Avatamsaka Sutra-Indra's net query

May 25, 2009

Dear Shreeram Garu,

I have been a silent member of both of your groups.Your posts are amazing to say the least and I really wonder whether such an individual can even exist in modern day world!

I have a query regarding the Prometheus rising article which you had posted.

My query is what is the Avatamsuka Sutra and Indra's net?

May Divine Mother Bless you for guiding us all,

Lakshmi Prasanna

Dear Amma,

Thankyou for your kind words.

FAR AWAY IN THE HEAVENLY ABODE OF THE GREAT GOD INDRA, THERE IS A WONDERFUL NET WHICH HAS BEEN HUNG BY SOME CUNNING ARTIFICER IN SUCH A MANNER THAT IT STRETCHES OUT INDEFINITELY IN ALL DIRECTIONS. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE EXTRAVAGANT TASTES OF DEITIES, THE ARTIFICER HAS HUNG A SINGLE GLITTERING JEWEL AT THE NET'S EVERY NODE, AND SINCE THE NET ITSELF IS INFINITE IN DIMENSION, THE JEWELS ARE INFINITE IN NUMBER. THERE HANG THE JEWELS, GLITTERING LIKE STARS OF THE FIRST MAGNITUDE, A WONDERFUL SIGHT TO BEHOLD. IF WE NOW ARBITRARILY SELECT ONE OF THESE JEWELS FOR INSPECTION AND LOOK CLOSELY AT IT, WE WILL DISCOVER THAT IN ITS POLISHED SURFACE THERE ARE REFLECTED ALL THE OTHER JEWELS IN THE NET, INFINITE IN NUMBER. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT EACH OF THE JEWELS REFLECTED IN THIS ONE JEWEL IS ALSO REFLECTING ALL THE OTHER JEWELS, SO THAT THE PROCESS OF REFLECTION IS INFINITE

THE AVATAMSAKA SUTRA(FRANCIS H. COOK: HUA-YEN BUDDHISM : THE JEWEL NET OF INDRA 1977 )

Indra's net" is a phrase found in Kegon go-kyo sho (The Book of Five Doctrines of the Kegon Sect), a book that interprets the Avatamsaka Sutra "The barrier gate of Indra's net" is "a teaching that the world is like the orbs of the mesh that forms the net of the diety Indra, which are in an endless relationship of sosoku and so'nyu." Sosoku means all things come together and become one; so'nyu expresses an all-inclusive relationship whereby A both contains B and is contained by B. In other words, the image is of the knots of the net that join orbs of infinite number which all mirror each other in a relationship that continues forever. This metaphor, that each orb contains a universe and each orb is connected with every other, represents the intricate view of the universe held by Mahayana Buddhism

There are several aspects of Indra's Net, as described in the above quote, that signify it as a crystal clear allegory of reality.I have described below briefly in brackets how one should approach Srividya with the help of Avatamsaka Sutra for ease of understanding:

1. The Holographic Nature of the Universe

Long before the existence of the hologram, the jeweled net is an excellent description of the special characteristic of holograms: that every point of the hologram contains information regarding all other points. This reflective nature of the jewels is an obvious reference to this. This kind of analogy has been suggested by science as a theory for an essential characteristic of the cosmos, as well as as the functioning of the human brain, as beautifully described in The Hologrpahic Universe by Michael Talbot.You may wish to read that to further understand the concept.

(Everypath like Srividya Tantra contains an infinity.)

2. The Interconnectedness of All Things

When any jewel in the net is touched, all other jewels in the node are affected. This speaks to the hidden interconnectedness and interdependency of everything and everyone in the universe, and has an indirect reference to the concept of "Dependent Origination" in Buddhism. Additionally, Indra's Net is a definitive ancient correlate of Bell's Theorum, or the theory of non-local causes.

(Srividya Tantra has interconnection and interdependency with other paths, and at the sametime complete in itself)

3. Lack of a substantive self

Each node, representing an individual, simply reflects the qualities of all other nodes, inferring the notion of 'not-self' or a lack of a solid and real inherent self, as seen in the Advaita Vedanta school of Hinduism and Buddhism in general.

(Srividya Tantra is not the only path)

(Buddhist Thangka painting which denotes 'Indra's net')

4. Non-locality

Indra's Net shoots holes in the assumption or imputation of a solid and fixed universe 'out there'. The capacity of one jewel to reflect the light of another jewel from the other edge of infinity is something that is difficult for the linear mind, rational mind to comprehend. The fact that all nodes are simply reflections indicates that there is no particular single source point from where it all arises.

(There is no particular or singular source from where Divine Mother, Srividya Tantra or other paths have emerged)

5. Innate Wisdom

The ability to reflect the entirety of all light in the universe attests to the inherent transcendant wisdom that is at the core of all nodes, representing all sentient beings, and to the inherent Buddha Nature.

(Everyone have the Bindu-pranajyothi in them as mentioned in the Srividya Texts)

6. Illusion or Maya

The fact that all nodes are simply a reflection of all others implies the illusory nature of all appearances. Appearances are thus not reality but a reflection of reality.

(Srividya Tantra in itself retains the highest Maya which needs to be transcended only by pursuing it and not rejecting it)

7. Universal Creativity

A familiar concept in various high dharmas is one of an impersonal creative intelligence that springs forth into reality through the instruments of all living beings.

(Srividya imparts siddhis and shakthis which are a representation of the Highest impersonal creative intelligence inherent in all)

8. The Mirror-like Nature of Mind

The capacity to reflect all things attests to the mind being a mirror of reality, not its basis. This is a common thesis among various schools and religions.

Indra's Net is a core metaphor of HuaYen.

Stephen Mitchell, in his book The Enlightened Mind, wrote:

"The Net of Indra is a profound and subtle metaphor for the structure of reality. Imagine a vast net; at each crossing point there is a jewel; each jewel is perfectly clear and reflects all the other jewels in the net, the way two mirrors placed opposite each other will reflect an image ad infinitum. The jewel in this metaphor stands for an individual being, or an individual consciousness, or a cell or an atom. Every jewel is intimately connected with all other jewels in the universe, and a change in one jewel means a change, however slight, in every other jewel."

(It's also interesting to note that contemporary quantum physicists are in general agreement that this ancient metaphor is indeed a good description for the universe.)

As one of the West's preeminent philosophers defined human interaction:The [people] are the primary units of the actual community, and the community is composed of the units. But each unit has in its nature a reference to every other member of the community, so that each other member of the community, so that each unit is a microcosm representing in itself the entire all-inclusive universe.--Lecture: Body and Spirit, 1926, Alfred North Whitehead.

If you carefully think:

My post, your query, my reply back to it has created a quantum change which is reflected by my individual consciousness' understanding into crystallized wisdom now inside you and this would effect the microcosmic world of yours.And all those who read this would inturn be affected by it, due to your query and my reply back to it.

In other words, one can also say small changes and understanding also impacts heavily in the mass psyche.

That is why they say that if one thinks positive thoughts and vibes well it will have an effect in one's environment and will returnback in a similar manner.

Be that jewel to influence everyone positively.

Avatamsaka Sutram Namaami!

Yours Yogically,

Shreeram Balijepalli

Hreem Rajarajeshwari Paradevatha!

Purity, Powers, Parabrahmam...