Martin Pretchel in his book Long Life, Honey in the Heart talks about the Mayan concept of kas-limaal which roughly means “mutual indebtedness, mutual insparkedness.”

He said: “The knowledge that every animal, plant, person, wind and season is indebted to the fruit of everything else is an adult knowledge. To get out of debt means you don’t want to be part of life, and you don’t want to grow into an adult.”

We live in a web of life. In order for something to live, something has to die. When we eat, no matter you eat animal food or vegetables or fruit, something dies so we get to have the gift of the vitality to live. One day, our bodies will die and feed something else on earth.

It’s a circle of life. We can never get out of this debt if we want to live.

When we are in full acceptance of death and life and all the sufferings and sorrow that may come with them, we come into peace with this adult knowledge.

Therefore, the point should be: “What can I do to pay the gift forward on earth?”

I’m still pondering on this.