Indra's Net

Mandalas capture the beauty and intricacy of Indra's Net

Lately, I've been strongly touched by the connections that humans consciously and unconsciously share with each other--even simply by existing at the same time! I don't claim to be the best person in the world (as many will tell you, I have offended many with my parking habits alone!), but I do claim to be aware that my actions and decisions play an active role in the lives of others. Several can attest to the constant presence people can have in our lives, from the executive decisions in the white house to the little old lady living next door always neglecting to trim her lawn. Big or small, alone or among company, the decisions we make can change the game for the whole universe. 

Consequentially (this force being so prevalent in the world) this connectedness is recognized in several religions, and is taught from a highly philosophical perspective. The term used is interdependence, which means an interconnection that exists to tie everything together so that one action has a corresponding effect throughout the entire universe. This philosophy compares to the idea of a butterfly's wing beat in China ultimately amounting to a hurricane in Florida. A great metaphor for this phenomenon is expressed through the beautiful concept of Indra's Net.     

Indra's Net is best explainable as a complex and detailed spiderweb. At each point the web connects with each other there is a dew drop of water, representative of any entity in the universe--this could be someone like you or me, a dog, a butterfly, or even a tree in your backyard. The spider web makes connections with each of these dew drops, so that if the spider were to follow the web in any direction, they would find that each dew drop is ultimately connected to each other. But if we were to look within each dew drop, we would see a reflection of the web itself, down to the very last detail, including each dew drop within web. 

To put this concept in perspective, we would find someone like me connected to friends and family that are connected to their friends and family, in this way I can be connected (albeit very remotely) to everyperson around me. Even if I don't personally know them, I could know them by way of ten different people, like following each strand of web from dew drop to dew drop. 

Within myself exists an entity that is unique, that has a specific place in the web. In this way, I am my own individual dew drop. But inside of me also exists primal desires and spiritual drives that can be found in all the dew drops; in this way I am no different. The personalities, likes and dislikes, drives and ambitions of those I interact with are reflected inside and through me. Have you ever spent time around one specific person and then discovered that you picked up some defined characteristics from that person, how they spoke or walked? This is the same as having them reflected through you--you begin to constitute their existance by having them exist within you. And since we are all connected, even by the vaguest of means, we all reflect each other (even if just a little).

So the person that honks at me because I cut them off or leaves me notes under my window washers because I parked too far in their driveway (I do apologize by the way) is in fact expressing and exercising their connection to me, even if the experience is just that. And because they did this to me, I now have a part of myself that reflects that instance and can transmit a similar circumstance to take place. Of course, I never appreciated the reactions of others when I made these mistakes so I don't make it a habit of doing to others what they do to me (that is called wisdom folks). But if done to me enough, this situation is more likely to be reciprocated through me because I have been so exposed to this way of thinking. Eventually the exposure to processes of thinking tends to become a process of our thought. And since negativity spreads like wildfire, this specific thought process is more contagious and readily available than other processes. 

But this brings me to what I always encourage--a positive thought-process that characterizes my behavior every day. I make it no secret that I am very human. I make mistakes, and some of those mistakes can be ridiculously (and sometime hilariously) bad, and I try to avoid making these mistakes because of how they might affect others. So, in light of the fact I make mistakes and incorrect decisions at times, I strive ever the more to be positive.

Let's say I smiled at someone on the street while walking home. That person is then affected by the connection we share in a positive manner. If enough individuals were to smile at this person in a similar manner, this process will be reflected in that specific person as they share a smile with yet another individual on the street. And positivity might not be as contagious as negativity, but it is stronger and much more rewarding, both spiritually and emotionally. Imagine the world as a place where everyone smiled and greeted each other as they walked on the street; it would be a truly beautiful world. 

And the good news is it can be; it just all depends on you.