CONCEIVING
When permaculture expresses its approach to sustainable living through care of humans, the earth and a fair share, vegaculture expands the vision and scope by further identifying our need to focus more directly on the welfare of all animals, by promoting the care of humans and other animals, the earth and fair share.
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished”—Lao Tzu
DESCRIPTION
Vegaculture is descriptive of the vegan journey, the application of veganism in daily life, it may be taken as a short form of Vegan-Culture or a contraction of Veganism and Permaculture; the term may be used as an adjunct or alternative to veganism, as a type of veganic-gardening or to describe a social movement, for it is intended to be a place of reference, a fluid framework for a social setting where change and growth occur harmoniously, with compassion, health and awareness for the earth and all its creatures, and with a common respect for each other in a global setting.
While culture is built from the transmission of accumulated knowledge, as a collective memory of human presence, our social interaction is a means of sharing this knowledge and developing harmonious communities. Social movements that could be included in the realm of influence of a Vegaculture would include veganism, humanism, animal rights, permaculture, environmental justice, non-violent action, slow-food, spiritual ecology, co-operative and sustainable living among others; all of these have a common theme, their relationship to care of people, animals, plants, the earth and the environment.
Vegaculture can act as a pointer to improve holistic outcomes in the social and cultural progression to a happier world; as a resolution of intent and good faith that can overcome the boundaries and pretexts of conventional habits, by recognising one’s self in all things, and performing our highest good.
Vegaculture can also be practiced as an affirmative pathway to sustainable living in much the same way as permaculture, supporting thoughtful applications in daily living, by adopting a diverse range of designated priorities as a means of promoting and expressing the value of holistic benefits, in keeping with the fullest realisation of the breadth and depth of human endeavour.
The value of vegaculture is not in point scoring of one system versus another, but as a place of connection for improving outcomes with respect and sincerity in the adoption and growth of a universal humanism, including both spiritual and secular humanism. Vegaculture offers a context for compassion to be present and if we recognise the essential nature of consciousness as a whole, the oneness is alive and operating in a non-judgemental way, through every living form.
As a conceptual narrative, vegaculture is a simple form of self-expression, to communicate a variety of resonant insights and ideas from my own journey that form elements for a coherent structure, not as a belief system, but as useful tools for guiding and understanding this life experience. Content has been selected to provide a balanced text, with references for detail, and I invite your interpretation in both a relative and transcendent form. I trust the fabric and content is accessible to a casual reader, and when necessary, supportive and adequate for your own reflection, growth and change.
Vegaculture can act as a receptacle for a range of practices and principles to coalesce, to recognise the diversity and content of the history of vegan thought and action, to record and provide access to the substance of vegan endeavour, and to demonstrate the tremendous value implicit in the vegan message and vegan way. Recognition of our cultural heritage supports and reaffirms one’s own relationship to a unique set of values, and provides a space for contemplation and understanding, a useful tool for informing decision- makers of the value and potential of our actions.
We give value to vegaculture depending on our intention, and so it has multiple expressions as many influences converge in its derivation, these include inspiration for compassionate living, veganism, permaculture and social responsibility. As a vegan, it offers provision for cultural outcomes afforded by change and personal growth, which stem from kindness and compassion for animals and sentient beings, and manifest so as to foster the common good. Vegaculture is active in growing community and building awareness with traditional roots in compassionate living; and an interest in refinement and sophistication of technologies, and gains experience through the practice of living together in a complementary manner within the milieu of diverse cultural and social conditioning.
Our way of life influences the quality of the lives of others; the adoption of a vegan ethic is a powerful expression of the path of peace in the web of life, and is fundamental to a vegaculture. It is a place of congruence for movements in compassionate living, providing an easily identified and accessible lifestyle, for all those who choose to tread, irrespective of class, creed, colour, race, clan and culture.
The health advantages of a healthy vegan diet are scientifically documented and widely circulated, the vegan way being practiced daily by millions of people around the world. Research into the over consumption of food and inappropriate food choices, is in favour of a move toward a vegan eating regime, which is attracting serious support, as more sections of the health fraternity, community and government re-evaluate their own nutritional advice to citizens.
History
“Meet in beingness and communicate in intelligence”—Amoda Maa
Opportunities for living on the land, close to natural systems, began to diminish in the late 18th and early 19th centuries with the arrival and rapid growth of a new era of industrialisation. Whereas small populations lived in relative harmony with care of resources; the growth of wealth and movement of human population leading to larger cities placed new burdens on the food supply chain, consequently, previously balanced eco-food systems were rendered less adequate.
Separation of spade and blade continues today with the increase in globalisation of food supplies, and this is but one example of many social systems, which have developed in parallel at unsustainable rates of growth. Projections for a stable economic future show the means to wealth in the old paradigm to be inadequate to provide the means of wealth and supply in a sustainable new world. This notion precipitates the necessity to introduce modern living concepts, one of which is to adopt a vegan dietary.
Vegaculture is about connecting to the meaning of life, by expanding the historical interpretation and cultural base; exposing the taboo of silent neglect for voiceless creatures, and recognising the significance of animal welfare and rights. This neglect of animal consciousness raises an ethical and moral dilemna; the disregard and denial of rights has long been tolerated as a cultural norm, but since being challenged, the denial can be recognised as either plain ignorance, selfishness and submission to base preference or taste, or a state of dispassion.
Vegaculture contends the action of exploiting animals for food and other purposes is no longer necessary; while reliance on animals for food has been integral with development of tribal and social traditions in most cultures, often claimed to spring from necessity for survival and food security, its unnecessary continuation can also be considered as a perverse form of speciesism, with a lack of respect for the inter-connectedness of all life. A voice of reason from a place of empathy and higher awareness has always existed, and its expression through a compassionate way of living is powerful, becoming much more visible and widely dispersed.
When permaculture expresses its approach to sustainable living through care of humans, the earth and a fair share, vegaculture expands the vision and scope by further identifying our need to focus more directly on the welfare of all animals, by promoting the care of humans and other animals, the earth and fair share. The voice for those who cannot speak for themselves is finally included at the helm of our social obligations and support for modern holistic sustainable communities.
Practice
“Self-actualization is possible only as a side-effect of self-transcendence”— Viktor Frankl
The practice of vegaculture is a collection of actions or offerings independent of moralising and doctrine and is representative of the movement and expression of compassionate aims and objectives in all domains; its application is therefore universal, extending beyond prescriptions for living and the confines of relative dogma. Intent is involved, however the flavour of the vegaculture palate does not spring from prescription, it flows from the results of the expression of universal human values in the quest for harmonious living.
Vegaculture promotes a Vegan philosophy, which may be simply stated as ‘choosing to live an ethical lifestyle for the benefits of humans, animals and the environment, and adopting an animal-free diet’. The identification as a culture supposes a structure and content, and in vegaculture this is formed by the collection of personal, social and cultural outcomes emanating from an egalitarian vegan philosophy and activity.
Currently the extent of the vegan footprint remains only partially detected in history, as framing of the attributes has not been fully undertaken. The Jain philosophy is a traditional Indian philosophy that promotes the concept of non-harm or AHIMSA, where there is avoidance of harm to plants, animals and the environments, and three jewels are offered, these being right perception and faith, right knowledge and right conduct.
As we open to our true nature, to the inherent values of our human beingness, we can expect that right actions will naturally flow, but rather than make a judgement of right and wrong, we can express our intent in a few simple statements to reflect the jewels in vegaculture, you may add more if you wish.
Valued perception
Valued perception leads to valued knowledge when the decisions we make are selected in accordance with our own truth, both the quality and the effectiveness of our actions are thereby increased, and hence the provision of better outcomes for everyone. Vegaculture can assist us with identifying our personal truth, to grow as people benefitting a representative community; one that reflects the essential aspects and values we foster as caring citizens. By carefully considering the consequences of our actions, the rights and welfare of all living creatures may be more justly manifested.
Valued knowledge
Valued knowledge leads to valued conduct and vegaculture as a system of values recognises the relationships between food, clothing, energy and shelter, with the rights and welfare of people, animals and the earth. Promotion of respect for all life, and a belief in doing one’s best, are considered central tenets. The application of ‘valued knowledge’, wisdom and acts of compassion in decision-making is believed to lead to the adoption of an equitable and just community for all beings; broadening the potential for holistic sustainable living.
Vegaculture identifies and utilises the practice of being ‘vegan aware’ at every opportunity; this essential ingredient may only be glimpsed initially but quickly develops with thoughtful consideration and the application of kindness in daily life. The process of refining vegan awareness expands with use; bringing one’s focused attention to bear does not need to be a dramatic upheaval in one’s normal activities, nor does it require the adoption of any other authority or dogma, and is a natural inclination for our minds functioning as we transform and refine our values to reflect the vegan way.
Valued conduct
Valued knowledge leads to thoughts that give rise to valued conduct; acting with principle is necessary when awareness is awakened. The experience is in the action not just the thought and saying a prayer may not absolve our indifference to action. Increasing our awareness of the plight of other animals, questioning old beliefs and habits, developing empathy and viewing our own and other’s actions from different perspectives, are straightforward, simple means for improved living conditions. Social and cultural benefits arise as we practice vegaculture, vegan awareness prompts compassion and gradually extends into previous barren areas of the dominant social order.
Vegaculture is congruent with freedom and sharing, of respectful living and peaceful co-operation, and may be practiced in any location, and is readily incorporated into a sharing community environment wherever we call home. There is always an opportunity to be involved in worthwhile service and activity, to find harmony and to enjoy simple pleasures in our attention to daily interaction. We can also introduce a broader awareness of the ramifications of individual choice and action, celebrate harmony and diversity, introduce life-enhancing solutions, seek justice in relationships and let go of fear and embrace happiness through self-reflection.
Vegaculture in the garden incorporates a willingness to utilise techniques where the principal methods of production do not rely on the use of animal inputs. Growing our own produce is satisfying, and potted plants and herbs can still be managed in an inner city apartment, while the urban home plot can be very productive. For those hankering to play seriously with veganic gardening and forest gardens, then a community garden with fellow workers or a rural setting might be more appealing.
The vegan garden will include a transition from present methods towards complementary crop planting for insect control; green food and plant manuring for composting and mulch, and retention of on-site nutrient for soil improvement; water and waste recycling, while herb and plant based sprays are to be encouraged. A wealth of experience and application of these and other stock-free practices already exists globally within both the organic sector, which includes a small vegan-organic or ‘veganic’ agricultural contingent, and the extensive modern or conventional farming sector.
Vegaculture on the farm recognises the need to move toward non-exploitative practices, and change from animal to plant-based food production. Presently, market forces rather than legislation dictate the direction and rate of change. The movement away from the current paradigm of animal exploitation presents a great challenge within our community, obviously requiring the provision of viable alternatives for food production and affected farmers. Farmer lobbying is needed, however support for organic gardening is already strong and often a preferred consumer choice; vegan-organic agriculture has similar potential, especially as the broader approach to sustainable methods becomes more widely understood and publicly accepted.
Practice in co-operative negotiations and decision-making recognises value in both current and traditional social and cultural influences. Purpose has numerous manifestations and by adopting the notion of freedom we can follow our own path, letting go of habits and making appropriate choices; we improve with practice and build maturity, harmonising the search for adequate expressions of our higher self.