The Mahayana teachings often use the Jewel Net of the god Indra as a metaphor to help people realize the interdependence of all things, including life and its environment. The Jewel Net of Indra is said to cover the entire universe. At each intersection of the net is a jewel, which reflects all other jewels in the net and is in turn reflected by them. Each jewel, then, reflects all the others and is reflected by all the others. In the same way, all things contain one another. Every living being is a reflection of the world from which it arises and the world in turn reflects the living beings. In Nichiren Buddhism, life and its environment are also viewed as mutually supportive and reflective.