A Universe of Interconnectedness
"As long as we remain on the surface of life, everyone and everything seems to exist as isolated entities. But when we look below the surface, we see strata upon strata of dynamic interconnectedness. If we look to the greatest depth, Buddhism says, we will see a world where no one and no thing stands apart.
"A plate of spaghetti for dinner, for instance, isn't just a jumble of noodles to which we add tomato sauce. Those noodles have emerged out of someone's labor in growing the wheat, their hopes and fears and dreams for their children, the soil and air and rainfall and sunlight that nurtured and supported the growth of that crop. These elements are themselves interactively affected by depletions in the ozone layer and by the loss of the Amazon rain forests, by global warming and by acid rain. A host of environmental degradations, neglectful industries, government regulations, and hopeful interventions are among the conditions giving rise to our plate of spaghetti.
"Included in our dinner as well are the efforts of those who shipped the wheat, and those who milled it, and the shopping we ourselves did the night before at our local neighborhood grocery store, kept open by the young proprietor's fearful obsession with a secure old age. Also included is the culinary history of Italy, where pasta became a staple, as well as that of China, where laborers on vast paddies were among the first to eat noodles.
"And still this is just a tiny part of the converging conditions. What about the conditions that affected our childhood food cravings, and then our lifelong eating habits? What about the latest board meeting concerning the advertising budget of the company that enticed us to buy their particular brand of pasta? Looking below the surface, we see revealed a world in which a single plate of spaghetti comes out of an entire universe of interconnectedness."
