The Middle Way

I am beginning to understand more "The middle way" the way in which balance is restored.

In my life I have often fought the idea of "following" and I was to believe this independent thinking to be "wrong"

Now I see my inner guidance has always held a balance just for me, and so in turn for others.

There is an extremist in me, a crazed artist type I suppose. The one who thinks this "extreme" may be just the fix! The elixir, the bite of eternal wisdom.

I now realize, there is nothing of this to ever be found, because in any extreme there is imbalance.

 

As I am healing from hashimotos and other medical issues, I have found diet to be extremely important. In fact, there is little else after diet, of course there is life style in general, but diet is at the top. I have been struggling with eating meat for years now. I was born an animal lover and animal activist. This will never change. I have been vegan, vegetarian, and raw vegan. I do believe there is a higher level of awareness for the Earth and animals when one abstains from eating animal products. I myself have experienced this awareness and peace. But I have also experienced a feeling of no life. A death within that only worsens with every day that my body lacks animal protein. And so, I have come to know that I cannot be a vegan of any kind. This is a not a weakness in me. This is a truth I have accepted. In my research and study of raw vegans, I have seen much anger, animosity, and hatred. I am not saying all raw vegans, or all vegans fit this description, but many do. From the outside they seem peaceful and serene, until you express your doubt or your need for animal products. I have heard, seen, and read angry, angry people lashing out at other people because a person stated they may need to eat animals. It is not easy to accept you have to eat an animal. It's heart breaking really to go against what you morally think is wrong. And to admit you could be wrong about being a vegan. That you may have to go back to this practice and way of eating even though it makes you cry inside. So please have mercy on us! We mean no harm. I am writing this because this does not only apply to eating, I am calling on the middle way for everything! I believe we are lost because of our extremes. They are kinds of addictions really. You may think you don't have an addiction. You may think you lead a clean life and so that sets you apart from those who smoke, drink, or take recreational drugs. But extremes are addictions too. They imprison us and they also imprison the ones we love and care about. Because of our interconnectedness, they also imprison strangers. Because when we pass around ideas of extremes in religion, diet, life style, politics, etc., we spread this untruth.

 

I hope we can all find the Middle Way. The balance in life is so beautiful! And the journey to get to the balance in life is even more splendid.