I was thinking about how little we actually need, and how much more shopping people actually are trained to enjoy through advertising and media brainwashing. As a child I remember too many movies, television shows, with the idiot box on all day and evening at varied intervels, and what we were learning as children was, to buy, to shop, to desire and want more things, especially ‘omnivore items’. Little or no moral education was there with crime, romance and silly songs or stories always fed into the head that have been manifesting outwards in our ‘reality show’ simulation. We were not introduced to what life actually is about, a balanced life where we live alongside others of all species as equals in respect of the right to live, with dignity and respect to all and no harm as far as possible. We are not told that we are trapped or lost in a simulation, controlled and unable to escape. We have no mind power or psychic gifts or any avenue of discovering our true home. We are taught to earn and buy to survive. With dairy milk spoiling every tasty treat, biscuit, chocolate, cake – we have not many options in vegan aisles but shopping less is actually a good thing if you decide upon spiritual awakening. A mindlul shopping list would probably be of fruits and fruit like vegetables in majority so that until we have time to contemplate, meditate and find a way back home, we engage less in the outer world.
MAIN FOOD – FRUGIVORE
There is an awesome variety of fruits that are plain fruits or vegetables to choose from, forage or cultivate.
- Cucumber
- Tomatoes
- Brinjals, aubergines, eggplants
- Pumpkins
- Squashes
- Okra, ladyfingers
- Green runner beans
- French beans
- Broad beans
- Bottle guard, calabash, lauki
- Bitter guard, bitter melon, karela
- Snake gourd, chichinda
- Pointed gourd – parwal
- Apple guard, tinda
- Ridge gourd, sponge guard loofa, torai
- Corn cobs
- Jackfruit
- Olives
- Avocado
- Peas
- Zuccini, courgettes
Sweet Fruits
- Apples
- Bananas
- Nectarines, peaches
- Plums
- Gooseberries
- Oranges, clementine, tangerine, satsuma
- Pears
- Melon
- Watermelons
- Persimmons
- Pomegranates
- Mangoes
- Pineapples
- Kiwi
- Sapodila, chikoo
- Grapes
- Raspberries
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Mulberries
- Blackberries
Soap fruits, soapnuts and soapberries or soap weeds for washing (all purpose)
Natural plant based compost and mulch of fruit peels, fallen leaves, bark and straw (for growing).
Rainwater collection and harvesting, and compost toilets, else use of minimal water supply and sewerage.
Clothing developed and handmade with natural fibre of leaves and bark or second hand clothes from charity.
Cob or natural housing without deforestation if one has an option of leaving the system, else small home.
You do not need refrigeration or electicity either if living fresh and raw in suitable environment or use vegan electicity minimally with not many white goods.
Careers as healers, meditators, psychics instead of a long list of materialism based professions.
From here on we might actually need little else, but not everyone lives freely and most people still go shopping and live in conventional systems. As per market or consumer demand for those who want to add more items you do have a lot more if you want more nutrition and conveniences to purchase or grow more things minimally such as:
Leaves and shoots if need be
- Kale
- Spinach
- Chard
- Cauliflower
- Brocolli
- Romanesco
- Cabbage
- Pakchoi
- Celery
- Rhubarb
- Asparagus
- Globe artichoke
Legumes as per necessity
- Kidney beans
- Black eyed beans
- Chickpeas gram
- Lentils – red, brown, yellow, green, black
Raw Desserts and rich snacks if needed
- Dates
- Raisins, sultanas
- Nuts – walnuts, almonds, cashews, peanut, macadamia,brazil, hazel, pecan, peanuts
- Coconut
- Dry fruits – prunes, mixed
- Cherries
- Cacoa
- Cranberries
- Currants
- Maple, date or coconut sap
- Sesame
Grains, seeds as per availability if necessary
- Rice
- Oats
- Quinoa
- Chia
- Flax
- Pearl millet, bajra
- Finger millet, nachni
- Amaranth
As per need or availability:
Cane and rattan furniture
Cotton, jute, yucca and hemp fibre
Terracotta, clay art
Natural unmined stones
Herbs and Seasonings
- Tamarind
- Black pepper
- Cinnamon
- Fennel, saunf
- Mustard
- Cumin, jeera
- Carom seeds, ajwain
- Dill leaves, soa
- Sage
- Coriander, dhania
- Mint, pudina
- Basil, tulsi
Tisanes
- Lavender
- Chamomile
- Lemon
- Peppermint
- Lemongrass
- Hibiscus
- Rose
- Matcha
- Lime
- Nettles
MINIMALLY
Mushroom, edible fungi – chestnut, portabello, button, closed cup, porcini, oriental – shiitake, oyster, enoki
Preserves and jams
Gluten – Wheat, Rye, Barley, Spelt
Processed foods
Soy
Bamboo paper
Found stones
Vegan soaps
Medicinal herbs if and when needed
Underground roots and tubers – potato, swede, tapioca, turmeric, onion, garlic, ginger, leeks, beets, yam, horseradish, radish, taro, jerusalem artichokes
You would agree that if you were to shop for the extra items besides the frugivore list, that still is an awful lot of items already for those who go beyond frugivorism and indulge a little while shopping. And some people think veganism means there is less left for them to consume!
AVOID
Synthetics eg. pesticides, plastics, artifical fabrics, resins
Timber wood and wood pulp paper
Mined metals and gems
Cosmetics and unecessary toileterries
Yeast
Sugar
Snacks, colas, crisps and treats that are unhealthy
Travel to places for fun and work can be minimised if we live simplistically
NEVER
Anything affecting psychic channels adversely – eg Coffee, Black Tea, Alcohol, Drugs
Animal products
Animal tested items
Fossil fuels
Non essentials
Domesticating new animals as pets and slaves
We do not need to fly for holidays, non-essential travel, to go all over the world on polluting vehicles and cause harm to nature and wildlife by using infrastructure, roads, petrol pumps and airports.
There is simply no need for outside entertainment, television, cimena and mindless celebrity shows or social media, especially animal exploitation, zoos and media if we are happy alone and focused on spirituality.
No need for large houses, cars and luxury items, perfumes of anything requiring you to accumulate money.
There will be very less need to technoloy, gadgets or internet if we have a place to live and meditate in and fruits to consume as per necessity grown on soil that is not owned or usurped by harming wildlife.
Meditation should be our work and purpose of life not on being ‘someone’ professionally but to discover the way out of the untruth, the simulation, the world we are encased in artificially into truth or home. Unfortunately our education system demands from us enslavement into a system of jobs, profitable business and useless consumerism, a chain very hard to break if we are unaware of it.
If we were to focus on the items at top in frugivore lifestyle, we eliminate almost entirely our diseases, and dependency on the system of shopping, packaging, garbage and waste of time and resources. From then on we can focus on ascension and spiritual truth and healing. If we continue to be consumerists, highly dependent on the system and loyal to it, money focused, accumulating gold, cash and possessions, and not even vegan, there is little use of spirituality or healing.
Swati Prakash 