CHIEF OREN LYONS of the Onondaga Nation stood before an audience at a recent leadership summit in the nation's capital and spoke of the spiritual law.

``Spirituality, you say, do you know what it is? What is your vision and the vision of your leaders? What are the laws that we make and abide by?'' he asked.

Lyons crystallized why some explorations of spirituality are often not grounded in real life. Some are of the navel-gazing variety; some are merely an abstract intellectual foray. Yet these explorations are separated from everyday living where we make choices that raze rain forests, demean human beings and leave people with water they can no longer drink.

Presidential hopeful Al Gore can write about an Earth in balance and still owe his wealth to stock in Occidental Petroleum, while the U'wa population of South America is threatened daily by the Colombian military, resulting in clashes that have reportedly already cost several U'wa lives. The U'wa have threatened mass suicide if Occidental pursues oil exploration under their lands, which are sacred to them. Their spiritual laws say no one should suck the blood of their mother.

In many ways, spirituality is a form of leadership. Spirituality, by its very nature, should carry accountability -- to ourselves, our families and our communities. Our actions should be congruent with the values that feed our spirit.

While the country is on watch for the next politician who will lead us (as some presidential candidates, in trying to show their spirituality, invoke the name of Jesus), Lyons points to laws of nature that are greater than those made inside the Beltway -- and they are great instructions in how we should lead and live our lives.

``Never make a law against the spiritual law because you cannot prevail,'' Lyons said. ``Never make a law against nature. Remember that you cannot and will not prevail. You will be defeated every time. It may not be your generation that sees it, but you will be defeated.''

Many spiritual elders have taught about living in accordance with the great natural laws. Today's world often acts as if it can change the ``jurisdiction of spiritual law,'' Lyons said. Do not make laws outside of our authority, he cautions. ``There is a higher law.''

Some of those laws include not taking more than you need, not taking without giving back, and living in balance with all beings because we are all connected. Many great teachings recognize that we harvest what we sow. That is recognized as a Judeo-Christian ethos, yet all major religions have similar beliefs.

Buddhists speak of a great natural law that pulsates through the universe and organizes all life, the strict law of cause and effect. Buddhism also adheres to the principle of ``dependent origination.'' Nothing is created in isolation, and all life evolves in relationship to all living beings.

Winona LaDuke provides riveting accounts of native leadership to protect the environment in ``All Our Relations: Native Struggles for Land and Life.'' On her own White Earth Reservation in Minnesota, the Anishinaabeg have challenged logging and illegal land claims, and they are restoring their forest culture. As LaDuke acknowledges, change is certain, but who determines the changes to come?

``The challenge at the cusp of the millennium is to transform human laws to match natural laws, not vice versa,'' she writes. ``And to correspondingly transform wasteful production and voracious consumption. American and industrial society must move from a society based on conquest to one steeped in the practice of survival.''

The same could be said of the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico, where the residents are united in opposition to continued bombings of their homeland.

``Mitakuye Oyasin'': We are all related. This Lakota prayer signifies that we are not above animals or plant life, but instead we become complete in relation to every living being around us; we all are co-creators of life. We send prayers to all of creation -- all is sacred. For if we are part of creation and the natural world, how can we not affect it?

As is often invoked in prayers: to all our relations.

Patrisia Gonzales and Roberto Rodriguez are syndicated columnists.

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