Call on the archetypes
Spiritual Investigations
Listen to the Language of the Universe
Image Credits: pixabay.com/Artvizual
Can we ever know the Point of Life? (without dying, that is!) We, the seekers, trust to get the deepest answers in either or all of Science, Philosophy, and Spirituality; but then, somehow, our trust wavers, resulting in us losing sight of the original prize. Ask yourself why! Is something wrong with the Path, or am I just irresolute? Or maybe this is a classic case of Journey Vs Destination, and we’ve been mooning for the wrong star, right from the off. At any rate, these are my Spiritual Investigations!
This is me a while back – a small-time poet disillusioned by business and religion, rifling through 7 types of philosophies, 20 kinds of critiques, 40 meditations – Indian, Chinese, Greek, & Modern – leading me this way and that, so all I’m doing is read, read, read, getting deeper and deeper into a bottomless well, ruminating on everything from Aesthetics through Metaphysics (ATM!)
Then, out of the blue, I find my muse, and wham!
A Spiritual Conversation
“Read between the lines, Poet!” she says emphatically.
“I don’t know how,” I say, just thrilled to be in her presence.
“You’re looking too hard at other philosophers. Instead do what they did. Make a spiritual investigation!”
“Spiritual Investigation?”
“The Universe speaks, poet,” she nods. “And it wants to tell you everything about everything.”
“Everything? Will I understand it?”
“Oh, absolutely, poet,” she exclaims. “It speaks in a universal language.”
“What language is that?”
“Truth!” she says simply. “Nothing but the truth!”
“Truth, as in opposite of Lies?” I hesitate.
“Yes, Poet.” she laughs. “Wonder not about Truth anymore. Truth itself, is the ‘language of the universe!’“
Spiritual Investigations - Universal Truth
Q. You’re being too poetic about it. What language?
A. Listen. For any given thing (Object), or occurrence (Event), is a singular truth that accounts for its existence at that point in Spacetime – what makes it real. All else is either Opinion, or Misunderstanding, both corrosive manifestations of Ignorance.
There’s nothing wrong with Ignorance per se. It is, in fact, the initial premise of every seeker. Thus, as we walk the Path, our mobility and vigilance determines how close we get to the archetype of Truth.
Q. What is Truth?
A. Truth is seeing, knowing, and believing in all things exactly as they are, so that we may transact with them exactly as we ought to.
Q. And how are we to see and know things as such?
A. Start with the archetypes. At ATM Universes, we’re all about investigations into Spirituality, as well as into the pure, unadulterated archetypes (original concepts) that pervade our world. These archetypes ought to be understood as the very building blocks that together make Universal Law!
Q. Concepts? Laws? Are these things even real?
A. Real as it gets. For instance, the human being is very much a concept, as is every other specie. Whereas procreation, for the survival and continuation of any species, is Universal Law. So, in essence, we’re all offspring of the original archetypes.
Q. What are the archetypes, and how many of them are there?
A. In an Aristotelean world, there would be an infinite number of archetypes, as no two specimens or things, or even grains of sand, are alike. But let us be more discerning than that. We’re looking to identify archetypes that underlie, and thereupon, unify all things, not those that render each grain of sand distinct.
Which brings us to –
The 'Fundamental Trinity of Events' Theorem
The Theorem of ‘Fundamental Trinity of Events’ simply states that ‘for any event that occurs, has ever occurred, or shall occur sometime in the future, requires 3 fundamental entities for it to occur. No event can be said to have occurred if any one of the three are absent.’
Some examples of the ‘Fundamental Trinity of Events‘ are as follows –
- Trade – Buyer-Seller-Product
- Transportation – Starting Point-Destination-Goods
- Education – Teacher-Student-Lesson
- Conception – Mother (Ova) – Father (Sperm) – Child (Egg)
- Time – Past-Present-Future
- Fall of Apple – Earth-Apple-Gravity
- Death – Originally Living Organism-Its Dead Body-Cause of Death… and so on
So how should the ‘Fundamental Trinity Theorem’ apply here? Can we reduce the Cause of the whole wide Universe to a Trinity of Events, that, without exception, encompasses everything?
Firstly, to get to the Cause, we must be clear about the Effects seen everywhere.
To begin with,
Spiritual Investigations into the Physical Basis of the Universe
Matter
Not only is Matter real, has mass and volume etc. but also occurs everywhere. All this Matter cannot have come from nothing, so, for the Creation event to occur, real physical building blocks of all material – non-living – things, must be involved. On the whole, these building blocks, as a category, must be henceforth known as Matter.
Hypothesis: At atomic, subatomic, quark levels, Science finds all microparticles of Matter to be similar. Already, scientists are certain there remain still more embedded layers yet to be discovered. (Remember God’s Particle?) Suffice to say that building blocks of all Matter everywhere, from the beginning of Time, must be the same.
Spiritual Investigations into Life & Consciousness in the Universe
Souls
Let’s revisit the popular narrative right from the beginning –
First, there was the (sudden) Big Bang, when non-living Matter began expanding, then (suddenly) evolving, started (randomly) to feel, think, act, and voila – there was Life!
But wait! It doesn’t end there. Now, Life continued to evolve (as it would, wouldn’t it?), until we arrive at the human species, after which it seems to have stagnated (for no definite reason), which is why we’re finally left with just one of us – homo-sapiens.
(Can anyone point out the anomalies here?)
Hypothesis #1
Today, Science is quite certain that the universe (and everything in it) began at one particular instant, i.e. Instant Zero* of the Big Bang, many thousands of million years ago. However, it erroneously assumes that Life sprouted out of non-life, much, much later. At ATM Universes, we, on the other hand, induce that Life’s basis (Souls), must have existed at that instant too, as there can be no effect without its proper and justified correspondent cause.
Doubt: This is ridiculous. How could Life have existed at Instant Zero? It defies sense. (Now that’s being rude, with or without meaning to!)
Rationale: Fair doubt, though this doubt is philosophical, not scientific. Look no further than Hypothesis #1 above. As the building blocks of all Matter definitely existed at Instant Zero, so the geological evolvement of all matter must be similar as well, considering that all Matter began expanding at that same instant.
Thus, for some, non-living micro-matter to randomly sprout life while others clearly haven’t, (we still have a lot of lifeless Matter around!) not only defies, but also belittles scientific thought.
Evidently, what follows is that the basis of Life, i.e. Souls, existed right at the beginning of creation. Ok, not this body that houses the soul. No, that must have come later. But Soul itself – the living entity within the body – was evidently present at The Big Bang!
To summarize, it must be said that it is as Indian Philosophy claims, that the Soul is forever – the unborn, undying, timeless.
Unborn! Undying! Timeless!
Q. Wait a minute! Should we already assume the Soul as unborn?
A. The Soul, being existent at the Big Bang, or initial Creation event, is unborn, for, of course, Science itself admits we can know only of things since that initial Instant Zero, not before.
Q. Why undying and timeless?
A. There must be a law which states that effects may disappear and dissolve into nothing, but their causes forever remain, even if in an altered state. Thus, the Soul, being existent at Instant Zero, shall continue to be, forever and always. At any rate, it would be illogical and unscientific to presume that entities existent since the beginning of time could ever be destroyed.
This raises questions of its own. For example, what state was Life in, back then? What were Souls doing at that initial instant?
(This is an important spiritual investigation at ATM Universes)
Hypothesis #2:
Matter cannot evolve into Mind! Nor can it, in a trillion years, attain an iota of consciousness or feelings. It can never be sad or happy. It can, however, alter its state through changes in color, opacity, etc. via denseness/rareness; expansion/contraction; heat/cold etc. Therefore, there must be another entity that knows not only itself but also the world it dwells in. An entity that feels pain, and desires bliss. That timeless being is the Soul!
So, we have established Matter (Physical Cause) and Life (Consciousness) as two basis for the existence of this universe. But, as has been noted earlier, there must be 3 causes for ever event. What then, can be the third and final Cause of this Creation?
It is this –
Spiritual Investigations into the Creative Basis of Universal Laws & Archetypes)
Cosmic Soul / Universal Energy
Hypothesis #1
We do need an initial force and intelligence to set off the Big Bang (or whatever Event it was that sparked off this mindboggling Creation!) None other than Stephen Hawking himself proclaimed that if God does exist, then He must have set off the Big Bang, as there seems to be no other plausible explanation for it. (Do read ‘A Brief History of Time’ by Stephen Hawking.)
Q. So you’re talking about God?
A. Not yet. We’re talking about the Creation and the archetypes. We do not take the shortcut to God like religions do. Equally, we avoid any cynical or atheist swamp and quicksand. Why complicate when simple truth wants to be found? Thus, following straight lines to Reason, we dive straight into the sea of philosophy to extricate hidden pearls of wisdom from its depths.
When counter-reason stops us, we meditate (attain a high level of alertness) to arrive at the truth.
Anyone can connect via these A:tmic Transcendental Meditations (ATM) (More on this later!)
Initial Force & Intelligence? (Science passes the baton!)
Q. Ok. Tell us more about this initial force and intelligence.
A. According to most ancient, and some modern, schools of thought, Cosmic Soul, or Universal Energy, is a telling definition of the creative force that initiates the universe. Today, Science does not challenge a Creator’s existence as emphatically as it did only half a century ago. After Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, and stunning revelations in Quantum Physics that followed, showed that there’s much more to the workings of the universe than previously understood, to add to the intricate complexities in biological bodies of all species, not to mention the innumerable perfections discovered all about the universe (the Uncertainty Principle notwithstanding), Science is now less averse to the idea of a creative force, if only we can all agree that The Force does not interfere with the day-to-day running of the universe.
We are ready to shake hands with Science on this right now (for the time being, that is!)
So, according to the “Fundamental Trinity of Events”, for the Creation Event to occur, it requires three Causes, not one, not two, not four, but three, and only three.
These are:
- Matter (Physical Cause)
- Souls (Conscious Life Cause)
- Universal Energy/Cosmic Soul/God/Brahma (the Creative Force that sets everything into motion)
Hypothesis #2: The Original Archetypes
As we said, an Aristotelean world must consist of infinite archetypes. We might want to agree with him in this case. That’s because we realize that connecting to them is like climbing a ladder, or passing through a trapdoor, if you will, to get to higher echelons of understanding. As effects lead us to their cause, so the archetypes guide us to their origin.
The test to determine the original archetypes is simple. That which existed at Instant Zero, still does, and shall continue to do so to the end of time, are the original Archetypes.
This is the culmination of Vedic Study and Mindful Meditation –
Spiritual Investigations into the Archetypes
1. Truth (Satyam)
Explicitly, all that is real, and therein shall be – irrespective of Time & Space, and without exception – underlying everything, is Truth!
2. Goodness (Shivam)
Expressly, all that is noble, and therein shall be – irrespective of Time & Space, and without exception – underlying everything, is Good!
3. Beauty (Sundaram)
Intuitively, all that is aesthetic and eloquent, and therein shall be- irrespective of Time & Space, and without exception – underlying everything, is Beauty!
4. Duty (Dharma)
All that is particularly worth doing, and therein shall be – irrespective of Time & Space, and without exception – forever worthy, is Duty!
5. Love (Yajya)
Significantly, all that is beneficial to souls, and therein shall be – irrespective of Time & Space, and without exception – forever beneficial, is Love!
6. Justice (Nyaya)
Importantly, all that is balanced, and therein shall maintain the balance – and irrespective of Time & Space, or any forces working against it – shall continue to maintain Universal Balance, is Justice!
7. Peace (Shanti)
Indeed, all that is harmonious i.e. in complete accord with Nature, and irrespective of Time & Space, or any forces working against it, shall continue to maintain Universal Accord, is Peace!
8. Bliss (Ananda)
And all that is happiness, or the state of perfect pleasantness in the present moment (without an ounce of regret for the past, nor worry for the future), and irrespective of Time & Space, shall continue to remain pleasant in the moment, is Bliss!
These philosophical archetypes – barring Truth – are not qualities of Matter. Matter can never evolve into feeling love or bliss, nor attain a sense of duty. As for us souls, we do manage to grasp some of the Truth, Goodness, Love, Beauty, Bliss, Duty, Justice, and Peace, but we don’t really own them. All things considered, if the archetypes were an inherent trait of Souls, we wouldn’t have to look for them throughout Life. We’d already know!
But they are real and unique. So where did they come from? What is their source?
Therefore, we induce that the Archetypes are qualities installed in the universe by a conscious entity other than the tiny soul. That unknown, unseen, unrecognized, mysterious entity is the ‘Cosmic Soul!‘
Soul - The Seeker
We, the souls, are seekers. We cry and we err. Never satisfied with what we have, we hurt, therefore, we cause hurt. We’re disciples seeking the master. Let’s face it. We, the incomplete, are on a mission to be complete. To all who disagree, we offer desire as proof of our inadequacy.
Still, if someone says they’re complete already, we call that a play of words. If anyone rests on the premise that they’re already complete, then the only mitigating rationale of their life would be to display their perfections, not their imperfections.
Only a madman would claim to be perfect! Instead, if we acknowledge ourselves as incomplete souls striving for perfection, our lives may attain a new meaning – a spiritual walk down the path to find all that we seek!
Q. And what do we seek?
A. What else but these very aforementioned Archetypes?
Q. WHAT??? We thought you were gonna say ‘we seek God!’
A. Ha! That’s getting ahead of oneself. Why say ‘God‘, an abstract word, only to dispossess ourselves of science, reason and philosophy. We realize the power of Intuition, and must utilize it. Make no mistake, Intuition acknowledges the existence of the archetypes. Intuition is in awe of Love and Beauty! Taking Intelligence’s assistance, it pursues Truth, establishes Justice, performs Goodness & Duty, yet covets Peace & Bliss!
The Soul's Secret to Spiritual Success
The Symptomatic Soul must clearly know what it’s after! It is stopped if its intuition and intelligence, or thoughts and actions, don’t align. The Soul needs to maintain its trust in Spiritual Science if it must walk down that hallowed path. It needs to know it isn’t lost. By the same token, it needs investigations into Spirituality itself. It needs to know – “Why am I doing this?”
And here’s why –
- It is the Soul’s universal trait to covet Universal Law!
- Also, it is the eternal Soul’s inherent trait to covet the eternal Archetypes.
- And too, it is the inadequate Soul’s natural trait to covet every resource available to be complete & adequate.
In our heart of hearts, we know that what’s incomplete can be made complete. What else is the point of life? Why else seek wisdom at all?
What follows is that the Soul, seeking Perfection, has the inherent ability to attain Knowledge, but there must be some Divine Intelligence to earn it from. Besides, if the Soul listens to the language of Truth, who or what emits these waves? That is, if Soul is the Disciple, who is its Master, given that Truth cannot invent itself. Nor can Beauty or Goodness. Or Bliss, or Justice, or Love, or Duty, or Peace.
Albeit, the archetypes are so inherent in the world around us, it is impossible to deny their existence since the very beginning of time. Nothing, as a matter of fact, could have evolved into these archetypes. So they must be forever.
And yet, for all its rationale, it does seem a bit odd. I mean, what were these incumbent archetypes doing at the beginning of Creation?
Can we aim for the stars, please?
So, if we must taste Truth, let us find the fresh hot loaf in the master baker’s oven, not pick crumbs or leftovers fed us by amateur kitchen helps. If we wish to bathe in Poetry, let us not skulk in tiny reflections of dew when Beauty waves undulate in our hearts. If we vie to swing in the garden of Love, let us grow into its very essence instead of seesawing with Lust. And if Peace is our goal… (you get the idea!)
Every moment of our lives, the archetypes call to us. And we, in turn, search for those very archetypes, never satisfied with anything less. (Remember feeling inadequate?)
But, hey soul, know this, and know it well. You are no ordinary citizen. You are built to aim “for the stars,” which is where Light is, that is, Light, the Archetype. Think of Light from Instant Zero! Where is it now? Does it still shoot through the universe, dispersing more light as it goes? What if we could get a glimpse of it?
Furthermore, what if this Universe is made of Love? How intense would that Love be? What if we could feel that love? A love never lost to no black hole. Not until the end of time! A Forever Love!
Between Now and Forever
Yes, this creation will come to its scientifically predicted end. But before that, hopefully, we will have known the archetypes. Could that be the point of Life – of this whole Creation? For, it should be obvious that there is a proper point to all this. It is too damn perfect for it not to. However, some fellows of Science remind us of the Uncertainty Principle. We tell them – “yes, but the certainty of the Uncertainty Principle itself, is proof of a perfect universe!
It is mighty odd for poets and scientists to doubt perfection! For, doubt is good if it is without prejudice! If, for instance, it helps one reach a higher Truth!
My Muse reiterates that anyone may find the archetypes. She agrees that the study of philosophical scriptures is essential, but then warns: “Boy, to find the archetypes needs something more. It needs noble deeds. Furthermore, it demands unwavering intent. Lastly, it requires spiritual investigation.”
I remember asking my Muse – “what is philosophy?“
“The ‘search for perfection’, she said. “Perfection that lies hidden within the archetypes from that very first instant – Instant Zero!”
“But why do this?” I said. “Why go through hell to achieve the impossible?”
“To rid ourselves of sadness, love!” said she. “And to make our world a better place.” That is the perfection I seek – the mountain I must conquer. Even if I fail.
So, it’s goodbye for now, folks. Until more investigations bring us together, this is ‘Any Time Muni’ (ATM) signing off. So long!
*Instant Zero – That explosive moment at the beginning of Creation when the Big Bang went off!