If you are a poet, you will see clearly that there is a cloud
floating in this sheet of paper. Without a cloud, there will be
no rain; without rain, the trees cannot grow: and without trees,
we cannot make paper. The cloud is essential for the paper to
exist. If the cloud is not here, the sheet of paper cannot be here
either. So we can say that the cloud and the paper inter-are.
"Interbeing" is a word that is not in the dictionary yet, but
if we combine the prefix "inter" with the verb "to be", we have a
new verb, inter-be. Without a cloud, we cannot have paper, so we
can say that the cloud and the sheet of paper inter-are.
If we look into this sheet of paper even more deeply, we can
see the sunshine in it. If the sunshine is not there, the forest
cannot grow. In fact nothing can grow. Even we cannot grow without
sunshine. And so, we know that the sunshine is also in this sheet
of paper. The paper and the sunshine inter-are. And if we continue
to look we can see the logger who cut the tree and brought it to
the mill to be transformed into paper. And we see the wheat. We
know that the logger cannot exist without his daily bread, and
therefore the wheat that became his bread is also in this sheet
of paper. And the logger's father and mother are in it too. When
we look in this way we see that without all of these things, this
sheet of paper cannot exist.
This wisdom about "Interbeing” strengthens inner strength in a quiet, practical way.It reduces fear and loneliness. When I truly feel I am connected to life, I did not face difficulties as an isolated “me” anymore—there is support in every breath, every relationship, every condition that makes me possible.
It builds steadiness through acceptance. I then is able to stop fighting reality as something “outside.” I learn to meet what is here, as it is. That grounded acceptance becomes resilience.
KO
Koreen
May 23, 2025
We dwell , and in everything placed around us by Almighty GOD, are for our inter-ation purpose for All Servial , we need must set our carbon footprint to see all things as an inter-being to All our existing on this Our Planet Earth.
FR
Farzeen Rumane
Jul 6, 2024
We are reading this poem from across a different country .So we are inter-are with the paper that has made the poem spread across the globe.
BE
benoitmontet
Feb 21, 2024
I live in Amsterdam and I'm reading this poem. This peom is in the Cloud hosted somewhere unknown even by the writer. So Amsterdam is in the cloud, and we, me and the cloude inter-are.
KH
Khulood
Sep 17, 2023
I was looking for a thing as a Part of the things I can see now the whole image and how the systems are connected to each others which are coming conclusions a work is can't be done if the people not Collaborate together
BI
birju
Aug 3, 2023
i read this to my 5 yr old child - the response was to draw what came up. thought i'd share the drawing as i much appreciated it :) https://photos.app.goo.gl/SePMinHz5uDcRBfY7 the clouds, the sun, the logger, and the parents, all in there, in multiple ways :)
HA
hansikaFeb 15, 2024
Absolutely beautiful!
PE
PATAKI EcoDesign Ltd.
Jun 6, 2023
everything in life is inter-are
JA
Jane
Feb 21, 2023
Everything has a purpose.
R
R
Oct 17, 2022
Interlifebeing, If we clean up or act we help other beings to survive
DA
Daniel
Aug 20, 2022
Cause and effect ; we are indeed all stardust, made from the building blocks of the universe, as described in the laws of physics.
GL
gary levine
Feb 10, 2022
The Universe and Me Inter-Are.
LC
Liz Connor
Nov 20, 2021
I couldn't use the verb, 'to inter-be'. It looks and sounds forced in English. So I might use the phrase, 'to exist together with', but I thank Thich Nhat Hanh for the reminder, eg Paper exists together with the sun and the rain, with the clouds and the tree, etc.
And I love Christine's comment, so I could also write or say, 'Before me, there is the sun,the clouds and the rain, the single cell and the life-giving ecosystem'.
The universe in everything and everything in the universe!
MW
mwanaah
Mar 15, 2021
We learn to respect other beings
RA
Ranganathan
Nov 23, 2020
Very insightful and with profound meaning to high light everything we see are part of larger system. 'Interbeing' is also well reflected by the word Ubuntu, which says 'we are, therefore I am'.
SH
sheryll
Sep 9, 2020
Everything in this world are connected. Like the water in the shower it is connected to us,to the water and heater system. In short we cannot live without no one in this world. Like the SDG's are connected or linked to other SDG's. It doesn't have a sustainable development without the linked of SDG.
SH
Sharmishtha
Oct 8, 2012
Love this story and Love the comment from Christine :)
JO
Johanna
Apr 11, 2012
And so, since all beings need sunshine to grow, we can see the sunshine in every being.
RU
RuchiNov 9, 2020
Wow. Sunshine in every being - this thought can also be extrapolated to mean that we are all full of the sun's generosity and love as well. Can't stop smiling at this thought right now. :)
CH
Christine
Apr 11, 2012
My number 1 strength is "connectedness"...and so I totally get this. I have a fascination with what I call the "B" words....(and I don't mean bitch)There is a Be-fore and then we came to Be.While we areBe-ing, we Be-comethe person for which we were created. Our purpose is to discover our Be-loved-nessand then to Be-stow our gifts upon the world.....Be-fore we return to the Be-yond! (and that is the BEGINNING of my musings!)
