by Cheryl Scott

Created on: September 30, 2009   Last Updated: October 03, 2009

Vegetarianism earns good karma because it is not just a matter of not eating meats, but it tends to be a way of life that is kind and nurturing to all life forces that exist. Vegetarians are conscience of the value of life not only for animals, but human life, plant life, and spiritual well being. Though I am not yet a vegan, I adore the people who are. Gradually, as I spend more and more time with a vegan group I cherish all that they espouse and I am working to change my life accordingly. Karma is generated in all we do, it will either be good or bad. Vegans do it good.

My daughter attends an amazing school called Grassroots. For the first several years I was just a bystander dropping her off and picking her up. Due to financial hardships I had to arrange a work scholarship for her this year. This meant that I need to volunteer on campus at least 10 hours per week. Because I started doing this late in the season I had many hours to make up. A couple of weeks ago I began my work exceeding 20 hours per week. Each hour I spent on the campus of this hippie-like co-op school I began to relax more and more. As I worked in the hot humid climate, with no air conditioning, and watched the friendly staff eat their salads for lunch, I tried some too. I found more and more that I began to crave less food and when I was hungry I wanted a salad or fruit-definitely not meat or heavy pasta. I walked around in nature and sat with the children for hours making crafts and didn't even notice the passing of the time.

Two weeks later I am now finally beginning to understand the incredible ebb and flow of the system of the free learning style. I made spaghetti the other night and immediately decided to save the spaghetti cans so I could recycle them for use in the craft room. It did not even occur to me to throw them out. I am teaching the children how to make wooden games and clay playing pieces from scratch, and learning once again how incredible soothing it is to sit and do art. One of the newer children asked me "why don't you just go out and buy that', I replied "because this is hand crafted". My spirit was going into the gift and it would become a treasured item to the one who received it full of good karma.

There is no hate at Grassroots, a vegan community. There is cooperation and love and caring. Everyone naturally works towards the best interest of the group, not being forced by politics to do so. And when the individuals wish to do things separate and for themselves, it is not only accepted but rewarded with kindness. There is something about the vegan life style that develops good karma throughout the total existence of the individual and place where the individual resides. When a group of people are gathered who all together cherish each other, cherish the earth, and cherish their maker, how can their be bad karma?

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