Living in Coexistence

“While developing awareness on our life journey, we become aware of the truth – which gradually and with much love illuminates us like the first rays of the rising Sun – that we are all One Life, deeply interconnected with each other in mysterious and enigmatic ways.

Different traditions have used various words, signs, symbols, and other exoteric expressions to convey this idea of unity. The ancient Vedic tradition calls this interconnectedness pranajeeva, the Kybalion refers to it as the law of unity, the Mayans depict it as the tree of life that unites humanity with divinity, Nichiren Buddhism speaks of the principle of esho funi, according to which life (sho) and its environment (e) are inseparable (funi). Funi means “two without duality.” Although we perceive things around us as separate from ourselves, at a subtler level of life, there is no division between us and our environment.

Similarly, classical Greek philosophers, including Pythagoras, described the universe as a macrobios – a unique living being that encompasses the entire known universe.” But each of us is his own small, yet significant part. It is conceived as an intelligent, comprehensive organism that has organs, each with its own role – its own duty – in the service of maintaining life and the stability of the entire universe. And like an ocean that contains many individual water droplets, this One Life manifests itself in billions of us, encompassing every living being, whether it be a rock, a tree, an animal, or a human… and it transcends visible forms to include the invisible ones.

From almost every culture, especially those that existed thousands of years ago, we learn that the essence of Life is interconnectedness. Although it may not be obvious at first glance, we do not need to search long for evidence; we see it in the entire universe. We know that in the solar system, the gravitational force of the Sun maintains the planets in their orbits in eternal interconnection. We know that the Moon affects the tides, the menstrual cycle, and our moods, and we are aware of many symbiotic relationships. A bee in nature is a connection between living beings and elements – such as wind and pollination, rain clouds and rivers, bees and their role in the delicate balance of a fragile ecosystem.

In a way, we ourselves feel this mutual connection. We can be Zulu, Japanese, Scandinavian, Brazilian, or Indian and not understand the languages of others – but we all share the same range of emotions, desires, and fears. Regardless of where we come from, we stand up to hug our children, play with our pets, protect our homes, and want everyone we love to be safe from any harm.

Behind these external similarities, there are also finer aspects that unite us all on a deeper level. The melody performed by a symphony orchestra, where every instrument, every musician, every note is united in perfect harmony, inspires us, uplifts our mood, and resonates in our emotions. The same happens when performing a noble act; it unites us beyond race, gender, and space, so that we can advocate for what is right. What is correct. Moreover, when there is an ideal that brings people together, despite any form of separation, an ideal like the search for wisdom and the ‘Truth’ that is the essence of life itself, that ideal inspires us to make the most of our own potential. We connect with it collectively, transcending individual identities, because when the impulse comes from a higher realm, we also respond from our higher self.

Everything we think, say, or do affects everything else

Together, we create the foundation and fabric of life; everything we think, say, or do, affects our environment. Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh wrote about the concept of interbeing, tiep hien. Tiep means “connecting two threads to make a longer thread”. It represents the idea of a continuous process of harmonizing with the whole. Hien means “realizing, actualizing it here and now”; not dwelling in the world of learning, but transmitting those insights into real life, in all three dimensions of our actions: body, speech, and mind. Thoughts and words Actions also have consequences, and they can cause unrest in the world around us. The butterfly effect, a term coined by Edward Lorenz, speaks to the fact that “small causes can have large effects.” Even a mental image, a thought, can have an impact somewhere else in the world. We must be aware that the seed of violence is sown in our minds. It doesn’t even have to be a deadly thought. A simple bubble of resentment towards our boss, a quiet defiance of a critical parent, or the desire for the failure of a ruthless competitor are forms of mental violence that have already affected another person – and ourselves, because, after all, we are all interconnected. Is it not because the mind is far more powerful than we think? Let us quote John Milton’s Paradise Lost: “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.”

Clearly, everything we do affects the overall network of interconnectedness – for better or worse. But we can choose how we contribute to this community. Are we offering… our higher selves, with the forces of good and our virtues, requires effort and discipline. We must choose to contribute to the harmony of life’s symphony instead of promoting materialism and division. The battle between our lower and higher selves, the Pandavas and Kuravas as described in the Bhagavad Gita, is a daily struggle. Are we causing disharmony and noise by separating ourselves from the symphony of life? Or are we giving our all, regardless of the effort and discipline required, to contribute to the harmony of celestial music?

If we are mindful, we can recognize how to live in unity

Undoubtedly, we encounter numerous challenges as we take steps towards harmonization. However, most obstacles lie within ourselves and are completely within our control. Hanh astutely shows where the barriers to connection reside, rooted in anger, desire, apathy towards others’ suffering, lack of courage, and selfishness.

“Do not be attached to any doctrine or theory, not even to Buddhism”

Aligning with our higher selves and experiencing unity with others requires letting go of attachments and embracing a more open-minded approach. We must transcend the limitations of any specific belief system, including Buddhism, and cultivate an attitude of openness and acceptance. Any individual ideology only makes us narrow-minded, intolerant, and turns us against each other. Instead, it suggests that we use spiritual teachings as guidelines for our own exploration to attain our own intuitive wisdom, the inner reality that is a common characteristic of all life. Therefore, it is essential that education is conducted as a comparative study of cultures and traditions from around the world. Additionally, it must include various forms of human experience, such as art and science, as means of seeking the unifying essence of wisdom that transcends apparent multitude and diversity.

“Excessive attachment to our own perspectives can be an obstacle to true insight”4

When we believe that we know everything, it separates us from others and prevents us from learning anything new. Such an attitude can also hinder our connection with the universe. For example, when we look at a sunset, we can sense its magnificence… but a scientist will tell us that the sun has already set. “It takes eight minutes for us to see it. If we only stick to the scientific aspect of knowledge, we lose the possibility of advancing in understanding the present moment. Do not feed anger or hatred. Learn to penetrate them and transform them while they are still seeds in your consciousness. Most of the time, it is not the stubbornness of the other person that angers us, but our inability to express our point of view – which we believe is correct! Can we perceive this as our inability to effectively state our beliefs and convince others to change their own? Or even accept that it is their right to do things their own way? Do not speak words of discord. Reconciliation is an art that requires us to understand both conflicting sides. Reconciliation does not mean judging while we are outside the conflict, it means taking some responsibility for the existence of the conflict, making an effort to understand the suffering of both sides and trying to bring the suffering of the other side closer and offering possible solutions.”

Considering that we know all this because we have heard it from many different sources, why is it still difficult to achieve, to implement in practice? And why is it so important to rise above differences in order to do what is right? Perhaps because it is the true nature of the human spirit – to engage in the daily battle, to challenge our lower selves and to emerge victorious as individuals who live by a higher code of conduct in order to achieve Unity of Life, of which we are a part, and to help others do the same.

We could ask, what is the purpose of living in coexistence? Buddha might respond that it is for the dispersal of the illusion of separateness, the greatest of all illusions, and for the identification with Unity. Only when we recognize this truth and begin to live in accordance with it can we start making the world a better place. Hanh quotes Pali Canon10: Dittha dhamma sukha vihari – Joy dwells where Dharma is, meaning where we actively participate in the interconnectedness and in that process, discover true joy.

“What is not good “For the beehive, it cannot be good for the bee,” said Mark Aurelius. However, how often do we keep this in mind when making decisions?
We are not separate; we are not alone, nor are we self-sufficient. We are just a drop in the ocean called Life. And we can become much greater in spirit by joining its flow. In the words of former President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam:
“Where there is justice in the heart, there is beauty in character.
Where there is beauty in character, there is harmony in the home.
Where there is harmony in the home, there is order in the nation.
Where there is order in the nation, there is peace in the world.”
The only true way of life is coexistence.
1 One branch of Buddhism based on the teachings of Nichiren, a Japanese monk from the 13th century. (footnote)
2 Orig. interbeing is the English version of the Vietnamese term tiep hien coined by Thich Nhat Hanh and explained in the book Fourteen Guidelines for Engaged Buddhism. The term represents a state of interconnectedness and interdependence of all phenomena. (footnote)
3 Thich Nh at Hanh. Interbeing, Fourteen Guidelines for Engaged Buddhism.
4 Ibid.
5 Ibid.
6 Ibid.
7 Ibid.
8 Ibid.
9 Ibid.
10 Collection of Theravada Buddhism texts. (op.cit.)