Orange County Buddhist Church
Orange County Buddhist Church
A WAY OF SEEING (Interdependence - again)
Interdependence is an easy word to use nowadays, since it seems to have come into vogue in the last five years or so. As Buddhists know though, the Buddha taught this reality 2500 years ago.
The most basic statement of what it means is probably: “When this is, that is; when that is, this is. When this is not, that is not; when that is not, this is not.” The most common example of this is maybe cause and effect. However, the Buddha Śākyamuni usually, if not always, saw things as effect-cause, rather than the usual, for us, cause-effect. The reason is that it was more effective to see what a problem was and then see what caused it. Look, for example, at the Four Noble Truths. First, he saw that living entails suffering (effect). Second, he looked for the cause. Third, he knew that there was a situation free from suffering (effect), since he was a living example. Fourth, there were ways to free oneself from suffering (cause).
Perhaps a more pertinent example of interdependence is global warming. There are enough examples of this that it should not be necessary to point out how this is an example of interdependence; however, let me give you a personal example. About 20 years ago or more, I learned that our neighboring state Nevada had no individual income tax and thought that would be nice, since I would be on a fixed retirement income. However, the first problem that hit me in the face was water, a problem that apparently only now has raised concerns for Nevadans, probably because there are so many more of them now than 20 years ago. It should have been as plain to them as to me that, even without the huge influx of people, hotels, and golf courses, there would be, sooner than later, a shortage of water. Of course, I dropped the idea of moving there.
On the other hand, since much of Southern California’s water (that’s us, folks) comes from the Colorado River, and since most, if not all, of Nevada’s water does also, there will probably be a water war sometime in the future, unless we can figure out a way of cheaply desalinizing ocean water. We are not likely to be getting much more than we are now of Sacramento delta water. And since global warming is already raising sea levels, there will be plenty of ocean water. On the other hand, because of global warming, there are likely to be more droughts, more usage of power to run air conditioners, and that power needs to come from somewhere. Hydroelectric? Have you seen pictures of Lakes Powell and Mead lately? Powell is almost half empty. Or should that be half full?
These are all instances of interdependence, but, since there is nothing that is not interdependent on something, everything we do or do not do has or will have some effect on every other thing. Whether we try to make those effects positive or negative will be the question each of us will have to answer.
Please think about it. Save some water for your progeny.
Gassho,
Donkon Jaan
Rev. John Doami
July 2007
