Dear Friends,

In the second part of this series we saw how a circle representing the world can be made into a pure metaphysical notion by adding a dot at its center; and how this Center (now with a capital letter) can be said to be a perfect image and ideal representation of God as the Absolute Principle from which, as if by means of radios emanating from it, all material things are manifested.

In this way, and elaborating further on the symbol, the notion of space is introduced and God - himself devoid of any spatial or temporal attributes - can be seen as filling - actually creating, and henceforward maintaining - that very same space by his radiation. That space is the World in the broadest sense of the word - the grouping of all the beings and states of existence that make up the cosmic manifestation.

We saw in turn how time may be brought into the equation also by means of radios that divide the circumference of the circle into so many parts as periods of time they represent. They may be four in number and as was said in Part 2, each one of them will then represent one of the four parts of the day, one of the four seasons of the year, or one of the four ages of mankind or yugas in the traditional sense, and so on. But whether the circle represents God, or the world, or time, it is still its Center, and its relation to the circumference, that are essential.

And why are they essential? Again, because a circle cannot exist without a center. And since the radios originate in it, they only can accentuate such essentiality. In effect, can you imagine a wheel without a hub? No need to answer, you can’t.

Apart from the “quartered” circle, which more specifically symbolizes time in its cyclic or ‘circular’ mode, here are other instances of symbols originated in the circle. They are, from left to right, the circle with six radios (the ‘Wheel of Life’ of Buddhism), the circle with eight radios (the ‘chakra’ of Hinduism and Buddhism), and the (unfortunately infamous) Swastika, here in one circular version. Note that at this time I am only showing them, lest we deviate from the main subject in this particular exposition. Full descriptions and explanations will be given in the next part of this series.

And, there also are the radios themselves to consider. Note that they can also be regarded as infinite in number, which will additionally help figure out how they actually fill out and, in fact, create the intermediate space (i.e. the World) between the center of the circle (God), from which they emanate, and its circumference.

So other than the radios acting as mere subdivisions (usually in number of four) of a circle that represents cyclic time, if now they are rather viewed as individually connecting its center with its circumference and vice versa, their new, essential role becomes readily apparent: they quite naturally become the channels or conduits that, regardless of their number, communicate the two of them, somehow expressing the real and profound nature of their mutual relationship as one of absolute subordination from the circumference to the Center.

In this case, however, there still remains the secondary element, the circumference, to consider: What does it represent? Quite simply, it is not the circumference itself, but the points that make it up that are to be considered; and they individually represent every human being living in the world and forming, all of them together, humanity.

Here we can see, once again, the beauty of a circle as a symbol of the world. In effect, at its center is God as the Absolute Principle of everything created and on its periphery, forming its circumference, is the Crown of His Creation - that is, all of us humans, each inter-connected with Him via the ‘radios’ emanated from Him.

Note that this does not mean that all other hierarchies of living beings and created forms are not also connected with the Center through the multiple radios of this circle, but they can grossly be regarded as distributed over as many other concentric circles within the main circle as may be needed to convey the idea. Because in this world we are all His parts and parcels, we all have proceeded from Him, and to Him we all shall, eventually, return.

(to be continued)

Thank you,

Luis Miguel Goitizolo