The Stage at the end of The Gallery
If you visit this gallery you'll see some mighty proud achievements of human beings. They show how ideas can expand to become almost like new life forms, perhaps not as magnificent as Nature's but nonetheless worthy of remembering. There have been so many discoveries, philosophies and artworks that have given our lives meaning and guidance. Humans are engaged, like the gods, in the very business of creation and the appreciation of creative works.
Human creators have come up with some great theories. In time they've been implemented, they've made it to centre stage, then, as time moves on, been superseded; vegetarianism started out as "an impossibility" but eventually it spread to ordinary lives and inspired people to great new attitudes towards food and health and the non-human species. Vegetarians seemed to live longer, get ill less often, and they took business away from the abattoir. Eventually along came another idea which was even more profoundly compassion-based and health-based - the wholly plant-based diet that encompassed a lifestyle and philosophy all rolled into one.
But when this idea was starting out another was taking root at the same time: "fast living" a thirst for improved efficiency and time saving. Ideals were passé, there was only time for compromise and fitting in as best one could. Although vegetarianism had now been superceded by veganism it was still modern enough and moderate enough to settle with; quite healthy as a diet (compared to the traditional carnivorous diet), fairly ethical and almost environmentally friendly. Progress into veganism was thought too difficult and too idealistic.
Imagine then what a disappointment it was, when the clarity and nobility of the idea of avoiding all animal products was ignored by most thinking educated people. The waves of that shock have hit all long-time vegans and they continue to stun each successive generation of vegans who set out with such high hopes. The lesson is that the pace of change in human attitude is slow, hence the outrage at the burgeoning belief that compromise towards animals is somehow acceptable.
So veganism, with all its ethical excellence, environmental potential and possibility to solve world hunger, becomes sabotaged by a compromised, half-healthy, half-ethical, food-centred philosophy. And that's the reality and that's the sadness of it all. Vegetarianism is seen as something that stretches most of us as far as we can handle in this hectic world. Something has to give somewhere - the animals: half of them are saved the other half sacrificed, much of the planet's ecosystems protected whilst a lot of forest lands are turned into pasture, starving kids fed milk which is better than starvation. It makes sense but dull sense. It doesn't inspire the future.
How then can vegans convince the world that a plant-based diet can solve so many major problems when they are perceived as unrealistic? But then perhaps this whole matter has got to go beyond vegans trying to convince non-vegans that they're wrong. Perhaps we first need to be at peace with our philosophy. Endow it with real faith. Get close to others who aren't vegan and ease up on the judgment of a world that doesn't yet see the possibility of a humane future.
Once a mature body of vegans has achieved real stability within themselves, (and that may take longer than we'd like), then the idea will catch on. No need for it to be entered into the gallery of achievements because the vegan principle has the capacity to stay centre stage. With this level of altruistic breakthrough it represents a sort of "Paradise Found" - a vegan world becomes the whole stage at the end of the gallery, where an entirely new life-form is created by enlightened humanity.
David Horton 1-4-2003.
Vegan Wise Publications
Email: David Horton
Tel. (02) 9356 4752
63/2 Ithaca Road
Elizabeth Bay NSW 2011
Australia
