Tagged: yin yang

Point in Depth: Cycle of time – The Easy way to understand spirituality

Understanding time is important for it will show us the “illusion” of time once we understand that we are eternal entities (souls.)
It is a continuous, a cyclical repetitive continuous, where there is no beginning neither an end.

In nature, we see how the sun appears at dawn and moves through the day; that is noon, afternoon and sunset time. Then this movement will repeat again the next day.
Our human minds are fond on dividing things and separating things; therefore a device such as a clock was invented to have a reference point. Nature does not have those reference points; but our minds need that at this time. Thus, dawn is the first quarter of the clock, noon is the second quarter, afternoon, the third and sunset the fourth quarter. That is time. A clock.
Humanity has represented time and its importance in different ways. (Most of this information is from Wikipedia.)

The first representation is through the symbol known as the Ouroboros.”
It is a serpent or dragon eating its own tail. It represents the “eternal return.” Something eternally recreating itself. This symbol was used by Early Egypt, Greece, Aztecs (Mexico) and India.
For a complete understanding of the important concept of eternal return, please take a look at this website:

The swastika
Is the symbol of auspiciousness or being with “higher self,” in India and used by Dharmic religions in general. It represents eternity. As we know, this symbol which had such “good feeling” behind it was used by the Nazis in a modified version (to represent white supremacy, since this symbol was used by Aryans, which Nazis believed to be the “purest” “Caucasian” race. (non-mixture with other races.) Ironically, “Aryan” means “noble,” probably depicting a noble and gentle culture. (Deities?)

The yin Yang
“Meaning “shadow and light”, is used to describe how polar opposites or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn in relation to each other.” This is the symbol for duality.

“Yang is the white side with the black dot on it, and yin is the black side with the white dot on it. The relationship between yin and yang is often described in terms of sunlight playing over a mountain and a valley. Yin (literally the ‘shady place’ or ‘north slope’) is the dark area occluded by the mountain’s bulk, while yang (literally the ‘sunny place’ or ‘south slope’) is the brightly lit portion. As the sun moves across the sky, yin and yang gradually trade places with each other, revealing what was obscured and obscuring what was revealed.”

This symbol describes how duality travels in time. Slowly changing (entropy) is an eternal cycle of opposites which give away each other.

The Borjgali
is related to the Mesopotamian and Sumerian symbols of eternity. For some scientists, it means time motion, time driver, eternity, or in other words – 4th dimension- Time rotates as does Earth around the Sun, and by this circle time goes infinitely; it is an icon of timelessness.

Spirituality of mankind could be explained using those depictions of time.
Just like the 4 seasons, we can see that higher spirituality or low entropy existed which little by little, degree by degree gave way to the opposite but complementary energy; known as body consciousness.
The highest point of body consciousness gives birth to the lowest point of soul consciousness, which in turn will make possible an era of highest soul consciousness which will be lowering its quality just to give birth to a lower degree of body consciousness. The cycle will repeat for eternity.

If we use the symbol of infinity, we will be able to observe how the immortal soul “travels through time.” Note that we could divide this symbol in 4 equal parts to depict the “4 seasons” of time which is also shown by the clock.

For the soul, there is neither birth nor death. Therefore, it is timeless. However, when the soul has a body; then time begins to exist.
This “illusion” is the source of sorrow in humanity.

Point in Depth: Lost in the “Ladder” (2)

The significance of the “angels going up and down a ladder” in Jacob’s dream is quite interesting.

1) Duality is certainly explained through this. This physical world changes due to the forces of duality. It is the Yin and Yang in action. Usually Eastern thought is ahead on this. In Abrahamic traditions there is nothing like this as acceptance of duality and its manifestation, but rather it is the continuous fight of “good against evil.” In other words, there is “choosing” which needs to happen at every moment. However, as expressed before, that “free will” cannot be exercised as what we are right now, is not solely a product of our “free will” but rather, other elements such as our birth parents, birth place, traditions, experiences, beliefs and intelligence which come into the picture to make up what today is known as “me.” That “choosing” depends on those factors which color our belief of what is good. For instance, back in the times, it was believed that “slavery” was “good.” Our “free will” to choose slaves was tinted with that belief. Now, we know that “slavery” is not good. This is why our “choosing” is not an indication of morality, of being “close to God, ” etc.

2) Life experiences as a process. This is expressed once we see that going “up and down a ladder” means to step in every step that there is. Usually we think in terms of “absolutes.” I am here, on the first step of the ladder; but tomorrow, I will be up at the top. We forget everything in between and forget about the “journey” by just concentrating on the “goal.” Every moment is the foundation for another one. Baba does not say the word “process,” but he talks about that “it takes time to go from Tamopradhan to Satopradhan.” Same thing, different expression.

3) Entropy: This is the process of “descending.” Every being on the physical plane will experience this. A baby gets old. That is higher entropy. As we take rebirths, our next birth will be of lesser quality than the previous one. “The old days were better days,” is an expression which expresses this experience. The soul feels that lack of peace. This is not a matter of having new technology available or more money/power.

4) Angels are the ones going up and down that ladder: This dream of Jacob has a greater significance. He didn’t dream about “human beings” going up and down. He dreamt about angels. What is the difference?
Only angels are capable of “going up.” There is no “normal” human being who is experiencing entropy that would be able to “go up,” because to “go up” is not what “normal people” do.
In BK knowledge we understand that “doing good and being a good boy” it doesn’t mean to just do “good actions.” It means to transform our sanskaras. It means to transform by “dying alive.” This is something that a “normal” person will not be able to do. Their capacity is different. For them, spirituality is just a matter of going to some church/center, praying and confessing “sins.” For a BK is about self-transformation, it is to be a “new,” human being. That takes a lot of guts.

5) Going up those ladders takes less time than coming down. That is why the “confluence age” is so important, because it is the same ladder with 84 steps to come down, but those 84 steps to go up need to be earned now, in such a little time. However, as we know, time is not a consideration for a soul. The soul only records growth, not the time that took to become something “higher.”

6) Going up and down is the story of this world. The story of this comedy of life that is why we need to learn to enjoy the “ups and downs.” Going up means to come down. Nothing new.