The way we respond to animals will determine our existence on this planet for 2 main reasons: 1) with our technological capabilities, if we don’t consider all species when making decisions, we’ll continue to take short-sighted, self-serving actions that cause system – and ultimately our own – collapse. Huge decisions have been made by those who act like this planet is only for us. We don’t yet have the spiritual (which includes moral) maturity to do what we are capable of doing. If love for all beings were in the decision-making picture ages ago, we would never have: invented plastic, thought blowing up mountains for coal was a good idea, began the industrialization of breeding and confining animals as a food source (which is driving our environmental destruction more than any other sector) – to name a few; 2) *Inherently, we are a compassionate and feeling species who mostly loves animals, yet – with cultural programming – we pinch this love off for some of them, some of the time. This compartmentalization and segregation is not only unnatural, it’s toxic. We use up energetic and emotional bandwidth to erect – and sustain – a wall in our hearts. Like pinching off blood flow to a limb, we’ve created disharmony for the whole. We’re denying our true north: our hearts.

*How do I know the majority of us love animals? The top rated videos on the internet are of cute or funny animals, medically we see their presence helps patients heal faster, emotionally they’re proven to lift our spirits, and millions of us have them in our families! We’re starting to see states (and some nations!) pass laws that acknowledge the need for protection for some animals. When we’re shown what’s being done to them for the production of food, clothing, medical research or entertainment, most of us will refuse to watch, close our eyes or wince in discomfort. This alone begs our attention! Perpetuating this disconnect denies what we are inherently designed to do: love all beings.

In terms of survival, why are we talking about love for animals and not humans? Animals are ego-free and (for most of us) don’t trigger feelings of competition, grudges or resentments – it’s easier to open our hearts to animals. Human hearts need to open! Many of us in the vegan community report greater capabilities for compassion toward humans as a result of making this love-fueled lifestyle choice. Animals represent vulnerability and innocence. To be kind to them speaks volumes of our hearts capacity to accept, and respond to, vulnerability and innocence in general (this may be what Gandhi meant when he said: The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be measured by the way its animals are treated). We’re seeing more confirmation of our similarities as of late. Science shows they possess the same range of emotions that we do: joy, fear, loneliness, boredom, curiosity, grief. They form friendships, bond with family and community members, and make decisions based on the desire for freedom and joy – just as we do. Forensic and psychological sciences have been saying for ages that if we see a child abusing an animal, we know there’s something “off” and this child needs help, yet we’ve designed – and all financially support – the systemic abuse of billions of animals for personal gain every year. These barbaric practices are intentionally hidden from public view since it would be so disturbing, it would jeopardize profit margins. Probably even shut down industries! Whether it’s for food, clothing, entertainment, biomedical research, or just recreational fun, we’ve incorporated some of the most horrific forms of cruelty into the fabric of our societies.

Let’s talk energetics: by supporting the low-vibration of violence and cruelty against animals with our energy (ie attention and / or dollars), we’re creating more of it! This violence and cruelty will take on different forms in other areas, like crimes and destruction in our human communities and nations. Especially when we’re consuming the byproducts of animals treated like a food source. Being just as emotionally complex as we are, they hold the vibration of fear, pain and neglect as a result of the concentration-camp type conditions they’re living in. Not to mention the inherent violence of being brought into the world just to be used and killed for their bodies. They never experience the compassion they deserve from mistreated employees in profit driven facilities, and the energy of their physical and emotional pain is added to the global mix.

When we open our circle of compassion to include all species, knowing that we won’t benefit biologically, they can’t thank or repay us for our kindness, perhaps we’re even inconvenienced by doing so, we begin to reweave the fabric of our society with the intentions of love. After all, the effects of our choices isn’t so much created by the choice itself, rather what motivated us to do it. When we set a new precedent based on love as our motivation, future decisions will also be born from this space, decreasing the chances that we’re creating problems for ourselves in the future.

I’ll conclude with my favorite quote of all from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who proclaimed that: One day the absurdity of the almost universal human belief in the slavery of other animals will be palpable. We shall then have discovered our souls and become worthier of sharing this planet with them.