In Hindu and Buddhist cosmology—especially in the Avatamsaka Sutra of Mahayana Buddhism—the idea of Indra's Net offers a powerful metaphor for how the universe works. Indra's Net is imagined as an endless web, where every knot or point is a shining jewel. Each jewel reflects all the others, showing that everything in the universe is connected and nothing exists in isolation. This reflects the Buddhist concept of dependent arising where everything comes into being through relationships, not on its own.
Similar ideas appear in Zen Buddhism and Daoism, which both reject the notion of separation between self and other. They see this separation as an illusion. In Advaita Vedanta, a school of Hindu philosophy, the same belief exists: the ultimate reality, Brahman, is not different from the individual soul or Atman. The idea that they are separate is a trick of perception, called Maya.
In Western philosophy, these views have parallels. For example, the 17th-century thinker Leibniz proposed a theory called Monadology, where reality is made up of indivisible units called monads. Each monad reflects the whole universe within itself, just like the jewels in Indra's Net. They don't interact directly, but remain in harmony, as if "pre-programmed" to move in sync.
Other Western philosophies also support the idea that reality is based on relationships. Plato's Theory of Forms says that the physical world is just a shadow of higher, unchanging truths. Phenomenology, especially in the writings of Husserl and Heidegger, focuses on how meaning and understanding come through the relationship between the observer and the world. Carl Jung's concept of synchronicity, where events seem connected in meaningful ways, even without direct cause—also echoes this idea. Even Marxist theory sees individuals and states as deeply interlinked through social and economic structures.
In this broader philosophical context, quantum entanglement in physics seems less like a revolutionary concept and more like a modern echo of ancient truths. In quantum theory, two or more particles can become entangled, meaning their states are linked. If you observe one particle, the state of the other changes instantly, even if it's on the other side of the universe. Einstein famously called this "spooky action at a distance".
This is strikingly similar to Indra's Net: a universe where touching one part immediately affects the whole, without sending any message or signal. Quantum entanglement shows us that everything might be far more connected than we usually believe.
Quantum Entanglement, Ubuntu, and Design Thinking
This concept becomes more than a scientific curiosity in today's networked, globalised society. It becomes a foundation for how we live and design. No matter how small, every person, event, or action has ripple effects that touch others. Systems like global trade, finance, the internet, transport, education, and energy shape our lives. On the surface, things may seem unrelated, but when seen through the lens of quantum entanglement, we realise that everything is deeply connected.
For example, a slight change in interest rates in India or the US might seem local. However, that change can influence international trade, affect prices of raw materials like fertiliser, change how farmers use chemicals, and even shift insect populations in faraway countries. Those changes then affect crop production, local economies, job markets, and global consumption patterns. Even insects, which don't use money or care about economics, are indirectly impacted by financial decisions made continents away. This example may be over simplified, but it illustrates the key point: local events have global consequences, whether we realise it or not.
This is where the African philosophy of Ubuntu becomes essential. Ubuntu is a design principle reflecting life's interconnected nature, much like quantum entanglement. The Zulu expression "Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu" translates to "a person is a person through other people." Ubuntu teaches that we are who we are because of others.
At its core, Ubuntu is about shared humanity, compassion, and responsibility. It recognises that no person exists in isolation. Our well-being depends on the well-being of others. Ubuntu calls for empathy, kindness, and mutual respect. It also stresses the importance of healing rather than punishment, when conflicts arise, the goal should be to repair and reunite, not to isolate and harm. It is a system rooted in wholeness and restoration.
The Future of Design: Healing
The crises we face today—environmental, political, economic, or cultural—result from divided thinking and actions based on separation rather than unity. If we hope to design a better future, we must change how we see the world. We must move beyond solving isolated problems and instead adopt a healing approach that considers each issue to be connected to others.
When viewed alongside ancient philosophies like Indra's Net or Ubuntu, Quantum entanglement teaches us this simple but profound truth: we are all part of one reality. There is no "us and them"; there is only we. And in design, this means moving away from short-term fixes and towards practices that restore, regenerate, and reconnect.
Ubuntu, as a practical philosophy, offers a guide for this shift. It already embodies the understanding that everything is linked, and that only through mutual care and healing can we truly thrive. The future of design—whether in education, architecture, policy, or systems—must embrace this unified view of reality, not just as an ideal but as a practical, necessary approach to healing the world that is affected by our partisan and sectorial thinking and actions.