Understanding the whole
Is everything in life inter-connected?
Before we start our discussion, let's get one thing clear. When we talk of the whole we are not talking about god, or the universe. What concerns us here is how we see the world, and how we interact with it, be it with people or the physical environment. This is a topic all about connections.
It is about clearly seeing the consequences of our thoughts and actions, and making a shift to ensure compassion and love for everything filters through the supply chain!
Let us start by agreeing that every action has a consequence (good or bad, is merely subjective). So when I buy a takeaway meal deal from a well known burger restaurant, that action has a consequence. You may not see it straight away but let us look into it carefully. On the plus side, I have been fed quickly and cheaply, and people have been provided with employment in many countries thanks to my purchase. But on the negative side, there is widespread litter, huge use of resources to make the food, and the packaging; widespread deforestation to provide space for cattle to graze. Massive use of land and water to grow and feed cattle. Unnecessary deaths of millions of cattle in agony before being minced up! You may argue that it's just the way of the world, and I am
certainly not here to criticise your choices in life, after all, they are your choices; BUT, if you cannot see the connections, and how the simple act of eating a takeaway is a violent act (towards the environment, and the cattle) the human world will never become compassionate, and we will sink further into chaos.
But before you all get too depressed reading this, how about a nice story to cheer you up? It's all about a lettuce, and its personal journey from a seed to the rubbish tip. Watch for the connections.
The pointless existence of a restaurant lettuce...
I don't know about your country, but in the uk it is commonplace to provide a “garnish” with the meal, which is basically a small side salad comprising lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and maybe some mixed peppers, or coleslaw, and a salad dressing (oil and vinegar). For several thousand meals I carried on putting the side salad on without a thought. Then one day, I had a moment of clarity, and I became aware of my actions.
I was mid-way through scraping the almost untouched side salad off a plate and into the bin, when it came to me. “Someone has grown this food from a seed (maybe even in a different country) and I am throwing it into a bin where it will become compost or more likely landfill!” So I created a little
flow chart which went something like this.
Take a seed and plant it which requires peat/compost water, labour, and a plastic container if it is not grown in the field directly from seed (and electricity if it's on a production line). The seed is nurtured using water, electricity and labour. The seed needs space to grow and so a field is needed.
The lettuce is constantly watered and may be sprayed with chemicals, which requires labour. At the allotted time, the lettuce is harvested, which uses labour. The lettuce is washed at the farm which uses water, labour, and electricity. The lettuce is packed, which requires plastic, and labour. The
lettuce is transported to either a distribution point, or market, which uses fuel and labour. The lettuce is purchased by the pub or restaurant, which requires money, labour and fuel to deliver it.
The lettuce is then stored in a refrigerator, which uses electricity. The lettuce is then washed a minimum of two to three times to make sure there are no bugs left in it, which uses water and labour. The lettuce is then stored in the fridge which again uses electricity. The order comes up for a
steak and chips (with a garnish of course), and the lettuce (and all the other salad ingredients which also have had to follow the same process) is served onto the plate, which uses labour. The meal is delivered to the customer, which requires labour. The customer eats the steak and chips and ignores the lettuce. The lettuce is then transported back to the kitchen which uses labour. The lettuce is put in the bin using labour. The bin is then put outside using labour. The rubbish is collected using labour and fuel, and something happens to it (either burial, or maybe composting if we're lucky) which uses fuel and labour. Any questions?
Please feel free to go over this again if you feel there is a point you would like to argue.
Over and over, I saw this happening, until one day I decided to put a stop to it. I told the management I was no longer going to be putting something on a plate that was being ignored as it was a complete waste of food, which is precious (maybe not to us, but think of the people who are
starving). Do you know what? They weren't even interested. I was told to keep putting it on as customers “liked a bit of greenery” on their plate. It didn't matter what they left on their plate, because “it was all included in the price.”
This really shocked me. I tried to explain that just because we had paid the farmer, and the customer had paid us, didn't make it right to waste food. I was told to either keep doing it or “if I didn't like it, I could find another job,” which I did.
I couldn't believe how irresponsible people were. How could they not care that we were wasting so much? The more I looked into waste, the more I realised that the only thing that was important to businesses was getting paid, and the only thing that was important to the customer was getting what he wanted. After he had paid for it, it was nobody's business what he did with it.
Easy come, easy go. That should be the motto of the developed world these days, especially in massive consumer countries like the usa, uk, and australia (and any other country that values these ideals). We have no idea of the process to get a product from concept to the consumer, and the amount of input and effort required or the number of people involved. But then it hit me. Whether
we needed the product, or even used it, didn't matter a damn. What was important were the steps in between. These steps created the wealth of the country, and kept people in jobs.
How many times have you been into bargain stores and picked up some plastic rubbish made in china for £1.00? You certainly didn't need it, it wouldn't last long before falling to bits, and you probably wouldn't use it. You bought it because it was there, and you wanted it!
It seems to me that waste is an inevitable consequence of economic development. There are only so many things that people (or the country) really need in life, and that wouldn't keep everyone in jobs. So they have to produce things that people don't need or in the case of that poor side salad, don't even want in order that people stay in work. Think about it.
If the pub I worked for didn't buy 100 lettuces a week for their pointless side salads, what would happen to the poor old farmer? He needs to make a living too you know! What if everyone decided not too put garnishes on the plate as eye candy? The farmer would get no more orders, he wouldn't be able to pay his bills, and pretty soon he would be broke. And we know what could happen there
don't we? He would start to drink heavily, he would become a burden on the taxpayer, his self-esteem would diminish, and he wouldn't be able to pay his own taxes anymore, which would mean that the government would have less money to spend on essential projects such as defence.
“Look, let’s save ourselves all this trouble, and be good consumers and keep demanding a garnish on your plate” says the minister.
“Don't deny us our Garnish” will be on the placards waved wildly by stooges from the garnish industry.
“Don't worry farmers” says the minister, whilst attempting to pacify the angry mob. “Pretty soon,the consumer will come round, then you'll all be back in business.” Cheers and shouts of “Hoorah!” can be heard up and down the country...
Well, what do you think? Is waste a natural by-product of economic development or does it show that we have a long way to go in our understanding of the whole. Remember. Everything is connected. You cannot deny it, you cannot ignore it.
When you buy an apple from the shop there are connections all the way back to the tree. Now I am not saying you shouldn't have the apple, but what I want to know is, do you know what happened along the way? Was the earth being treated with compassion when the apples were being grown? Were the humans who picked the apples being treated with compassion and treating the trees with
compassion? Did love go into packing them and shipping them? Did they use more inputs to grow the apples than the final output? Was water, chemicals, fuel for transport, and electricity for refrigeration, etc used? Of course! But as long as someone gets paid at each stage along the way it doesn't matter if you don't even eat the apple. Does it?
You may think these stories are very simplistic, but when you start to question everything you think, do and buy, you may just start to make the connections, and decide to make a shift – which as you would expect, has a consequence. So when you decide to stop buying products from a country that has a terrible human rights record, you are making a shift that will have a consequence. When
you stop eating meat you are making a shift that has a consequence. Do you understand? But you cannot look outward. You must start with yourself. You must look at every thought and choice you make, and asking yourself, “what is the knock-on effect of making this choice?” It makes no difference if you are questioning yourself about murdering another human being, or buying a new
laptop. The consequences may be different, but the process of analysing the connections is the same, and there are always consequences with every action. Make a commitment to learning to see the whole and maybe, just maybe, we may start to take some responsibility for our actions.
The Whole
Many people do yoga, belong to spiritual/religious groups, or are vegetarians, or carry a “bag for life” to the supermarket, or buy organic meat and vegetables; but how many people are actually seeing the whole? How many people can actually see that the inside reflects the outside? How many christian charity workers still buy products from companies linked to oppressive work practices, or have put money in a bank which lends to the very regimes that are oppressing the people they wish to help? How many vegetarians still get angry at their partners, or are nationalistic, or support war (even if they are pacifists) by continuing to pay their taxes to the government? Do you see?
Everything is important. Everything is connected. Until we can see everything, we will continue to live a fragmented existence – a double life. We will continue to be divided.
There is no point in becoming a monk, dedicating yourself, to a life of peace, and meditating all day if your charity is funded by companies and individuals whose businesses may be helping to fun (even inadvertently) wars, human and animal suffering, or environmental destruction. Everything is important! We must make all the connections. We must follow the paper trail all the way back to the source and validate each stage according to the principles of compassion. Sounds too difficult?
Well, that is precisely why the world is in such turmoil now.. Anything that looks too difficult is left for someone else to deal with. And who might that be? Anybody else.
Before we start our discussion, let's get one thing clear. When we talk of the whole we are not talking about god, or the universe. What concerns us here is how we see the world, and how we interact with it, be it with people or the physical environment. This is a topic all about connections.
It is about clearly seeing the consequences of our thoughts and actions, and making a shift to ensure compassion and love for everything filters through the supply chain!
Let us start by agreeing that every action has a consequence (good or bad, is merely subjective). So when I buy a takeaway meal deal from a well known burger restaurant, that action has a consequence. You may not see it straight away but let us look into it carefully. On the plus side, I have been fed quickly and cheaply, and people have been provided with employment in many countries thanks to my purchase. But on the negative side, there is widespread litter, huge use of resources to make the food, and the packaging; widespread deforestation to provide space for cattle to graze. Massive use of land and water to grow and feed cattle. Unnecessary deaths of millions of cattle in agony before being minced up! You may argue that it's just the way of the world, and I am
certainly not here to criticise your choices in life, after all, they are your choices; BUT, if you cannot see the connections, and how the simple act of eating a takeaway is a violent act (towards the environment, and the cattle) the human world will never become compassionate, and we will sink further into chaos.
But before you all get too depressed reading this, how about a nice story to cheer you up? It's all about a lettuce, and its personal journey from a seed to the rubbish tip. Watch for the connections.
The pointless existence of a restaurant lettuce...
I don't know about your country, but in the uk it is commonplace to provide a “garnish” with the meal, which is basically a small side salad comprising lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and maybe some mixed peppers, or coleslaw, and a salad dressing (oil and vinegar). For several thousand meals I carried on putting the side salad on without a thought. Then one day, I had a moment of clarity, and I became aware of my actions.
I was mid-way through scraping the almost untouched side salad off a plate and into the bin, when it came to me. “Someone has grown this food from a seed (maybe even in a different country) and I am throwing it into a bin where it will become compost or more likely landfill!” So I created a little
flow chart which went something like this.
Take a seed and plant it which requires peat/compost water, labour, and a plastic container if it is not grown in the field directly from seed (and electricity if it's on a production line). The seed is nurtured using water, electricity and labour. The seed needs space to grow and so a field is needed.
The lettuce is constantly watered and may be sprayed with chemicals, which requires labour. At the allotted time, the lettuce is harvested, which uses labour. The lettuce is washed at the farm which uses water, labour, and electricity. The lettuce is packed, which requires plastic, and labour. The
lettuce is transported to either a distribution point, or market, which uses fuel and labour. The lettuce is purchased by the pub or restaurant, which requires money, labour and fuel to deliver it.
The lettuce is then stored in a refrigerator, which uses electricity. The lettuce is then washed a minimum of two to three times to make sure there are no bugs left in it, which uses water and labour. The lettuce is then stored in the fridge which again uses electricity. The order comes up for a
steak and chips (with a garnish of course), and the lettuce (and all the other salad ingredients which also have had to follow the same process) is served onto the plate, which uses labour. The meal is delivered to the customer, which requires labour. The customer eats the steak and chips and ignores the lettuce. The lettuce is then transported back to the kitchen which uses labour. The lettuce is put in the bin using labour. The bin is then put outside using labour. The rubbish is collected using labour and fuel, and something happens to it (either burial, or maybe composting if we're lucky) which uses fuel and labour. Any questions?
Please feel free to go over this again if you feel there is a point you would like to argue.
Over and over, I saw this happening, until one day I decided to put a stop to it. I told the management I was no longer going to be putting something on a plate that was being ignored as it was a complete waste of food, which is precious (maybe not to us, but think of the people who are
starving). Do you know what? They weren't even interested. I was told to keep putting it on as customers “liked a bit of greenery” on their plate. It didn't matter what they left on their plate, because “it was all included in the price.”
This really shocked me. I tried to explain that just because we had paid the farmer, and the customer had paid us, didn't make it right to waste food. I was told to either keep doing it or “if I didn't like it, I could find another job,” which I did.
I couldn't believe how irresponsible people were. How could they not care that we were wasting so much? The more I looked into waste, the more I realised that the only thing that was important to businesses was getting paid, and the only thing that was important to the customer was getting what he wanted. After he had paid for it, it was nobody's business what he did with it.
Easy come, easy go. That should be the motto of the developed world these days, especially in massive consumer countries like the usa, uk, and australia (and any other country that values these ideals). We have no idea of the process to get a product from concept to the consumer, and the amount of input and effort required or the number of people involved. But then it hit me. Whether
we needed the product, or even used it, didn't matter a damn. What was important were the steps in between. These steps created the wealth of the country, and kept people in jobs.
How many times have you been into bargain stores and picked up some plastic rubbish made in china for £1.00? You certainly didn't need it, it wouldn't last long before falling to bits, and you probably wouldn't use it. You bought it because it was there, and you wanted it!
It seems to me that waste is an inevitable consequence of economic development. There are only so many things that people (or the country) really need in life, and that wouldn't keep everyone in jobs. So they have to produce things that people don't need or in the case of that poor side salad, don't even want in order that people stay in work. Think about it.
If the pub I worked for didn't buy 100 lettuces a week for their pointless side salads, what would happen to the poor old farmer? He needs to make a living too you know! What if everyone decided not too put garnishes on the plate as eye candy? The farmer would get no more orders, he wouldn't be able to pay his bills, and pretty soon he would be broke. And we know what could happen there
don't we? He would start to drink heavily, he would become a burden on the taxpayer, his self-esteem would diminish, and he wouldn't be able to pay his own taxes anymore, which would mean that the government would have less money to spend on essential projects such as defence.
“Look, let’s save ourselves all this trouble, and be good consumers and keep demanding a garnish on your plate” says the minister.
“Don't deny us our Garnish” will be on the placards waved wildly by stooges from the garnish industry.
“Don't worry farmers” says the minister, whilst attempting to pacify the angry mob. “Pretty soon,the consumer will come round, then you'll all be back in business.” Cheers and shouts of “Hoorah!” can be heard up and down the country...
Well, what do you think? Is waste a natural by-product of economic development or does it show that we have a long way to go in our understanding of the whole. Remember. Everything is connected. You cannot deny it, you cannot ignore it.
When you buy an apple from the shop there are connections all the way back to the tree. Now I am not saying you shouldn't have the apple, but what I want to know is, do you know what happened along the way? Was the earth being treated with compassion when the apples were being grown? Were the humans who picked the apples being treated with compassion and treating the trees with
compassion? Did love go into packing them and shipping them? Did they use more inputs to grow the apples than the final output? Was water, chemicals, fuel for transport, and electricity for refrigeration, etc used? Of course! But as long as someone gets paid at each stage along the way it doesn't matter if you don't even eat the apple. Does it?
You may think these stories are very simplistic, but when you start to question everything you think, do and buy, you may just start to make the connections, and decide to make a shift – which as you would expect, has a consequence. So when you decide to stop buying products from a country that has a terrible human rights record, you are making a shift that will have a consequence. When
you stop eating meat you are making a shift that has a consequence. Do you understand? But you cannot look outward. You must start with yourself. You must look at every thought and choice you make, and asking yourself, “what is the knock-on effect of making this choice?” It makes no difference if you are questioning yourself about murdering another human being, or buying a new
laptop. The consequences may be different, but the process of analysing the connections is the same, and there are always consequences with every action. Make a commitment to learning to see the whole and maybe, just maybe, we may start to take some responsibility for our actions.
The Whole
Many people do yoga, belong to spiritual/religious groups, or are vegetarians, or carry a “bag for life” to the supermarket, or buy organic meat and vegetables; but how many people are actually seeing the whole? How many people can actually see that the inside reflects the outside? How many christian charity workers still buy products from companies linked to oppressive work practices, or have put money in a bank which lends to the very regimes that are oppressing the people they wish to help? How many vegetarians still get angry at their partners, or are nationalistic, or support war (even if they are pacifists) by continuing to pay their taxes to the government? Do you see?
Everything is important. Everything is connected. Until we can see everything, we will continue to live a fragmented existence – a double life. We will continue to be divided.
There is no point in becoming a monk, dedicating yourself, to a life of peace, and meditating all day if your charity is funded by companies and individuals whose businesses may be helping to fun (even inadvertently) wars, human and animal suffering, or environmental destruction. Everything is important! We must make all the connections. We must follow the paper trail all the way back to the source and validate each stage according to the principles of compassion. Sounds too difficult?
Well, that is precisely why the world is in such turmoil now.. Anything that looks too difficult is left for someone else to deal with. And who might that be? Anybody else.
