Indra’s Net: Interbeing in the Age of Awakening

By Pema Vajra

August 10, 2023

Imagine a vast, infinite net.At every node of this net is a jewel.And within each jewel is the reflection of every other jewel.This is Indra’s Net—an ancient metaphor for the interdependent nature of all reality.

In this radiant web, nothing exists independently. Each part contains and reflects the whole. It is not merely poetic or philosophical—it is a living truth, and it is being revealed again through both mystical insight and modern science. In this age of spiritual reawakening, Indra’s Net offers us a map—not to somewhere else, but to how things already are.

A Vision of Unity

Indra’s Net comes from ancient Vedic and Mahayana Buddhist traditions. It teaches that every being, every atom, every experience, is both unique and inseparable from the whole. Your joy is not isolated. Your pain echoes across the strands.

This vision dismantles the illusion of separation.We are not drops in the ocean—we are the ocean, reflected in each drop.

In Dzogchen, this realization is not conceptual but experiential. When we rest in pure awareness, we begin to perceive this interconnected field—not with our senses, but with our being. The boundaries between self and other soften. Duality dissolves into presence.

The Net and the Knot of Identity

Each jewel in Indra’s Net reflects all others, but also holds its particular shape. This is the paradox: you are not the same as anyone else, and yet you are not apart from anything.

Our suffering begins when we forget this. We believe we are only this knot of thoughts, memories, and names. We cling to self as if it exists in isolation, as if our actions don’t ripple outward.

But the truth is, everything we do touches the whole net.

A kind word reverberates. So does a harsh one. Awareness of this is not a burden—it is a blessing. It means our lives matter, and so do our smallest choices.

The Internet and Indra’s Net

In our digital age, we are witnessing a crude echo of Indra’s Net. The internet connects billions of minds in an instant. Ideas spread like wildfire. Collective traumas and global awakenings pulse through our shared networks.

But unlike Indra’s Net, the internet lacks built-in compassion.

Without spiritual insight, the web entangles us in comparison, conflict, and illusion. With awareness, it becomes a sacred mirror—a tool for remembrance, reflection, and unity.

We are being called to live the truth of Indra’s Net not just online, but in our hearts and homes.

Living the Interbeing

To live as a jewel in Indra’s Net means:

• Seeing others as extensions of yourself. No being is expendable.

• Letting go of egoic isolation. The “I” is a thread, not the whole tapestry.

• Caring for the world as you would care for your own body. Because in truth, it is.

• Resting in awareness that reflects everything without grasping anything.

This is the heart of the Dharma. Not just liberation for oneself but awakening through the recognition of our shared nature.

“In the mirror of each being, you are seen. In the light of each jewel, the whole shines.”

May we walk gently in this world, not as isolated seekers, but as luminous reflections of the infinite—each of us a living facet of the awakened whole.