Connectedness in Life

There was a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon. One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned
something interesting about how he grew it.

The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbours. "How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbours when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked.

"Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbours grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbours grow good corn."

He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbour’s corn also improves. So it is in other dimensions. Those who choose to be at peace
must help their neighbours to be at peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.

The lesson for each of us is this: if we are to grow good corn, we must help our neighbors grow good corn. With the same token, if we are to live a fulfilling life, we must help people around us to live a fulfilling life. If we want "pure land" - however your personal definition might be, we must elevate everyone around us to that level so, together, we can cultivate an environment of pure land.

All living beings are inter-connected. We celebrate the connectedness in life by being open minded and kind to all.

This speech was delivered at the Grand Hall of Jade Buddha Temple, aided by a PowerPoint presentation.