Beyond the Self: From Independency to Interdependence and Interbeing

As an adult, you might consider yourself an independent person with autonomy to choose how to live your own life for which you are responsible. This is one level of understanding the self from the inner world, which we have covered using different perspectives from Lectures 1 to 6. Yet, in another sense we have to depend on others to survive and thrive physically, mentally, and spiritually, as the famous saying ‘No man is an island’ by English poet John Donne goes. So, we also need to understand the self in relation to the world around us and learn how to achieve not only personal wellbeing but to contribute to social wellbeing through contemplative practices. This takes us from the concept of independency to interdependence and – at the existential level – interbeing, which will be the focus of Lecture 8. So, don’t miss out on this and join us in class for another mind-opening exploration!