The Song of Inter-being
Once upon a time, there was a child called Ama who was incessantly curious and imaginative. Ama observed the world around them with wonder and awe. They watched bugs crawl slowly on blades of grass, stared at clouds as they shape-shifted in the deep blue sky, and danced in fields of sunflowers to the subtle music created by the gentle, invisible wind. They swam in the clear water of the lake near their home, studying the animals as they came to the water to drink and bathe.
Ama lived with their parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins. They all shared meals, and told stories, and sang ancient songs, and cared for one another and their shared home with joy and purpose. They knew and loved their neighbors in the village and gathered together often for celebrations of the changing seasons, phases of the moon, and feats of their ancestors.
One day, Ama was playing in the woods with their siblings and cousins, when they heard a strange sound they had never heard before. It was a low growling sound, rumbling through the forest, and soon, they could feel vibrations through their feet and see the trembling of the leaves in the canopy above. They smelled a terrible odor that made their eyes water and their throats burn.
They looked at each other and Ama’s cousin, Dal, said, “We should run home and tell the elders that something is wrong!” Ama replied, “I want to know what it is, first. What will we tell the elders if we don’t know?” Dal and the others were afraid and didn’t want to investigate the source of this disruption so they ran off toward the village, leaving Ama alone in the forest.
Ama turned toward the sound of the mysterious intruder. They moved swiftly and deliberately, staying low and quiet as they approached the edge of the forest. In the clearing, they saw a grouping of large, yellow vehicles with various kinds of implements protruding from the front or back of each. Long pipes near the top of the vehicles belched black columns of pollution into the sky and each was inhabited by a person who seemed to be operating the ugly, unnatural masses as they moved toward the towering trees.
 Illustration by Galina Moleskine
Ama felt afraid but a voice deep inside told them to continue approaching. They emerged from the forest and began to sing a traditional song they learned from their grandmother about the glorious web of interbeing, not knowing whether they could be heard over the roar of the vehicles’ engines or, if they could, whether the people running the vehicles would understand the meaning of the song. As Ama sang, standing tall and proud in defense of their beloved home, the wind arose and carried their voice toward the vehicles and blowing the black poison away from them. The sun shown on Ama like a
spotlight as their voice rang clear and strong across the clearing.
One by one, the operators of the vehicles shut the engines down and listened. Though they didn’t understand the song’s lyrics, the music stirred in them a remembering of their connection to themselves, each other, and the world. They found themselves drawn toward Ama and stepped down from their perches within the vehicles and gathered nearer to the source of the music.
Ama sang on as they met the eyes of each of the strangers now standing before them then turned and beckoned the others to follow. Ama led the way to their peaceful village and the newcomers began to hum along as they walked together. When the foreign group arrived at the village of Ama’s people, many had already heard from Dal and the other children about the approaching danger. The villagers were wary but, upon hearing the song of the ancestors, began to relax and sing along. All of the village circled around the operators, raising their voices as one. In their song was an invitation. Learn from us. Join us. You are welcome here. You belong. The newcomers stayed and learned and belonged for the rest of their days.
Their machines sat idle and were reclaimed by the earth. The village elders told the story of Ama and their great feat of courage, compassion, and love for generations to come and the community grew to invite additional, curious newcomers with the song of inter-being, eventually encompassing all of humanity. The end… or the beginning…?
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