Veganism aims to exclude in all possible and probable ways, any form of exploitation and cruelty of animals for the service of humans, be it food, clothing or any other purpose. Of late, a lot of people have been taking to becoming vegan, and while those who take up this way of life have an understanding of how their choice will make a difference, the most common notion is that veganism is a trend
But is veganism just a trend? Certainly not, it’s way more than a trend or a diet. It’s a conscious choice you make for yourself and the world around you.
Veganism as a lifestyle
A vegan lifestyle is a way of life, a thought and an understanding that crushes the idea that other animals exist for our use. It’s a way of life where you take into account and comprehend that all humans and animals on this planet are here to serve their own purpose and are a valued contribution to our ecosystem. It’s a belief that we can all live side-by-side in peace and unity rather than as an apex predator. Veganism does not believe in practising dominion over animals and lets them live their lives in as natural a way as possible. It heals the self from within, making one a more conscious and empathetic person towards not just animals but the pain of other fellow humans too.
Of course, the vegan lifestyle does involve diet as vegans don’t eat meat, eggs, dairy, or any other animal by-product, including honey produced by bees!
As a vegan, you learn to appreciate and love all kinds of life forms and the pain they go through as a service to humankind. The vegan lifestyle makes you see all life forms as your absolute equal.
Veganism as a social justice movement
Needless to say, animals cannot speak for themselves and seek justice. But they all have life within them, they all feel pain. Taking a day old calf away from its mother so the cow’s milk can be packed for humans, injecting chicks with chemicals to plump them up, rearing hens so they can lay generous amounts of eggs for commercial purpose, rearing cattle in abominable conditions for human consumption, the list is endless. While they cannot speak the human language, they do speak the language of love. Animals have time and again been found to hold an immense amount of love and emotions, even towards the species that are their seeming predators – the humans. And we have been bestowed with a voice and power to help and provide justice to those who cannot seek it for themselves. Veganism is a social justice movement that is set to make the world a better place and fair to live in.
Veganism as a commitment
There is more to veganism than just loving and caring for animals. A plant-based diet is vital to revive the environmental damage done over the years, to get the ecosystem back in balance. A greener planet will be the result of nature’s equilibrium, which mankind has destroyed over the years. A vegan diet can essentially play a huge part in reversing the environmental damage by bringing back the balance of nature to play. With animals back in their natural habitat, with people planting more trees for their own consumption, with marine life being left to keep the ocean bodies pristine, the world will slowly become the beauty it was and life of all forms will be able to thrive for a million years more.
Lastly, let us not undermine the effects it has on the human body. BMI gets better, diabetes gets under control, and an energetic feeling engulfs us. There are many pieces of research on how veganism can improve the quality of life and lead to a better environment for the world to live in. But to begin with, the intent has to be in tandem with the outcome of your choices. Make a fair choice today to make the world a better and safer place for all!
