Trishagni (1988): A Review Based on the Jewel Net of Indra, the Buddhist Notion for Environmental Sustainability
While scientific and technological advancements have propelled human prosperity, unchecked materialism has precipitated widespread socio-ecological degradation. Buddhist philosophy offers timeless insights into environmental sustainability, emphasizing nonduality, interconnectedness, and compassion....
| Authors: | ; |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2025
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| In: |
Worldviews
Year: 2025, Volume: 29, Issue: 3, Pages: 263-270 |
| Further subjects: | B
Indra’s Net
B pratītyasamutpāda B Environmental Ethics B Nonduality B Interconnectedness B Trishagni B Buddhist ecology |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | While scientific and technological advancements have propelled human prosperity, unchecked materialism has precipitated widespread socio-ecological degradation. Buddhist philosophy offers timeless insights into environmental sustainability, emphasizing nonduality, interconnectedness, and compassion. Central to this concept is the Jewel Net of Indra (Indrajal), a metaphor from the Avataṃsaka Sūtra and Huayan Buddhism, which depicts the universe as an infinite net where each jewel reflects all others, symbolizing mutual interdependence and interconnectedness. This article applies Indra’s Net to analyze the 1988 film Trishagni, a powerful narrative that vividly portrays the consequences of human actions on the environment. Set in a drought-ravaged Central Asian village following the Buddha’s death, the film’s portrayal of human struggles amid ecological fragility serves as a poignant reflection of Buddhist concepts, such as pratītyasamutpāda (dependent origination) and the Brahmavihāras (divine abidings), highlighting how moral failings exacerbate environmental crises. By framing the narrative through Indra’s Net, the analysis underscores the importance of reverence for nature, compassion (karuṇā), and nonviolence (ahiṃsā) in fostering sustainable harmony. |
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| ISSN: | 1568-5357 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Worldviews
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/15685357-02903004 |
