Moores Musings

Moore's Musings

The following are the writings of Thomas Moore, an esoteric scholar and Theosophist whom we
are fortunate to call friend. We find the information he presents, and his opinions, both
interesting and thought-provoking. Enjoy....

VEGETARIANISM: BACKGROUND AND COMMENTS

There are three general categories of reasons for considering a vegetarian diet: SPIRITUAL
OR RELIGIOUS, ECOLOGICAL, & HEALTH. I aim at only a rough introduction in this Musing.

HEALTH

There are many diet plans and many fads. Some are based on scientific studies, some learned
from experience. Some may not be based on anything except someone's desire to make
money.

One observation supported by studies, which does not directly support vegetarianism, but
rather reduced intake of meat. It has been noted generally the better health of Oriental people,
whose cooking include more vegetarian items, but more importantly less meat- just little pieces
of meat in vegetables. (Not to be confused with the popular Oriental Buffets in the USA, which
certainly feature more meat.) Although these type recipes may have resulted from the poverty
of so many Oriental people rather than for health reasons. Some 50 years ago studies
revealed that the human digestion cannot absorb more than 5 ounces of protein at a time.
When a person eats a meal with more protein (like a larger steak), the surplus just goes
through the large intestines and rots along the way creating toxins. The same is true for
overeating anything. The small intestine can only absorb so much at one time.

Recently there have been news regularly of food poisoning one place or another from poorly
cooked meat that is contaminated. Meat packaging in slaughter houses is notorious for the lack
of cleanliness.

Our ancestors for maybe 5 million years have been meat eaters. Our bodies are adapted to
meat eating as well as grain and vegetables. The taste for meat is natural for us. No one says it
will be easy to change ones tastes. It took me about 6 months to stop craving the country ribs
that I enjoyed, once I decided to draw the line. One can begin to cook and enjoy vegetarian
foods before giving up meat entirely so the transition to a meatless diet is smoother.

More and more people today are becoming health conscious by reducing or eliminating meat in
their diet.

ECOLOGICAL

Depending on the environment, it generally takes 4 times as much land to raise beef protein as
an equivalent amount of soy protein. This is true whether the cattle roam the land or are
corralled and land is used to raise hay, corn, and other cattle food. There are places that are
very dry and no irrigation, where grazing animals over very large areas are only option.

The early immigrants to the Americas during the end of the last Ice Age, needed to hunt and
eat meat. There weren't any alternatives. Some that stayed in the far North became in part
fishermen. Descendants of the second wave, collectively known as Clovis Man, pushed south
becoming the ancestors of the Great Plains American Indian, Central and South America
natives. They succeeded in exterminating many of North America's large mammals, including
the Mammoth, Giant Sloth, Pigmy Rhinoceros, Saber Tooth Tiger and several varieties of
native horses. 19th Century fur and sports hunters almost exterminated the buffalo. (Don't get
me started on Sports Hunters!!!)

Currently, the chopping down of forests, not only for wood, but to create farm land for both
farms and for livestock, as well as housing developments, is destroying the habitat of many
more native species. Ironic that much already established farm land is disappearing for housing
development. (This is also one of the reasons we need to import much food now).
Well, there are many interrelating issues involved, but the inefficiency of cattle raising, and to
lesser extent hog raising are economic and ecological factors in our overpopulated country and
world. Similar concerns are being expressed for the ocean's health and the dwindling supply of
ocean produce.

SPIRITUAL

The background for Spiritual concerns has several different sources. One is the Jain, Hindu
and Buddhist realization that all life is connected. The principal of Ahimsa (Harmlessness) is
extremely important.

All Mammals, including man, have essentially the same Old Brain. The Old Brain, that is the
central part, is involved with Emotions, Feelings, Instinct. Other Mammals have the same
feelings as humans, often simpler due to a lack of as much Cortex as humans. But Mammals
feel pain, rejection, fear, as well as Love, etc. I consider eating Mammal meat only one step
away from Cannibalism. People who have visited slaughter houses have noted the terror of the
cattle as they are trapped in the entrance shoot to the slaughter area. A Spiritually sensitive
person cannot ignore the feelings of other mammals.

The Theosophists do not require any particular practice of members. However they say that as
one learns and ones sensitivity opens, one changes one's habits, including diet. I was a strict
vegetarian for 5 years. I felt good. I back slid during the years of bad marriage and stressful
job. Then I felt I needed to draw the line somewhere and so now I do not eat mammal
meat-pork or beef (well, except a rare egg McMuffin, or if a guest and it is more polite just to
eat what is put in front of me than make an issue).

A person's Spiritual practices, including diet, and ones consciousness is a circular thing. As
one learns more, one wants to practice more. But as one practices more, one becomes more
aware. If one is not now a vegetarian, try making some substitutions. Try giving up one thing at
a time with substitutions. Learn to cook vegetarian. Most Americans have become too lazy.
They want fast food, and easy to prepare. They are over concerned with convenience. Well,
laziness is not a spiritual virtue. Anyway, once one learns techniques, cooking vegetarian is not
that much more time consuming.

One concept that has come through the old hippie channels, probably from Yoga and the East,
is the idea of Necessity. One does what one needs to do to survive, or in the West basic
comfort and security. One does not grasp for more. Living simply is a virtue. Well, it has been
in Christian history also and still is in certain communities. In most cases today, one does not
need to eat meat. There are plenty of alternatives.

RECIPE

TVP (Textured Vegetable protein) is sold in some stores. There are also Morningstar and Boga
brand vegetarian alternatives. I like the dried bulk TVP when I can find it because it is cheaper.
One can add soy sauce or Worstershire sauce, a little oil, and saute with chopped onion and
garlic, or use instead of ground beef in recipes.

I made the bean substitute as follows: put several varieties of dried beans in water to soak
overnight. Add a little apple vinegar. Use about 2x water as beans. After beans soak until
absorb enough water, add sufficient more water for cooking. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to
warm, same as cooking rice, except longer. Let cool to some extent and put beans in blender.
Add some chopped carrots and celery and some spices to blender. Also can add peppers to
suit. Add vinegar and water sufficient to blend. I like using excess vinegar from olive jar. This
bean-carrot-celery mash can be used as substitute for ground beef in the lasagna, or fried as
refried beans, or used in pasta sauce... Use of dried beans is very economical. Especially
when you consider that after soaking you have 3 times the amount.

Any opinions or comments you may wish to make regarding Thomas' writings, you may send by email to us
at: thelightedpath@aol.com.