When people perceive their lives as being at one with nature and the planet, their views of society, nationality and race will naturally be transformed. As long as the window of the human heart remains battened closed, no great future lies in store for humanity. People have to throw open the window of the heart. When they do so, there will be no more hindrance to peace.
All phenomena in the universe exist within the context of mutually supportive relationships, what Buddhism refers to as "dependent origination." Nothing exists without meaning and nothing is without significance.
Each form of life supports all others, together they weave the grand web of life. Thus there really is no happiness for oneself alone, no suffering that afflicts only others.
We need to awaken to a common consciousness of all being inhabitants of Earth. This consciousness is not to be found in some distant place. It will not be found on a computer screen. It lies in our hearts, in our ability to share the pain of our fellow human beings. It is the spirit that says: "As long as you are suffering, whoever you are and whatever your suffering may be, I suffer also."
The lives of all people are at one with the universe. All the workings of the universe contribute to the formation of the individuality of each person. To put it another way, each person is a microcosm that reflects the macrocosm in a unique manner; fundamentally, the individual encompasses all. Therefore, each person is precious and irreplaceable.
Life is a chain. All things are related. When any link is harmed, the other links are affected. We should think of the environment as our mother. There is no crime worse than harming one's mother.
We are dependent on the Earth, not the other way around. In our arrogance, we have flagrantly overlooked this. The essential teaching of Buddhism is that the life of the Buddha resides in every plant and tree, even in the smallest dust mote: it is a philosophy of the utmost reverence for life.
One who loves nature can cherish other people, value peace and possess a richness of character unfettered by selfish calculations of personal gain or loss. Those who live in a calculating way will end up calculating their own worth detrimentally. Such a life is limited in the extreme. Nature, however, is infinite.
