With fractals, everything looks the same, whether you zoom (way) in or (way) out. Even though the system is contained (like a coastline), it is infinite!

To get more details, you can go to http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/fractals/. For gorgeous pictures of the “Mandelbrot set”, the most famous fractal (named after the mathematician who discovered fractal geometry), you can go to http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mandelbrot_set and pick your favorite thumbnail to click on.

You mentioned that Indra’s Net is a Buddhist myth. If I am not mistaken, at least one view of the Buddha is that there are *many* forms of Buddha, which can be represented by separate images.

If I am correct in my analysis of one represenation of Buddha, there is one that embraces holism. It has 1000 arms (plus 8 more in some traditions) and eight heads: it is called Avalokite?vara. (See http://www.johnmorello.com/images/1000arms.jpg for an image.) You can almost hear the Buddha meditating on the various aspects of reality in a holistic manner: “On the one hand, yet on the hand, and still on the other hand….” Here is the entry I found on Avalokite?vara at Wikipedia:

“The thousand arms of Avalokite?vara

Avalokite?vara is a bodhisattva (‘enlightenment-being’ who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. One prominent Buddhist story tells of Avalokite?vara vowing never to rest until he had freed all sentient beings from samsara [the karma wheel]. Despite strenuous effort, he realizes that still many unhappy beings were yet to be saved. After struggling to comprehend the needs of so many, his head splits into eleven pieces. Amitabha Buddha, seeing his plight, gives him eleven heads with which to hear the cries of the suffering. Upon hearing these cries and comprehending them, Avalokite?vara attempts to reach out to all those who needed aid, but found that his two arms shattered into pieces. Once more, Amitabha comes to his aid and invests him with a thousand arms with which to aid the suffering multitudes.
Many Himalayan versions of the tale include eight arms with which Avalokite?vara skillfully upholds the dharma, each possessing its own particular implement, while more Chinese-specific ones give varying accounts of this number.”

To most people, I think, this can be overwhelming, intimidating, even scary. I’m guessing that statue is enough to scare to piss out of some children. By analogy, most adults will be scared of such a mental “image” unless it comes from someone who has been recognize as holy, a genius, or both.

A holistic approach coming from a single, ordinary individual may drive other people away. As one sportscaster on ESPN said to another when he tried to address all sides of a sports issue: “Get off the fence before you hurt yourself.” I, for one, say it is the *responsible* way to *stay* on the fence, to adopt a holistic attitude in approaching the search for knowledge. I say way to go Mr. Daniel!

I’ll check out the Ken Wilber book ASAP. Sounds awesome.

Hope you keep enjoying the blog!

Oh ya, I heard a clip on XM many years ago and signed onto your list. Seems that you really are a troubadour!