Acharya Prashant responds to a question about the journey to veganism by sharing his own personal story and philosophical insights. He recounts that his initial decision to quit milk came in 1996 after reading a heart-wrenching Hindi story about the life of a calf, from its birth to its eventual sale to a slaughterhouse. Although he later resumed consuming some dairy products like cottage cheese and butter while working in the corporate world, his final, unwavering commitment to veganism was triggered by a profound personal experience. This involved caring for a rescued rabbit named Nandu who had a leg problem. After Nandu's death in his arms, and subsequently watching a film showing a rabbit resembling Nandu being cruelly experimented on in a lab, he made an effortless and permanent decision to become vegan. Acharya Prashant explains that the root of all cruelty, including speciesism, racism, and sexism, is a deep-seated body-identification. When a person identifies primarily with their physical body, they perceive anyone with a different body as an 'other'. This feeling of otherness is the foundation of all violence. He argues that the more one is attached to their own body, the more they will be inclined to exploit others for their body's pleasure. This inner misery and ignorance lead to a constant search for fleeting pleasures, such as the taste of meat, which in turn perpetuates cruelty towards animals. Therefore, cruelty to animals is a direct reflection of one's own inner suffering and lack of self-awareness. The common ground between humans and all other sentient beings is consciousness, which is formless, colorless, and without boundaries. To truly feel compassion, one must first identify with this shared consciousness rather than the limited physical body. He suggests that the vegan movement should be centered on this spiritual understanding, rather than solely on ethical, moral, or health-based arguments, which can be debated and are less foundational. While there are health benefits to veganism, the ultimate argument is that a life of dignity cannot be built on the suffering of others. When one is internally healthy and understands their true Self, compassion for all beings becomes a natural and inevitable way of life. The fundamental solution to violence is not just changing habits but addressing the inner ignorance that causes it.