Pure Diet, From Physical Health to Inner Peace
– A Keynote Speech at VeggieWorld 2020 Given by the Founder of Vegeology
I』d like to express my gratitude to everyone who has helped us in the growth of Vegeology — the seniors, colleagues, friends and families both inside and outside the industry.
2020 has been a very special year.
Ten years make a decade and a hundred years make a century. 2020 is the start of both a decade and a century. The pandemic has brought us many changes but also provided us with more opportunities to settle and reflect.
At the 92nd Academy Awards, Joaquin Phoenix has won the Academy Award for Best Actor thanks to his acclaimed performance in Joker.
In his acceptance speech, he said, 「…we share the same love – that’s the love of film. And this form of expression has given me the most extraordinary life. I don’t know where I』d be without it. But I think the greatest gift that it’s given me, and many people in [this industry] is the opportunity to use our voice for the voiceless. I』ve been thinking about some of the distressing issues that we』ve been facing collectively. I think at times we feel or are made to feel that we champion different causes. But for me, I see commonality. I think, whether we’re talking about gender inequality or racism or queer rights or indigenous rights or animal rights, we’re talking about the fight against injustice. We’re talking about the fight against the belief that one nation, one people, one race, one gender, one species, has the right to dominate, use and control another with impunity.
「I think we』ve become very disconnected from the natural world. Many of us are guilty of an egocentric worldview, and we believe that we’re the centre of the universe. We go into the natural world and we plunder it for its resources. We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and steal her baby, even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable. Then we take her milk that’s intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and our cereal.
「We fear the idea of personal change because we think we need to sacrifice something; to give something up. But human beings at our best are so creative and inventive, and we can create, develop and implement systems of change that are beneficial to all sentient beings and the environment.」
At the end of his speech, Phoenix choked up. He quoted his late brother’s words, calling for people to make changes and live in harmony with nature and all beings:
「Run to the rescue with love, and peace will follow.」
China launches campaign to order 「N-1」 dishes against food waste
*「N-1」 refers to a newly implemented system called 「N-1 ordering」 whereby a group must order one dish fewer than the number of diners.
Humans have evolved in the food chain. However, I believe it’s our benevolence and wisdom that should evolve, not just the position in this ranking where we might think we have the ability or right to take other species』 lives. The government recently implemented a law to tackle the food crisis and called on the 「N-1」 model when ordering food. This is an example measure to reduce food waste.
Why did we start prioritising such problems after the coronavirus outbreak? There have been major climate changes after the pandemic. This year has witnessed many abnormal phenomena, including Australian bushfires, floods in southern China, and the highest temperature on record of Antarctica rising above 20 degree celsius. We all live under the same sky and no one can escape from climate change. Deep in our mind and soul, if we’re aware of these problems, we will make changes to prevent them from happening. The animal agriculture industry has been feeding most of the plants to animals; these animals produce more greenhouse gases than the entire transportation industry does.
The nine big pandemics in human history, within or beyond China, are all associated with animals — from the Black Death, Ebola, to SARS… Those diseases were all transmitted from animals to humans. Looking back in history, the civilisation would usually evolve after a certain pandemic. For example, after the Black Death there came the Renaissance that ended the dark Middle Ages.
In China, we have a law that bans the eating of wild animals. One day when we remove the word 「wild」, our civilisation will progress to another level.
Global development of plant-based diet
Plant-based food has become a new highest standard of feasts in hospitality. For example, 2020 Oscars』 menu was 70% plant-based while 2020 Golden Globes』 was 100%. Also, the German environment ministry has decided to ban meat and fish from being served at official government functions in 2017.
In Brussels, Belgium, the traffic lights display 「STOP MEAT」 for red; 「GO VEGAN」 for green.
In the UK, the vegetarian restaurant chain named Mildreds founded more than 30 years ago has started to pay attention to the pure diet, and they now have a dedicated onion and garlic free vegan menu.
Black Lives Matter Movement
Earlier this year, in Minnesota, US, some police officers arrested a black man. They kneeled on his neck for 7 minutes, ignoring his beg for help and the fact that he was suffocated. Later, the man was pronounced dead in hospital.
The Minneapolis Police Department and Mayor Frey said, 「… the emotion ridden conflict … is the result of so much built up anger and sadness. Anger and sadness that has been ingrained in our Black community not just because of five minutes of horror, but 400 years.」 The voices of 「Black Lives Matter」 started to rise all over the world, protesting against racism and injustice. More than 150 years ago, Lincoln liberated the black slaves; today, what should we liberate? It’s a question that’s worth everyone’s reflection. The civilisation of modern society can only be progressed with our collective contribution. There are not only humans in our world but also nature and other living beings. Black lives matter. All lives matter. Every living creature has a spirit.
Those who practice equality will be treated equally; those who respect others will be respected by others. Grow respect and equality on the land of your mind and let the flowers of civilisation blossom.
Chinese characters are embedded with ancient and profound wisdom. There are secret codes behind each character that surpass our knowledge:
「Su」 (素, the Chinese character for 「plant-based」) has the meaning of 「original」 and 「the source」. In Chinese, you use this character to describe someone who wears no makeup and shows the original appearance (素顏); you also use it to refer to plant-based food (素食), which human beings originally consume. The character is also used in words regarding nature and one’s self-cultivation, which implies his or her original qualities and virtues (素質，素養). 「Shi」 (食, the Chinese character for 「food」) consists of two parts; 「human」 (人), and 「conscience」 (良知). As the old Chinese saying goes, 「Food is fundamental for the people; safety is fundamental for the food.」
Before I started the pure diet, I had never imagined that I would do so one day. I grew up by the seaside and used to eat seafood every day. I never knew there was a better alternative.
In 2016, I went to study in the US. As I walked on the streets in New York City, everyone around me seemed so tense and rushed all the time. Life in a fast-paced environment like that was filled with competition and anxiety. You may see some young professionals queue up in front of superfood eatery during the day, and at night get wasted in pubs and clubs.
Have you ever felt this way? You are so occupied physically, but mentally you feel so hollow. I kept asking myself, 「Do I really want to repeat such life every day?」 As our material possessions grow and the technologies advance, why do we not feel happier? Why is everything so contradictory? I lived in a country where the Statue of Liberty stands, but I can’t see my own liberation.
Who am I? What kind of people does our society need?
Compared with the external labels we’re given, it’s more important for us to find our mission in this life, our position and the sense of responsibility in this society.
Confucius said, 「At thirty, I stood firm.」 It’s more about one’s independent mind, not the age. It doesn’t refer to the literal meaning of being well established. Instead, it means that when we’re at the age of thirty, we should know how to stand firm on our aspirations and find the direction of life.
Lu Xun said, 「Infinite faraway and countless people are all connected to me.」 A human is so infinite yet so small, as one cannot fight against destiny – the ultimate director. Perhaps the calling inside me has been heard. (To read more about my personal story in Chinese, click the link.)
Definition of various types of plant-based diets:
Vegetarian Diet – consume dairy foods and eggs but no meat, poultry or seafood.
Ovo-vegetarians Diet – consume eggs but avoid all other animal foods, including dairy.
Lacto-vegetarians Diet – consume dairy foods but exclude eggs, meat, poultry and seafood.
Vegan Diet – do not consume any animal products, including honey, dairy and eggs.
Pure Diet — do not consume any animal products, asafoetida, allium vegetables (e.g. spring onion, chives, onion, garlic, shallot, leeks) or alcohol.
Why Pure Diet?
Protect inner environment
We care more and more about protecting the environment. We call for taking care of our planet, protecting the ocean and doing litter-pick volunteer work. But have you ever thought about where the litters come from? Where does the pollution come from?
Why do we protect the external environment? Because we hope to live in a clean and tidy place.
Similarly, have you realised that we should also protect our inner environment from pollution? With an inner world that’s clean and peaceful, it feels like seeing through the water of a clear lake – we will be able to see the bottom more clearly. If you』ve been living in a quiet and comfortable place for long, you』ll be sensitive to every small noise or any unpleasant smell. The pure diet is to help sharpen our senses and make our mind clearer so that we can be more sensitive to the changes in the world around and inside us.
Stabilise emotions
When our emotions take over, our thoughts are disturbed. This may directly affect our decisions and directions, and may cause potential dangers and risks to our future. In the past, we did a lot of things without knowing why we did them. When we experience mood swings, we couldn’t do much about it. The pure diet is to bring us a peaceful mindset and energy so that we can be more mindful and aware of what we’re doing now and what should be done next.
Increase mental power
Have you ever had such experiences? For example, you bought a book that you always wanted to read, but you only read the first three pages and never managed to finish it; you wanted to work out frequently so you joined a few 「check-in」 groups, but you still couldn’t keep up with the routine; you wanted to solve a challenge at work but you kept delaying it and had to give up at the end; you wanted to improve an intimate relationship but you were not willing to face it, so eventually you became numb and could only passively adapted to the pain. There’re so many changes that we expect to make in life but we have no power to do so.
The lack of mental power is the underlying anxiety that many of us have nowadays. When we say 「we feel exhausted」 or 「we’re worn out」, it’s our mind that lacks energy. But why is there a lack of mental power? Take an electrical car as an example; you want to start it, but the battery is low. The fact that we don’t yet know about our mental power is like we possess a car but not using it. To obtain our mental power is like to start a car; the power will be generated automatically once the car is started.
How to increase mental power? There are some basic conditions. First of all, our mind requires pure sources of energy, just like a car does. The higher configuration a car has, the purer energies it requires. Think about this – isn’t a human being’s configuration more precisely designed than a car’s? As for our energy sources, food is one of them. When we eat animals, we absorb their negative energies of fear and hatred accumulated throughout their life from being raised to being slaughtered.
Comparatively, plants, fruits, nuts and grains are sources of purer energy – they are all gifts of nature. They grow and accumulate the natural energies from the sun, rain and the soil. Energies of nature are magical, allowing lives to grow and thrive. Even just by the street can a small flower bloom beautifully; even from the crack of rocks can grass grow.
After I started the pure diet, I could feel that my mental powers increased. It felt like a car’s engine had been started; endless light and positive energy began to enter my life. This has enabled me to surpass many difficulties in life and obtain confidence and happiness by going beyond myself.
Why are asafetida, allium vegetables and alcohol excluded in the pure diet?
This is a very important topic. Understanding this will help us get a better idea of the pure diet.
The pure diet is not the same as the vegan diet. It is not simply a diet, but also a mental model where there are a goal and a direction.
Two major differences between the pure diet and the common way of eating:
Firstly, the pure diet excludes animal products.
Secondly, the pure diet excludes asafetida, allium vegetables and alcohol.
It might seem to be two minor changes, but this will lead to a fundamental shift in our mental model.
The pure diet excludes animal products to awaken our conscience.
The pure diet excludes asafetida, allium vegetables and alcohol to sharpen our awareness.
According to traditional Chinese Medicine, allium vegetables are harmful to our internal organs. Buddhist literature also says that they disturb our emotional stability. Meanwhile, alcohol not only does harm to our body but also deteriorates our consciousness. As the proverb goes, 「When the wine is in, the wit is out.」
Why can’t most people feel the impacts of allium vegetables?
For instance, when you first step into a noisy pub, you』d feel uncomfortable about the noises and your heart rate might start to increase, but after a few hours in there, you』d be very used to it. You might somewhat forget how quiet the outside world is until you walk out of the pub. Another example would be: when you enter a house that is newly painted, you』d sense a strong and unpleasant smell of the paints. However, after a while, you』d get used to it, too. You wouldn’t smell anything weird anymore unless you leave the place and go back in again.
One’s choice of the pure diet indicates that he or she has an attentive mind, and seeks the comprehensive development of the body, mind and soul. It’s because of such reasons that one chooses to exclude any traces of asafetida, allium vegetables and alcohol, to protect the pure energies in the body and mind, and the clarity of consciousness. In that way, one will obtain the opportunity to improve mindfulness.
In my speech last year, I shared a story called Autobiography in Five Short Chapters. Which chapter are you in now?
Autobiography in Five Short Chapters
Chapter One: I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. I am lost ... I am helpless. It isn't my fault. It takes me forever to find a way out.
Chapter Two: I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend I don't see it. I fall in again. I can't believe I am in the same place but, it isn't my fault. It still takes a long time to get out.
Chapter Three: I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it is there. I still fall in ... it's a habit. My eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately.
Chapter Four: I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it.
Chapter Five: I walk down another street.
I believe our life journey is just like the story.
This is a story about a person or a group of people improving their cognition and state of mind. A life journey is explained by the analogy of walking down a street. The deep hole is like the obstacles, difficulties or traps we encounter. But today, when we face the deep hole of the coronavirus, which chapter are we in? No matter which stage of life we’re at or what path we take, there will always be deep holes. However, when different people face them, they』d have five different kinds of feelings, leading to five types of life, creating five levels of world.
Life is a process encountering one deep hole after another. People stay in different chapters due to different understanding.
We fell into the hole for the first time, because we didn’t see it.
We fell again the second time because we pretended that we hadn’t seen it.
Then again we fell the third time, even with our eyes wide open and we knew we had seen it.
We might say it wasn’t our fault the first two times, but for the third time, we had no other choices but to accept that it’s our fault. Hence, it is the chapter in which we can start to change our destiny.
As we all know, a disease is usually a warning sign of a certain neglected problem in life. If we paid enough attention to such warning signs, we might be able to change the direction of life or even our destiny.
Here comes the question: If SARS was our first chapter and the bird flu the second, would the COVID-19 be the third?
Have we reflected ourselves in the first three chapters carefully and sought enlightenments from them? Can we not neglect the deep hole this time and progress to the fourth and the fifth chapters via choosing another path?
Or, do we want to still linger in the first and the second chapters without doing self-reflection, and never moving on to the next chapters?
Or, maybe we』ve repeated the first two chapters for countless times, and we did reflect on ourselves every time we fell into the hole, but why do we still fall even when we’re conscious?
My answer is: even though we see the holes, we don’t see our habit.
So what is the habit that we don’t see? I believe for this time, the habit we have to face is — the most ancient and strong addiction in the world — eating animals. It’s not only about wild animals but all the animals, no matter they’re raised domesticated or wild; no matter they’re fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians or mammals; no matter in which part of the world they live; and no matter which species, genus, family, order, class, phylum, kingdom they belong… In essence, they’re all the same.
Nevertheless, people still tend to focus on the minor details only, trying to avoid the core of the problems, burying head in the sand. The reasons behind this may be that people are unable to change, not willing to change, or essentially, not knowing that they can change.
The first two chapters describe a dark journey going downwards;
The third chapter tells a halfway journey indicating a possible better future;
The last two chapters describe the right path that leads to true upgrades.
From feeling lost and helpless in the first chapter to making the same mistake in the second;
From repeating the mistake in the second chapter to realising it in the third;
From realising the mistake in the third chapter to facing the truth and making changes in the fourth;
From making changes in the fourth chapter to upgrading the destiny in the fifth.
The Covid-19 pandemic is yet another deep hole of diseases transmitted from animals to humans. I sincerely hope that this is the last one; if we ever encounter it again, we can walk around it, or simply opt for an alternative path.
Wish we can all start a new chapter of life getting through this challenging time. Wish we can all step towards a brighter and a more civilised path of life.
（本文圖源：公眾號「暖蔬VEGEOLOGY」）