We Are All Children of Mother Earth
Poem by Lan Xin (Lanxin Samei)
Islam teaches
All humanity shares one origin all are brothers under heaven
Equality justice tolerance
Meet one another with peace walk together with goodwill
No trespass no aggression only mutual respect
Christianity teaches
Love your neighbor as yourself love one another
All are children of the Divine
Hold kindness in your heart forgiveness in your soul
Uphold righteousness watch over peace and tranquility
Buddhism teaches
All beings are equal compassion is the way
Interconnected coexisting bound by mutual origin
Turn from evil embrace goodness live in harmony
Revere life bring benefit and joy to all beings
Taoism teaches
The Dao flows through all things uniting all in love
Follow nature’s way let all life flourish as one
Great nations walk in humility harmony is the highest value
Do not wrong the weak nor praise the ways of war
The Dongba Scriptures teach
All nations are born of one Mother
One mother many children
Each child unique yet all share one root one origin
Humanity and nature are brothers of the same father
All things have spirit honor heaven love humanity
All faiths share one source one heart
They converge as one point to one truth
One world one family universal harmony
Cosmic peace tranquility for all
This is the shared original heart and calling
of all sacred beliefs
Earth is a child of the Cosmic Mother
Humanity is a community with a shared future
Born of one root
why turn against one another
Every nation is a child of Mother Earth
Strife between brothers
only breaks Mother’s heart deeply and completely
Every land on this blue planet
is a precious pearl in Mother Earth’s palm
Each carries its own dignity and glory
The agony of a world in ruin
tears at the very body of Mother Earth
Every living being under heaven
is a descendant of Mother Earth
All deserve reverence and love
All deserve a home in this world to live and grow
The harm of raging smoke and war
pierces Mother Earth to her very core
Grasping and plunder
are not true victory
Triumph through bullying and power
is not true victory
What hegemony chases
is only fleeting pleasure
yet it sows sorrow for ages to come
One’s moment of joy
must never be built on another’s endless pain
Coercion and pressure
cannot win the loyalty of hearts
They only bear bitter fruit
The wisest conquest in all the world
is sincere wholehearted submission
He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world
A nation is never a plaything for selfish pride
but a shared home for all humanity
War is never a game
Not the innocent make-believe of children
nor the cold gamble of adults
Mother Earth watches helplessly
as countless precious lives
are trapped in smoke and fear
displaced distressed broken in body and soul
Countless children cry out in despair
countless beings perish in suffering
That pouring rain
is the compassionate tears of Mother Earth
That rolling spring thunder
is the solemn warning of Mother Earth
Mother Earth speaks
——My children
Chasing fleeting pleasure
will bring a heavy price
Do not plant the seeds of hatred
Better to end enmity than to feed it
When will this cycle of vengeance end
Bullying the weak
is not the way of a strong nation
Love and peace
are the spirit of a great nation
To love all the world
is true responsibility
Power is not a weapon to oppress the vulnerable
but the ultimate safeguard of peace and order for all
Be not a sinner condemned by all
but a model admired through all ages
One thought leads to heaven
one thought leads to hell
To be cursed forever
or honored through time
all lies in a single choice
The nobility of life
never comes from power
It comes from the goodness you give to this world
whether you answer the eternal longing
of all humanity for love and peace
No matter your nation
no matter your faith
no matter your skin
you are all
——my beloved children