Indra's Net

I first encountered Indra's Net through philosopher Alan Watts explaining the Buddhist Doctrine of Mutual Inter-Penetration ( Pratītyasamutpāda ) in which every part of the universal energy pattern (be it thing, event, or story) is interlocked with every other part; all depending upon each and each depending upon the whole. This concept is illustrated by using the metaphor of a multi-dimensional spider web which, coated with dew, glistens in the morning light. Each drop of dew suspended upon the web contains an individual (person/event/story), and in each drop is seen the reflection of every other drop and in that reflection the reflection of the reflection and so on through infinite regression. Each drop is significant because it reflects and is reflected in every drop being integrated into an intricate whole. It follows that changing one would change all, not just in appearance, but in context and most importantly in meaning.


"Indra's Jeweled Net is a metaphor for the summation of Buddhist thought. Each of us is a jewel in Indra's Net, which replicates the whole and is the whole. At each intersection in Indra's Net is a light reflecting jewel and each jewel contains another Net, ad infinitum. The jewel at each intersection exists only as a reflection of all the others and hence it has no self-nature. Yet it also exists as a separate entity to sustain the others. Each and all exist in their mutuality. "

---Ken Jones, The Social Face of Buddhism

If your interested here is some further talks by Alan Watts on the overview of Buddhism including some history and concepts, and Alan Watts attempts to explain Zen.