Part 3, Chapters 51-58 Summary

Hanh begins this section by discussing the Buddhist concept of "interbeing." In this chapter, Hanh states that all things in the universe are interrelated, in that without one element, others cannot exist. To illustrate, Hanh uses the example of a piece of paper in the book. He notes that without sunshine, the tree cannot grow; without food, the logger could not chop the tree; without the parents of the logger, the logger would not exist, and so forth. Hanh continues this thought in "Flowers and Garbage" by pointing out that a rose, beautiful when first cut, eventually becomes garbage, and conversely, garbage, which smells horrible and is disgusting when in garbage form, can be used as compost and can turn into a beautiful rose. Hanh notes this is the concept of interbeing. Hanh also uses the example of the...