One of Thich Nhat Hanh's most important concepts was the idea of the interconnected nature of all things, or interbeing as he described it.
A good analogy for this is a web or network. Just as each strand in a web is connected to and dependent on every other strand, everything in the universe is interconnected and dependent on everything else. Just as the web is stronger and more stable when all the strands are connected, so are we stronger and more stable when we tap into that interconnected nature of reality. The philosopher Alan Watts said “What you are basically, deep, deep down, far, far in, is simply the fabric and structure of existence itself.”
If that's too mindblowing, then we can consider a humble pint of Guinness, my fathers drink of choice when he was alive. A pint of Gunniess looks like just a pint of Guinness - but if you look deeply into it you can see it's made up of water, barley, hops, and yeast, all grown in different parts of the world and brought together to create something more than the sum of its parts. It also includes sunshine, the labour of people and the dust of long dead stars. You can probably think of many more things that go into it.
Looking deeply you might also observe that the pint of Guinness is made up of of non-Guinness elements, like the water or the sunshine. If you take any of those non-Guinness elements away, the pint of stout ceases to exist. Similarly, if you took away our ancestors, our knowledge, the air we breath, the food we eat - we wouldn’t be us anymore. We’re as connected to the world we live in as a tree is to the earth.
And just like how the ingredients in a pint of Guinness come together to create something new, so too do all things in life come together to create the fabric of reality. The actions of one person can have a ripple effect on countless others, just like a stone thrown into a pond. By viewing the world through this lens, we open ourselves up to freeing ourselves from suffering and living a more fulfilling life deeply connected to the people - and world - around us.
So, interbeing is about recognizing that nothing exists in isolation and that everything is interconnected. It's about understanding that when you smile at someone, it's not just a smile, it's a start of a chain reaction that can spread over the face of the earth.
And that, my friend, is the beauty of interbeing. It's a reminder that we're all in this together, and that our actions can make a difference in the world, no matter how big or small they may be.
So when you go about your day, take a moment to appreciate the things that make your life possible. The food you eat, the clothes you wear, the people you interact with, they all come together to create the reality you experience. And when you show gratitude for these things, you're not just expressing thanks, you're recognizing the interbeing of all things.
Understanding interdependence is the key to our liberation and true peace - when we realise that my happiness and suffering is your happiness and suffering; your happiness and suffering is my happiness and suffering - we’re walking the path of creating a happier, kinder world.
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