By Amy MengHold up a piece of paper. What do you see? If you are a Buddhist Zen master, you will clearly see that there is a cloud floating in the sheet of paper. Without the cloud, there is no rain; without rain, there are no trees; without trees, there is no paper. If you look even closer, you will see the paper mill and the logger, and the logger’s daily bread. You will see the sunshine that nourishes wheat for the bread, and the sun that holds the world in perfect orbit. The cloud and the paper “inter-are.” [1]. This lesson in “interbeing” originates from Buddhist monk and peace activist Thích Nhất Hạnh. Whether we know it or not, Hanh's teachings permeate our world. In fact, his autobiographical documentary, “Walk with Me,” will be narrated by none other than Benedict Cumberbatch, who identifies as Buddhist –“at least philosophically" - and attributes much of his success to the teachings of Hạnh. Other prominent figures who claim to have been influenced by Hanh include comedian Garry Shandling and Alejandro Iñárritu, director of the Oscar-winning Birdman and The Revenant [2]. Hạnh teaches us that separateness is an illusion. To be is to inter-be. The impetus of this lesson is especially apparent in light of Earth’s warming climate. We have all heard that permafrost in the arctic is melting very quickly. More unfamiliar is that this permafrost harbors enormous stores of methane gas that, when released, will raise global temperatures at a catastrophic rate. Even more frightening is that some United States presidential candidates don’t accept this as fact.
And so, with election season in full-swing and Earth Day just around the corner, let us reflect on our responsibility as voters. In evaluating our candidates, let us dissect both their social and environmental policies. Yes, charisma and determination are necessary traits of great leaders, but what about open-mindedness and analytical thinking? Are they, so to speak, scientists? Let us hold our candidates up to scientific criticism and consider their attitudes toward our environment. In realizing our interbeing with nature, we realize that we are ever more alike, ever united. The universe does not care what God we worship, or what political party we support. The universe does not care that our beautiful, blue-marbled home is dying. We are the sole protectors of the only planet known to sustain life, and it is our duty to stand united for our common home. Let us vote not as citizens of America, but as citizens of Earth. For, in the wisdom of Thích Nhất Hạnh, to be is to inter-be. Sources [1] http://www.lionsroar.com/the-fullness-of-emptiness/ [2] http://www.lionsroar.com/benedict-cumberbatch-narrate-thich-nhat-hanh-documentary/ [3] https://nsidc.org/cryosphere/frozenground/methane.html
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AuthorsThe authors of these blog posts are staff writers of The Triple Helix at Georgetown University. Archives
November 2016
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