Earth and Space News: Thich Nhat Hanh and Indra's Net at Parallax Press and Ajanta Cave 17

Summary: Indra's net attaches encyclopedic Ajanta cave 17 in ancient India to Parallax Press of founder Thich Nhat Hanh in modern California, and vice-versa.

Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh founded Parallax Press in 1986 as a nonprofit publisher on the art of mindful living and Engaged Buddhism: Parallax Press @ParallaxPress, via Facebook May 15, 2019

Indra's net of interactive, interconnected Interbeing assembles Ajanta cave 17 wall paintings and sculptures in central-west India for and from Parallax Press of founder Thich Nhat Hanh in Berkeley, California, and vice-versa.

Indra, Iranaian deity brought by Aryan invaders of northwest India before 1700 BCE, built our world with four corner-posts and walls, two doors and one roof. He confined corner-posts and walls, doors for conducting the sun in and out, and thatched roof of overcast sky within his bejeweled, infinite, interactive, interconnected net. One facet of one jewel at one horizontal and vertical demarcation of one interconnection defers to all facets of all jewels at all demarcations and vice-versa.

Thich Nhat Hanh explains for the Journal Resurgence, "In Indra's net, the one is present in the all, and the all is present in the one."

The 1,500-plus-year-old Ajanta cave 17 wall paintings and sculptures function as ancient, visual encyclopedia volumes and publishing houses on the seventh Buddha (from Sanskrit बुद्ध, "awakened").

Itinerant artisans between the third and first centuries BCE and the fifth and eighth centuries CE generated Ajanta (from Sanskrit अजित, "benevolent") monastery and prayer-hall caves. The 113.19- by 84.09-foot (34.5- by 25.63-meter) vihara (from Sanskrit विहार, "walking [hall]") cave 17 has a first- and second-phase prayer-hall cave within a first-phase monastery. Its chaitya-like (from Sanskrit चैत्य, "memorial monument") prayer-hall chapels; colonnaded porch; 20-pillar, 4,095.99-square-foot (380.53-square-meter) hall; shrine; and vestibule illustrate jataka (from Sanskrit जातक, "born under") tales.

Ajanta cave 17 wall paintings and sculptures journey biographically through Gautama (from Sanskrit गोतम, "brightness [dispels] darkness") Buddha's 550 bodhisattva (from Sanskrit बोधिसत्त्व, "enlightened existence") reincarnations.

Indra's net knows Ajanta cave 17 biographical wall paintings and sculptures in Maharashtra state for and from Parallax Press of founder Thich Nhat Hanh and vice-versa.

Ajanta cave 17 wall paintings and sculptures look at Gautama Buddha as the bodhisattva buffalo Mahisha, cloud-horse Valahassa, deer Nigrodha and Ruru and eight-legged stag Sharabha. They move ancient Sangha (from Sanskrit संघ, "multitude") lay and monastic community members through illustrated biographies of bodhisattva elephants Hasti, Matiposaka, Nalagiri of Rajagaha and Shaddanta. They note the bodhisattva fish Machchha, golden goose Dhatarattha of Kancanaguha cave, King Sibi of Aritthapura, monkey king Mahakapi of Benares and Prince Sutasoma of Hastinapur.

Ajanta cave 17, like the Vietnamese homeland of Thich Nhat Hanh, observes Theravada (from Sanskrit स्थविरवाद, "elders' doctrine") and Mahayana (from Sanskrit महायान, "great vehicle") Buddhism.

Mass-enlightening, older Mahayana Buddhism prevails over self-enlightening, younger Theravada in Ajanta cave 17 wall paintings and sculptures and the Parallax Press of founder Thich Nhat Hanh.

Jataka tales of Princes Suvanna Sama of Himavant and Vessantara of Sivirattha qualify as Mahayana Buddhist in biographical, encyclopedia Ajanta cave 17 wall paintings and sculptures. Ajanta cave 17 wall paintings and sculptures of giant wheels reveal Gautama Buddha's 550th reincarnation as Sakyan Prince Siddhartha (from Sanskrit सिद्धार्थ, "successful") Gautama (624?-544 BCE?). They suggest Buddhism's steady spread southward through King Udayin (died 19 BCE) of Magadha and through Prince Vijaya of Sinhapura (died 50 BCE) into Sri Lanka.

Indra's net ties Ajanta cave 17 wall paintings and sculptures to Parallax Press of founder Thich Nhat Hanh through mass-enlightening, self-enlightening teachings of its sculpted Buddha.

Acknowledgment

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

Image credits:

Vessantara Jataka, depicted in Ajanta Cave 17, relates Gautama Buddha's previous incarnation as a prince who epitomizes perfect generosity by giving away everything; Ajanta Caves, Maharasthra, west-central India; Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015, 09:09: Jean-Pierre Dalbéra, CC BY 2.0 Generic, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ajanta_Cave_17_Scene_of_the_Vessantara_Jataka.jpg; Jean-Pierre Dalbéra (dalbera), CC BY 2.0 Generic, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/dalbera/16603507037

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Earth and Space News

Friday, July 5, 2019

Thich Nhat Hanh and Indra's Net at Parallax Press and Ajanta Cave 17

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