Seeds and formations
both have the nature of interbeing and interpenetration.
The one is produced by the all.
The all is dependent on the one.
The Avatamsaka Sutra uses the metaphor of Indrajaal (Indra's net) in order to make it easy for us to understand our nature of existence. The Vijñaptimātrin meaning of shunyatā is interbeing. We exist because everything else exists. Everything else exists because we exist.
In the heaven of Lord Indra, there is a net. It is woven by a cunning artificer in such a manner that there is a jewel at every node and these jewels are illuminated with the reflection of all other jewels.We can see the whole universe in us in much the same manner as we can see all jewels in each jewel in Lord Indra's net.
Without the sun, the solar system would collapse. On the other hand the sun remains where it is because of the gravitational force of all other heavenly bodies. Without the sun, the Earth would not be in its place. Without the Earth, the sun too would not be in its place. That is how everything impacts everything else.
If due to some problems the sunflower crop in Ukraine is destroyed, they will not be able to produce sunflower oil. India imports sunflower oil from Ukraine. If there is no supply, prices of sunflower oil, a very popular cooking oil in India, will rise. So you see, our friend Putin disrupts production of sunflower oil, gifting us rising sunflower oil prices along with war planes and missiles.
Disruption of oil supply from Iraq can lead to higher oil prices, resulting is rising transportation costs and higher prices of commodities that use oil as a raw material. Rising prices of commodities means a higher inflation rate. To counter rising inflation, Reserve Bank of India increases interest rates. With higher interest rates, corporate cost of borrowing increases, profit margins grow thinner, profits reduce. With lower profits, companies either downsize or reduce employee costs and benefits or at the very least employees do not get a good pay hike. So we see rising prices with a stagnant income. Poor oil-drill workers of Iraq and sunflower growers of Ukraine exert so much influence on the global economy.
A few people driven by the lust for power in the Middle East and Russia-Ukraine are responsible for the problems in those regions.
In America, banks use a CMA (comparative market analysis) approach to value homes. In the CMA, the fair value of the home is established by comparing it with similar homes in the neighborhood. So the bank effectively determines how much a property is worth and how much they can extend as a loan to the home buyer. A few years down the line the banks issue high interest rate loans to sub-prime borrowers. This leads to greater demand, rising prices and rising interest rates. Rising interest rates increase corporate borrowing costs. New age Ivy League educated CEOs downsize or ship jobs overseas to reduce costs, so they can earn incentives. Faced with joblessness, borrowers default. Lower demand, means companies who have not shipped jobs overseas too need to downsize. Now, the banks begin to foreclose properties and sell them through websites like HUBZU, who sell properties at a lower than market value. Property prices fall. New CMAs reveal your property is worth less that the outstanding value of your loan. So now even though you can afford to pay the loan, you'd rather have a principal reduction after all your property is losing value due to the bank's irresponsible acts. Perhaps the bank will not entertain your request and a loan servicer may actually use this opportunity to push you towards foreclosure.
A few greedy CEOs wanting to make more money are causing so much trouble to so many people. Due to our poor understanding of reality we pay poor wages to workers and offer tax breaks to American companies who set up shop in tax havens like Luxembourg. If the disparity between CEO and worker wages is reduced, if the rich are made to pay higher taxes, it may be possible to provide interest free education loans and it may be possible for all homeless Americans to have a home.
CEOs with the understanding of interbeing will create happier workplaces which in turn will drive growth through innovation and by adopting customer centric business models. Fair employer, happy employees, satisfied customers, rejoicing shareholders.
Those who seek power and those who seek wealth are doing so due to their wrong view that it will make them happy. It won't. They will pay the price sooner or later.
By understanding how we are related to each other we can prepare conditions for peace and happiness to manifest. We can realize that we cannot be happy when others are unhappy. This realization will help us bring about a transformation in ourselves and our society. If we do not seek power and wealth and sexual pleasures, we will not cause conflict, financial problems, sexual harassment etc.
We are like a jewel in Indra's net - only as bright as all other jewels, only only as beautiful as all other jewels. The brighter the other jewels, the brighter we become. The prettier the other jewels, the prettier we become and vice versa.
(Based on the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh.)
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