Vegan Travel in Asia | Buddhist Temples & Plant-Based Alms | Andrea Diaz

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In today’s episode, we’re exploring the connection between veganism, Buddhism, and travel.

I’m joined by Andrea Diaz, Executive Director of Dharma Voices for Animals — the only international Buddhist animal rights advocacy organization. We talk about how Buddhist teachings on non-harm intersect with plant-based living across Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam, and how travelers can engage with these traditions through temple stays, mindful meals, and compassionate food experiences.

Andrea also shares her personal journey — from animal rights investigations to discovering meditation and Buddhism — and how it all came together in her work today.

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Transcript

[00:00:00]  
 

Welcome, Andrea to the World Vegan Travel Podcast. 

Yeah. Thank you so much for having me. It's an honor to be here. 

I am really pleased to have you on here because we are going to be talking about a style of cuisine, a way of living. That is really directly connected with travel, and I'm so interested to hear your insights on this topic. Can you tell me what it is that you do in the vegan space, the travel space, because I think it's really interesting. 

Absolutely. So I am the Executive Director for Dharma Voices for Animals. We are the only international Buddhist animal rights advocacy organization in the world. We currently have projects, yeah, in the United States, in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. And a lot of our work is just reconnecting Buddhist values with eating habits, which is to reduce the suffering of animals and ultimately eliminate them from their diets. 

That's amazing. So what kind of work [00:01:00] do you do? 

Yeah. So all our strategies really vary in the country. We take the culture and history into play when we're determining what we're doing. For example, in Thailand, the monks do not take vows to not consume animals like the monks do in Vietnam, just because they're different lineages. And so in Thailand there is a massive concern about the health of the monks. 

The monks tend to be less healthy than the general public, and that's because they can only accept food from the public. So they're eating diets that are heavy in eggs and meat and cheese, and it's ultimately impacting their health. So we've partnered with, his name is Coach Bank. He is a YouTube sensation with millions of views on YouTube and lives in Bangkok, and he goes and does help seminars. He communicates with the community, let them know that plant-based foods will keep the monks, thus the words of, you know, 'The Buddha around longer.' And so we're just trying to use their own teachings to bring them back, and keep the monks healthier. 

That is so interesting, and I [00:02:00] haven't really thought about that before. I think that maybe, it would be helpful for people to understand like the different sects or maybe the groups of Buddhism, and what the connections are in relation to eating animals. 

Because I know a lot of people are really confused that Buddhist monks do eat animal products. You've alluded to it, but can you give more information and maybe connect with the different countries where these different schools of Buddhism are predominantly apparent. 

Yes, of course. Yeah, so there are different lineages in Buddhism, and so Theravada Buddhism is practiced in Sri Lanka and in Thailand. So, they do not take vows to not consume animals, even though the teachings of the Buddha are very strong,in not consuming animals. So you have Mahayana Buddhism, which is practiced in Vietnam, and so the monks there actually do take a pledge to not consume animals. You will find maybe, yogurt and some eggs, but it's usually on the side and it's something [00:03:00] that they can have if they want to. So there's no meat served in any of the temples in Vietnam, which was really, really lovely. So because of this, the issue is that folks will go to the temples and they'll eat plant-based. But when they go back home, they're consuming what's now the Western diets, and that's very heavy in meat and cheese, and eggs. So we're just trying to get them to reconnect and try to help more animals. 

I love it. Yeah. I remember when I traveled to Vietnam, I'll often go to the chai restaurants, and I'll really enjoy them and they'll be open every single day of the month. But on those certain lunar days of the month, like the full moon or something like that, then the restaurant is absolutely packed and it's full of people who are reading this way because I guess, doctrine suggests that they should eat this way on these days of the month, and I can't help saying to myself is, if eating that way is great once a month, imagine [00:04:00] how great it would be every single day of the month. 

Exactly, exactly. And there are so many options. I was really, really taken aback when I went to Vietnam and just saw, you can find vegan food. It's so plentiful. And of course, we know this as vegans, you're going to find rice and beans, and fruit and vegetables anywhere you go. So it's really easy. 

But there are a lot of vegan, vegetarian restaurants that are there, and they're so delicious. So it's really nice that the options are there. They are affordable. It's local ingredients, and it's really nice that they have this option. 

I absolutely agree. I lived in Thailand and Vietnam for several years. And many years ago, the vegan restaurants, they would be usually these little hole in the wall places and they often were connected with religious things, religious teachings, I guess. These days, of course, it's become trendy and modern. 

You have these very glamorous, beautiful restaurants, but very often you can have very cheap meals in these places that are [00:05:00] really catering for people that want to follow Buddhist teachings sometimes, or all of the time. 

Absolutely. The food is just so delicious, which you know, you're so lucky having lived there for so long. But yeah, the food is amazing. It's the best of their cuisine. My favorite place in Thailand is called Mango, and I got a curry for less than $3, and it was phenomenal. And I don't stop thinking about that curry. 

Yes, absolutely. It's so delicious, for sure. So I'd love it if you could talk a little bit about Sri Lanka and how people can integrate, like vegan eating, and travel and tourism? 

Maybe, there are some of your favorite restaurants or destinations that you go to there. Or maybe there's even some activities or experiences that people can have that will align with vegan values in that way, and maybe even connect with people on a spiritual level. 

Absolutely. It is really easy to find [00:06:00] vegan food in Sri Lanka. A lot of the foods that they make is vegetarian based, and they use coconut milk for curries already,that's already solved. And so, if you go to the temples, you will have a harder time finding plant-based food if you're comparing that to Vietnam. 

But some of the work that we do, we created the very first vegan cookbook in Sri Lanka, and we actually go to temples and do cooking classes. We have a TV show that we're doing, and we also host vegan food festivals in the smaller villages, which again, some of the best food I've ever had in my life. 

And it's just, giving these folks who have access to these ingredients. I saw jackfruit growing on a tree for the first time in my life, and everywhere you go there's just plentiful plants everywhere. And so, we're giving those folks an opportunity to reconnect with foods that they've already used in the past, prior to European colonization with the British coming over. 

And so it's just allowing them to reconnect with that food. And it's amazing to be there. 

And how do people respond to that? 

[00:07:00] They love it. The people really love it. And I think the main reason why, is that it is, really, in alignment with the teachings of the Buddha. So the very first precept is to not cause harm. 

And the Buddha specifically says to all beings, not just humans, is very clear in that. 

In fact, you are not supposed to consume animals if you see, suspect, or hear an animal was killed for you. During the time of the Buddha, animal agriculture was so different. There were farms in people's yards, so you could really know that. But now we have modern day farming where, if you go and you buy a piece of animal from a grocery store, that piece of animal will be replaced by another one. 

So technically, you do know that they are being killed for you. It's kind of a loophole that some Buddhists use to consume animals. And so when we do our presentations, we currently have 17 regional coordinators who work all around the island nation in Sri Lanka. And I've been to these presentations where it's not rare to see folks crying [00:08:00] because they disconnect the propaganda that you hear from animal agriculture industries. It's really intense. 

Once you reconnect their values. They already love animals. They love nature. They love taking care of the environment. It's part of Buddhism as well. And just to see that light turn on is very touching and they're very grateful. They love having us. It's been an amazing experience to be part of this. 

That's awesome. And do you have any favorite restaurants that you visited while you were in Sri Lanka, and which cities did you go to? Yeah, so I've been to the capital, which is Colombo. I went to Kandy. I went to Galle which is a cute little coastal town. I highly recommend everyone go there. I found some amazing coconut ice cream there, but we primarily ate at the temples where we would visit. So the cooks would prepare food for us, and again, phenomenal. 

Or we would do our cooking presentations where we were fed. I did stay at the Marino Beach hotel, which is beautiful on the water, just stunning. And [00:09:00] they have a buffet upstairs with so many vegan options, and everything is clearly labeled. So you don't have any concerns of, you know, sometimes dairy is snuck into a lot of products, but it's clearly labeled. So, very, very easy to find some good vegan food there. 

I love it. I love it. Okay, so I'm really curious to learn more about your experiences in Thailand. The restaurants that you like, the work that's being done there. You've already told us a little bit, but I'd love some more. And, just how people can connect with Buddhism in a vegan way there. 

Yeah, absolutely. So we also do presentations and cooking classes in the temples there, and I highly recommend, if anyone's visiting Bangkok, please follow us on Facebook to see when one is happening because the chefs that we work with are phenomenal. The food is unforgettable, like I mentioned. And a new program that we're actually launching, we launched it a year ago rather, is called the Mindful Meals Program, where we are partnering with temples who sign on a year agreement. 

They're [00:10:00] serving plant-based food for one day a year for an entire year. So we did the math with the amount of temples, and we're replacing 40,000 animal-based meals a year with this program alone, absolutely incredible. Again, just an honor to be a part of it, but we really want to expand that. 

And it's really nice because the temples are given the opportunity when they renew the agreements, to do two days, and a lot of them want to do three or four days. What people don't know in Thailand is, monks can't ask what to be given. They go on alms rounds. 

And so, they've come to us specifically, and said, 'Can you talk to the community? Can you please let them know that we want healthier food because we can't do it.' And so every temple who we sign on for our Mindful Meals Program, we print a huge billboard and put it right in the kitchen. And we have a list of why plant-based foods are healthier for the monks, and people are really receptive. Of course, they want to keep the monks healthy.  

So how does that translate in terms of when they're going [00:11:00] around collecting alms. Maybe, you can describe to people what that is like because maybe, people haven't been and they don't what it means to give alms or to receive alms. Because it's, it's a beautiful thing to partake in. I will say, I've done it many times, and of course, I've always just given vegan things. But I'm very curious, if you wouldn't mind sharing what it looks like for the monks in Thailand. 

Sure. On the alms rounds, they're actually taking bowls and going through the community, and the community in an effort to support the health of the monks or the wellbeing of the monks, provide any food that they can. So they're getting large bowls from the community. We are working on communicating with the community to let them know, throw some plant-based options in there, throw something that is good for the environment, that's good for the monks, that's good for the animals who do suffer with, you know, animal agriculture. 

It's a beautiful thing to witness and it's really nice to see the community being so receptive. Because like I said, they want [00:12:00] the monks to be healthy and so they're willing to do anything that they can, and we've had seen an increase of more plant-based offerings on these alm rounds with temples that we work with. 

That's amazing. And it's so unique, isn't it, that they could only eat the food that is given to them. And also, they have to finish eating by noon, I think, as well. And they go out at sunrise to collect alms. I remember, where I would be walking to work very, very early in the morning, and you would see the monks walking down the street, and people coming out of their houses, and kneeling down and offering this. Just a little aside here, I'm very curious,if Dharma Voices for Animals is doing anything in regards to 'mercy release', or is that not in your scope of work? 

Yeah, the Animal Liberation, I believe they call it, they take fish, maybe purchase some, and then they release them back into the ocean. Dharma Voices for Animals has only participated in one 'mercy release' where there was a small scale farm who had a baby cow and a goat. 

And we [00:13:00] asked them, in the name of the Buddha, if they'd be willing to give the animal to us so we can rehome them. And this happened six months ago. So far they're both doing really great. The little cow and the baby goat, they're living a really beautiful life. I'm actually going back to visit our projects in Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam in about two weeks. So I get to see their little cute faces in person, and I'm so excited. 

Nice. Nice. I'd love to share, that when I was living in Thailand, I went and did a 10 day silent meditation retreat. Vipassana, that's it. And there definitely was some Buddhist teachings going on in there, and it was mainly vegan, as well. 

I was able to just have vegan things, and I think, maybe, everything was vegan, except bread, which in Thailand, isn't usually vegan. Of course I avoided that, but very often when you go on these retreats, these meditation retreats that have been set up by people that follow this [00:14:00] kind of Buddhism on these kind of schools of meditation, they'll often be vegan too, and really tasty. 

Oh yeah, absolutely. Like I said, it's so easy to find delicious food there, and that's good for you. Good for the environment, good for the animals. And you can always ask too, but it seems to be, the default is plant-based food, which is really nice. With the amount of information that people have access to, there is an uptick in trend for veganism in these countries, which is really beautiful to see. 

But again, it's them reverting back to their indigenous foods, the foods that they ate before colonialism. And so it's really nice to see them reconnect with that. 

Absolutely. I agree. Okay, let's talk about Vietnam. I'm going to be going there in March, again. I also lived there for a few years, so I'm very excited to talk about it. And as you mentioned, it's a different school of Buddhism. The monks, they don't go out to collect alms, correct? 

Correct, correct. Yes. They have chefs inside [00:15:00] the temples who cook for them, and you will not find meat. I don't say you won't, but it's very, very rare to find animal protein inside of a temple in Vietnam, since they do take a vow to not consume animals. And as you know, that's where Thich Nhat Hanh is from. He started, engaged Buddhism. He is a very avid, you know, every animal rights activist, vegan or not, knows who he is. And our director in our Thailand project was actually his student. And so he is very vocal about his teachings, and it's just amazing. Such an honor. 

Incredible. I remember, we have gone to some places before, in Vietnam, and some places that make food that are aligned with Buddhism principles or I guess aligned in their interpretation of it. And I remember one that was very much like a technicality. It was a dish that contained egg whites. 

The idea was, that this doesn't have any animal products. Obviously, it's an animal product, but it's not the yolk, it's just the [00:16:00] white. 

Yeah, it's the technicalities, and we actually, on our website, dharmavoicesforanimals.org, we do have an FAQs page where these questions, there's a deep dive into them. There's a few reasons why people decide that they don't want to go plant-based and why they think the Buddha would justify it. And we really take a deep dive. 

It was created by Greg Schmitz. He has a PhD in Buddhist studies. I really recommend anyone, Buddhist or not, just go in there, take a peek, learn some things. We also have another resource called the Bodhi Project, where we're encouraging folks to take a self-guided journey to realize what's happening to animals. Because a lot of the everyday practices, it's hidden behind closed doors, as we both know, and that's intentional. And so the pictures of what the realities are inside these farms, they're blurred. 

And part of Buddhism is to open yourself up to truth, to awakening. And so we give that power to the individual to do it on their own. 

Oh, I love it. I love it. And do you know of any experiences in [00:17:00] Vietnam, that people might decide to participate in, like temple stays or meditation retreats or anything like that, at all, that you could share with our listeners? 

Yeah, absolutely. Like I said, our director, he's the head monk of Pháp Vân Pagoda, and it's an ancient pagoda right in Hanoi, and they serve plant-based food. They created a kitchen there for Dharma Voices for Animals, where we can teach the community, and have them make delicious vegan food in their own home. So I highly recommend anyone, please get in contact with them. We can share the link with you all. They would just be honored and so happy to have you all stay. And if you do, just let them know. DVA sent you, they'll be very happy to receive you. 

Oh wow, that's incredible. And do they have a restaurant on site that you can go and eat at or is it more of a temple stay situation? 

So it's currently a temple stay, but they are building a restaurant and it's going to be a 100% vegan restaurant on the busy street. And the intention is, you only pay what you can. So the purpose [00:18:00] is for folks who would normally not be able to afford some going out food. They can give a dollar and they'll be given an entirely vegan meal, and that meal is sponsored by the community folks who donate to the temple. 

It's a really amazing initiative, and hopefully, I believe it should be open this year, but we'll give you all updates as we know, as well. 

I love it. I love it. And what about some other opportunities in Vietnam? You talk about Ngoa Van Pagoda, the birthplace of Vietnam Zen Buddhism? 

It's an incredible experience. So there was a king, a 12th, or 13th century king, who completely renounced his title and all his worthy belongings to become a monk. And he went on the very top of this mountain, built a pagoda. It's got a beautiful view. It's very, very affordable. When you arrive there, it sort of looks like a theme park because there's beautiful bright letters and a cable car that takes you over this gorgeous enchanted forest. The trees are massive. It just feels [00:19:00] like you're on another planet, but it takes you all the way up, and you can actually ascend the stairs that they ascended when they built it. If you want to talk about feeling like Nirvana on earth, that's a place I highly recommend. 

Where is it located? Is it close to Hanoi as well? 

It's just about two hours outside of Hanoi. So it is a trip. I see. I see. Okay, great. So you obviously, are working in Sri Lanka, and Vietnam and Thailand. Do you intend to work in other destinations over time in the future? I'm thinking about South Korea because I was lucky enough to have a temple experience there and everything is completely vegan, as well. I mean, obviously, the work is already done, but, I'm just so curious. What are the plans for your organizations? 

Absolutely. We would love to grow, and we're currently working on some ideas to branch out. Obviously, a country we're very interested in is China, just because of the scope, the amount of people there. We've connected with [00:20:00] a monk from China. He works for the Art of Mindfulness. Currently, it's on the east coast of the United States, and we're really trying to get a foot in the door. It's a lot more challenging to start nonprofit work in China, but we're trying to figure it out. But we also have eyes on India. So you know, a lot of people in India, which is the birthplace of Buddhism, they're already vegetarian, but the amount of dairy that's consumed is some of the highest in the world, and we would love to get in there and start doing some outreach. We're planning on making some connections this year to see if we can branch out to there. Some other ideas that have been discussed were Taipei, so Taiwan would be a place that we could possibly work. I connected with a few folks who work for organizations out there, and it seems like animals are served at the temple, so it sounds likewe would have some work to do out there. 

Brilliant, fabulous. I'm very curious to learn a little about your Buddhism story, if you care to share. Is this a religion you were born into or something that you developed over [00:21:00] time? 

I'm Mexican American. I was raised Catholic and then went to Christian as I got older. Oddly enough, I became an atheist when I was about 12 years old, having done all my sacraments in church. I stepped away from religion and spirituality for quite some time, and I did not develop a Buddhist practice until a few years after going vegan. I went vegan in 2016 and by 2019 I started to do undercover investigations in farms and slaughterhouses, in a few countries. For three years I was exposing myself to the horrors that animals endure in standard practices, that happen to them. And it really took a toll on my mental health. 

I developed a serious case of panic disorder, anxiety disorder. It was so bad, to the point where, my now husband, had to drive me to the emergency room two or three days a week because I was so convinced I was having a heart attack, and it was a very scary time in my life. But this led me to meditation, [00:22:00] and that grounding, it really saved me. 

It really saved me. Started a Buddhist practice in 2020, I found DVA in 2022, and I thought, wow, how is there this organization that connects these two things that I really love, caring for animals, and in wanting to be a better person through the lens of Buddhism and finding my own spirituality. I'm here and I'm very happy. 

I love it. And you collect travel charms. Can you tell us a little bit about that? 

Sure. So it's a new collection that I started. I used to do the magnets like most people do when you travel. But then I looked at my fridge and I was like, 'Oh, that looks a little cluttered.' And so I was scrolling through Instagram one day, and I found these charms, exchange life charms, and I'm just going to hold this up here. 

So it's this cute little bracelet and it has a map of all the places I've been to. Have you seen this? 

Oh, I love it. No, I've not seen it. I've seen some similar things, on Etsy. There are some really cool ways that you can document [00:23:00] your travel adventures. And I have seen charms, but never ones that have the flags on there. That is so cool. 

Yeah. Thank you. I'm obsessed. I've purchased more than I needed because I haven't been to those places yet, but it's manifestation. 

I love it. And where has been your favorite destination that you've been to? 

So, the number one place that I've been to, it's a tie. So one is Spain. I didn't realize I had Spanish roots until recently, and when I went to Barcelona, I just fell in love. I felt like I was home, which makes sense now that I realize I have Spanish roots. One of the best cities I've ever been to, Barcelona. The architecture, the vegan food, the animal rights community out there is just incredible. I would say, the second, like close runner up was actually Sri Lanka. I hadn't heard a lot about Sri Lanka growing up. And just, you feel serenity as soon as you step off the plane. It's so green, and beautiful, and clean, and I highly recommend people going to Sri [00:24:00] Lanka. 

I have not been yet. I really would like to go. I've heard that it is very different to India in terms of, you're left alone, you're left in peace to do your thing, whereas in India, it can be a little bit more of a challenge. So I'm thrilled that was your experience. I can't wait. 

You'll love it, I promise. 

Fabulous. Fabulous. Andrea, I want to thank you so much for being on The World Vegan Travel Podcast. Would you mind sharing with our listeners, how they can follow you and get involved with the work that you are doing that's really making a huge difference for animals and for people in these countries? 

Absolutely. So you can follow our work on dharmavoicesforanimals.org. Sign up for our newsletter, sign up to become a member. We're working on this really great program where we're going to be collaborating with businesses to give you all discounts just for becoming a member. You can also follow us on Instagram @dharmavoices4animals to stay in touch with our work. 

[00:25:00] If there's any vegan Buddhists out there who would like to help, maybe volunteer, please reach out to me directly, andrea@dharmavoicesforanimals.org, and I would love to connect. 

I love it. Thank you so much, Andrea. 

Thank you so much. I appreciate it. Thank you for having me here.