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Old 11-10-2005, 03:06 PM   #10
Kevin Leavitt
 
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Dojo: Team Combat USA
Location: Olympia, Washington
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 4,376
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Re: Aikido and being Vegetarian

Wow, tons of non-vegetarians!

I am a vegetarian, not a vegan, but close. I eat some cheeses and try to limit my intake of diary products. No meat what-so-ever.

I think it is a personal choice, for me it had alot to do with aikido, or at least the reason I study aikido. It is about compassion and awareness for me. Based on this, I can't imagine how you can't see the correalation!

I'd recommend doing a bunch of reading of contemporary buddhist literature if you are inclined to lean this way. Thict Nhat Han is a good one.

The big thing is that it becomes a personal choice or practice. Does it make you a better person or more compassionate than a omnivores? Not necessarily as "better" is hard to really define and quantify. Also Compassion. Part of being compasionate is NOT preaching to omnivores!


Again, I think that in order to achieve the goals of aikido, you must think constantly about every choice you make and evey action you take with a sense of awareness. That includes the foods you eat, the ideas you choose to think, and the respect you show people. To me, it is very related to the study of aikido!

I can also see how someone might interpret it differently. You can also carry vegetarism to an extreme. Look at Jainism, where do you draw the lne? It is different for different people and we must respect that!

I am headed for China in two weeks to adopt our daughter, so I will see exactly how difficult it is to be a vegetarian while traveling in a country with a language and culture you barely understand!
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