The Buddha, The Vegan, and You: Part 1: Meat, Myself and Irony (The Buddha, The Vegan and You)

In The Buddha, The Vegan and You: Part I, the author, a student and practitioner of Buddhism for nineteen years, shares how he changed his eating habits, improved his health, and lost weight by using various meditation practices. These meditation techniques, in conjunction with research, helped him to curb cravings and attachment to “standard American diet” foods. He reveals what it was like going from a heavy intake of animal products to a vegan diet. The book explores the role of eating meat, dairy, fish and eggs in relation to the five Buddhist Precepts on ethical behavior as well as myths and stories non-vegan and non-vegetarian Buddhists tell themselves sanctioning them to eat as they always have. These myths and stories are the same ones the author told himself, in many cases, but after careful reflection he found that his eating habits contradicted his Buddhist practice and training. The book concludes with a vegan perspective on the four powers, a Buddhist practice designed to transform ourselves and change our karma.