Buddhist (cruelty-free) Thanksgiving

(VIDEOS) "Vegetarian" (Latin, vegetus, "lively, lusty") means eating life-giving foods. Avoiding animal products (like cheese with calf-stomach lining, white sugar with bone char, or Jello with boiled pig's feet) gives life to the eater, the environment, and the eaten. Or follow AOL's advice and eat roadkill.

As we Americans stuff ourselves on neo-traditional Tofurky and braised asparagus tips, mounds of mashed potatoes drizzled with Earth Balance or real olive oil (if any can be found), with a side of sweet potato pie and -- what Thanksgiving table would be complete without gelatinous canned and sliced cranberry dressing -- let us give thanks that [pick something, anything]. There's plenty to be thankful for!

Black Friday means it's back to a case of the ungrateful seduction of greed we like to call "Me first and the gimme gimmes"! Mindfully enjoy that, too. It's by knowing-and-seeing how the mind works so subtly that we slowly free ourselves by wisdom. (Oh, and buy me something as you end up buying so many things for yourself). Enjoy!

Do we have to?!
There's no rule saying Buddhists have to be vegetarian. It's the compassionate and environmentally-conscious thing to do (benefiting oneself, others, and everyone else). But it's a choice. If we were more mindful of what came out of our mouths (verbal karma) than what went in, we might also do well for ourselves. So whatever you eat, enjoy it! For joy is the way.

American Buddhist

Buddhist (cruelty-free) Thanksgiving

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