360: Equality-Elders' Meditation: December 15, 2008

"People are equal partners with the plants and animals, not their masters who exploit them." --Haida Gwaii, Traditional Circle of Elders As human beings, we are not above anything nor are we below anything. Because of being equal, we need to discuss a little about the value of respect. Not just respect when it comes to human beings, but respect when it comes to everything. We are not masters over things; we are caretakers for the Great Spirit. We need to treat all things with respect. Great Spirit, let me accept and see all things as equal. There is an ongoing theme with these past three meditations......It's like I read once a very long time ago in the bible "man was given 'dominion' over the animals" Not Domination...dominion is to care take...domination is ruination. We have to respect all living beings...that includes the plants, trees, animals, minerals...all non-two legged beings. Think of it this way: If all the humans were to get off the earth tomorrow...the wild ones as well as the green ones would still survive... However, should all the non-two leggeds and green ones perish tomorrow, well we two-leggeds wouldn't be able to make it at all. So in the scheme of things it seems as we are the lowest of the living beings. Hmm...just food for thought!