Indra’s net One of the well-known metaphors that Buddhism use s to portray the interconnectedness of all life is the image of the god Indra and his mythological net of jewels. Indra’s net symbolizes the universe as a web of interdependent connections among all of its members, stretching out infinitely in all directions. Each jewel both reflects and is reflected by all the others, illustrating the principle that whatever affects one jewel, affects them all. Indra’s net
One of the well-known metaphors that Buddhism use s to portray the interconnectedness of all life is the image of the god Indra and his mythological net of jewels. Indra’s net symbolizes the universe as a web of interdependent connections among all of its members, stretching out infinitely in all directions. Each jewel both reflects and is reflected by all the others, illustrating the principle that whatever affects one jewel, affects them all. Although this metaphor relates to the nature of the universe, it’s principles could also be applied to how we can create an enlightened society and a sane world. If we take this metaphor personally, it suggests that we are all microcosmic universes. Our basic orientation about life that shapes how we communicate with others, how we handle with our emotions, and determines the sacrifices we’re willing to make to fulfill our reason for being here—all reflect the kind and quality of person we are. Indra's net suggests that we can't afford to keep parts of ourselves separate and hidden from each other. In order to live with integrity, our many aspects and dimensions need to be in communication with each other, so that it all feels part of one fabric. In the absence of such integration, we become overly identified with an iconic image of ourselves—our ego-self—and the personal story that goes with that image. Inadvertently, this disconnects us from significant parts of ourselves which become isolated islands separated from our mainland. We can't embrace our intrinsic wholeness or Buddha nature if we are concealing something within ourselves that feels unacceptable. To live authentically is having the courage to extend understanding and compassion to the very parts that feel strange or alien. The ego, the idea we have ourselves, serves as a kind of psychic immune system. Our biochemical immune system distinguishes what is a natural part our body from any foreign entities such as bacteria or viruses that may threaten our health. By detecting what it perceives as alien, the immune system preserves the integrity of our body by fighting off any invading bacteria or viruses. Our ego has a similar function, but it is psychological. It distinguishes itself from what it perceives as other than itself. Ego’s agenda is to divide our world between self and not-self, the latter often possessing qualities that feel alien to who we think we are. A Sane Society and World When we apply the principles of interconnection and interpenetration, symbolized by Indra’s net, to our society, we begin to realize that there aren't single societal issues that can be truly divorced from the larger social-political-environmental contexts in which they occur, nor can these issues be treated as individual or private problems. The Covid pandemic and our current ecological crisis reveals that we are so much more interconnected to one another than we previously thought. Although the numerous global crises that threaten our planet are quite complex, they can be boiled down to a distorted idea of self—the highly individualized self, our “skin-encapsulated ego.” This view of self falsifies human beings by inflating the supremacy of the individual, while failing to recognize our interdependence with the greater systems of life of which we are a part. As a result, we can be highly insensitive or oblivious to the negative impact that we have on other species as well as the rest of the natural world. Remarkably, Western industrialized societies have bought into the myth that they live on top of nature, rather than embedded within it. The sense of the sacred, our intuitive sense of a larger reality, the ultimate mystery that holds us all—has been superseded by the relentless push towards endless material progress, ever-expanding GDP, and an obsessive preoccupation with wealth and self-aggrandizement. This is an age marked by rampant racism, an obsession with power and profit, and a blatant disregard for truth and scientific evidence. Our planet and its people are in peril largely because of our failure to feel our intrinsic, undeniable connection with each other. Sadly, large portions of the population no longer deeply feel their connection with family, community, the natural environment, as well as with peoples of other cultures, as indigenous people around the world demonstrate daily. Because of our illusory sense of immunity from the consequences of our individual actions, our species has consumed practically all of the world’s wild spaces, harvested the oceans, razed the forests, and are burning thousands of acres of our planet’s jungles. Nearly a million species are on the verge of extinction, including the decimation of insect populations, not least of which are the pollinators, upon which our entire food chain depends. The Anthropocene The COVID pandemic is another reminder that we are in a new geological era, the Anthropocene, where human beings have become the single dominant force of change on the planet, and are radically altering the entire natural world. As we continue to exploit the wild spaces of Earth without regard for the likely consequences—AIDS, SARS, Zika, dengue, and Covid have all migrated from the wild into large swaths of humanity. Covid is just the last of many pathogens that were warning signals to humanity that we’ve pushed beyond our natural limits. Deforestation, mining, livestock and agribusiness degrade wildlife habitat, leaving animals no choice but to move closer to humans, potentially bringing pathogens along with them. These violations cannot be separated from the Covid-19 pandemic, nor from the likelihood that we will have to contend with new viruses in the years to come. This should provoke us to think collectively about living in more thoughtful and creative harmony with nature. These crises cannot be separated from the crisis of the massive inequalities in wealth, income and power. In order to incentivize private enterprise and individual profit, journalist Naomi Klein points out that many Western governments have attempted to underfund services, such as “state-funded health care, clean water, good public schools, safe workplaces, pensions, and other programs to care for the elderly and disadvantaged.” The people who will either die or be most affected by such a reckless policy will be those who are regarded as disposable—the elderly, the destitute, poor people of color, and undocumented immigrants—the “others.” A Vision of Possibility At the same time, the magnitude of these crises offers new possibilities in which people can begin to rethink what kind of society, world and future they want to inhabit. We still have the opportunity to reimagine a world that can heal the rupture between the separate self, humanity in all of its diversity, and the natural world. We can begin the process of redefining what it means to be a human being and what responsibilities we must bear in order to restore balance to ourselves and our world. One of the revolutions that Buddha initiated in his time was the suspension of the Indian caste system that placed individuals in specific social categories, keeping them bound to these social structures intergenerationally. Buddha encouraged men and women from all walks of life and from all social castes to be part of his community of practitioners. When more individuals speak from their minds and hearts, the greater the collective wisdom of the group, and the wiser each individual becomes. The greater the diversity of age, gender, culture, religion, and race the greater a society’s resilience in times of crisis, and the greater is potential for creative innovation. It is only through an expanded sense of identity with other peoples, other nations, other species, and with nature itself, that we have the possibility of establishing a sane society and world. Comments are closed.
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