Brother Xu Zi Han became a pure vegetarian, excluding milk and eggs from his diet, five years ago while still a teenager. Though he had never received any professional training, he is an ace in almost every athletic event at school. He can run 100 meters in 11.2 seconds; 200 meters in less than 23 seconds, and he is the champion at 400 and 800 meters. In the Taipei High School Competitions, he made it to the top three in long jump. He is also a member of the school volleyball team and famous for his endurance - easily doing one hundred laps in a standard sized swimming pool. Yet he is not an isolated case though he offers himself as evidence that a long-term vegetarian diet makes one's physical body even healthier.

By Brother Initiate Xu Zi Han, Taipei, Formosa

In Olympic Game competitions, "The Flying Fin" Paavo Nurmi broke over twenty world records in long-distance running and won nine Olympic gold medals. He is a vegetarian. Carl Lewis, winner of four consecutive Olympic gold medals in long jump, at the age of thirty-five became a vegetarian six months before his last Olympics on the advice of his dietitian. Does a vegetarian diet reduce one's strength as is commonly believed by people around the world? Well Nostradamus, the great French prophet of the sixteenth century, foretold in his book, "Centuries," that a deep-rooted aspect of human lifestyle will be shattered and that vegetarianism will gradually become the common practice in the new era.

In order to commemorate the Centennial Olympic Games that was held during the summer at Atlanta City last year, Time magazine invited professionals from all fields to vote for the greatest athletes in history. The athlete who received the second highest votes was Carl Lewis.

Vegetarianism Doesn't Affect
The Development of Teenagers

Another common misconception is: "Vegetarianism will lead to reduced strength."

Actually strength is the integrated performance of muscle power based on elasticity, reactivity, endurance, concentration, flexibility and coordination. The general notion that it is power alone is wrong. Therefore, this is a proof in itself. So, during adolescence, when we need nutrients the most, I began to maintain a complete vegetarian diet, omitting eggs, milk and all animal products - historically the traditional Formosan vegetarian diet. Not yet twenty years old, my physical performance may astonish many would-be vegetarians who have fears about a vegetarian diet, or even many meat-eaters who are proud of their physical condition.

Though I have never undergone any professional training, I am a top competitor in almost every athletic event at school. I've also had the opportunity to join the school snooker, badminton and baseball teams, but I didn't because they are only my hobbies and I have no intention to become a professional athlete. Even when I first became a vegetarian, I could do five hundred sit-ups without much effort. It is commonly agreed by the growing number of vegetarian athletes that the average endurance levels of vegetarians are higher than those of meat-eaters. When one sees a young Asian man only 175 cm tall, jumping up from outside the key and jamming the ball into the basket, thus displaying such strength and total coordination, one's misconceptions will be shattered.

Of course, this kind of impressive physical performance is not the goal that everyone pursues. Instead, it is only the "fruit" that one obtains during the process of loving and protecting life and moving towards the highest Truth; and each one will receive different kinds of "fruits". We cannot forget that a vegetarian diet is the prerequisite to walk on the spiritual path because it is the most practical way of showing our respect to all forms of life.