Towards a Better World

Gandhi once said, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." His words speak to a deep truth about humans and our animal brethren – the quality of the relationship mirrors where we are in our collective evolution.

By virtue of superior tools, humans now have an unprecedented level of power in relationship to other animals. What we choose to do with this power reflects how far we’ve grown in compassion and wisdom. Abuse or domination of animals reflects (and reinforces) our own wounds, splits, and disease, whereas loving respect of animals encourages our integration and health.

When we practice communicating with animals, we begin to cultivate a different kind of relationship, one based on honoring their sovereignty, intelligence, and capacity to feel and think. We move beyond being masters of animals into the more enduring joy that is born of communion. And we also shift our worldview towards a deeper appreciation of the inner life of our fellow travelers on planet earth.

Over time, the practice of animal communication can deepen into a love that encompasses all of the inhabitants of our planet. It is this kind of love – a compassionate concern for the whole – that is the ultimate solution to our ecological, political, and spiritual crises. Communicating with animals is thus a practice that contributes to the evolution of human civilization, as well as creating a richer experience of life for each of us that undertake the journey. The better world towards which we are all striving will be one in which humans and animals have a relationship built upon respect and honoring.

Non-human animals have abilities that have often atrophied in humans, which can lead our animal companions to have a healing influence on us. Humans, by virtue of the environments we create, can provide an opportunity for animals to move beyond survival-level challenges and experience a more fully supportive existence. In this way, humans and non-human animals can establish a mutually enriching relationship that moves our world towards greater integration, health, and wholeness.

Site: DesignbyKarl ©2015