Thanks for your thoughtful response. Yeah, I'm fortunate to have experienced a lot of ceremonies with indigenous cultures over the years. It is a rare opportunity. I remember my first time entering a tipi, and feeling so lucky to see inside, and to sit alongside these folks whose customs were completely different from my own, and yet their hearts and minds and human qualities were the very same. They always treated me like a brother, or a nephew, and welcomed me into their circles. To me, that is a good example of a compassionate human being - one who welcomes another openly as a relative.