Interconnections: Buddhist Views on the Self, Beings,
and Global Harmony

Ven. Jianhu, Ohio State University, 20081121

Modern technology and the internet has effectively created a global community that transcends physical boundaries, a fact that, interestingly, parallels the ancient Buddhist view of a global, interconnected community bound not by blood or culture but by karma (“karma internet”!). That is, since ancient times we have been inter-related by our actions and interactions that span the past, present, and future. We explore and explain this world view and how it brings insights on attaining global harmony.

1. Characteristics of the Internet

a. Everyone is interconnected

b. Everyone can act, influence, and be influenced

c. Instantaneous (and gradual) action and response

d. No boundaries: Ethnic origin, skin color, geography, social status are all irrelevant.

2. Karma internet has the exact same characteristics

“Karma” means “action”

a. We are tied to each other by our direct and indirect actions
(Think of how many people are interconnected with us)

b. We constantly influence and are influenced by others (the internet only makes this more apparent)

c. The cause-and-effect chains are created instantaneously with each action, but the results may take days, years, or even lifetimes to become observable.

d. Karma acts on all beings equally, without boundaries.

3. The Law of Causality

a. “When we create good karma, happiness or fortune comes back to us. When we create bad karma, suffering will come back to us.” “As you sow, so will you reap.”

b. With the Law of Causality, karma interactions means responsibility. We are responsible for our actions and how they influence the world.

c. Who created this law? Nobody and everybody. (Web 2.0—bottom up)

4. Karma net ties the past and future together into the present moment.

5. Self and others

a. In view of the karma net, what am I? An individual? A mere action point in the net? A node and all its connections? The whole network?

b. “We are one, but we’re not the same.”

6. The hope of global harmony

a. Each person is both a node and an indivisible part of the network

b. Each person can have great influences (both good and bad)

c. Understanding this karma internet well, we begin to see the whole picture

d. Causality and the karma net together implies: to help others is to help oneself. To hurt others is to hurt oneself.