There are many famous people throughout history who have followed a vegetarian diet. Some of the most well known figures in history including Gandhi, Einstein, Da Vinci, Pythagoras, Paul McCartney and others are documented to have spoken or written on the merits of plant-based nutrition. Here are just a few examples:
1. Mahatma Gandhi speaks on the benefits of Vegetarian Diet
The Indian independence leader and spiritual figure was a lifelong vegetarian, believing that non-violence extended to all forms of life. Gandhi wrote in his book The Moral Basis of Vegetarianism, “The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated”.
Gandhi was a lifelong advocate for animal welfare and vegetarianism, and he believed that the treatment of animals was a reflection of a society's moral values. He saw vegetarianism as a way to promote compassion and nonviolence towards all living beings, and he often spoke out against the cruel treatment of animals in the meat industry.
2. Albert Einstein speaks on the benefits of Vegetarian Diet
The physicist and Nobel laureate was a vegetarian for the last year of his life, saying that he felt it was the right thing to do for ethical and health reasons.
It is believed that Einstein made the following statement in a letter he wrote to Hans Muehsam in 1954, which was later published in the book Albert Einstein: The Human Side:
"Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet. Humanity's true moral test, its fundamental test, consists of its attitude towards those who are at its mercy: animals."
3. Leonardo da Vinci speaks on the benefits of Vegetarian Diet
The famous Renaissance artist, inventor, and thinker was known to be a vegetarian, and wrote in his notebooks that "the time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look upon the murder of men."
One of the great people of modern history, Leonardo da Vinci was a strong advocate for vegetarianism and often wrote about his beliefs. Here are a few more quotes from him on the subject:
"Truly man is the king of beasts, for his brutality exceeds theirs. We live by the death of others: we are burial places!" [source: Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks]
"The time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look upon the murder of men." [source: Henry Salt's "The Life of Leonardo da Vinci"]
"My body will not be a tomb for other creatures." [source: Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks]
"It is not true that eating meat is necessary. I have friends who are vegetarian; they are very strong and healthy." [source: Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks]
"If you are as you have been described, return to your country and boast of such qualities as these, for they are virtues there. Here they are vices." (This quote was written by da Vinci in response to a letter from a friend who had described his habit of eating animals.) [source: Henry Salt's "The Life of Leonardo da Vinci"]
It's worth noting that some of these quotes may have been translated or paraphrased from the original Italian, as they were written during the 15th and 16th centuries. Nonetheless, they demonstrate da Vinci's strong convictions about the ethical and health benefits of a vegetarian diet.
4. Fred Rogers (aka “Mr. Rogers”) speaks on the benefits of Vegetarian Diet
A devout vegetarian since the 1970s, the host of “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood,” Fred Rogers, often remarked, “I don't want to eat anything that has a mother and “It's hard to eat something you've seen”
Fred Rogers is also documented as having said the following:
"Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver. The more you love, the more you will be loved. The more you give, the more you will receive. It's an immutable law of the universe, and it works whether or not you believe in it or understand it."
"I don't think it's right to eat other living things. It's why I became a vegetarian."
"I'm convinced that the only way to change the world is through example - to lead by example, doing things differently, and challenging the status quo."
Sources:
https://www.npr.org/2018/03/20/594929472/fred-rogers-and-the-love-of-little-things
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qt2WbfotkU
5. Paul McCartney speaks on the benefits of Vegetarian Diet
The musician and former member of the Beatles has been a vegetarian since the 1970s, and has been a vocal advocate for animal rights.
Here are some things Paul McCartney has said to promote the vegetarian diet:
"If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian." [Source: Meat Free Monday, 2009]
"If anyone wants to save the planet, all they have to do is just stop eating meat. That’s the single most important thing you could do. It’s staggering when you think about it. Vegetarianism takes care of so many things in one shot: ecology, famine, cruelty." [Source: The New York Times, 2008]
"I’ve been vegetarian for a long time now and over the years I’ve seen how the number of vegetarian options has grown. It’s more and more normal now. So I think people are evolving, they are evolving to a cleaner, healthier diet." [Source: PETA, 2017]
6. Pythagoras speaks on the benefits of Vegetarian Diet
The ancient Greek philosopher and mathematician was a vegetarian, and is said to have taught his followers to respect all forms of life.
"For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seeds of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love." (Source: Porphyry, On Abstinence from Animal Food, IV)
"The earth affords a lavish supply of riches of innocent foods, and offers you banquets that involve no bloodshed or slaughter; only beasts satisfy their hunger with flesh, and not even all of those, because horses, cattle, and sheep live on grass." (Source: Ovid, Metamorphoses, XV)
7. Leo Tolstoy speaks on the benefits of Vegetarian Diet
In addition to his writings on non-violence, Leo Tolstoy's advocacy of vegetarianism led to his friendship with Mohandas Gandhi. He wrote several essays about vegetarianism, but perhaps never more compellingly than when he said “A man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats meat, he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite. And to act so is immoral.”
"Vegetarianism serves as the criterion by which we know that the pursuit of moral perfection on the part of humanity is genuine and sincere." - Tolstoy in his essay "The First Step," 1892.
"Nothing will more quickly destroy a person's spiritual life than the habit of fault-finding and the consequent indulgence of ill will." - Tolstoy in his book "The Kingdom of God Is Within You," 1893.
"As long as there are slaughterhouses, there will be battlefields." - Tolstoy in his essay "The First Step," 1892.
"If a man aspires towards a righteous life, his first act of abstinence is from injury to animals." - Tolstoy in his book "A Calendar of Wisdom," 1910.
"Vegetarianism is the taproot of humanitarianism." - Tolstoy in his essay "The First Step," 1892.
8. Dr. José Manuel Estrada, The Elder Brother, speaks on the benefits of Vegetarian Diet
Dr. José Manuel Estrada is a recognized spiritual teacher in the lineage of the Supreme Order of Aquarius, the lineage upon which Golden Drum was founded. He is an exemplary model of a “teacher of teachers” and his spiritual family endearingly called him the “Elder Brother”. In his book The Elder Brother Speaks, Dr. Estrada elaborates on the benefits of vegetarian diet for the benefit of all of humanity.
The Elder Brother said:
“We observe that vegetarians are not drunk. They are not drug addicts. They are not murderers. Clearly, If they don't allow themselves to kill an animal, they don't kill human beings either. So starting from this point, we can realize that when the wortd is directed by vegetarians it will not display the spectacle we call war. “ - The Elder Brother Speaks, p. 4.
“The world will not change until humanity changes its diet. This has already been proven. We can have many intellectuals who are meat eaters, but they will not be able to go beyond the point of intellectuality. They possess much knowledge of different fields, but they cannot produce anything from their own inner centers. So, I recommend that everyone needs to change their eating habits. When they do this, they can have a very healthy body and follow a good discipline. This is why we come to establish yoga centers where people can learn to do exercises, postures, breathing, etc. We are also establishing vegetar- ian restaurants, so that people without even noticing can start changing their eating habits and, therefore, they start to think in a different way. Then the animal in them is not the one who is in control. Why? Because when we stop eating meat, we stop feeding our animal nature which in instinctual within us. This is why vegetarians do not wish to kill any animal form. And if they do not wish to kill any animal, neither do they wish to kill a human being. Therefore they do not agree with wars. So the wor1d is looking to vegetarians to bring about a better type of society.“ - The Elder Brother Speaks, p. 69.
Other famous vegetarians:
There are many other famous vegetarians who have held the torch of not eating animals. These include, but are not limited to:
Serena Williams (who won a Tennis Championship in 2018 on a vegetarian diet)
Bill Clinton, former U.S. President
Jane Goodall, conservationist and primatologist
Ellen DeGeneres, comedian and talk show host
Joaquin Phoenix, actor
Natalie Portman, actress
Benedict Cumberbatch, actor