Wish you all a very Happy New Year 2010 - Think VEGAN!

[Guest guest]

HARI AUM,Wish you all avery Happy New Year 2010 - Think VEGAN!Of course I don't have much to claim in this area, VEGAN - I am still a novice,at 73.The term VEGAN was coined almost Five Decades back - there are many definitionsand interpretations given to it by many individuals and groups. I too wasseriously thinking about it for the latter half of 2009 and my concepts anddefinitions are still getting evolved and modified. Who is a VEGAN and who is not? I am not yet sure! But I am surethat:(1) I myself hadto go still a long way to be claimed as a VEGAN, by any of the standards.(2) Neither theMel-Shanti (Chief Poojari) of the most revered Guruvayur Temple nor the mostrevered Jain Munies can be considered to be in any of the VEGAN groups, as longas they sip the commercially produced cows' milk. (3) The crueltiesinvolved in the production of milk and eggs in the so-called modern farms aremany fold severe and atrocious than those involved in the production of MEAT. The last Five Daysof 2009 I was spending in a Tiger Sanctuary. It was my second family visit to Bandhavgarh National Park, Umaria Dt.,Madhya Pradesh. The first visit was in Dec end 2003, precisely Six yearsback. This National Park had notchanged much during these six years, but for a marginal increase in thepopulation of the wild life and a conspicuous increase in the nearby TalaVillage population. But there was aworld of difference in my experience of the National Park this time. In 2003 during those morning and eveningsafaris I was (also) all the time impatiently looking out for TIGERs! Of course, Bandhavgarh is perhaps the bestsanctuary for tiger-sighting and we could see tiger/s in three of our eighttiger safaris. Naturally we returnedsomewhat disappointed after each of the remaining five trips. This time myexperience was really GREAT! We couldsee tiger/s during four of our total of eight safaris! Not only that; I enjoyed each and every tripto the (comparatively) virgin forest! Iwas all the time looking out for NATURE, the Virgin Forest in its totality,with all its inhabitants –big or small.This vastdifference in experience was naturally due to the difference in my own outlook!In 2003, I was a pure vegetarian for the previous over 20 years. Earlier to that, I was a pucca non-veg tillI was about 45 years. In 2003, apartfrom the visitors, I could classify the animals in Bandhavgarh into vegetariananimals like Spotted Deers, Sambar Deers, etc, and Non-veg animals like tigers,jackals, and the like. I used to fancy thenotion that vegetarians are less cruel to fellow beings. But in 2009 with (mynew found) VEGAN theories the veg and non-veg demarcation does not have anysense: I could find the difference only between VEGANs and Non-VEGANs!So, this time Icould find (to your surprise?) only one type of animals in Bandhavgarh NationalPark – VEGANs. Even the tigers neverkill or injure another animal unless it becomes a must. And in my opinionVEGAN is one who enjoys ones life in all its wholesomeness, causing the leastpossible hindrance or injury to others – living or non-living. Hence, in the NewYear 2010, in obeisance to MOTHER NATURE, why not consider becoming a VEGAN inthe company of TIGER, our beloved National Animal, instead of continuing simplyas a veg or non-veg, excelling each other in perpetuating all sorts ofcruelties on our fellow beings? With Regards toall my fellow Guruvayur Devotees,urs affly nb nair.