I was reading a fascinating UNESCO paper on the ethics of AI, and a particular paragraph struck me:
“The notion of humans being interconnected is based on the knowledge that every human belongs to a greater whole, which thrives when all its constituent parts are enabled to thrive. Living in peaceful, just, and interconnected societies requires an organic, immediate, uncalculated bond of solidarity, characterized by a permanent search for peaceful relations, tending towards care for others and the natural environment in the broadest sense of the term.”
A Cosmic Joke:
A few days ago, there I was, venting to my mom about how I must practice the virtues of frugality and vowed to quit Uber Eats (no, this time for real!), felt like a much wiser woman with a deeper sense of financial wisdom. Fast forward a few minutes, and I find myself outside a CVS, my heart doing that now very familiar, uncomfortable dance between guilt and empathy as I faced a down on luck, tired looking, elderly father, with two kids behind him, holding a white placard that basically said, “Please help us.” I mean, who can resist that? I had sworn to my mom that only a tiny box of bandaid was in my shopping list, and that I will be right back, while she waited for me in the car, with our puppy Jade in the back seat.
Well..yeah, so, now I find myself offering to buy the kids something from the store since I didn’t have cash, but the dad was very smart (how I wish I had this gentleman’s negotiation skills! very impressive!), instead pointing at the painted Zelle icon on his board, he insisted on cash or Zelle. Sigh…there I was, apologizing profusely, wishing I could do more—meanwhile, still feeling a bit guilty about refusing to buy my mom those apples earlier. Discomfort persisting, I started the car, and we drove.
Next stop, Lotte and yes, this time apples (and just them, apples) on my shopping list. This store is a block away on that same strip mall. There I went, dutifully, still determined about my suddenly found virtue of frugality, I reached the store front and now, I come face to face with – the mother, her kids by her side, holding on and tugging at her dress, watching with wide eyes all that was transpiring. I apologized (sigh..again) to her and tried to walk past, remembering the Zelle icon from the dad’s placard. As i reached the store however, something stopped me. A thought? I turned around and in the universal knowledge of head-nod, pointing at the store, asked her to come with me. Her smile made my day and kid in tow; we went inside. I had made up my mind then. we all are getting groceries that evening, a couple of weeks’ worth at least! Change of plans. Frugality, what?! Mom still waiting in the car, presuming I’ll be right back.
Now, let me pause here. The paragraph from UNESCO article and its concept, my inner Advaita with a splurge of Buddhism teachings I remembered, tell me that these could NOT have been just random encounters. Could it? This was the universe’s way of showing me that we’re all connected, not just in some philosophical mumbo-jumbo way, but in a very real and raw, “I-need-to-do-something” kind of way.
Advaita: The Non-Dual Reality Check
Advaita Vedanta, that ancient Indian philosophy, teaches us that at the deepest level, we’re all one. Yup! What we see as separate—me, you, that family outside the store—is actually just an illusion (maya) hiding the fact that we’re all part of one universal consciousness (Brahman). So, when I looked into the eyes of those kids, it was not pity, but a recognition. That child? My inner child. That woman? An extension of me. We’re all kith and kin in this cosmic drama.
Buddhism: Dependent Origination and My Wallet’s Karma
Buddhism takes it up a notch with the idea that everything is interconnected and interdependent. My decision to not buy those apples led to a string of events that resulted in me completely forgetting the reason for that decision, switching to the globally used plastic card for transactions at Lotte Mart for a family in need. It’s like the universe said, “Alright, you don’t want to buy apples? How about feeding a family for a month instead?”
Quantum Entanglement: The Scientific Seal of Approval
Now, this -> Quantum entanglement, the thing that makes physicists both excited and perplexed, shows us that particles can be connected in ways that defy space and time. Change something in one particle here, and another particle halfway across the universe reacts instantly. Sound familiar? That’s right—my act and the series of incidents were not random gestures. These were ripples in the fabric of the cosmos. A reminder that our actions, no matter how small, may have far-reaching consequences. In a way, buying those groceries was like a quantum hug, connecting me to that family on a subatomic level.
Taoism and Stoicism: Going with the flow!
I read that Taoism, with its emphasis on living in harmony with the Tao, reminds us to go with the flow, to be in tune with the natural order of things. That’s exactly what happened when I saw that family that day. I could’ve ignored them, driven away, but something in me—call it the Tao, call it conscience—nudged me to act. And Stoicism? Does it not teach us to recognize our role in the larger whole, to live in accordance with nature? My role that night was clear: be the helping hand that the universe needed me to be, even if it meant facing a not-very-happy mom who was then sweating it out with Jade in the car with no AC (yup, muscle memory had apparently turned it off as I got out) for more than an hour!
Cosmic Punchline
So, what’s the moral of the story? I think it’s simple, really. We’re all connected, not just by some abstract philosophical principles, but by real, tangible experiences. These war of egos, this obsession with self—THOSE are the real illusions. What really matters is recognizing that we’re all in this together, that our actions (and inactions) affect not just us, but the entire cosmos. The family was a mirror of it, just like mine was(Jade included ofcourse!) and the ripple effect, that was caused by this encounter, will be felt elsewhere, I am sure and with good consequence. Afterall, in the grand scheme of things, we’re all one. And when you see someone in need, give them that quantum hug—because, who knows, it might just be you that you’re helping.
Here is UNESCO’s Recommendation on the ethics of artificial intelligence unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000380455/PDF/380455eng.pdf.multi
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