I believe that everything has 'life force' and a right to exist. Rocks are alive, they just move reeeaaaaallll slow!

To me, this precept instructs us to have respect for all life, to show gratitude, not to just be grateful.

I personally show gratitude and respect by being a vegetarian. Do all Reiki Practitioners need to be vegetarians? Heavens no! How one decides to follow this precept is a very personal decision, on many different levels.

The important thing is to show gratitude through our daily actions.

I believe that Usui thought that it is important to think about these things.

How do you show gratitude? How do you show it to every living thing.

For another perspective on this, check out the 5 Mindfulness Trainings of Thich Nhat Hanh, especially the First.