Wasatchveg

During a break at school I leapt from my seat and headed out the door for some dinner.  Driving up the road and glancing in the rear-view-mirror now and again.  There was my professor on a Harley motorcycle just behind me, his long blonde hair whipping in the wind.  I pulled into a parking lot and he followed.  Park my car, grab my wallet, and it turns out that this long-haired Harley riding professor is going to the same restaurant as I am.  Stepping off his bike, it’s obvious he’s well over six feet tall and built like an NFL linebacker.  Taking a better look at his bike, yeah, it’s a Harley and, yeah, he has a yoga mat tied to the back of it with a red bandana.

“I haven’t been here in like six years.  What do you get?” I asked.

“Can’t go wrong with a Cafe Rio salad,” he replied as he ordered. “No meat please.”  Hmmm this guy who looks like he can lift his Harley above his head is ordering a salad for dinner, hold the carne.

“Yeah I’ll have the same as him.”

Turns out my professor, Marty Mendenhall, Ph.D., LPC, is a longtime vegetarian.  Not only that but Marty completed his doctoral program at Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center in San Francisco specializing in spirituality and consciousness. He also completed a two-year post-graduate certificate program in Socially Engaged Spirituality at Saybrook. He has been employed by the Utah State Department of Juvenile Justice Services for twenty-two years working to incorporate and nourish the spiritual roots of restorative justice in the programs that he directs. Marty is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Phoenix and provides mental health services for children who have been removed from home due to abuse and neglect. He owns and operates Mendenhall Martial Arts and Holistic Health Center in Pleasant View, Utah, where he advocates the harmonious development of mind, body, and spirit. He is a former Utah State Bodybuilding Champion and is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Certified Personal Trainer.

I asked him a few questions.  The interview goes as follows:

WasatchVeg (WV) When did you decide to be vegetarian?

Marty Mendenhall (MM) Approximately 20 years ago.

(WV) What led you to choose to live on a plant-based diet?

(MM) There are a number of factors but I choose to live on a plant-based diet primarily for spiritual reasons. I was born with a peaceful compassionate temperament and a sensitivity toward and affinity for nature. I also entered mortality with a profound curiosity regarding the meaning of existence and the possibility of continuation of consciousness beyond the death of the physical body, which naturally led to questions about how one should conduct oneself during mortality. Searching for wisdom on the preceding topics led to a burning interest in the world’s wisdom traditions. As I explored the religious scriptures of the world I found most suggest that votaries avoid the consumption of animal flesh. I remember being particularly inspired by the doctrine of ahimsa as enunciated in the Vedas. As you might know the practice of ahimsa is simply the practice of non-harming. In the Vedic tradition it takes on a more expansive meaning to include having no ill feeling for any living being. Later Pali manuscripts posit that ahimsa be accompanied by camaraderie, freedom from anger, and aversion to ill will. It further requires that one not utter words that are either harsh or hurting. By this definition ahimsa includes subtle as well as overt forms of non-violence. The Buddhist Mahaparinirvana Sutra says, “The eating of meat extinguishes the seed of great compassion.” Buddhism is built on wisdom and compassion. Out of compassion flows wisdom and out of wisdom flows compassion. In my opinion Buddha dharma can have profound social, ethical, philosophical and religious implications therefore it is important to me to contribute in some small way.

(WV) How do you feel about the decision you’ve made (physically, emotionally, spiritually)?

(MM) My decision to abstain from eating animal flesh is the right one for me. I feel better physically. I live an especially physically active life. Physical activity has been a form of meditation and refuge for me over the course of my life. It is not uncommon for me to be engaged in some form of exercise or intense physical activity for several hours a day. I require fuel that can sustain long hours of physical activity. My body functions most efficiently when the bulk of my caloric intake consists of complex carbohydrates i.e., fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans lentils, and rice.

While it’s true that I draw energy from my thoughts, feelings, and consciousness to fuel the functions of my body, I also recognize that I need energy from the nutrients in the food I eat. It has become apparent to me that my mental, spiritual, and emotional processes depend on having a healthy physical body. A vegetarian diet affords me the best opportunity to maintain a healthy physical body and a vibrant lifestyle.

The concept of the affects of emotions and stress on health are not new; the relationship between the physical and psychosocial well-being has existed throughout history and across cultures. Hippocrates taught that curing a patient required a knowledge of the “whole of things,” of mind as well as body. Emotions and physical health are interconnected as are all things. When my physical body is healthy and I am true to my own personal moral and ethical code, my emotions are balanced. Meditation is the foundation of my emotional stability. In Buddhist practice it is taught that if one does not practice the five precepts: The practice of non-harming, the practice of not taking that which is not freely given, the practice of abstaining from harmful speech, the practice of abstaining from intoxicants, and the practice of abstaining from sexual misconduct, it is not likely that one may uncover any penetrating truths during meditation. Meditation is a foundational practice in my life; therefore, any method that helps me to practice in a more skillful way I am willing to do.

From a spiritual perspective it is important for me to live in such a way that creates and nourishes an inner environment that is conducive to accessing the Ultimate Ground of Being. If my physical body is healthy and my mind is not distracted by afflictive emotions the energy of Life can flow through me for the benefit of others.

(WV) Is your decision to be vegetarian connected with any other lifestyle choice(s)?  In what way?

(MM)Yes, as I have already indicated I believe in the interconnectedness of all things. I am concerned for the welfare of all beings that inhabit this planet and the planet itself. My lifestyle and the decisions I make in my life are founded on the principles of peace, loving-kindness, wisdom, compassion, joyfulness, generosity, forgiveness, patience, and diligence.

(WV) Have the people close to you been supportive of this decision?  Concerned about this decision?  Antagonistic?  Irritated?  etc.

(MM) The people I choose to surround myself with are supportive. As a means of diffusing possible arguments concerning the “rightness or wrongness” of eating a primarily plant based diet I sometimes mention that I do not believe human beings are suited for meat consumption. Examining the animal kingdom one observes that vegetarian animals do not have claws whereas carnivores do. Vegetarian animals perspire through the skin whereas carnivores perspire through the tongue. Vegetarians do not have large front teeth, but have molars for grinding food. Vegetarian animals have intestines that are ten to twelve times the length of their bodies whereas carnivores have intestines that are only three times the length of their bodies. Carnivores have strong stomach acids to digest meat whereas vegetarian animals have weaker acids. These comparisons inform me that as a human animal I am not suited for the consumption of meat; therefore I choose to include only plant-based foods in my diet.

To be continued…