What is the Jeweled Net of Indra?
What is the Jeweled Net of Indra?
“Indra’s net” is an infinitely large net of cords owned by the Vedic deva Indra, which hangs over his palace on Mount Meru, the axis mundi of Buddhist and Hindu cosmology. In this metaphor, Indra’s net has a multifaceted jewel at each vertex, and each jewel is reflected in all of the other jewels.
What does Indra mean in Buddhism?
In Buddhism, Indra is commonly called by his other name, Śakra or Sakka, ruler of the Trāyastriṃśa heaven. Śakra is sometimes referred to as Devānām Indra or “Lord of the Devas”. Buddhist texts also refer to Indra by numerous names and epithets, as is the case with Hindu and Jain texts.
What core Buddhist teaching is illustrating with metaphor of Indra’s Jewel net?
It’s a metaphor for interbeing Indra’s Jewel Net, or the Jewel Net of Indra, is a much-loved metaphor of Mahayana Buddhism. It illustrates the interpenetration, inter-causality, and interbeing of all things. Here is the metaphor: In the realm of the god Indra is a vast net that stretches infinitely in all directions.
Who is the Indra?
Indra, in Hindu mythology, the king of the gods. He is one of the main gods of the Rigveda and is the Indo-European cousin of the German Wotan, Norse Odin, Greek Zeus, and Roman Jupiter. Indra is strengthened for those feats by drinks of the elixir of immortality, the soma, which priests offer to him in the sacrifice.
What is ancient Soma?
soma, in ancient India, an unidentified plant the juice of which was a fundamental offering of the Vedic sacrifices. After it was offered as a libation to the gods, the remainder of the soma was consumed by the priests and the sacrificer. It was highly valued for its exhilarating, probably hallucinogenic, effect.
Who killed Indra god?
As told in the narration given to King Yudhishthira in the Mahabharata, Vritra was a demon created by artisan god Tvashta to avenge the killing of his son by Indra, known as Triśiras or Viśvarūpa. Vritra won the battle and swallowed Indra, but the other gods forced him to vomit Indra out.
How long is a bardo?
49 days
The period between death and rebirth lasts 49 days and involves three bardos. The first is the moment of death itself. The consciousness of the newly deceased becomes aware of and accepts the fact that it has recently died, and it reflects upon its past life.
Where did the term Indra’s net come from?
Indra became associated with earthly magic, as reflected in the term indrajalam, “Indra’s Net”, the name given to the occult practices magicians. According to Goudriaan, the term indrajalam seems to originate in verse 8.8.8 from the Atharva Veda, of which Goudriaan gives a different translation:
What did Francis H Cook say about Indra’s net?
Francis H. Cook describes Indra’s net thus: 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 infinitely in all directions.
How is Indra’s net used in Chinese Buddhism?
In this metaphor, Indra’s net has a multifaceted jewel at each vertex, and each jewel is reflected in all of the other jewels. In the Huayan school of Chinese Buddhism, which follows the Avatamsaka Sutra, the image of “Indra’s net” is used to describe the interconnectedness of the universe. Francis H. Cook describes Indra’s net thus:
Why was Indra’s net important to the Rig Veda?
According to Teun Goudriaan, Indra is conceived in the Rig Veda as a great magician, tricking his enemies with their own weapons, thereby continuing human life and prosperity on earth. Indra became associated with earthly magic, as reflected in the term indrajalam, “Indra’s Net”, the name given to the occult practices magicians.
