United Vegan.com
United Vegan.com
United Vegan.comUnited Vegan.comUnited Vegan.comBringing Together Entities That Honor the Sacredness of All Life
Watch New Videos updated frequently by a 33 year Vegan
United Vegan.com
United Vegan.com
United Vegan.comUnited Vegan.comUnited Vegan.comBringing Together Entities That Honor the Sacredness of All Life
Watch New Videos updated frequently by a 33 year Vegan
plant powered enlightenment
Powered Enlightenment
Your Invitation to a Spiritual Renaissance of Compassion By Frank Lane
Plant Powered Enlightenment
Your Invitation to a Spiritual Renaissance
By Frank Lane
Wake up to a life of freedom, awareness, health and abundance by the self-realization our body can be a Holy Temple of Kindness!
Moved by Mother Teresa to the Buddhist Monk Thich Nhat Hanh, millions pay tribute to a person’s sacredness of life by raising their prayerful hands to their heart to make a connection with each other’s spirit by saying Namaste.
With a holier-than-thou smile Vegan’s say Namaste Veganwhile opening the Namaste Prayerful Hands into a V for Vegan, to express and acknowledge “The Light within me is grounded in vegan ethics of no harm”. What do they believe that gives them such attitude? Here is what we understand:
This hand gesture opens the heart to allow your mind and body to give your Light to another. This exchange of energy is a sacred act of kindness. For me, I am paying respect to the animal’s soul that died in enslavement.
For millions, the act of Namaste creates a feeling of wellbeing and a loop of bliss to this exchange of positive energy. Our sacred acts of connecting to that which is greater than ourselves give us the vitality that moves the soul and every cell in the Universe.
When we can acknowledge that there is revered energy within all sentient beings, we find sacredness in each other. This act of awareness leads to Enlightenment. Especially, when we put our hands, heart, and feet together in loving kindness. This is the journey of the spiritual seeker.
This Namaste Vegan Exchange is like photosynthesis, where plants capture Light from the Sun and exchange energy for growth for our spiritual evolution. When we eat plants, we become this Light, that brings us closer to our Source from which all life emanates.
Filling your body with Light illuminates and enlightens our Soul, when we can all step into the Light by eating plants. Plants reach towards and becoming the Light, teaching us this sacred dance of vegan spirituality.
If we allow our body to be a Holy Temple in order to receive this Light stored in Plants, we will ascend to a Higher Love. This has been my journey for 33-years as a vegan, living an exalted life of liberation and spiritual adventure, fueled by the Light in plants.
Light knows no faith, religion, ethnicity, economic status, degree, or title. It doesn’t question itself or others. It has no judgment, it just is. All can step into the Light without pomp and circumstance. Fueled with this Light, it has been a wild ride of self-discovery, realizing this Light that moves our hearts, is the same energy that moves the stars in the Universe! Even more profoundly, some call this Light God, because it feeds life on this planet. You are this Light from which life exists and evolves.
Every life is exchanging and converting Light energy, some to a higher form and others to a lower form based on their level of suffering in this exchange. For example, when we consume animal flesh our risk of diet-related diseases increases and our level of happiness decreases, and especially for the animals used for food.
Every church and temple have a special design for the Light to enter. Just as the eyes are the windows of the soul, we get to turn our eyes inward into infinite space and experience other worlds. To prod us in seeing the Light, architecture of great buildings is designed from the perspective of receiving Light. To enhance Light, there is stained glass, and special lighting of art and in entertainment productions. Of special note, there is the all-glass Christ Cathedral, for the purpose of receiving the Light. Your body is a Holy Temple, made to receive the different qualities of Light consumed, so you may become the realization of this Light.
If you open to this journey and allow your body to become a Holy Temple, you will experience a radical revolutionary Awakening of the human spirit. The secret of your soul is discovered by the awakening to your sacredness and the sanctity of all life. By recognizing this Light in all sentient beings, we become Enlightened.
Beyond this transcendence to recognize the Light in another, there is also the acuity of our sense of smell to allure or warn us of predators. If the fox smells like a chicken, then the chicken senses he maybe the fox’s next meal.
This same subconscious olfactory monitoring is constantly giving us information about the lifestyle of others. When you meet someone, they may trigger a negative reaction because they smell like a predator. Many vegans can smell blood and flesh subconsciously and it alerts them of danger.
If you met a cannibal, someone that eats humans, your sense of smell would alarm you not to be eaten. Hence, if you smell like a chicken, dog, or lamb, for example, that animal will avoid you for fear of being a meal. This is a deep subject on the sense of smell as a survival skill, which I will not address, I wanted you to be aware of our subconscious olfaction that causes our undefined reactions.
Our sense of smell is a predominant factor in sexual attraction. Further, a sexual partner’s chemistry will change if the partner is sexually active elsewhere because there is a unique combination of chemicals our body creates with a sexual partner for identification and monogamy. I explore more of this behavioral acuity of our sense of smell in the chapter “Can’t You Smell That Smell.”
Albert Einstein described himself as an agnostic but identified himself as a pantheist following the philosophy of Spinoza. His views on religion were complex but always related to science and did not believe in a personal god, but rather looked on the universe as a manifestation of “God”. In contrast, Saint Francis transitioned from a soldier killer to a lover of life, and Anne Frank, a child Holocaust survivor to having no disdain for her captors.
The common link was by the spiritual act of seeing All Life as Sacred.
The young astute vegan environmentalist, Sweden’s Greta Thunberg reprimands with the statement “How Dare You” speaking to the United Nation World Leaders that refuse to take action against the evil stupidity of animal slaughter industry that greatly contributes to CO2 pollution, mass extinction and global warming in the trade of economic growth that science confirmed to be crystal clear over 30 years ago, she cries out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMrtLsQbaok
Joaquin Phoenix, a vegan actor makes an international statement at 2020 Oscars for all that suffer injustice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8zVJhP1Ry4
This sacred awakening leads to discovering the miracle of your life. Within your Pain Body (holding painful memories in our muscles) we are acutely aware of the body as a Holy Temple for the realization of God Consciousness. To be able to feel pain is a blessing of awakening. I am a living testament of transforming a life of disaster as described in my first book Be In Heaven Now that has evolved into my new book Plant Powered Enlightenment. Everyone can ascend one bite at a time.
We are rational human beings, that is, we rationalize everything! In doing so we miss reality. Nothing brings reality more into focus than understanding the suffering of any sentient being. When we consider the suffering of all life, including human and non-human animals we start to awaken when we realize we are what we consume, mentally, physically and spiritually.
Humanity’s health has been decimated by diet-related diseases by eating dairy, eggs, fish, and animals because of the karmic debt of consuming a holocaust of suffering from the annual 3 billion tortured and slaughtered animals and fish we take into our bodies! Live by the butcher’s knife, die by the butcher’s knife.
Loudmouth vegans must scream to be heard over the cries of the animals in their concentration camps before being exterminated and cut up.
So, when one starts to wake-up and confront that one’s body is a sacred holy temple, the game changes and the awakening process begins. No longer can one blindly participate in the abject torture, pain, and suffering from ingesting animals and their excretions. You cannot directly or indirectly harm another animal, without harming yourself.
The debt of cause and effect from an animal-based diet represents about 85% of all diet-related diseases including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. This is more than a boomerang of Karma; this is the health care crisis; it is a crisis of lack of compassion for the millions of animals that are slaughtered daily in such a magnitude of cruelty and suffering. Is it any wonder we suffer when we cause life to suffer?
This is why the wisdom is clear in Genesis 1:29-30 ESV / “And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.” Biblically, in the beginning man and the Garden of Eden were plant-based. We all have the free will to sin, but in the end, the Bible says the Lion shall lay down with the Lamb, as we evolve to a higher love by making our body a holy temple. It was no by mistake that Jesus was called the Lamb of God. And many have put this Lamb on the fire, after paying to have its throat and body parts cut-up. Jesus said to love one another, I don’t think it meant to mass murder His creations and cause abject suffering to any life.
We are connected to our environment. We become what we consume. So, is it any wonder the Earth is convulsing in agony responding back with an ecological and moral collapse? Put yourself on a factory farm to experience the suffering from this concentration camp. The terror permeates in every cell of the animal’s body as it shakes itself to death before its slaughter. Farm animals must see us like the devil!
How we treat the least of sentient beings or our compulsion to bring equality into the world with a woman’s right to vote, stopping the killing of children in economic wars, or the civil rights of minorities or the equality of women are tools of self-actualization. There is an arc of compassion that connects all life. To live a consistent life of love and compassion is the key to spiritual liberation. The respect we have for mother earth, the environment, the animals and people are directly connected to the sanctity of life. Going Plant Powered is an answer and remedy for living an exalted life.
This Vegan evolutionary advancement in humanity’s awakening from the barbaric unconsciousness of eating another animal is the savior of humanity's compassion. Vegans are awakening humanity and are historically uniting in mass to stop the slaughter and holocaust of all sentient beings, to evolve loving kindness.
There is a direct relationship with ingesting violence by what we read, watch, work or eat that becomes our experience of life. When we respect an animal’s right to live freely, then there can be Peace on Earth and in the hearts of humankind! A spiritual person has empathy when the most vulnerable suffer. “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” Said Mahatma Gandhi.
Animal Liberation is Humanity’s Enlightenment because this awareness moves consciousness away from the need and addiction for killing as a way of life. The lack of respect and compassion for any life causes a fundamental breakdown and the defilement of humanity.
Warning: Making your body a graveyard of abject torture and cruelty of animals is dangerous and could be fatal for all life. Humans are evolved animals and eating animal flesh, makes one an animal cannibal!
This karmic debt has been at the expense and demise of our humanity and reparation can be paid by going plant-based; the Compassionate Solution to Climate Change, Hunger, Disease, and Mass Slaughter. Dr. Sailesh Rao of Climate Healers says, we are out of time, and it will take an intelligent miracle to turn the climate crisis around. He states the only saving grace and chance for survival is with a plant-based diet because animal agriculture has destroyed the ecological balance of Life.
Walking the higher road of love and compassion to Plant Powered Enlightenment is the perfect complement to an exalted spiritual life of Light. You can bring Light to the world by making your holy temple a vessel of Light by eating plants. Many in the world pray and give thanks for peace and health before they eat the tortured animals on their plate that will become a part of their body and the demise of humanity.
Remember: Move the body, stretch the mind, eating plants is divine, take a sacred breath, and be kind. Namaste Vegan – Be Love, Be Vegan, Be In Heaven Now
Watch Higher Love: Doing No Harm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc_5ceAh7fU - The antidote to Suffering is to have Plant Powered Enlightenment: www.UnitedVegan.com.
Book Release 9-19-2020. Please preorder this book today to become a founding member of Plant Powered Enlightenment at www.UnitedVegan.com
Author/Speaker Frank Lane has been plant-based for 33 years and vegetarian before that in respect for all life. A CEO executive that has dedicated his life to a Vegan World to stop the collapse of the ecologic system of the world. The last nail in the coffin of life is Animal Agriculture, the Leading Cause of Climate Change - A White Paper by Sailesh Rao, Ph.D. https://www.climatehealers.org/animal-agriculture-white-paper
Watch Higher Love: Doing No Harm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc_5ceAh7fU - The antidote to Suffering is to have Plant Powered Enlightenment: www.UnitedVegan.com.
Book Release 9-19-2020.
Please preorder this book today to become a founding member of Plant Powered Enlightenment at www.UnitedVegan.com
Author/Speaker Frank Lane has been plant-based for 33 years and vegetarian before that in respect for all life. A CEO executive that has dedicated his life to a Vegan world to stop the collapse of the ecologic system of the world. Animal Agriculture is the Leading Cause of Climate Change - A White Paper by Sailesh Rao, Ph.D. https://www.climatehealers.org/animal-agriculture-white-paper
My first bite of a burger in 50 years!
For this 33 year vegan, I had my first Beyond Meat burger at Carl's Jr. It was like going into enemy territory. I'd always stayed clear of these fast food joints as mortuaries of suffering and ill repute.
I had to ask the cook to clean and use the grill away from where they laid the dead animals to burn or melted cheesy pus.
I went with a friend, Kundan that has never eaten animals in his life, to watch my virgin bite. For me, when I bit into that burger, it was a shock to my holy body temple, my consciousness yelled out what hell are you doing!
For a frightful moment I felt like a Jewish holocaust survivor waking up in a slaughterhouse surrounded by Nazis. After I brought myself back to the present moment, I bit into the veggie burger that felt and tasted like I was eating bloody flesh!
In a flash my mind said; shall I shall I spit out shall I spit it out shall I spit it out shall I spit it out shall I spit it out or shall I spit it out or swallow shall... I swallowed.
After I settled down from startling my mind and body, I had to agree with my born vegetarian friend;
Why would you want to eat anything that taste and looks like a bloody corpse?
The lettuce, tomato and onion was saving grace as something fresh opposed to the processed patty. Yes it certainly mimics something dead, bloody, fleshy and processed like a ground up animal. At least they say it's not GMO.
It's a two-edged sword of consciousness rising. We are doing less harm to ourselves, the planet and the animals by exchanging animal flesh for plantbased foods. But to the millions of people that don't eat meat, think it's a very bizarre behavior to mimic eating a corpse of a kind loving animal. It would be like eating your dog or cat.
Carl's jr. used it's best food scientists to mimic the experience of eating bloody flesh. But on the other hand I am so glad it is not a sentient being between those buns in my stomach.
One small bite for humanity and animal liberation and one large step for Consciousness Awakening.
Today the Auschwitz Holocaust concentration camp is a museum. It is my prayer that one day all these meat packing institutions of torture, and death will become museums of consciousness evolved.
It's a win for a kinder, smarter, healthier world. Still give me fresh plants from mother earth anyday.
By Frank Lane
First Vegan Banquet in over 125 years !
Serving God Not Animals
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Writer Frank Lane – Frank@UnitedVegan.org – 714-675-0110
First Vegan Banquet after 125 years at the Parliament of World Religions!
This historical vegan banquet was a turning point for all that suffer. Hosted by the Charter for Compassion and facilitated by the Interfaith Vegan Coalition as part of the weeklong Parliament of World Religions in Toronto, Canada.
Eight thousand devoted to peace gathered from around the world to hear and explore 300 religious leaders’ interactions with the Parliament’s theme “The Promise of Inclusion and the Power of Love.”
When Frank Lane and the Interfaith Vegan Coalition read the theme for the banquet they spring into action to organize a memorable knock your taste buds-off plant-based event to demonstrate compassion. Their mission was clear and vital for bringing respected for all life including animals by serving a delicious vegan meal.
“Our relationship to food is only second to our relationship with God” states Frank Lane a 31 year vegan and Ahimsa advocate. In alignment with the core values of Compassion, Karen Armstrong, the Keynote Speaker and the founder of the Charter for Compassion articulated leadership for the Compassion Movement to major religious leaders.
The Interfaith Vegan Coalition thought it would be nonsense to serve enslaved animals and participate in the animal holocaust of abject torture and suffering, when there is no human need for any animal products. Especially since former Catholic nun Karen Armstrong is now a world leader of interfaith compassion. The banquet represented a significant contribution to the theme of compassion for all sentient beings, expanding the promise of inclusion and love to embrace all animals and helping to question the prevailing narrative of exclusion and exploitation of animals, stated Frank Lane.
Marilyn Turkovich, Executive Director of Charter for Compassion exclaimed about the tasty and delicious plant-based foods served in recognition of compassion. These 300 religious leaders made the connection between their faith and animal suffering with each bite without flesh or blood.
Peace begins at the end of our fork says Lisa Levinson, M.A. and Judy Carman, M.A. the co-directors of the Interfaith Vegan Coalition’s (IVC). They were taken by the diversity of participants from every corner of the world and the appreciation of a meal without animal torture. Click to watch the Higher Love video.
Vegan Chef Sandra Sellani created plant-based foods that delighted even the hardcore carnivores. She is the author of The 40 Year Old Vegan, and succeeded at the formidable task of satisfying the international palettes of the Parliament’s attendees.
Chef Sellani used Good Dot Vegetarian Meat, a wonderful plant-based meat alternative. This vegan meat had an amazing taste, texture and plenty of protein. Abishek Sinha, CEO and Co-Founder of Good Dot travelled from India to bring his wonderful Good Dot plant-based meats to the banquet.
Menu:
Rustic breads with vegan spread
Chopped fennel salad with tart cherry vinaigrette
Cookstown greens, roasted grapes, shaved heirloom beets, and Minus 8 vinaigrette
Featuring Good Dot Vegan Meats:
Good Dot Savory puff pie
Good Dot Veg Meat & Proteiz stir fry
Good Dot Veg Meat Red Thai curry
Good Dot Veg Meat Masamman curry
Bitter greens with orzo
Seasonal market vegetables and steamed rice
Blackberry bread pudding with maple cream
Pumpkin pie Freshly brewed Lavazza regular decaffeinated coffee specialty teas.
Plant-Based Meat Dishes
Chef Sellani’s culinary art, of turning the Earth’s bounty into revitalizing and salubrious entrées, seems capable of helping to inspire many caring people to transition to a more vegan way of living. Besides being delicious, the plant-based menu demonstrates and honors Karen Armstrong’s work of spreading compassion not just to other humans, but to all living beings.
For vegans, there is no ethical difference between animals such as dogs and cows, and so they strive to minimize abuse to all animals, refraining from all flesh, dairy, and eggs. Veganism is one of the fastest growing social movements in the world for several fundamental reasons.
"Dr. Sailesh Rao states urgently that our current rate of killing wild animals will result in Year ZERO: 2026, the year by which virtually 100% of wild animals will become extinct. Throwing the balance of life into this cataclysmic event called “Prevent Year ZERO” by eating plant-based for a truly compassionate Vegan World."
“Our relationship with food is a spiritual communion with God." says Frank Lane, a vegan activist author, who thought it hypocritical to serve tortured animals while honoring compassion! Lane wrote and directed Higher Love, a PSA advocating veganism as a spiritual path: See https://youtu.be/vc_5ceAh7fU or UnitedVegan.org
According to Buddhist teacher Alan Dale, “Compassion is the ultimate spiritual path to our higher self or God. The vegan choice is a choice for compassion with a reverence for all sentient beings. It is a communion that can transform us and make for a better world.”
“There is no way to overstate the magnitude of the collective spiritual transformation that will occur when we shift from food of violent oppression to food of gentleness and compassion,” writes Dr. Will Tuttle, a 38-year vegan, best-selling author, and former Zen Buddhist monk.
The Interfaith Vegan Coalition is committed to engaging religious leaders to consider the effect of food choices on humanity’s health and behavior, on our fellow earthlings, on the environment, and on the world’s hungry.
With faith in the good hearts of all attendees, the Charter for Compassion Banquet shined a light on the war being waged against animals, and the urgent need for all religions to take a stand to bring peace to human and all beings.
“When the power of love and nonviolence is extended to all sentient beings by the religious leaders of the world, then we will have a real chance to end violence, war, poverty, many diseases, and environmental destruction,” writes vegan author Judy Carman.
The World Peace Diet - by Dr. Will Tuttle suggests how eating for Spiritual Health and Social Harmony how we as a species might move our consciousness forward to be more free, more intelligent, more loving, and happier in the choices we make.
Interview with animal activist Charlotte Cressey and Neal Barnard, M.D. of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine who speaks about his concept of #vegan "Universal Meals" with religious leaders at the Parliament of World Religions in Toronto. Lisa Levinson reports for #JaneUnchained.
https://www.facebook.com/JaneVelezMitchell/videos/266149290913010/
According to Frank Lane, “There is a higher love we can all enjoy by making our body a holy temple. It is our mission to have these 300 religious leaders extend their religious passion for the health of their congregations to include the well-being of animals and the planet.”
Learn more about the Interfaith Vegan Coalition at www.interfaithvegancoalition.org, a project of international nonprofit animal protection organization, In Defense of Animals, www.idausa.org.
By Frank Lane – Writer, Author of United Vegan; a path to Enlightenment – Frank@UnitedVegan.org 714-675-0110 – See https://youtu.be/vc_5ceAh7fU
This Press Release was edited by Judy Carman, author of Peace to All Beings and Dr. Will Tuttle, Author of the World Peace Diet and Public Relations Connector Expert, Susan Leonard at susan@curematch.com
For Interviews of exemplary vegans please contact:
Frank Lane – 714-675-0110 – Frank@UnitedVegan.org – www.UnitedVegan.com
30 year vegan – author of www.BeInHeavenNow.com and the www.TheGreatCompassionMarch.org - Click to watch Higher Love video.
Vegan Community Potlucks
To find a Vegan Potlucks near you, Go to www.VeganSpirituality.org and add your contact information for announcements.
REPORTS ON THE VEGAN BANQUET & PARLIAMENT OF WORLD RELIGIONS
Additional Information
INTERFAITH VEGAN COALITION IN ACTION AT THE PARLIAMENT
THE INTERFAITH VEGAN COALITION
SHINES A LIGHT ON AHIMSA AND VEGANISM
AT THE PARLIAMENT OF WORLD RELIGIONS
Thanks to the hard work and donations of many people, In Defense of Animals’ Interfaith Vegan Coalition, co-founded by Lisa Levinson and Judy Carman, had a well-received presence at the 2018 Parliament of World Religions. The theme of the Parliament was “The power of love and the promise of inclusion.” Eight thousand people from around the world attended this historic event. Plenaries, talks, and panels went on all day and into the evenings from November 1 to the 7th in Toronto, Canada. We felt it was essential for the animals and the vegan message to be represented there and to reach as many people as we could.
We reached out and spoke out for a Vegan World in six ways: The Interfaith Vegan Coalition (IVC), Good Dot, and Vegan World 2026 booth; networking with attendees; a vegan banquet for the Charter for Compassion; several vegan talks and panels; two showings of the Thomas Jackson’s new film, “A Prayer for Compassion; and a traveling art exhibit entitled “Animals and World Religions,” curated by Dr. Lisa Kemmerer.
The Booth: IVC shared a 20 x 20 foot booth with Abhishek Sinha and Deepak Parihar, co-founders of Good Dot (www.GoodDot.in); with Dr. Sailesh Rao’s Climate Healers’ Vegan World 2026; and with Dr. Lisa Kemmerer’s brand new traveling museum exhibit, “Animals and World Religions.” Good Dot offered samples of their plant-based meats to their visitors on one side of the booth. Good Dot’s mission is “to bring high quality, affordable plant-based meat substitutes all over the world. We want to save lives, both human and animal, by providing tasty, healthy and environment friendly alternatives to meat.”
On the other side of the booth, IVC displayed our Vegan Advocacy Kits for various religions (accessible online at www.interfaithvegancoalition.org) and shared handouts from coalition members such as Vegan Spirituality, Circle of Compassion, Vegetarian Friends, and Christian Vegetarian Association. We also had recipes from Madeleine Tuttle and others, several books and prayer flags to sell, invitations to the film screenings of “A Prayer for Compassion,” etc. Along each side of the booth, Lisa Kemmerer’s “Animals and World Religions” panels were displayed. Sailesh Rao’s Climate Healers’ Vegan World 2026 banner and science-based poster brought attention to the urgency we are facing. By the year 2026, if we do nothing to change the current trajectory of extinction, all wild vertebrates will become extinct. We must create a vegan world soon in order to eliminate animal agriculture, the leading cause of extinction and so many other world crises. The dialogues with visitors to the booth went on steadily throughout each day. We were so encouraged by the many vegans who visited as well as those who were not vegan, but who were very open and interested in the spiritual, environmental, health, and animal connections. The Interfaith Vegan Coalition side of the booth. The panels on the sides are the Animals and World Religions traveling art exhibit. The Good Dot display on the other side of the booth. Delicious samples were offered to booth visitors. People loved them all. Lots of interest, many great discussions, new hope for the animals.
Networking: Some of the religions represented at the Parliament indicated a definite leaning toward veganism as part of their spiritual work. Among them were the Tzu Chi Buddhists (www.tzuchi.us), Aumism (www.aumisme.org); and Caodaism (PortlandCaodaiTemple@yahoo.com). Zoroastrians are asked to be vegetarian one month out of each year; The Sufi Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship recommends vegetarianism. The Urantia Foundation members are approximately half vegetarian or vegan. Many in the Share International group (www.share-international.us) are veg, and they serve vegetarian food at events. The founder of World Clergy (www.worldclergy.org) is vegan. We met several animal ministers. Of course, many of the Jains, Hindus, and Sikhs were veg or vegan. At the Hindu American Foundation (www.HAFsite.org) one third of the meals served are vegan. The Brahma Kumaris group includes a growing minority of vegans. The Ontario Sikhs and the Sikh Gurdwara Council served a free vegan lunch (although the desserts were not vegan) to thousands of people every day. The people in the world who have aligned veganism with their spiritual values is increasing exponentially. It was very encouraging. The loving, generous Sikhs serving thousands of people vegan lunches every day.
The Charter for Compassion Vegan Banquet: The organizers of this banquet for 300 people were very open to IVC’s suggestion to make the banquet vegan. Good Dot provided much of the food, and Chef Sandra Sellani, The 40 Year Old Vegan cookbook author, supplied the recipes and helped the chefs with preparation. The end result was truly delicious. The Banquet took place on November 2 and featured awards, speakers, and music. Although we were not able to offer a meal blessing orally, we were given permission to write a vegan meal blessing. This was printed on beautiful cards and placed at each attendee’s place setting. Abhishek was also given the opportunity to speak about the Good Dot food and why the vegan meal was in perfect alignment with the high aspirations of compassion. IVC plans to follow up with the Charter, as well as its partner, the Golden Rule Project, to create more vegan meals at their future events.
This is the Vegan Meal Blessing that was placed at each person's place setting at the Charter for Compassion Banquet. Many seeds of lovingkindness for animals were planted at the Banquet and all through the week. May they bear beautiful fruit and bring a final end to the killing, domination, ownership, and exploitation of our animal cousins.
Vegan Talks and Panels: Dr. Lisa Kemmerer, author of Animals and World Religions, gave a talk on “Integrated Justice,” showing how nonviolence to animals is critical to justice for all. She also was on the ”Justice for Just Us?” panel, along with Candace Laughinghouse, Charlotte Cressey, and Dr. Alka Arora. Rabbi David Rosen also gave a talk on veganism, as did Dr. Neal Barnard of Physicians’ Committee for Responsible Medicine. There may have been more vegan talks of which we were not aware, as there were many hundreds of talks and panels. At the closing plenary, Swami Chidanand Saraswati stated that he believed the next Parliament should be totally vegan.
Two Showings of Thomas Jackson’s new film, “A Prayer for Compassion”: Dr. Sailesh Rao, producer of the film, hosted two showings during the Parliament, bringing more vegan enlightenment to all attendees. Thomas interviewed many spiritual leaders who are vegan to show how veganism is in perfect alignment with one’s highest spiritual ideals. Please go here to see the trailer and share it.
The traveling art exhibit entitled “Animals and World Religions,” curated by Dr. Lisa Kemmerer and Carolyn Mullin: Each beautiful panel represented various world religions and included statements made by some of their leaders that align the values of those faiths to veganism. Contact Carolyn Mullin at mullin.c@gmail.com to display this traveling exhibit at your local organization, University, or place of worship. The exhibit will have an online component soon.
Heartfelt thanks to the many folks who helped make this happen: Abhishek Sinha, Deepak Parihar, Frank Lane, Dr. Sailesh Rao, Carolyn Mullin, Dr. Lisa Kemmerer, Marilyn Turkovich, Sandra Sellani, Thomas Jackson, Ray Kowalchuk, Steve Kaufman, Reverend Carol Saunders, April Willson, Raquel Fronte, Charlotte Cressey, Dr. Alka Arora, Candace Laughinghouse, Dr. Neal Barnard, Rabbi David Rosen, Beth Redwood, In Defense of Animals, and many more.
