INSPIRATION

I am thankful to become a vegetarian

I became a vegetarian when I was 31 years old after I started reading Buddhism’s Heart Sutra in mid-2017. It felt so disrespectful to recite sutras when my breath ‘smelled of killing’.

It was the best decision that I had ever made, something that I wished to have started much earlier. After becoming a vegetarian, I felt a drastic change in my thoughts, behaviour and lifestyle. I become more patient, less moody and less cluttered (because my eating choices are much simpler). Thankfully, there are many good vegetarian restaurants to choose from in my residential area. After some time, I even find joy in preparing my own food. My spending is even lesser now without buying meat or seafood.

My most memorable vegetarian experience was when I was in Japan for two weeks on a business trip in the year 2019. It was my first time in Japan and I was worried about not being able to find vegetarian food. Thankfully, with the help from my local friends and my Japanese agents, I managed to savour good, unique vegetarian and vegan food throughout my stay and while in flight. This experience assured me that it is possible to find vegetarian food anywhere, even in countries that are famous for their meat and seafood eating habit.

 

Since I am married, people would always question if my family has a problem with my diet. Thankfully, my husband is also a vegetarian, and he even started a few months earlier than me. It was initially a mark of respect for his deceased grandmother, which soon turned into a lifelong passion and commitment. 

Nowadays, when we talk about a meatless diet, many stylish vegetarian foods come into the picture. I do hope that with this trend, more people will be attracted to try vegetarian food. My only wish is that the price can be lower than similar meat items.