A farmer who grew award-winning corn each year entered his corn in a state fair where it consistently won a blue ribbon. A newspaper reporter interviewed the farmer and learned something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors. He asked him, ”How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering the same competition as you each year?”
"Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn."
Moral: The farmer is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbor's corn also improves. So it is in other dimensions. Those who choose to be at peace must help their neighbors to be at peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, and those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare of one is bound to the welfare of all.
The lesson for each of us is this: if we are to grow good corn, we must help our neighbors grow good corn.