Book Recommendations and My Week of Veganism

Hola. I grieve my long absence from blogging. I am reading two books right now that I will endorse with whole-heartedness. One I have already referenced, Deep Economy, by Bill McKibben. Number two is The Universe Story, by Briann Swimme and Thomas Berry. A really amazing cosmological narrative that connects humans to the unfolding emergence of the universe, instead of leaving us as disconnected a-historical, anti-ecological, unnatural beings who exist outside of the rest of the universe and it's developments. Really enjoying both, though on a limited basis, because I have been given the opportunity to travel to Jerusalem in a little less than three weeks, and most of my reading has been directed there.

Other news; I felt inspired to venture into Veganism for a week, and see how it felt. I felt great the first three, maybe four days, then I think I started to go downhill. It was harder to sleep (I was becoming what chinese medicine folk call "Yin Deficient"), finally, after a very bad night's sleep followed by a long time of basketball in the heat, my body simply refused to recover. I broke a day early, had some milk and some cow meat. I must say that my body is beginning to restore itself. I enjoyed the venture, and I really did this time with a lot of care and wisdom, and it still did not take. I would have loved for it to, but it is nice to give up meat for a while. This was my first venture into veganism, and I researched to know the supplements I would need and to have proper sources of food nutrients, protein, etc. Alas. I love and admire my friends who are vegans, though some seem less healthy than others. I also have yet to meet a vegan who does not subsist largely on coffee. Something I simply cannot do. I have many reasons that go into this - health (physical and mental/emotional) and finances being primary. Still, with all things, there is not this falsely dualistic choice between carnivorous and vegan. There is a continuum. I seek to ingest animal products that are humanely raised, organically fed, and small farm/locally sourced. These are all very important to me. I also seek to eat mindfully, offering prayers and gratitude for the life that goes into sustaining my own. Perhaps some hardcore vegans/vegetarians don't care a bit if I pray over my dead animal before I eat it, but I do. To me, it means something.

I continue to seek ways that I can live mindfully aware of my interconnections with the world around me. I must not pretend that my actions have no effect. I must also be aware that good intentions are good, but the system we live in necessitates greater depths to our mindfulness practices. I.e. research into the food we eat, the effects of our actions and choices, and response accordingly. Much more to say on this later, as you probably well know by now.

I will encourage my blog followers to look into Thich Nhat Hanh's newest book: The World We Have: Buddhist Approaches to Peace and Ecology. I have not read more than a little bit, but I know his work, and the bit I have read makes me think that this is one of his best books yet, if not his best. Much love and many blessings,

Jonathan.