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When I was young, my parents suggested I study the major religions. They encouraged me to choose one, but they didn’t want to tell me which one to choose. I studied and learned that each had a different philosophy, a different body of knowledge in the form of acceptable practices that would take me…where…? To a relationship with god and thereby a way to know myself. It was clear to me that I could spend decades gathering knowledge in this system or that, to master this approach or that, but doing so would exclude the wisdom of the other systems. If I am free to choose any of them, and they all point toward the same direction, my choice was to begin in the place that was common to all of them - in connection with god. From there, I reasoned that I can be committed to knowing who and what I am. I called it a “religion of one”, as it was also clear to me that if we all made this commitment, we would all be connected with god and each other. The perspectives of how and what it takes to walk that journey might shift with each person and in each moment. That would be the beauty and music of sharing life together.

Thank you! This is also so applicable in the way most people are with their animals. It's so embedded in humanland that animals, family pets, wild creatures in captivity, etc must be "trained." It is an attempt by humans to create predictability and a feeling of security or control. When animals are approached with a sense of friendship, a vision to discover who they truly are, the connection it creates is the safest place to be...it's just uncommon to most people.

Thank you for writing this! I will be sharing it with my communities and those who are interested in a different way to be human among animals and among other humans.