By Gui-Wen Yang and Ya-Mei Yao
In Bakraur, India, a small eatery becomes more than a place for meals—it becomes a source of inspiration. Here, Anita Kumari and her daughter, Manshi, embrace a plant-based lifestyle, weaving compassion and community into their daily lives. Their journey, marked by family love and personal growth, reflects how small actions can sow seeds of change.
Embracing Vegetarianism
On January 8, a Tuk Tuk wound through the narrow lanes near the Niranjan River, stopping at the Kumari family’s eatery. Their daughter, Manshi, a seventh-grader at Niranjana Public Welfare School, assists them, proudly serving vegetarian snacks such as samosas, kachoris, and gulab jamuns. Manshi’s advocacy stems from her performance of the sign language adapation of the Sutra of Profound Gratitude Toward Parents, where she connects filial piety to her desire for her family to embrace vegetarianism.
Anita recalls how her daughter once shared a Tzu Chi humanistic teaching: "Animals have lives just like humans and feel fear and pain when killed." Inspired and mindful of her own worship practices, Anita adopted a vegetarian diet. To her surprise, her chronic abdominal pain vanished within a month.
Promoting Plant-Based Eating
Encouraged by her own health improvements, Anita now shares the benefits of vegetarianism with her customers, stating, "Vegetables like carrots, cabbage, and potatoes are rich in nutrients that meat lacks." Volunteer Hsiu-Chun Yang supports her by displaying a digital poster reading “To eat vegetarian is to save lives” and using a translation app to communicate with customers. Three regulars have already embraced vegetarianism, and Anita urges others to reduce meat consumption.
Outside the eatery, Manshi and her brother continue the advocacy, sharing their family’s message with passersby. When one person struggles with giving up meat, Manshi kindly suggests, "Could you try reducing meat first and gradually transition to vegetarianism?" Her gentle and understanding approach resonates with many.
A Harmonious Family
The Kumari family resides above their eatery in a modest rented room. Although small, their home is filled with joy, reflecting the Jing Si Aphorism: “It is better to have a big heart than a big house.” In the evenings, the family gathers as Manshi practices her sign language performance of the Sutra of Profound Gratitude Toward Parents. Her parents watch with pride, their hearts touched by her love and dedication.
After practice, Manshi massages her parents’-tired shoulders—a gesture she learned in Tzu Chi’s humanistic culture classes. She shares, "I didn’t realize before how meaningful it is to care for my parents." Anita expresses gratitude for her daughter’s thoughtfulness, noting that Manshi also helps with chores and assists at the eatery.
Manshi’s wish is for her entire family to embrace vegetarianism. Anita, in turn, hopes her daughter will become a Tzu Chi volunteer. Volunteer Mun Fei Yong encourages them to start immediately, reminding them that even small contributions can make a big difference.
Through shared values and perseverance, Anita, Manshi, and the volunteers overcome language barriers and cultural differences, using compassion as their universal language. Together, they inspire their community to embrace a plant-based lifestyle—one heartfelt connection at a time.
