Arvindus

Contemplations

The Quadrants of the Cross in the Circle and the Cycle of Manifestation and Obscuration

  • Title: Contemplations, The Quadrants of the Cross in the Circle and the Cycle of Manifestation and Obscuration.
  • Author: Arvindus.
  • Publisher: Arvindus.
  • Copyright: Arvindus, 2017, all rights reserved.
  • Index: 201705031.
  • Edition: html, first edition.

Content

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Earlier the cross in the circle was contemplated in relation to consciousness and duality.1 Here we shall focus on the significance of the four quadrants of this cross in the circle. The regarded figure can be depicted as in figure 1 with the points A, B, C, D and E and the quadrants 1, 2, 3 and 4.

The Quadrants of Cross in the Circle

Figure 1.

In 'The Cross in the Circle: Consciousness and Duality' it was explained that in the vertical duality point B represents the spiritual pole and point C the material pole. In the horizontal duality were the points D and E mentioned to represent the duality of good and evil (on the buddhic plane), however no individual points were connected to these two opposite concepts. Here we shall, for important reasons, assign the concept of evil to point D and the concept of good to point E. Point A as representing the center of consciousness is the point of balance between both the vertical and horizontal dualities.

This point A occurs in all the four quadrants, but further the connections of the quadrants are different. For quadrant 1 connects B to D, quadrant 2 D to C, quadrant 3 C to E and quadrant 4 E to B. Following these different points in the given direction a circle is drawn from B back to B. A circle is thus drawn from spirit to matter and from matter back to spirit.

In this circular movement in this direction from spirit to matter, back to spirit, the cycle of manifestation and obscuration can be recognized.2 The downward arc of involution is run from B to C through D and the upward arc of evolution is run from C to B through E. It can be said then that the quadrants 1 and 2 have to do with involution and the quadrants 3 and 4 with evolution.

That point D was assigned to represent the concept of evil and point E the concept of good makes sense now. For with humanity being on the evolutionary arc the upward movement through E is good for humanity and the downward movement through D evil.3 However it should be kept in mind here that the downward arc is only evil and the upward arc only good from the perspective of a humanity which is placed on the upward arc of its cycle, as is presently the case. For instance from the perspective of an earlier humanity on the downward arc it would be good to descent into matter while it would be evil for such a humanity to ascend to spirit. So although from our present perspective the designations may be considered as correct it is also possible to designate the more neutral and objective terms of 'descent' to point D and 'ascent' to point E. We then see quadrant 1 representing the descent from spirit, quadrant 2 the descent to matter, quadrant 3 the ascent from matter and quadrant 4 the ascent to spirit. And in all these quadrants the point A of consciousness regards the steady factor. The whole cycle of manifestation both literally and figuratively pivots around consciousness. Or put otherwise; it is through the cross of consciousness that spirit and matter circularly and cyclically relate to each other.

Now what has been done here is actually that the cross in the circle was brought in relation with the cycle of manifestation and obscuration. And this through the thematization of the four quadrants. In doing this the contemplation was kept rather abstract. This was intended, for its goal was to sketch a bare structure which can be clothed by many different themes. May it thus serve its purpose for future contemplations.