More than 2,300 years ago, Emperor Ashoka of India introduced the world’s first known animal welfare laws after embracing Buddhism. His transformation showed that compassion can reshape the world. Today, that same spirit guides Buddhist vegans who see kindness not only as belief but as practice.
In this episode of Better Life for Animals, Rayane Laddi shares how Buddhist principles and vegan living come together to build a world rooted in generosity, peace, and compassion.
The Birth of Dharma Voices for Animals
It began with one question: Why aren’t more Buddhists vegan?
That simple question led to the creation of Dharma Voices for Animals (DVA), a global organization uniting Buddhist teachings with vegan values. Founded in California, DVA now operates in the United States, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The group focuses on making the religious case for veganism through mindfulness, non-harming, and compassion. By gathering communities for meditation and education, DVA helps Buddhists live out the moral gift of creating safety and kindness for all beings.
Compassion and Generosity in Fundraising
Rayane applies Buddhist compassion to his professional work in fundraising. To him, asking for donations is not about taking from others. It is about offering people a chance to participate in something deeply meaningful.
“Fundraising is not begging,” he says. “It is an invitation to experience the joy of generosity.”
This philosophy transforms giving into a shared act of purpose, connecting donors and organizations through gratitude rather than obligation.
Meditation, Equality, and Loving Kindness
As a daily meditator, Rayane views meditation as a place where everyone is equal. In meditation, the past and future fall away, leaving only the present moment.
He practices metta, or loving kindness meditation, which begins by extending compassion toward one being and gradually expanding that feeling to all living creatures. Through this, practitioners nurture peace within themselves and radiate it outward.
Building Ethical and Effective Fundraising Campaigns
For animal sanctuaries and nonprofits, Rayane emphasizes the importance of relationship-based fundraising. He encourages organizations to start with close supporters, communicate often, and be transparent about how donations are used.
“Building relationships with donors is not a luxury,” he says. “It is the foundation of sustainability.”
When organizations focus on connection instead of transaction, they build loyalty and trust that lasts for years.
Thinking Beyond the Animal Sphere
Rayane encourages sanctuaries to think creatively about how their work overlaps with other causes. He recalls helping one sanctuary create a program that combined animal care with inmate rehabilitation. The result was new partnerships and a broader base of support.
By linking animal advocacy with social reintegration, poverty reduction, and environmental health, sanctuaries can reach new audiences while deepening their mission.
Mapping Health and Environment
Outside of Dharma Voices for Animals, Rayane is developing Map Your Health, an interactive app that helps people locate and track pollution sources near their homes.
The idea came to him while jogging and noticing the smell of burnt plastic in the air. That experience led to a larger question about what pollutants might be invisible but still harmful. His goal is to give people information they can use to protect their health and communities.
Many of these pollutants are tied to industrial agriculture, which harms both humans and animals. “People deserve to know what is in the air they breathe and the water they drink,” Rayane says.
A Crisis in Sri Lanka
Rayane also discusses a tragic crisis in Sri Lanka. The government recently began distributing firearms to farmers to deter elephants from raiding crops. The result has been 216 elephant deaths in only a few months.
Dharma Voices for Animals is advocating to end this policy and promoting humane alternatives such as planting sunflowers around fields, which elephants naturally avoid. The organization will meet with the Sri Lankan Prime Minister in early 2026 to make the case for compassionate reform.
Support their efforts at DharmaVoicesForAnimals.org.
A Path Toward Universal Compassion
Rayane’s work blends spiritual practice with tangible action. Whether he is teaching meditation, guiding nonprofits, or developing environmental tools, his mission remains the same: to create a world rooted in compassion.
“When we stop threatening and seeding fear in the hearts of beings around us,” he says, “we give the world a gift — a world full of trust, beauty, and happiness.”
About Rayane Laddi — Fundraiser, Podcaster, and Environmental Advocate
Rayane Laddi is a dedicated advocate for compassion, sustainability, and conscious living. He serves as a fundraiser for Dharma Voices for Animals, helping advance veganism within Buddhist communities through education and mindfulness. Rayane is also the host of The Vegan Report, a weekly podcast spotlighting animal rights activists and changemakers around the world.
As the founder of MapYourHealth, an environmental health risk communication app, Rayane empowers individuals to understand and respond to pollution in their local communities. With a background in fundraising for global nonprofits including Oxfam Quebec and Amnesty International, he blends purpose, strategy, and heart to create a more compassionate world for all beings.
About Cheryl Moss
Cheryl Moss is the host of the Better Life for Animals podcast, where she shares uplifting stories from sanctuaries and highlights the work of vegan activists, ethical consumers, and animal welfare leaders. A passionate advocate for animal welfare, she is dedicated to ending factory farming and is working to raise $100,000 for Mercy For Animals to support underrepresented sanctuaries.
Beyond podcasting, Cheryl is a banking professional and an accomplished children’s author. A graduate of Main Street Vegan Academy, she promotes plant-based living through her books, Gabriel, Cluck, and Pickle the Pig, which inspire young readers to embrace kindness, sustainability, and compassion for animals.
When not advocating, she enjoys Pilates, and spending time with her rescue dogs and grandchildren. Through her work, writing, and activism, Cheryl continues to inspire positive change for animals and the planet.
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