In 1993 at the age of 23 I became a vegetarian; nine months later I was vegan (consuming/wearing no animal products). My decision was purely an ethical one and soundly based on the fact that Western citizens with access to supermarkets have no need whatsoever for flesh/animal products. The Tibetan writing essentially says “Compassion – for all life.”

"Compassion, in which all ethics must take root, can only attain its full breadth and depth if it embraces all living creatures and does not limit itself to mankind." – Albert Schweitzer

I simply could not accept the personal hypocrisy of saying “I love the company of animals” while at the same time so selfishly stuffing them into my stomach. I realized later that humanities hugely unnecessary production and consumption of animals for food was not only unethical but the single greatest cause of preventative Western diseases and more surprisingly the destruction of our planet. Yet this crucial issue of vegetarianism is largely dismissed by “experts” and consumers alike as, “a personal choice.”

“Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as evolution to a vegetarian diet.” – Albert Einstein

As far as our affect on non-humans it is an established fact that human consumption of them for food causes more unnecessary suffering than virtually any other human act. I consider my decision to be become vegan the single best decision of my life and my spiritual growth resulting from it is simply amazing.

Aside from spiritual growth I have quite literally saved my life by not consuming animal foods; my father and his father and indeed 25% of all American men die from heart disease. My previous animal based diet would have been my death sentence as well; I know this beyond a shadow of a doubt from extensive research into the subject (Reversing Heart Disease). Because I consume zero animal fat and cholesterol (only animal foods have cholesterol) I will never have heart disease, instead my arteries are flowing with healthy blood absent of the essential building blocks of arterial encumbrances. So my ethical decision to leave off animal foods means I will continue to enjoy an extremely high quality of life with bounding energy, something most never know. This is perhaps the purest example of physical karma that we can observe.

"I believe all suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their happiness or satisfaction. Yet true happiness comes from a sense of peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved through the cultivation of altruism, of love and compassion, and elimination of ignorance, selfishness, and greed." – Dalai Lama of Tibet

The tattoo necklace below was certainly one of my most provocative. I purposely chose inverted crosses to incite reactions from those offended by my “anti-Christ” symbolism. Such was/is my contempt for the impact of Christianity and indeed all state religions on our world, but the symbols themselves hold no meaning to me.

More important was the commitment this tattoo represented for me; I knew it would force me to create my own path. Any job with IBM or any other multi-national would no longer be an option for me. Fucking brilliant I thought, and I was right, even jobs I would have easily gotten before became impossible for me to obtain.

For lack of income this tattoo, more than any other, caused me to establish my scuba diving business (Deep Ecology Hawaii). This business is now legitimately independently rated the very best in all of Hawaii. I put everything I had into this business; and there was no desirable option really. But as a result of this self-imposed pressure I have created something I am immensely proud of and I would only encourage others to do the same, follow your own path based on what your passion in life dictates. Mine was life in general and the ocean realm in particular, Deep Ecology was a direct result.

Tattoos by Guf - Ace Tattoo, San Diego, California.