We live in a
world that celebrates individualism. It is easy to forget how much we truly
need each other and are profoundly connected beyond the superficial level. The construct
of “Interbeing” was introduced into the North American Buddhist vocabulary by
Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) in his commentary on the Heart of the Prajnaparamita
Sutra:
“If you are a poet, you will see clearly that there is a cloud floating in
this sheet of paper. Without a cloud, there will be no rain; without rain, the
trees cannot grow; and without trees, we cannot make paper. The cloud is
essential for the paper to exist. If the cloud is not here, the sheet of paper
cannot be here either. So we can say that the cloud and the paper inter-are.
“Interbeing” is a word that is not in the dictionary yet, but if we combine the
prefix “inter-“ with the verb “to be,” we have a new verb, inter-be.”
According to
Thay, a critical aspect of the construct of interbeing is the realization that
there is no independent self. The perception of self, of “me”, of “mine” is an
illusion, albeit a sometimes pleasant one. Increasing our awareness of how
truly connected we are to each other, and how each action that we take can
impact others, empowers us to move through the world from a place of wonder and
grace.
Janet
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