There’s a beautiful Hindu myth about how the god Indra cast a net over the world. At each juncture of the webbing a luminous jewel is suspended. Every jewel is radiant and perfect. And, guess what? One of those “jewels” is you. Your own precious Self!
Each soul in the Universe is represented by one of the gems
in Indra’s net. And we simply need to get out the polishing cloth—removing any dulling overlay that’s accumulated—to reveal our true essence. This is where Yoga comes in.
In the beginning we practice asana to remove toxins and stagnation. Polish, polish. We do some more yoga postures, breathing into challenging moments, and learn healthier ways to show up in our lives. Polish, polish. We apply the ethical practices of yoga—ahimsa (nonharming), satya (truthfulness), aparigraha (nongrasping)—to let our inner jewel shine, and ultimately to benefit all beings.
Stephen Mitchell, in The Enlightened Mind, says, “Every jewel is intimately connected with all other jewels in the universe, and a change in one jewel means a change, however slight, in every other jewel.” Makes you all glowy inside doesn’t it? Well, don’t let it stay inside. Like the jewels in Indra’s net our light shines outward and reflects back to us in all the facets of the other jewels.
Try this meditation to get a feel for your interconnection with this amplified universal radiance:
Relax in savasana. Feel your body supported by the earth and surrender to gravity. Let the back of the body begin to expand as you take the breath there. Feel the sense of radiating outward. Take the breath into the front body and let it expand and radiate outward. Now do the same with the top of the body, from shoulders out through the crown. And breathe radiance out through the tips of the toes. As you sparkle, feel the whole universe and all sentient beings amplifying your brightness. Keep the feedback loop going as you breathe for 20 minutes or so.
Whenever you need a reminder about interconnection this is a great practice to turn to.
