Thich Nhat Hanh, Indra's Net at Bat Nha and Ajanta Cave Wall Paintings

Summary: Indra's net admits Ajanta cave wall paintings and sculptures in India and Bat Nha monastery under study center founder Thich Nhat Hanh in central Vietnam.

Cổng vào tu viện Bát Nhã (Gateway to Bat Nha Monastery), central highlands, Vietnam; July 15, 2016: Tokeisan (thảo luận), CC BY SA 3.0 Unported, via Wikimedia Commons

Indra's net of Interbeing associates Ajanta cave wall paintings and sculptures in central-west India with Bat Nha monastery of study center founder Thich Nhat Hanh in central Vietnam and with all else.

Indra, king of the celestials and storm god brought by chariot-driving, horse-riding, light-skinned, sword-wielding Aryan invaders of northwestern India by 1700 BCE, built a spiderweb-like universe. Vedic hymns by 800 BCE commemorated Indra constructing the world, house-like, with four corner posts and walls; overcast-sky thatched roof; and separate sun-entering and sun-exiting doors. The 3,000- to 3,200-year-old Atharvaveda (from Sanskrit अथर्ववेद, "[ancient] priestly knowledge") and the 2,000-year-old Mahavaipulya Buddhavatamsaka Sutra (from Sanskrit महावैपुल्यबुद्धावतंसकसूत्र, "Flower Garland Scripture") describe Indra's net.

Indra's net exists as an infinite spiderweb that entertains infinite connections, each enshrining one of an infinite number of polished jewels that each exhibit infinite facets.

Anyone and anything, everyone and everything that fashions, or figures on, one connection, one facet, one jewel finds effects and reflections everywhere else on Indra's net.

Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese-born founder of nine Plum Village Tradition mindfulness practice and training centers, gives the noun Interbeing for what Indra's net generates and gets. He hones the noun Interbeing into the infinitive interbe and such conjugated verb forms as We inter-are to harvest Buddhist teachings and Hindu and Vedic mythology. His article for the journal Resurgence indicates that, "In Indra's net the one is present in the all, and the all is present in the one."

Perhaps seasonal artisans and merchants joined resident and seasonal Buddhist monks in Interbeing journeys around Ajanta cave wall paintings and sculptures 1,300 to 2,300 years ago.

Perhaps jataka (from Sanskrit जातक, "born under") tales in Ajanta cave wall paintings and sculptures in north-central Maharashtra state kindled Interbeing among their laity and monastics.

Jataka tales lead Gautama Buddha (from Sanskrit गोतम, "brightness [dispels] darkness" and बुद्ध, "awakened") through 549 bodhisattva (from Sanskrit बोधिसत्त्व, "enlightened existence") reincarnations to his 550th. The first 35 years (624?-589 BCE?) he manifests as Sakyan Crown Prince Siddhartha (from Sanskrit सिद्धार्थ, "successful") Gautama and the enlightened last 45 as Gautama Buddha. Gautama Buddha, seventh of eight Manushi (from Sanskrit मनुषी, "feminine, humane") Buddhas who navigated human lifespans, netted bird, fish, human and other mammal, and reptile reincarnations.

Perhaps Ajanta cave wall paintings and sculptures offered Ajanta Sangha (from Sanskrit अजित, "invincible" and संघ, "multitude") communities aimless, empty, impermanent, non-attached, non-craving, peaceful, signless Interbeing.

Venerable Thich Duc Nghi as abbot permitted the Plum Village Tradition of founder Thich Nhat Hanh placing their Sangha and study center at Bat Nha monastery.

Five hundred quested Plum Village Tradition ordination, May 2005-June 2008, in Indra's net of aimless, empty, impermanent, non-attached, non-craving, peaceful, signless Interbeing at Bat Nha monastery. Indra's net of Interbeing empty of overriding ambition, attachments, craving, emotions, portent-seeking and selfishness and full of ever-changing teamwork reveals all times in one and vice-versa. Perhaps sojourns stopping around Ajanta cave wall paintings and sculptures suggest Indra's net stopped at the Bat Nha monastery study center 1,300 to 2,300 years later.

Ajanta testifies to tugs-of-war between Asmaka kings and Vakataka emperors on tribal lands, perhaps like those between colonialist and Vietnamese cultures on central-western Vietnam's tribal highlands.

Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, founder of Bat Nha Monastery's study center as one of many jewels in his Plum Village Tradition's mindfulness practice and training centers, draws upon Indra's Net of infinite connections and reflections for the concept of Interbeing; rendering of Indra's Net by industrial designer David A. Parrott for Cincinnati, Ohio-based Stress Engineering Services depicts infinitely reflected interconnectedness; Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009: David A. Parrott, CC BY SA 3.0 Unported, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Cổng vào tu viện Bát Nhã (Gateway to Bat Nha Monastery), central highlands, Vietnam; July 15, 2016: Tokeisan (thảo luận), CC BY SA 3.0 Unported, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cổng_vào_tu_viện_Bát_Nhã.jpg; Tokeisan (thảo luận), CC BY SA 3.0 Unported, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tập_tin:Cổng_vào_tu_viện_Bát_Nhã.jpg

Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, founder of Bat Nha Monastery's study center as one of many jewels in his Plum Village Tradition's mindfulness practice and training centers, draws upon Indra's Net of infinite connections and reflections for the concept of Interbeing; rendering of Indra's Net by industrial designer David A. Parrott for Cincinnati, Ohio-based Stress Engineering Services depicts infinitely reflected interconnectedness; Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009: David A. Parrott, CC BY SA 3.0 Unported, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Indras_Net-02.png

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