Friday, October 22, 2010

Just How Low Could a Logos Go if a Logos Could Go Low?

More on the point/cross deustinction: "Geometrically speaking, the Absolute is like the point, which excludes everything that is not itself" (Schuon). It is Yahweh, Brahman, Tao, the One without a second, the Not Two Shabbas.

In contrast -- or complementarily -- "the Infinite is like the cross or star or spiral, which prolongs the point and in a sense makes it inclusive." Thus, it represents the Son of the Principle, bearing in mind that there can be no father without a son and vice versa.

Now, "Freedom in the last analysis coincides with possibility." If the Father is All Possibility, the Son is the first Actualization of the possible.

For creatures, freedom consists of willing in conformity with our nature or essence -- our real (true) possibility. Thus, willing against our nature is the possibility of the impossible. It looks free, but it is not. It is the opposite. It is slavery. And in all of creation, only humans can do it.

Importantly, the cross, star or spiral of the Infinite travels in both directions; it is both ascending and descending. Not only did Christ descend from heaven to earth to hell, but the latter was a "necessary" part of the package, so to speak.

In a footnote, Schuon compares it to Jacob's Ladder, which is "an image of the Logos," what with the vertical energies and entities going up and down the cosmic telovator.

But how Lo can it go, you ask?

At the very least, it goes from All Possibility at the toppermost of the poppermost to every lost possibility at the bottom of the manifestation -- or from the One, to the many, to the too many, to the It wasn't funny the first time, to the Enough already!, to the Don't make me come down there! (which is why he had to come down there).

Now, the manifestation is always in the principle, thanks to the spiraling cross. But is the principle in the manifestation? Ultimately, yes, but relatively, no.

In other words, it is our choice. Again, human beings can choose to live in conformity with the Principle or choose to go our "separate" way, even though it is strictly impossible to detach oneself from the Principle on pain of being nothing at all.

In other words, even the most middling relativity must spend some timelessness in the Principle's office:

"For Manifestation is not the Principle while nonetheless being the Principle by participation because of its 'non-inexistence'; and Manifestation... is the Principle manifested, but without being able to be the Principle in itself" (Schuon).

To say Truth is to say Principle, so even the most confused atheist confesses his faith in the Principle, so long as he is speaking truthfully. Hence Eckhart's wise crack to the effect that the more they blaspheme the more they praise Him. Way it is.

Diversity is outward, unity inward (or in-word). No act of perception can apprehend the inner unity of things, perception itself being the knowing subject turned "inside out," so to speak. Conversely, perception turned outside in -- or right-side up -- is the transcendent Subject.

The senses represent the terminal moraine of the ponderable cosmos, which is why to be an empiricist is to be a terminal moron.

But equally to be a rationalist is not only to be a mere pencil-pushing geek, but to have no lead in one's pencil. Reality is always empirical, rational and more. You cannot write the world with physics, only describe an abstract version of it. Physics is only possible because of the Logos. God is not a mathematician. He is a mythsemantician.

Ever wonder where all the darkness comes from? Well, not only is the Light self-evident, but we couldn't even be aware of the darkness without it.

In other words, "to say radiation is to say increasing distance, hence progressive weakening or darkening, which explains the privative -- and finally subversive -- phenomenon of what we call evil" (Schuon).

Thus adam shame it is, but the gardenall sin is ineveateapple: Radiation → Distance → Weakening → Darkening → Privation → Subversion.

Or, Creator → Inalienable Rights → Founding Fathers → Constitutional Republic → Limited Government → Liberals → Left → Roosevelt → Inversion → Carter → Subversion → Obama → Perversion → Unlimited Government → Hell.

But again: the vertical energies travel in both directions, to hell and back. There is expiration. And there is inspiration. And Obama has reached his expiration date. (Not literally, of course. Eleven more days to go.)

33 comments:

Rick said...

Sorry for the interruption.. haven't read the post yet, but..

Excellent Dr. Zero on the Juan Williams incident.

walt said...

"...it goes from All Possibility at the toppermost of the poppermost to every lost possibility at the bottom of the manifestation..."

Yes, the promise and the warning, all in one tidy "sentence," all according to Law.

I've long thought that your words express the import of the Ray of Creation (Mouravieff), with its increasing and decreasing scale of laws and influences in the various "worlds."

Good stuff! The "spiraling cross" is quite an image!

Gagdad Bob said...

In the preface to the Borella book, Wolfgang Smith makes reference to "the spiracle of life," which is an excellent way of putting it.

Rick said...

Bob,
What was your level of interest in geometry in hell, I mean, in school?

I tend to think of geometry often when writing (maybe you have to to some minimum degree) -- well, when I used to write -- beyond just the positions of things. More in an abstract nature or symbolically; combined with their physical angles, perspectives and relations.

Anyway, I flunked my first try at geometry. Second try I Aced. A similar experience with abstract art. I completely rejected abstract art at first.

Rick said...

I mean, this is Open-Tangent Friday, isn't it?

Stephen Macdonald said...

Oops, baby just woke up as I was about to comment, and I'm on duty for this afternoon.

Gagdad Bob said...

I got a C the first semester and a gentleman loafer's D the second. I had zero interest in school, especially anything unrelated to PE, study hall, or recess.

Gagdad Bob said...

I think I think more in terms of holographic geometry or bi-logic....

Gagdad Bob said...

Or perhaps musically, which is just fluid architecture or or jiggly geometry....

Rick said...

Well, I didn't care for the "school version" either. Fortunately it didn't squish my interest in how it relates to symbolism.

You must have always had an affinity for it, though it didn't show in school, wasn't provoked for.. whatever reason..
No clues come to mind?

Rick said...

Oops. Was talking to my boss - before hitting the publish button. I think you answered it..

Rick said...

Jiggly geometry..
I like that.
I understand Dr Seinfeld could get jiggly with it.

julie said...

Rick, speaking of geometry I read this last night re. the building of the Temple in Jerusalem:

Although it was one day to be surpassed, the work thus completed by Solomon was magnificent. We should note that the measurements of the building were in no way arbitrary: they correspond to that symbolism of numbers which, together with the symbolism of forms and words, was popular among the Egyptians. The dimensions adopted for various parts of the edifice were like the elements of an arithmetical problem, to which the whole provided the solution. The side elevation was based upon the equilateral triangle and the front upon the right-angled triangle which was, according to Plato, the perfect and most beautiful of all triangles, its sides represented by the numbers 3, 4, and 5.

julie said...

Since Rick already started with a tangent, I'm going full non-sequiter:

"It goes without saying that the pea cluster is wired directly to the weapons array."

Van Harvey said...

"To say Truth is to say Principle, so even the most confused atheist confesses his faith in the Principle, so long as he is speaking truthfully. Hence Eckhart's wise crack to the effect that the more they blaspheme the more they praise Him. Way it is."

Gotta what burns them the most... that it is impossible to attack reality, without counting on it to be there, impossible to lie without using the truth.

Van Harvey said...

"... jiggly geometry..."

Ha!

Van Harvey said...

"Or, Creator → Inalienable Rights → Founding Fathers → Constitutional Republic → Limited Government → Liberals → Left → Roosevelt → Inversion → Carter → Subversion → Obama → Perversion → Unlimited Government → Hell."

Speaking of tangents, a bit of a jiggly rant last night when my wife told me that the aclu and their jiggly assoulmates in the westboro bumpkins churls, had threatened our neighboring town into repealing their ordinance against 'protesting' at a funeral. What I posted was a nearly stream of consciousness rage rant on free speech. Just last week one of our locals who was still a kid at our high school last year, was killed in Afghanistan,

"...Before the start of the game where they had planned to play the school fight song, there was instead the announcement that the flag was flying at half mast for a graduate from the previous year, had just been killed in Afghanistan... and into that hush a young girl sang, without accompaniment, the "Star Spangled Banner", which was one of the most moving renditions I've ever heard - no dry eyes were to be found in the stands or the field.

That young man was laid to rest today... and it is to be claimed that some group of thugs has a Right to subject his family to abuse, has a Right to disrupt their right to peaceably assemble to bury their son who fell in defense of his nation, has a Right to disrupt the free exercise of their religious observance in funeral of their son?...
"

Maybe need to insert one arrow between "Unlimited Government" → "Hell", for "Unlimited horizontal literalism"... or maybe that's just the union of the two.

wv:paingst
Yeah, I'll buy that too

black hole said...

Well, Jeez, i think i disagree here.

I kind of like the democratic presidents on your list; they are fine people.

I think you might be contaminated by the geopolitics of fear.

What is your conception of the Other?

What is your vision of America's future?

I can't diagnose you unitl I know what your afraid of.

Rick said...

Julie,
Your excerpt "...the Temple in Jerusalem", What is that from?

Rick said...

...and the Lileks link is definitely Extra-Tangential.. or at least otta this whirl.

julie said...

Re. the book, it was in the sidebar a couple weeks ago - What Jesus Saw from the Cross, by Sertillanges.

Rick said...

Oh good! I have the book but barely started it. I have another I re-picked up to finish because it eats at me to leave them that way. It's Rene Girard's "Battle to the End". It's really chatty but here and there are some great insights. But man, if he says "mimetic" one more time...

What page is that, if you don't mind?

julie said...

Page 39. The description sounds pretty neat - it would be interesting to see a model of how it looked. Though chances are nobody could really do it justice.

Does remind me, though, of the first time I visited a synagogue. My impression then was that I could see how churches developed, from a design perspective.

Rick said...

Thanks Julie.
I can't believe it.. I actually had stopped reading right before that part.

Jack said...

Started reading Jung's "The Undiscovered Self" and have to admit that so far he is proving himself to be far more of a Raccoon than I remember from reading him years ago...at least in this book.

Jack said...

"Or perhaps musically, which is just fluid architecture or or jiggly geometry...."

Amen to that.

julie said...

Rick - how funny. I had left off just past it :)

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

"Or perhaps musically, which is just fluid architecture or or jiggly geometry...."

Jellometry. Which may or may not include the arc of jello shots.
I wrote this so you wouldn't have to. You'll thank me later.

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

I reckon that could also be spelled gelometry if'n you wanna be generical about it.
But everyone likes jello. 'Cept for commies.

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

"In other words, even the most middling relativity must spend some timelessness in the Principle's office:"

I spent time in the Vice Principle's office. Does that count?

julie said...

Or when it's meat flavor. And I'd be leery of the lime green, too, what with the brain waves and all...

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

Good point, Julie. I like to surf my brain-waves, except for when I wipeout. And the sharks. And the jellyfish.

julie said...

I like the album art for The Power of Negative Thinking. It looks like it could have been the inspiration for Gaiman's Sandman. Of course, lots of people in the 80s went for that look...

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