I am a simple Buddhist monk
My religion is kindness to all living creatures
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

Earth has been called the Living Planet, and for good reason. An amazing diversity of life resides on this tiny blue orb as she floats through the black of space. The number of species has been estimated between 30 and 100 million! Only 1.7 million of them have been "discovered" and classified.

In spite of this incredible diversity of form and function, the fundamental similarity of all life is equally as remarkable. Living things share a basic cellular, biomolecular, and genetic structure, indicating common roots. We are astonished to learn that we share 99% of our DNA with a chimp (or is it the other way around?), but what about 40% with an earthworm? On a quantum level life consists of protons, neutrons, electrons, bosons, and quarks, surrounded by mostly empty space. To a chemist a carbon atom is a carbon atom, whether it comes from a human or a snail. What a grand mystery!

This shared design suggests to many a purpose and spirituality to life on earth. Call it God, the Tao, or whatever, it provides order and harmony to our often frenzied lives. And it promotes a sense of connectivity to other people and to nature. This profound understanding then influences conduct. Morality becomes an imperative. The basic kinship binding all life together demands that we minimize harm to other species, as the Buddhists have been saying for 2500 years.