"Eating for the YouTube generation" cooks up an alternative

By Bree Alten
New Thought News Service


Consume the facts, and meat becomes pretty unpalatable.
Fact: 17 percent of greenhouse gases are created by livestock; all the vehicles in the world only produce 13 percent of the greenhouse gases.
Fact: 75 percent of all antibiotics produced in the United States are consumed by the animals we eat.
These were among the distasteful tidbits offered up as part of "Compassionate Eating for the YouTube Generation," a talk that made a compelling argument for a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle.
Heng Sure, the Buddhist monk leading the lecture, sparked a powerful reaction among participants and gave 12 arguments for a vegetarian lifestyle, including ethical, health and environmental concerns.
"How much is enough?" was the first question he posed. Sure went on to talk about the emotional, social, political and cultural reasons that people don't want to look at their diets, and why they resist change.
"No one wants to say mom was wrong," he said. "But mom might not have had all the facts."
Given the facts, the question was obvious.
"What should we do about this?" one audience member asked.
Education was Heng's answer. He urged audience members to educate themselves. Among his recommendations: Jonathan Foer's "Eating Animals," Rip Esselstyn's "The Engine 2 Diet," John Robbins' "May All be Fed" and vegsource.com.
Along with education, Sure provided inspiration, in the form of song lyrics: "May all be fed, may all things flourish, may all awaken. Bodhi Svaha."

Life in the newsroom

At right, reporter Olivia Ware 
interviews Tibetan monk 
Khentrul Rinpoche. Middle,
the staff gets organized at 
a morning news meeting. 
At bottom, the news crew 
hustles to meet deadline. 

Agape sounds a sacred note at Parliament concert

By Alexis Yancey Jaami

New Thought News Service

Wow! I sang on stage with the Agape International Choir! Twice!

Actually, it was 20 members of the choir led by Rickie Byars Beckwith, who invited New Thought delegates to be part of the group for the Parliament’s Sacred Music Concert on Sunday.

The program also featured the Tibetan Gyuto monks, Muslim singer-songwriter Zain Bhikha and a whirling prayer delivered by the Naqsbandi Sufi Order of “whirling dervishes.”

About 50 of us, including members of the news team, sang “Use Me,” “We Let the Love Wash Over Us,” “I Release and I Let Go” and other New Thought songs. What an experience, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Before the performance, we rehearsed, each singing our part, soprano, alto, tenor and bass. For the show we dressed gloriously, a rainbow of glowing hues. And at the conclusion of the music, we applauded ourselves as the audience applauded us.
Madalyn Wade, a staff minister with the Sierra Center for Spiritual Living in Nevada City, Calif., was another New Thought delegate who volunteered to take part in the Agape performance.
"It was a little scary and a little bit intimidating, but the rush of being onstage was incredible," she said. "And the choir members were so supportive."

It was an amazing experience, to stand on a stage in front of thousands of people and to see them rise to their feet to clap and sing along. It was their gift to us in response to our gift to them, proof of the law of circulation. New Thought rocks the house. And so it is!

A few of our favorite things ...

New Thought News Service


Random acts of kindness. Spontaneous sharing, of ideas, food and cultural treasures. Prayers, smiles and blessings.
Members of our news team have experienced all of this and more during the past week at the Parliament of the World's Religions.
Here are a few of the elements we've most enjoyed about taking part:

Reporter Katie Dutcher receives a blessing

and mantra from a Hindu holy woman.

• Hearing Jeremy Donovan and others play the didgeridoo.
• Seeing the dozens of colorful and varied traditional dress styles worn by delegates.
• Taking part in the many daily kindnesses and graces displayed by participants.
• Sitting in on brilliant musical performances.
• Snacking on Tim Tams!
• Experiencing all of the openness and willingness to learn about others' perspectives.
• Getting a chance to meet royalty.             
• Eating a wide variety of world cuisines.
• Learning about a range of diverse cultures.
• Connecting closely with each other.
• People-watching.
• Coming to Australia!