Vegetarianism is a challenge for everyone, especially for us Filipinos who are used to eating lots of tasty and rich foods that satisfy both palate and stomach.

As a vegetarian since the age of 17, I knew spiritual aspirants find the practice as both challenging and rewarding. I started to be a vegetarian upon the prodding of a medical doctor who asked me to try it for better meditation. This was difficult because our family would eat together during meals. I learned how to cook my own food the moment I decided to be vegetarian. I also stopped cooking dishes with garlic and onions. I stuck to the practice as I experienced the positive effects of vegetarianism on my meditation and spirituality. More than just being a health fad, vegetarianism became a basic component of my lifestyle. On the first month, my diet was meat-free as I discarded pork, beef, poultry and all meats that I used to eat with my family. Then, I let go of all seafood including shrimps, lobsters, and crabs, which were my favorite. The last to go that turned me full, strict vegetarian were eggs, even though they were easy to cook.

Using the food cycle as one reason for eating other life forms, the meat industry continually raises animals primarily as a source of food, and often times kills them with cruelty. In Buddhism, “compassion to all sentient beings” is emphasized and supports the precept of No Killing. The Sixth Patriarch Huineng, in his deep respect for life, would free animals from their nets after they were caught by the hunters. To have freedom from the cycle of birth and rebirth, one must be free from any motivation of harming and killing. When we value life, not only our own but everyone else’s, then we can truly meditate and appreciate the essence of life.

Beau dela Cruz

Before I came to Ocean Sky, my understanding of different religions, except Catholicism, had only been through text, research, and analysis. Only two months ago was I able to immerse myself in a new religion, that being Zen Buddhism. At first, I thought that Buddhism might be a cult, or even something else. But through Shifus’ instructions and my meditation, I arrived at the conclusion that Buddhism is the search of the “True Mind.”

As for my personal experience, I found myself lost after my honorable discharge from the Philippine Marines, and my abruptly suspending Flying School for a year. I was a recluse during that time, dealing with daily and hourly suffering. I simply became an urban hermit, avoiding social and even family contact. I finally reached out to a hypnotherapist three months ago. I thought maybe I should immerse myself in the promise of liberation through disciplined Buddhist practices. Through the internet, I found Ocean Sky.

Let me share what I learned from the lessons in the monastery. One, Buddhism is both thoughtfulness and thoughtlessness, and thus, is empty. Second, attachment is a cause of suffering. After a long ride in the desert, we must also let our camel go. Third, meditation is not only done by sitting down or walking around clockwise. It is also done in every present thing we do. Whether we breathe, jog, swim, or swing a sword like the samurai or even in anything we do, we can meditate simultaneously. Lastly, one cannot regret or miss the past. This is because we have no control over the past. One cannot also be worried or anxious of the future. This is because we cannot plan for all known and unknown circumstances we will come across. What we can only do is excel, appreciate, focus on, and live in the present.

For all of this help, kindness, and the generosity of knowledge and charity, I thank you dearest Abbess, Shifus, and all those who keep coming to and supporting Ocean Sky. It is with great gratitude and humility that you have already guided me this far.