Non-violent vegans

1310: 

To make non-violence work as a habit, we need to get used to not slipping back into violent ways, even when (especially when) we’re on the defensive.  If we still practise violence we’re probably still holding onto attitudes we can’t let go of yet.

         

Violent habits show up at home, where we’re so well known that we can’t fool anyone.  In this testing ground, you can imagine what happens: we wake up angry, and take our black mood to the breakfast table; things fall apart quickly; we say something nasty, hard.  And with this one small violence the damage is done. It happens so quickly but everyone notices. It’s hard to pull back.  We try to bluff it out, but what we’ve said, the feeling of it, is left hanging.  Others remember that nasty side of us.  They try to avoid stirring us up, in future.  And so it goes on.  We begin to dislike ourselves for it.  Then we try to become a truly non-violent person.  Then we try to deny violence altogether.  Nice try!!

         

Good intention can modify the ingrained violence we pick up from our violent Society, but it has to be comprehensive or it won't work.  One of the greatest things about becoming vegan is that we gain an overview of our own hard-nose attitudes.  Just by the daily practice of 'being compassionate towards animals', it can help to bring out our innate non-violent personality.