Here's a summary of the seeds of humility I gathered in our latest trip to Thailand (Part I, Part II, Part III):

1. Bringing the most awareness I can to a situation is a valuable contribution; I can dedicate any merit from my actions, however small, to the betterment of others--whoever I choose.
   
2. We can come together in our families, neighborhoods and communities with shared values that include courtesy, cooperation, and a desire for others to be safe, successful and happy.
3. There are other ways to be entertained that don't include harming animals or humans.

Each seed informs how I am choosing to step into empowered action.

Continuing on from Part I and Part II, where we explored how  people can dedicate themselves to the well-being of others (monks and nuns) and how a whole community can choose to prioritize safety and kindness (transportation in Thailand), the final seed of humility I experienced in our recent trip to Thailand was the treatment of elephants and other animals so that tourists like myself can be entertained.

I was the youngest of six kids in our rowdy Italian family. As much as I liked to tease my siblings that Mom and Dad stopped having kids after me because "they finally reached perfection," the reality was we were all invariably at the brunt of a lot of jokes and put downs.

Taking up from Part I, if the good we do in this life can be given, or dedicated, to others, what happens when you live in a culture where everyone is working toward least harm and the greater good of all? What happens when everyone comes together in their community for the the very best of not only themselves, but everyone around them?

I witness this in Thailand not in overly overt ways, but see it built into the very fabric of life. It's seamlessly invisible until you tease apart patterns and behaviors.

{Whether it's a moment of awe-inspiring grandeur or a situation that wins against my ever-so-arrogant ego, I'm used to humility slamming me upside the head--either knocking me flat on my face or at least to my knees.  In the last few days of our two month journey to Thailand, while it was a little less dramatic than this, humility had me on my knees yet again.}

We often stay along the Chao Praya River when in Bangkok. It's situated near the major tourist attractions (The Grand Palace, National Museum, various important wats, and Thammasat University). It's also far enough away from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok's mega-malls, skyscrapers and intense traffic, which helps us transition in and out with a little more grace.

There's rarely a place you can go in Thailand where, within a few blocks, there isn't a wat (Buddhist monastery). Jim and I are used to stopping at one or more as a regular part of our day--whether as tourists to explore the grandeur of the Buddha images and grounds, make an offering of incense or flowers, visit with a dog or two, or just sit in quiet stillness, bringing our attention inward.

One of our favorite things is to experience monks chanting. Without knowing the words, the melodious sounds spoken tend to lull my heart into soft knowing.