by Michael Ketterhagen
“Just as all organs of the body must function together
in perfect coordination to secure the health and well-being of the organism,
all the segments of the human community must work together
to promote the well-being of humanity—
if the mouth keeps food for itself,
if the heart collects and hoards blood,
if the lungs capture and stockpile air,
the body is doomed.“
--Pandit Rajmani Tigunait
We are totally dependent on all of the other life that is on the planet and all of life is dependent on us. We could not exist as humans without other humans, plants, animals, sun, water, sky, fungi and all other life forms. Spiritually, we also could not exist without the spiritual source of our lives, manifested in our own breath. We as humans are totally interdependent on all that is seen and unseen…all of life.
Cultivating this awareness and then living it out in our daily actions is absolutely necessary for us not only to be peaceful and joyful, but also to exist. It is also necessary for the health and well-being of life on earth.
What does that mean then for us in our daily lives? It means always being lovingly aware and servant to the “other” whether that is animal, vegetable or mineral; human or angel. When we ignore or damage anything else we are eventually harming ourselves, limiting our growth and development. We are killing ourselves in one way or another. We are bringing death to ourselves by bringing separation and death to the “other”. For as we treat others and enhance or hurt those others, we are treating ourselves and enhancing and hurting ourselves.
I long for this awareness to grow more and more especially when it comes to the environment. I am worried about not honoring the plants and the planet for I am then not honoring my children and grandchildren. When I see people separating themselves into political camps or ideological groups, I see us destroying the freedom and beauty of our United States of America. When I see nations focusing on just themselves and their standard of living, I see us destroying the unity of the Earth and its human population.
We need to see the other beings on the planet—human and otherwise—as companions on our journey through life. I long for that deeply and contemplate that often.
May we all consider ourselves as one with all of life.
I pray to the divinity in you!