Aspen groves

I think the best way to reconcile oneself with the balance between individuality and unity is to think of humanity, and in a greater sense all living beings on this planet, and in a greater sense all living beings in the universe, as an Aspen grove.

Though each tree appears to be its own individual entity, it is in fact one part of a greater system -- the grove. While each tree manifests individually, its branches and leaves dispersing in wholly unique ways, they are all linked by a single root system. They are fundamentally linked at their foundation though they manifest separately. Some trees may look very similar with few subtle differences while others appear vastly different from the rest, hardly resembling an Aspen at all. Nonetheless, they are all inextricably linked by their foundation -- their root system. The death of one, as John Donne would say, diminishes the entire grove while the birth of another enhances it.

If any individual ignorantly chooses to take another's life, or to try to destroy another for fear of being diminished himself, he is not only acting foolishly but ironically as well, for taking that life, destroying that other is accomplishing exactly what he fears. If one wants to enhance himself, he must and will inevitably, enhance the "grove." To poison him against this diminishes the world. Ignorance breeds ignorance, and it is both a difficult and noble task to act as the end of such a line.