In the practice of looking deeply, we can see that we are an organism interconnected- related to each other . ~Thich Nhat Hanh

When one begins to look deeply into their experience, their reality- one transcends seeing “what is” through one’s thoughts or notions of it. Looking deeply, we touch the ultimate reality, or “suchness”. Technically, the term “suchness” refers to reality as it is.

Ask this simple question… Does rain mark the end of the cloud? Or does the cloud simply transform into rain? And what might rain continue as, and so on, and so on…

Can you get something from nothing… or no one from someone? Things, events, beings all manifest when conditions are sufficient. Manifestation is both natural and scientific. Is there really pure cause?- this is because that is?.. everything relies on everything else to manifest. This is the nature of “interbeing”.

Take the example of a flower. It has to rely on many non-flower elements to manifest. If you look deeply into a flower, you can recognize non-flower elements. For instance, the element of sunshine, clouds (rain), soil, minerals, farmer, etc. A multitude of conditional, non-flower elements need to come together for the flower to manifest.

When you look deeply into the son, you see the father (transmitter), because you realize the son (transmitted) is the continuation of the father and his father, and so on. When you look deeply into the daughter, you see the mother and the father for the same reason. You see the nature of inter-connectedness, the nature of interbeing between us.

Imagine a young plant of corn that has grown from a grain of corn. You no longer see the grain of corn, so you may think the grain of corn is no longer there. However, it is still there in the young plant of corn, because the young plant of corn is the continuation of the seed of corn.

Looking deeply, you begin to see that everything is interconnected- that we are connected to each other. There is no separation- there is no separate “self” to reify- to personalize and to concretize– to be is to interbe with everyone and everything else. We, as life itself, are all part of a deeply complex and interrelated process. Looking deeply, we can see the mysterious birthing of its shape, form, and texture- bathing in our senses of subject and object merging together as one seamless whole where there is reciprocity of presence. We know our world through our senses- and others come to know us from their senses. How we look- its quality of mind and its intent of heart- determines what we truly see and how we are truly seen…

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