Respect for All Living Things

I recently read that the Bhutanese government stated at the 1992 Earth Summit that in Bhutan they do not carelessly chop down trees because forests form the basis of the nation's culture. Miwako Sato then observed, "One can sense in these words more than a simple desire to protect the environment; they express respect for all living things, a respect rooted in the belief that deities dwell in every tree and blade of grass."