Buddhism in a New Light 12. An Illusion of Independence

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.

(Originally published in the World Tribune, Oct. 3, 2003)