My Vegan Journey – From Cruelty to Compassion

Namaste, my name is Kumar. I am 44 years old. My journey toward veganism began around 2016, and today I live fully as a vegan — not just in food, but in heart and soul.

In the past, I was running a profitable business involving meat and fish. I used to find pigs, buy them, and send them to the butcher. Early in the morning, I would go to the butcher shop to collect the meat, piece by piece. Slowly, I began to notice things I had ignored before — the pain in the animals’ eyes, their cries, and the fear they felt. These sights and sounds started troubling me deeply. It made me feel I was part of something very wrong.

I started thinking: What gives us the right to take away their lives for our taste or profit?

That’s when I made a decision — to change. I gave up the meat and fish business and started a small vegetable and fruit business. Financially, it is not as successful, and sometimes I struggle to meet daily needs. But my heart is at peace. My mind feels calm because I am no longer causing pain to innocent beings.

I also made my child vegan, with love and care. I teach her the value of kindness and that all creatures — big or small — have a right to live on this Earth. I want her to grow with a compassionate heart and to understand that true strength lies in protecting the weak.

This is my humble story — from cruelty to compassion, from profit to peace. I may not have much, but I have found something greater: a life of honesty, love, and nonviolence.