Once upon a time, there lived a farmer who grew high-quality, award-winning corn. Each year he would enter the state farmer’s fair and win a gold award for his exceptionally good corns.
The farmer’s high-quality corn was praised all around in the state. Finally, the success story of his exceptional corn reached the ears of a journalist, and he wanted to interview the farmer. While learning about the farmer’s agriculture process, he discovered that the farmer shared his best quality seeds with his neighbours.
“How can you afford to share your best corn seeds with your neighbours when some of them compete with you in the agriculture fair?” asked the curious reporter.
“Why wouldn’t I, Sir?” asked the farmer. “Didn’t you know that the wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field? So if my neighbours grow inferior quality corn, cross-pollination would eventually degrade the quality of my corn too. So to grow high-quality corn, I must help my neighbours grow good corn too.”
The farmer’s answer made the reporter realize how aware the old farmer was about connections in life.
It is the same with our life. Those who choose to live in peace must help others around them to live in peace too. The one who wishes to be loved must learn to love others too. The one who chooses to live well must help make others live well, too, as the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. Those who choose to be happy must let others find their happiness, as the welfare of each is intertwined with the welfare of all.
