One Tree, One World
With the “Wood” centralized on the right, this painting represents that the whole world is connected as one tree. The wood is written in Red because it reminds us of the unfortunate bloodshed in the human community. We may not realize this, but all of us were just in different positions on the tree, and sometimes we don’t even know that’s the case. But no matter what we go through, suffering and an eagerness for freedom and even to transcend are what we all share. Believing in something is one way we seek freedom and empowerment. It could be religions, and it could be money; it could even be science. But these different beliefs all act similarly -- they are designed to help humanity become better and stronger.
The reason I used the tree symbol is that I once had an image of how we are all limited to our perspectives of the world, in a sense, we only see one side of a tree, and we take that to be the complete knowledge of the tree and assume truths for the others. However, how can our truth be applied universally? Truth is limited in time and space, and so is our belief in religions and other matters. To face this defect, what we can do is to open our minds and ears as much as possible to listen to the world, to see from others’ perspectives, to feel what they have suffered and to be proud of what they have accomplished. This mentality was also brought up in one of the Charter for Compassion training sessions. Sometimes the best way to act out compassion is not to act but to do nothing and listen. Sometimes we may act out in the sense of courtesy, but maybe we added extra pressure onto others that they do not appreciate. Instead, we should observe. Observe the differences, observe the similarities, listen to what is in their heart, let them speak about their truths and applaud them. It is essential to know how not doing something could be helpful as it is not judging, not acting for others, and embracing and giving freedom and peace of expression to others.
As the world becomes more and more closely connected, understanding religion combined with the geographical and cultural elements became necessary. As we are all just like a tiny leaf in a worldly “Tree”, developing the network and communication across religions became the most crucial thing to do.
It is heartwarming for me to attend the one session where several religions pray for the world. To me, that’s where the essence lies. And the world should realize more and more how they are all so intertwined, and there is no need to focus on the slight difference. Still, as long as we all have the mentality of being one, we will find ways to be reborn as a more powerful human nation that deserves longevity and peace in the universe.
