March 06th, 2017

John Daido Loori wrote:  "In the Flower Garland Sutra . . . In the the sutra's most resounding metaphor, the Diamond Net of Indra, all existence is seen as a vast net of gems that extends throughout the universe, not only in the three dimensions of space but in the fourth dimension of time as well.  Each point of this huge net contains a multifaceted diamond which reflects every other diamond, as such essentially 'contains' every other diamond in the net."

Think of it this way: when one views a photograph, Indra's Net is being demonstrated:  meditating on the photograph above, the tree, gull, water, rocks, air are all present, as are the various intensities of light entering the lens of the camera, which is being held by the photographer who has  framed the image, a photographer with his history, perceptions, intuition, ideas and memories, who is sharing the air and light with the tree and gulls and rocks, and  the viewer too is present with his/her own history, ideas, perceptions,, related not just to to what is perceived in the image, but to the air, earth, etc. of the viewer in that moment of time.  Everything is related, interdependent on each and every being present.  Everything arises together and is interdependent with everything else. Thought of this way, the Cartesian view of the separation of the subject and the object is seen to be a radical oversimplification of what is, in fact, as a Buddhist might put it, as a delusion.