Embedded Files
Through the terminologies of ‘rational and scientific thinking,’ often attributed and derived from highly westernized lenses, its purported opposite, ‘Esoteric’ oriental thought, beliefs, traditions, and theology are considered spiritualistic, metaphysical, and ‘mystical’ compared to the modern post-enlightenment pursuits of reason, critical thinking, and verifiable/falsifiable knowledge
The number one represents a point, a circle, the semblance of an individual and the universe - a glimpse into divine unity and universal order- as well as a representation of the constant cycle of time and of the universe itself- the cycles of life, of the life force
The number two/dyad - representing the line - represents polarity or polar tension, the duality or dichotomy of nature.- matter-antimatter, male-female, truth-untruth, yin, and yan - the saying ‘it takes two to tango’
A triad (3) or a triangle, meaning the firstborn child of the monad and dyad is the first wholly bound shape to emerge out of the circle. The trio division of multiple events (birth-life-death, dawn-dusk-noon, past-present-future, length-width-height, he-she-they) symbolizes pluralism and synthesis - literally thesis-antithesis-synthesis.
The representation of volume, depth, and the third dimension - is the square or the tetrad. The square is associated with equality, reliability, stability, according to the saying “four, firm and fair.”
The Vastu Purusha Mandala
The Hindu Trinity
The Hindu Trinity
The Trimurti - the triad of the three Gods
Brahma, the "Creator," Vishnu, the "Preserver," and Shiva, the "Destroyer"
Strangely, the confusing part of this triad is that the preserver or sustainer and the destroyer are worshipped, but never the creator
Strangely, the confusing part of this triad is that the preserver or sustainer and the destroyer are worshipped, but never the creator
An extremely powerful man started to interrupt and destroy the earth and the sky
The Gods of the eight directions (Ashta Dikpalas) came together to overpower and pin this man to the ground; his head was positioned in the North-East and legs in the South-West
Lord Brahma
Lord Brahma
The creator, Brahma named this man, the "god of the house"
The Vastu Purusha Mandala
The Vastu Purusha Mandala
Vastupurush Mandala is a specific yantra (Kramrisch, 1976)
Vastupurush Mandala is a specific yantra (Kramrisch, 1976)
The Vastu Purusha Mandala (type of Mandala - square representing the earth) is a geometrical basis of the Hindu Temple plan, a result of fractal iterations as the increasing number of squares in a Mandala helps the diagram to contain the cosmic energies more concretely where the field of forces is increased in a fractal manner
The Vastu Purusha Mandala (type of Mandala - square representing the earth) is a geometrical basis of the Hindu Temple plan, a result of fractal iterations as the increasing number of squares in a Mandala helps the diagram to contain the cosmic energies more concretely where the field of forces is increased in a fractal manner
Vastu Purusha Mandala are the representation of the cosmos. They are used to sow the seeds of order in both sacred and non-religious buildings - each perfect square (tetrad) subdivided into identical squares, making a series from 1, 4, 9, 16...1024. The deities are allocated in different directions with respect to their qualities and importance. The mandala represents a field of energy - at the center sits the Supreme Principle
The Sri Yantra
What is a Yantra?
It is a spiritual diagram, from the Tantric traditions of the Indian religions. They are used for the worship of deities in temples or at home; as aid in meditation; used for the benefits given by their supposed powers based on tantric texts
In the Tantric cosmology, the universe is viewed as being created, penetrated and sustained by two basic forces, which are in a perfect, indestructible union. These forces are called Shiva and Shakti. Lord Shiva depicts the essential elements of the universe, and Goddess Shakti represents the dynamic power
From a metaphysical point of view, Shiva-Shakti relate to two important aspects of the masculine principle, which depicts the persisting aspect of God, and the feminine principle, which represents Its Energy, the Force which acts in the manifested world and life itself
Sri Yantra is a loop showing chakras of the body. Each chakra of the yantra is a symbol of chakra of the human body. The chakras in the body show superimposition of four triangles in an upward and five triangles in a downward position
The interconnection of upward and downward triangle further forms 43 smaller triangles in the Sri Yantra
Page updated
Report abuse