Straight up VEGGIE.

The four legs of a cow represent the four pillars of religiosity: mercy, austerity, cleanliness, and truthfulness. Srila Prabhupada instructed his students to follow four regulative principles of freedom: No meat eating, no sex outside of marriage, no intoxication, and no gambling. By practicing these corresponding regulations, I am developing a foundation for a strong spiritual life. A strict vegetarian diet is most favorable for obtaining the quality of mercy and compassion for all living beings.

Throughout my life I have gone in and out of the vegetarian lifestyle. Initially, my freshman year of college, I became a veggie for ethical, environmental, and political reasons. The health benefits were a bonus, along with the friendships and connections I began making with others striving for a similar lifestyle of awareness and conscientiousness. However, while studying abroad in Mexico, travelling to small villages where the occasional chicken was slaughtered in honor of my arrival, I thought it was best to be gracious and accept the hospitality. I thought, "Who am I? Some middle-class, white gringa, so proud and privileged that I can survive without eating meat." The veggie thing was off.

After graduating with an environmental science degree, I began a period in my life where I apprenticed at several small, organic family farms. I learned how to raise goats, pigs, sheep, turkeys, rabbits, chickens, you name it, for the self-contained sustenance of the farmer and his family. The last step in animal husbandry, however, is killing, butchering, and storage. I learned it all. It was never easy but somehow empowering. I even felt quite proud about it. Enough so that if I were to eat an occasional piece of meat that wasn't family-raised, I thought I paid my dues and an exception here and there never hurt anyone.

While living in New Mexico, at one point I started working for a schmancy restaurant that, in addition to catering to vegans and vegetarians, only served organic meats. By the end of my employment there, I found myself eating meat practically every other day. But enough was enough. I felt my moral fiber slipping like anything. I thought to myself, I used to have strong beliefs and political orientation. Now what am I doing for humanity?

I came to the temple seeking refuge, renewed spiritual life and direction. The New Vrindaban devotees have provided me with this and so much more, beyond my wildest imagination. It has been eight months now for me, meat-free. This means no eggs, no fish, straight-up herbivore. It is more apparent to me now than ever, why it is essential to practice vegetarianism. Even from a platform of good health, healthy environment, and moral integrity, what to speak of an understanding of the karmic reactions one brings to themselves and others, a vegetarian lifestyle is the key to wellness. Yet so many of my loved ones still just don't get it. What to do but pray that one day I will be given the intelligence and ability to help them understand.