TAKING DOMINION

We read in Ancient writing that man was told to take dominion over the earth, to subdue it and make it fruitful. This probably means to take charge of things, crops, mines, animal, etc Much of this has been done - Man raises crops, domesticates animals, builds shelters, builds roads, bridges, means of transportation and power, controls fire for the most part, obtains many substances from the earth, refines them for many uses of mankind; however, often without seeming to realize that when one tames anything, whether it is a plant, an energy, animal, or the earth, one is responsible for it.

Greed thus influenced mankind to merely gain dominion over these for gain and neglected the responsibility part of the transaction. All things can be dominated without injury to the environment. Of course, this may take a little from the profit; however, failure to do so results in great loss to life on earth now and in the future. This could properly be called exploitation, not dominion. So probably  little consideration has been given to the meaning of dominion.

It is possible for us to start considering daily the real meaning of dominion and to practice. This will set in motion a revolution in the thinking of mankind. Please don't fall into the trap of "I can do nothing," as all real changes start very small. One real action produces more results than a hundred protest movements or thousands of letters to the editor. Do something, plenty of others are just complaining. Complaining and blaming are just "Someone else should do it, but not I".

This blaming leads to the greatest of misunderstanding of the commission to take dominion of the earth; To take dominion over people. The only person one has responsibility to take dominion over is self. However, all blaming and complaining say very loudly, "I'm not responsible for me but everyone else is, so I should have some institution take dominion over all people and force them to do my will, take care of me."

So now as one looks about we see that more and more there is concentrated effort to take dominion over people.

This is done by laws, by suggestion, by advertising, by example, by threats, by, guns, by violence. This has been going on so long that it is merely accepted as the only way.

Possibly if one cares to really pay attention it is rather obvious that most of one's energy is spent attempting to gain control over others; and even though one gets it, control over others is very unsatisfying; so of course the idea is that there simply isn't ENOUGH control, therefore the effort to get more control, therefore the effort to get more control. Remember that what anyone controls, one is responsible for. Another practice: Eliminate all conscious and unconscious attempts to control others and use that energy to take charge of self.

Understanding the idea of dominion and practicing it can bring about a new world, first for self and then to will spread. This is a Teaching idea that anyone can use daily and one that practiced will bring about transformation.