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2. An Illusion of Independence |
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The world around us has become
so interconnected that we find ourselves disconnected
from it. The ever-increasing sophistication in commerce
and communication makes it possible for us to go online
and buy almost everything we want without ever stepping
outside or meeting other people. Even when we go out to
a supermarket, we are many steps removed, via an intricate
web of distribution, from farmers and fishers. At a mall,
we are thousands of miles away, across international borders,
from those who actually made the shoes and clothes we’re
buying.
Unlike medieval villagers who knew intimately where their
bread and eggs came from, we never see those who make
our lives possible, and we rarely think of them. Modern
technology and the conveniences it brings have made us
oblivious to how much our lives depend on the efforts
of many others and the blessings of nature. We can survive
on our own, it seems, as long as we have money. The interconnected
world has made itself invisible to us, and the reality
of complex interdependence has given way to an illusion
of independence. We make our own living and buy what we
want, so we are self-sufficient. In this way, we like
to think of ourselves as independent.
Detachment, however, is not independence. Nor does our
ignorance of interdependence make us self-sufficient.
Such an illusion of independence is alarming because it
carries the risk of giving people license to act without
regards for others and the environment. To those who think
that they are living on their own, the suffering of others
and the destruction of nature become invisible. The only
things that matter to them are themselves and what they
own.
This is why it is not uncommon to see people who keep
their own homes impeccably clean but nonchalantly litter
the sidewalks or toss cigarette butts out their car windows.
This is why some business and political leaders, who are
likely loving and caring toward their own families, would
not hesitate to exploit the poor of distant nations and
destroy the wildlife in need of preservation.
People’s sense of self is made smaller by their
illusion of independence. Literally, their conception
of self does not extend beyond the confines of their skin,
their gene pools, or the property lines around their homes.
Also people’s sense of community—that is,
the feeling of “we” and “us”—often
remains within their faiths or ideologies, lifestyle or
income. The world has been increasingly divided into “self”
and “other,” into what is mine (which I must
protect) and what is not mine (which I am free to exploit).
Nichiren Buddhism sees our awareness of interconnectedness
as a key to our genuine happiness. Nichiren Daishonin
explains the importance of understanding the “oneness
of self and others” (Gosho Zenshu, p. 769). He points
out that our respect for others is—in the innermost
reality of life—identical to our respect for ourselves,
just as “when one bows facing a mirror, the reflected
image bows back” (Gosho Zenshu, p. 769).
The Daishonin’s message in this mirror analogy is
clear. As long as we are caught up in the separation between
self and others—thinking, “I will bow to you
only if you bow to me first”—we will find
ourselves in a frustrating waiting game that can lead
to outbursts of anger and even violence. With each passing
minute, we infuriate ourselves by misinterpreting the
mirror’s reflection of our own frowns and glaring
eyes as a personal insult inflicted upon us by others,
who are unfortunately going through the self-same process,
trapped within the hard crust of their own small ego.
The key to our personal wellbeing and the peace and harmony
of the world then lies in awakening ourselves from the
slumber of imaginary independence and reconnecting ourselves
with the rest of humanity and the natural environment
of this planet. There can be no true prosperity of humanity
without conquering the disparity between haves and have-nots.
There can be no lasting world peace without the peace
among peoples, without the peace among religions. This
seemingly overwhelming project can become a reality when
we embrace the joys and sorrows of those around us and
of those who, while separated from us in distance, are
still deeply affected by our everyday actions and connected
to us through our shared humanity. Expanding our awareness
of what is required to succeed, in turn, begins with our
daily Buddhist practice.
Can we develop our appreciation for those who make our
lives possible and cultivate our sensitivity toward the
natural world upon which our survival depends? Can we
remove the spectacles colored with our attachment to religious
differences and start seeing every person of every faith
in the natural sunlight of humanity? Can we respect the
planet’s mountains, rivers and oceans as we would
our own backyards? The globalization of business and technology
will prove beneficial only if it keeps pace with the globalization
of our mindset, with the expansion of our consciousness
toward the global scale of nature and humanity.
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(Originally published in the World
Tribune, Oct. 3, 2003)
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