--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is an ancient Indian saying: \"We do…" description: "\"There is an ancient Indian saying: \"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.\" If we use this ethic as a moral co..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27a/patricia-schroeder-13854_ancestor_there-is-an-ancient-indian-saying-we-do_48567.jpg" --- # There is an ancient Indian saying: "We do not inherit the… ![“There is an ancient Indian saying: "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children." If we use this ethic as a moral compass, then our rendezvous with reality can also become a rendezvous with opportunity.” quote by Patricia Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27a/patricia-schroeder-13854_ancestor_there-is-an-ancient-indian-saying-we-do_48567.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27a/patricia-schroeder-13854_ancestor_there-is-an-ancient-indian-saying-we-do_48567.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27a/patricia-schroeder-13854_ancestor_there-is-an-ancient-indian-saying-we-do_48567.jpg) > “There is an ancient Indian saying: "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children." If we use this ethic as a moral compass, then our rendezvous with reality can also become a rendezvous with opportunity.” [Patricia Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote urges viewing the planet as a temporary loan for future generations, shaping decisions toward sustainable stewardship and seizing present opportunities aligned with that ethic. **In simple terms:** Treat Earth as a loan for kids. Key Takeaway Sustainability fuels opportunity. Themes environmental ethics intergenerational responsibility sustainability opportunity mindset moral philosophy future-oriented thinking Mood hopeful reflective inspired Type proverb philosophical call to action When to use this quote - policy making - corporate strategy - personal lifestyle choices - educational curricula - community projects Key Concepts stewardship long-term planning ethical decision-making resource management Practical Applications - designing green technologies - creating sustainable business models Questions to Reflect On - How does viewing resources as borrowed change our priorities? - What opportunities arise when we align profit with planetary health? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ancestor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancestor/) [Ancient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Compass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compass/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) [Indian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indian/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Moral compass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-compass/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Rendezvous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rendezvous/) ## Related quotes > [We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-do-not-inherit-the-earth-from-our-ancestors-we-borrow-it-from-our-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“old Indian proverb, “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-christina-wood/old-indian-proverb-we-do-not-inherit-the-earth-from-our-ancestors-we/) [Mary Christina Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-christina-wood/) > [We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. -Proverb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/we-do-not-inherit-the-earth-from-our-ancestors-we-borrow-it-from-our/) Proverb > [Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crazy-horse/treat-the-earth-well-it-was-not-given-to-you-by-your-parents-it-was/) [Crazy Horse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crazy-horse/) > [“If the people of Old Earth, our ancestors and their descendants today who remain, could keep building, could keep trying, how can we do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-campbell/if-the-people-of-old-earth-our-ancestors-and-their-descendants-today/) [Jack Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-campbell/) > [“The 101st has no history, but it has a rendezvous with destiny.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maj-gen-william-c-lee/the-101st-has-no-history-but-it-has-a-rendezvous-with-destiny/) Maj. Gen William C. Lee > [I'm obsessed with brows, so Revlon's ColorStay Eyebrow Liner is a must, and the Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous is another obsession.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-foster-blake/i-m-obsessed-with-brows-so-revlon-s-colorstay-eyebrow-liner-is-a-must/) [Zoe Foster Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-foster-blake/) > [There is a mysterious cycle in human events. To some generations much is given. Of other generations much is expected. This generation of Americans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/there-is-a-mysterious-cycle-in-human-events-to-some-generations-much/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [God reminds us again and again that things between He and us are forever fixed. They are the rendezvous points where God declares to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/god-reminds-us-again-and-again-that-things-between-he-and-us-are/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [There's room for everyone at the rendezvous of victory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aime-cesaire/there-s-room-for-everyone-at-the-rendezvous-of-victory/) [Aime Cesaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aime-cesaire/) > [Well, the coolest thing I have seen so far, in terms of, like, me being an astronaut and seeing something unusual, was the rendezvous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-a-ford/well-the-coolest-thing-i-have-seen-so-far-in-terms-of-like-me-being/) [Kevin A. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-a-ford/) > [Interestingly enough, Aurthur C. Clarke once autographed a copy of his book "Rendezvous with Rama" for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/interestingly-enough-aurthur-c-clarke-once-autographed-a-copy-of-his/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [With no chance to take off, I had to play my role, searching for the rendezvous spot, which gave me the excuse to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelley-armstrong/with-no-chance-to-take-off-i-had-to-play-my-role-searching-for-the/) [Kelley Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelley-armstrong/) > [If you're feeling fancy free, come wander through the world with me, and any place we chance to be, will be a rendezvous. Two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mancini/if-you-re-feeling-fancy-free-come-wander-through-the-world-with-me/) [Henry Mancini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mancini/) > [The fleet sailed to its war base in the North Sea, headed not so much for some rendezvous with glory as for rendezvous with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-tuchman/the-fleet-sailed-to-its-war-base-in-the-north-sea-headed-not-so-much/) [Barbara Tuchman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-tuchman/) ## More by Patricia Schroeder > [A draft doesn't produce the people we need to satisfy our real manpower shortage. We need specialists to keep our jets flying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/a-draft-doesn-t-produce-the-people-we-need-to-satisfy-our-real/) [Patricia Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/) > [When it comes to college education, American families are paying more and getting less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/when-it-comes-to-college-education-american-families-are-paying-more/) [Patricia Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/) > [My entire history with the Navy have been trying to get the Navy to focus on families and child care and all the things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/my-entire-history-with-the-navy-have-been-trying-to-get-the-navy-to/) [Patricia Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/) > [If the search engines don't respect the creators, there won't be anything to search in the future because creators have to make a living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/if-the-search-engines-don-t-respect-the-creators-there-won-t-be/) [Patricia Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/) > [Those who declared librarians obsolete when the Internet rage first appeared are now red-faced. We need them more than ever. The Internet is full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/those-who-declared-librarians-obsolete-when-the-internet-rage-first/) [Patricia Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/) > [I had always believed government was not a fungus: It could survive in sunshine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/i-had-always-believed-government-was-not-a-fungus-it-could-survive-in/) [Patricia Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/) > [I was and am, like many women, both pro-life and pro-choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/i-was-and-am-like-many-women-both-pro-life-and-pro-choice/) [Patricia Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/) > [Lobbying is a legitimate profession... Many congressional spouses act as lobbyists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/lobbying-is-a-legitimate-profession-many-congressional-spouses-act-as/) [Patricia Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/) > [The mood of the 80s - Get what you can, can what you get, and sit on the can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/the-mood-of-the-80s-get-what-you-can-can-what-you-get-and-sit-on-the/) [Patricia Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/) > [If you want to change the world, you change the world of a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/if-you-want-to-change-the-world-you-change-the-world-of-a-child/) [Patricia Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/) > [It's really funny if two women stand on the House floor. There are usually at least two men who go by and say, 'What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/it-s-really-funny-if-two-women-stand-on-the-house-floor-there-are/) [Patricia Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/) > [ \[When asked, as a prospective Presidential candidate, whether she had ever committed adultery:\] No. But then most congresswomen don't have 25-year-old lifeguards throwing themselves… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/when-asked-as-a-prospective-presidential-candidate-whether-she-had/) [Patricia Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/) > [“I have always preferred having wings to having things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/i-have-always-preferred-having-wings-to-having-things/) [Patricia Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/) > [Spine transplants are what we really need to take Reagan on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/spine-transplants-are-what-we-really-need-to-take-reagan-on/) [Patricia Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/) > [Nobody ever says to men, how can you be a Congressman and a father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/nobody-ever-says-to-men-how-can-you-be-a-congressman-and-a-father/) [Patricia Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/) [Explore all 49 Patricia Schroeder quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/) ## More Ancestor quotes > [A lot of indigenous cultures are deeply involved in working with ancestor spirits, elemental spirits, and demons. Many of these cultures feel that, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pinchbeck/a-lot-of-indigenous-cultures-are-deeply-involved-in-working-with/) [Daniel Pinchbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pinchbeck/) > [Food binds us to our roots as strongly as any song or poem. Many of us have learned more about our ancestors in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-thomas/food-binds-us-to-our-roots-as-strongly-as-any-song-or-poem-many-of-us/) [Anna Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-thomas/) > [Whereas our ancestors (not of choice) were the first successful cultivators of the wilds of America, we their descendants feel ourselves entitled to participate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-allen/whereas-our-ancestors-not-of-choice-were-the-first-successful/) [Richard Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-allen/) > [Going where no man has gone before is more difficult than it sounds. Our cousins and ancestors were no less curious than we are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/going-where-no-man-has-gone-before-is-more-difficult-than-it-sounds/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [I use the phrase 'sibling society' to suggest a culture fundamentally without fathers, mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers, or ancestors. The thinking is horizontal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bly/i-use-the-phrase-sibling-society-to-suggest-a-culture-fundamentally/) [Robert Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bly/) > [“A very long time ago, some 2.5 million years B.C., the mother of human species as we know it, our ultimate ancestor, appeared in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-f-cantor/a-very-long-time-ago-some-2-5-million-years-b-c-the-mother-of-human/) [Norman F. Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-f-cantor/) > [High birth is an accident, not a virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pietro-metastasio/high-birth-is-an-accident-not-a-virtue/) [Pietro Metastasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pietro-metastasio/) > [Southerners, whose ancestors a hundred years ago knew the horrors of a homeland devastated by war, are particularly determined that war shall never come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/southerners-whose-ancestors-a-hundred-years-ago-knew-the-horrors-of-a/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [Two hundred years ago, before the advent of capitalism, a man's social status was fixed from the beginning to the end of his life;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/two-hundred-years-ago-before-the-advent-of-capitalism-a-man-s-social/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [And I saw for the first time how, despite the isolation of our own lives, we are always connected to our ancestors; our bodies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyson-richman/and-i-saw-for-the-first-time-how-despite-the-isolation-of-our-own/) [Alyson Richman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyson-richman/) > [It is how it has always been. We will accept the legacy of our ancestors,' Asha says, smiling, and in her smile I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/it-is-how-it-has-always-been-we-will-accept-the-legacy-of-our/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [My ancestors came over from Germany about the time of the Civil War and one of them lost a leg and went back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/my-ancestors-came-over-from-germany-about-the-time-of-the-civil-war/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ Now they \[the Powers\] have started the aggression, and the extinction of our nation is imminent. If we just fold our arms and yield… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/empress-dowager-cixi/now-they-the-powers-have-started-the-aggression-and-the-extinction-of/) Empress Dowager Cixi > [A solitary American monk named Thomas Berry writes that in our relationship to nature, we have been autistic for centuries. Wrapped tightly in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/a-solitary-american-monk-named-thomas-berry-writes-that-in-our/) [Janine Benyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/) > [One is fully conscious when he or she is the results of having been informed and instructed by the experience of his or her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-small/one-is-fully-conscious-when-he-or-she-is-the-results-of-having-been/) James Small [Browse all 767 Ancestor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancestor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is an ancient Indian saying: \"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.\" If we use this ethic as a moral compass, then our rendezvous with reality can also become a rendezvous with opportunity.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Patricia Schroeder" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/there-is-an-ancient-indian-saying-we-do-not-inherit-the-earth-from/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ancestor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/there-is-an-ancient-indian-saying-we-do-not-inherit-the-earth-from/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27a/patricia-schroeder-13854_ancestor_there-is-an-ancient-indian-saying-we-do_48567.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27a/patricia-schroeder-13854_ancestor_there-is-an-ancient-indian-saying-we-do_48567.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27a/patricia-schroeder-13854_ancestor_there-is-an-ancient-indian-saying-we-do_48567.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is an ancient Indian saying: \"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our…” — Patricia Schroeder", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Patricia Schroeder", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There is an ancient Indian saying:...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/there-is-an-ancient-indian-saying-we-do-not-inherit-the-earth-from/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/there-is-an-ancient-indian-saying-we-do-not-inherit-the-earth-from/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```