability, there is much information and guidance for
making compassionate and sustainable eating and living choices. I collect
and research vegetarian and vegan cookbooks. Recently, I purchased Vegan
World Fusion Cuisine, a cookbook created by Mark Reinfeld, Bo Rinaldi,
and the chefs at Blossoming Lotus, a vegan cafe on the island of Kauai.
This gem-of-a-cookbook is truly my dream book! In itself it is a primer
on eating choices and a thoughtful collection of related research and
philosophy. It weaves insights of great minds with awesome recipes to
please the palate, nourish the body and soul, and care for the earth.
Its beauty and message bring great joy to my heart and tears to my eyes.
Vegan World Fusion Cuisine IS the guidebook for these times of searching
spirits and awakening hearts. I am filled with deep gratitude for these
pages. I recommend this book to everyone. Read it, share it, and let its
seeds blossom and bring forth a new vision for our world.
I have been a vegetarian for 48 years. By eating only foods that grow
out of the earth and by committing to love and care for my fellow creatures
a profound love for humanity and the earth has been cultivated. I was
recently told, and very rightly so, “This is not a game.”
We must take very seriously the opportunity and responsibility to know
ourselves as caretakers, rather than takers. Do we protect and cherish
the creation, or do we destroy it? It is a choice. This is not a game.
It is the most serious challenge around today — and it’s all
around.
Is a vegan world possible? Is it possible to embrace life, harmony, healing,
and sustainability. I say, with deep and heartfelt conviction, Yes!
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