Milton Magazine - Milton Academy

On considering theinterests of othersWhether we like it or not, we have all beenborn on this earth as part of one greathuman family. Rich or poor, educated oruneducated, belonging to one nation oranother, to one religion or another, adheringto this ideology or that, ultimately eachof us is just a human being like everyoneelse: we all desire happiness and do notwant suffering. Furthermore, each of ushas an equal right to pursue these goals.Today’s world requires that we accept theoneness of human ity. In the past, isolatedcommunities could afford to thinkof one another as fundamentally separateand even existing in total isolation.Nowadays, however, events in one partof the world eventually affect the entireplanet. Therefore we have to treat eachmajor local problem as a global concernfrom the moment it begins. We can nolonger invoke the national, racial or ideologicalbarriers that separate us withoutdestructive repercussion. In the context ofour new interdependence, considering theinterests of others is clearly the best formof self-interest.I view this fact as a source of hope.The necessity for coopera tion can onlystrengthen humankind, because it helpsus recognize that the most secure foundationfor the new world order is not simplybroader political and economic alliances,but rather each individual’s genuine practiceof love and compassion. For a better,happier, more stable and civilized future,each of us must develop a sincere, warmheartedfeeling of brother- and sisterhood.On seeking fullness of visionand understandingThe example of the tree translates to thelevel of humanity as well. We recognizeand identify our friends, acquaintancesand family by their appearances, by whatthey look like. You know me asMs. DeBuhr perhaps because of my short,blond hair or glasses, or short stature,by the shape of my face, or by the kindof clothing I wear. But I am, as we allare, more than our appearances. We aredefined by our mothers, fathers and siblings.We are defined by the geographicallocation in which we grow up, the religionor nonreligion with which we were raised,the books we read, the friends we make,the food we eat, the land that producesthe food, the buildings in which we live,the contractors and builders who constructedthem, the experiences we endureand the ones in which we rejoice. As ZenBuddhism states, our identities are empty,empty of an independent existence. Ourlives are defined by interdependence, theinterweaving of other individuals, theearth, and our own experiences.Seeking more deeply the nature of realitymeans seeing things as they are and recognizingtheir emptiness and interdependencewith the universe. Ultimately, we areall connected.12 Milton Magazine