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Early morning Quote by Stephen Cope

“Around his celestial home Indra had flung a vast net—a web stretching out infinitely in all directions. Each vertex, or node, of this net was held together by a glittering jewel. There were infinite nodes, and so there were infinite jewels. What does it mean? Just this: Each gem in the net…” quote by Stephen Cope
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““Around his celestial home Indra had flung a vast net—a web stretching out infinitely in all directions. Each vertex, or node, of this net was held together by a glittering jewel. There were infinite nodes, and so there were infinite jewels. What does it mean? Just this: Each gem in the net represents a human soul. And though each of these jewels is unique (has its own fingerprint!) it also reflects in its polished surface the image of all the other jewels. American philosopher and psychologist Alan Watts imagined this web as a multidimensional spiderweb. He said, “Imagine this web in the early morning, covered with dewdrops. And every dewdrop contains the reflection of all the other dewdrops. And, in each reflected dewdrop, the reflections of all the other dewdrops in that reflection. And so on ad infinitum.” Each jewel in Indra’s net represents both itself as a particular jewel, and, at the same time, the entire web. So, any change in one gem would be reflected in the whole. Indeed, the individual gem is the whole. In the words of Indologist Sir Charles Eliot, “Every object in the world is not merely itself but involves every other object and in fact IS everything else.” It is, therefore, the sacred duty of every individual human soul to be utterly and completely itself—to be that jewel at that time and in that place, and to be that jewel utterly. It is in this way—merely by being itself—that one jewel holds together its own particular corner of Space and Time. The action of each individual soul holds together the entire net. Small and large at the same time.””

Stephen Cope

About This Quote

The metaphor illustrates that each individual soul is both distinct and a reflection of the whole, implying interdependence and the profound impact of each being on the universe.

In simple terms: Each soul is unique yet mirrors the entire cosmos.

Key Takeaway

Live authentically, recognizing your integral role in the whole.

Themes

interconnectedness identity holism responsibility spirituality

Mood

contemplative inspired thoughtful

Type

philosophical spiritual metaphorical

When to use this quote

  • personal growth
  • community building
  • environmental stewardship
  • conflict resolution
  • leadership

Key Concepts

indra's net reflexivity nondualism

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does recognizing your interconnectedness change your daily choices?
  • In what ways can you honor your uniqueness while serving the whole?
A Different Perspective

The concept may be abstract and hard to apply practically in everyday decisions.

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