One of my fondest memories is a vacation my wife and I took in Belize. I remember so vividly the jungle treehouse, the cave kayaking, and the idyllic little island where we stayed. What I keep returning to in my meditations, however, is the experience of scuba diving in the crystal clear waters off the shores. What I still visualize is floating weightlessly above a brightly colored coral reef (they still existed back then) and having a big sea turtle effortless swim by. I followed at a distance for a while and imagined being at one with this beautiful creature for a moment. Ahhh.
I recalled that experience as I was reading Octavia Butler’s book, Parable of the Sower, in which she shares her “Earthseed” philosophy of life. The book, published in 1994, has been listed among the best books of all time. The novel also received a New York Times Notable Book of the Year designation in 1994 and is widely considered a foundational work of speculative fiction due to its enduring relevance and prescient social commentary. I’m embarrassed to say I hadn’t read it until now.
Earthseed is centered around the idea that God is change AND changeable. Followers believe that change is the only constant in life and that humans need to be adaptive, persistent and positive in their attempts to create a better future. The philosophy emphasizes the pursuit of a purpose-driven life, advocates for leaving behind oppressive systems, and encourages working toward growth and transformation. As individual humans on a 4 billion-year-old planet with over 8 billion people, all we can do is sow our small seeds of light and hope that they brighten the Universe somehow. Ultimately, we are all just raindrops in the ocean where there is no “They.” Here’s a poem at the beginning of chapter 10 that, to me, not only captures the main message in the book but also perfectly represents our current reality.
When apparent stability disintegrates
People tend to give in
To fear and depression,
To need and greed.
When no influence is strong enough
To unify people
They divide.
They struggle,
One against one,
Group against group,
For survival, position, power.
They remember old hates and generate new ones,
They create chaos and nurture it.
They kill and kill and kill,
Until they are exhausted and destroyed,
Until they are conquered by outside forces
Or until one of them becomes
A leader
Most will follow,
Or a tyrant
Most fear.
Whew. Now that’s one powerful poem . . . . . . and prescient. Octavia Butler wrote this book over 30 years ago and was describing, as a science fiction fantasy, what life would look like between the years 2024 and 2027. Reading Parable of the Sower as I live in the time period she is describing was both sobering and stimulating. Even though our lives are so short and we may feel so powerless, this book gave me hope that we can change. What’s important to remember, though, is that we are small seeds in a big universe. Our lives are like raindrops that begin in the clouds and return to the ocean only to be released again into the universe.
How the world and our lives would be different if we kept that perspective ever present in our psyches. We may be witnessing a lack of grace and empathy on both sides of several divides, but this lack of perspective may be the biggest cause of this chaos.
Viewing ourselves as earthseeds or as raindrops falling into the ocean offers a profound metaphor for personal and civilizational transformation, rooted in spiritual traditions such as Buddhism and Taoism. This perspective encourages individuals to move beyond ego-centric identities and embrace a sense of interconnectedness with the universe, fostering compassion, humility, and peace.
In Buddhism, the concept of interdependence epitomizes this worldview. Buddhists believe that all phenomena are interconnected and that the self is an illusion—part of a vast web of relations. Thich Nhat Hanh describes this interconnectedness as “interbeing,” emphasizing that our well-being is inseparable from the well-being of others and the environment. When one sees oneself as a raindrop merging into the ocean, ego diminishes, replaced by an awareness of unity with all life. This realization can lead to greater compassion and diminish tendencies toward violence, as harm to others is seen as harm to oneself.
Taoism offers another rich perspective through the concept of the Tao, the fundamental principle that underlies and unites all things. The Taoist sage, Lao Tzu, advocates flowing with the natural rhythm of life—”wu wei” or effortless action—reflecting the idea of merging with the greater whole. He describes the person who aligns with the Tao as a drop of water that seamlessly joins the river and ultimately the ocean. Such alignment fosters humility, resilience, and harmony. Recognizing oneself as part of the cosmos, like a raindrop entering the ocean, reduces the ego-driven desire for control or dominance, which are often sources of conflict.
There are multiple implications of this perspective. First, it shifts focus from individual ego to collective consciousness, encouraging collaborative behaviors instead of competition. This shift fosters social harmony and reduces violence motivated by power struggles and entitlement. Second, it nurtures humility, understanding that no one is separate from the collective, which cultivates empathy and forgiveness. Third, it inspires stewardship of the earth, recognizing the interconnectedness of all beings within the web of life, leading to sustainable practices.
Citing these traditions underscores that transcending egocentricity is not merely an abstract ideal but a practical pathway to peace. As the Dalai Lama emphasizes, compassion rooted in understanding our interconnectedness can transform conflicts into opportunities for dialogue and healing. Similarly, Lao Tzu’s teachings inspire us to flow with life’s natural order rather than resist it, reducing unnecessary suffering and violence.
All of this is easy to say in a context in which we are all living in fear of “what’s next?” Putin attacks Poland, a NATO country and ally; Netanyahu strikes Hamas in Qatar, a sovereign country where we have a major naval base; Trump authorizes the U.S. military to conduct a strike on a boat with 11 Venezuelans without confirming who they were or what they possessed; and Charlie Kirk was assassinated on a college campus.
Just to be clear, I have three reactions to the Kirk killing. First, the act was horrible and horrifying. There is no excuse for trying to replace ballots with bullets. Second, Charlie Kirk courageously and creatively managed to establish an outsize influence at the age of 31. AND, while he positioned himself as an exemplar of dialogue and debate, he championed far-right causes and was purposely provocative, imposing, divisive, and intimidating. Third, even though he was assassinated by the son of conservative Christian Republicans, our president quickly exploited the tragedy by blaming the radical left (THEY) for the murder and by fanning the fires of rage. In a culture that continues to “kill and kill and kill, a leader must emerge whom most will follow, or we will be stuck with a tyrant whom most fear.”
This moment begged for a message of peace, balance, and calm, but Trump couldn’t resist fueling his divisive ideological narrative. While he blamed the actions of the “radical left” and justified actions of the “radical right,” the truth is that 87% of violent acts in the past five years have come from the right.
We need to find leaders who inspire interdependence instead of promoting violence. We need to start seeing ourselves not only as raindrops in a big ocean finding joy in swimming with the turtles but also as seeds of change. We need to seek harmony in the midst of division, conflict, and violence.
I’m hoping we can regain some perspective and return to peaceful ways of dealing with conflict. I’m hoping we can swim tranquilly with the turtles instead of stirring up the sharks. I’m hoping someday we will simply accept the fact that we are like raindrops falling into the ocean in hopes of rebirth for ourselves and our society. May it be so.
Thank you as always!