Spheriphor = Tetrahelix + Triskele + Trimurti + Jewel in the Lotus

I created the geometry for the Spheriphor digital art work as an investigation into spherical spirals, but this figure has also led me down deep into multiple levels of insight meditation. If you have been following my blog, you may know that I believe that the root essence of existence is the spiral. I talked about this with my Maori artist collaborator Kura Puke (for I. She also believes spirals to be at the heart of all things.
 

Just recently, during a Vipassana meditation session, I had an insight that emerged from contemplation of the tetrahelix (spiral based on the tetrahedron). I visualized the tetrahelix emerging from a set of 3 vectors that propagate through space. These 3 vectors are the primary (active) system of all phenomena. There is a set of 3 complementary vectors that are secondary (reactive), and together with the primary set of 3 vectors, the tetrahedron (minimum system of Universe) is formed (as per Bucky's Synergetics).
 

Then, I arrived at an internal visualization of the relationships between the 3 primary vectors. This visualization involved a spiraling propagation through space based on 3 parameters: length, angle and twist. I could see that these 3 parameters were the true 3 dimensions of Universe (as opposed to width, height and depth). I made a mental note to create an mathematical computer generated visualization based on this concept.
 

Then all of a sudden the visualization shifted to the Hindu Trimurti. My mental energy shifted from left hemisphere to right hemisphere; the wonders of the corpus callosum.
 

From Wikipedia:

The Trimurti (English: 'three forms') is a concept in Hinduism in which the cosmic functions of  creation  ,  maintenance  , and  transformation  are personified by the forms of Brahmāthe maintainer or preserver Vishnu the creator and Śhiva the destroyer or transformer. These three deities have been called "the Hindu triad" or the "Great Trinity", often addressed as "Brahma-Vishnu-Maheshwara."

Next came the realization of the equivalence of Hindu and Tibetan Buddhist trinities:

1. Vishnu = Sunyata
2. Brahma = Amitabha
3. Shiva = Chenrezig

 

The visualization then shifted again. This time the triad transformed into the Mani; the most beneficial mantra, "Om Mani Padme Hum". I saw the following: 

1. the clear light of creation (Om) radiating from within 
2. the jewel maintaining (Mani) all phenomena
3. sitting on a lotus transforming (Padme) all dualistic views
4. within my human heart (Hum) the most fortunate of all incarnations

In this meditation I attained the most in-depth understanding of the Mani that I have ever realized.

The visualization which emerged from my contemplation of the tetrahelix now circled back to my 4 colored, Triskele version of the Spheriphor. The Spheriphor contains both the 3-way symmetry of the Trimurti and the 4-colored aspects of the Mani. The Spheriphor is truly an all-encompassing spherical-metaphor that represents the complete Hindu-Buddhist psycho-cosmology. 

 
Spheriphor by Tom Greenbaum

 

You can view my Spheriphor study at http://karmatetra.com/ISDE5/spheriphor_study03.htm

Also on the Spheriphor Study 03 page are alternative views of the figure based on a spherical octahedron. The 3 views are based on vertex, face-centered and edge centered perspectives:

• http://karmatetra.com/ISDE5/Images/Spheri-Spiral_50.jpg  My 4 colored Triskele (Celtic triple spiral) version. Do you think that the Celtic mystics were actually peering into the vertex of a spherical octahedron wrapped in spirals like I was?  Also, Hans-Peter Welke fell in love with this image and asked me for permission to use it for the cover of his brochure on the "Corporate Identity Development Process"  See the attachment for the brochure. Hans-Peter credits me for the image on the last page.
• http://karmatetra.com/ISDE5/Images/Spheri-Spiral_52.jpg
• http://karmatetra.com/ISDE5/Images/Spheri-Spiral_49.jpg

 

I would love to make this figure out of glass. I have thought of possible ways to make it out of glass, but it would be a major challenge.

The Activity Of Meditation

I would like to explore the idea of stillness during meditation. I believe that many people who do not meditate mistakenly think that meditation is all about being very still. However, stillness is not what I achieve when I meditate. In my experience, meditation is filled with activity and creativity. Allow me to explain what happens when I meditate.
One of the first books that I read on the practice of meditation by a highly realized Tibetan Buddhist teacher is Meditation In Action, by Chogyam Trungpa. The title itself says a lot about what the book reveals. I mention it here because of our ongoing discussion of meditation, creativity, activity and stillness.

From the description of Meditation In Action:

"He explores the six activities associated with meditation in action—generosity, discipline, patience, energy, clarity, and wisdom—revealing that through simple, direct experience, one can attain real wisdom: the ability to see clearly into situations and deal with them skillfully, without the self-consciousness connected with ego."

From the book, opposite the title page:

"The design on the cover is based on one of the seals of the Trungpa Tulkus (reincarted Trungpa Lamas). It is the Sanskrit word "Evam", meaning "Thus" and is used at the beginning of all sutras "Thus I have heard". At another level "E" represents the passive, and "Vam" the active force in the Universe. At a still deeper level "E" represents Emptiness, and "Vam", the Clear Light."

The multidimensional symbol of "Evam" is another reason I thought it appropriate to include the book cover here. There is no doubt that the creation of the seal of the Trungpa Tulkus was developed from a deeply meditative state. This is an example of the act of creation of a graphic symbol artistically developed to convey a profound multidimensional meaning. Furthermore, this symbol represents both the unity of passive and active forces in the universe, and the unity of emptiness and clear light.

For me, there is no stillness, even while seated in deep meditation. The universe is constantly in motion. The meditative technique includes body awareness. All my senses are working while I witness my breath going in and out, my heart beating, the incense filling my nostrils, the sight of the flickering candle, environmental sounds, the stress of the muscles in my arms, legs, spine and neck, etc. In addition, I practice walking meditation, which in that case involves walking around in circles. Sometimes meditation involves mental analysis. The practice of a Puja requires chanting, hand gestures, visualization techniques and sometimes playing a musical instrument or manipulating a ritual object. So there is activity of all sorts during meditation.

Really the only difference for me between mundane activities and meditation, is that meditation removes ego and increases realization of the ultimate nature of reality.

What happens for me during Vipassana (insight) meditation is that as I sit and concentrate on my breath, I become more in the moment. Extraneous, random and distracting thoughts disappear. I become aware of the Universe as it really is. Sometimes inspirational thoughts emerge.

From Wikipedia:

Vipassanā (Pāli) or vipaśyanā (विपश्यना, Sanskrit) in the Buddhist tradition means insight into the nature of reality. A regular practitioner of Vipassana is known as a Vipassi (vipaśyin). Vipassana is one of the world's most ancient techniques of sitting meditation, the inception of which is attributed to Gautama Buddha. It is a practice of self-transformation through self-observation and introspection to the extent that sitting with a steadfast mind becomes an active experience of change and impermanence. In English, vipassanā meditation is often referred to simply as "insight meditation".

This point is very important to me regarding insight meditation, awareness "becomes an active experience of change and impermanence." This is the awareness of the ultimate nature of reality; the union of Emptiness and Clear Light.

As is in keeping with the realization of the union of Emptiness and Clear Light, the experience of insight meditation is itself a creative act. The mind is not "turned off," it is simply in touch with the essence of reality.

Therefore, this is a prime opportunity to practice creative multidimensional thinking and to open myself to visualizations of geometric symbols representative of higher states of consciousness. The nature of how the Universe works is revealed during meditation, why not participate actively in the dance at that very moment? The better question is, "How can you sit still and not participate?"

Sacred Geometry, Metatron’s Cube and Merkabah Connections

Sometimes isolation and solitude catalyze the greatest feelings of connection. This is not a paradox. It is about simplicity, being able to listen through the static, filtering meaning from the noise. This is why a cave, a bowl or the center of a sphere is an excellent location for meditation and for accumulating jnana. These forms present a uniform interior to our minds allowing our body/mind to relax. These spaces provide a refuge that protects us from negative energies and shield us from distractions. We are open to the entire universe, yet we do not feel threatened. In fact, we feel at home and protected.

Triacon Plan View - An Alternate View of Metatron's Cube
Copyright © Thomas J. Greenbaum

This is also what sacred geometry provides. We can visualize ourselves in the center of the mandala (the Chariot, the Merkabah) and feel at home amongst the lines, arcs, triangles, circles, tetrahedrons and spheres. It may not take an overt mental act or visualization method to do this. If the geometry reflects truth, beauty and symmetry it is easily and naturally accomplished. Truth, of course, is the most difficult aspect to achieve.

"Know the self to be sitting in a Chariot, the body to be the Chariot, the intellect (buddhi) the charioteer, and the mind the reins." --The Upanishads

Having established a locus for our mind within the sacred space/geometry, connections occur without the interference of overt metaphors or symbols. We can listen/feel the most subtle vibrations, like a spider in the center of its web. Once centered in the grid/web looking inside and looking outside we become aware of a unity of form and function. Consciousness merges with the sacred geometry and the fractal nature of awareness arises. Micro/macro views are self-similar resulting in harmony, balance and equilibrium. Connections arise spontaneously between all nodes on the grid; no single node is dominant, all nodes vibrate together.

Engraved illustration of the "chariot vision" of the Biblical book of Ezekiel, chapter 1, after an earlier illustration by Matthaeus (Matthäus) Merian (1593-1650)

In contrast, our mundane awareness is not easily balanced. Each connection we experience competes for our attention/energy. Each node fights for dominance over the others. Life is a discordant cacophony of overt signs, symbols, messages and mythologies with contradictory meanings. Consciousness cannot settle into any locus. Awareness does not feel centered and does not realize the self-similar fractal nature of phenomena. Looking inside yields one view, while looking outside we something totally different; alien and threatening. Although the view outside is disturbing we cannot take our attention from it. After a while we are afraid to look inside.

The opportunity/potential of the Lotus Bowl, Metatron's Cube, or any sacred geometry is that it can become the Chariot of God, the Merkabah. These forms may become vehicles for individual consciousness to connect with our Buddha nature. They transport our mundane consciousness to realms of enlightened awareness - the Pure Realms. During these states of expanded consciousness we open ourselves fully to being connected to all possibilities. We arrive to sit on our Lotus Throne, cup one hand to our ear and listen to the vibrations of the cosmos, the music of the spheres, to the songs of all beings - while in the other hand we gather precious Amrita, the elixir that will make us immortal.

Milarepa - Great Yogi and Kagyu Saint

Glass Art Meditation

● Happily there are times when creative visualization, followed by creative action, brings forth into physical reality an artifact which exceeds the inspiring concept. I am fortunate to experience this joy in multiple fields of endeavor.

Several of my designs in the fields of architecture, computer science and digital art have risen to this level. However, I anticipate my greatest joy will be in the creation of kiln formed glass objects. I say this because my recent creation, ‘Thirty Transcendent Virtues’ has been most rewarding.

I met the great architect and inventor R. Buckminster Fuller while studying architecture in college. Bucky inspired me to explore spherical geometries.

Creating a single golden rhombus in fused glass is virtuous. But successfully joining thirty glass rhombus in a spherical rhombic triacontahedron is transcendent. The individual glass facets join together with an embedded copper wire network to form a unique glass vessel that encompasses space, color, light, movement, texture, transparency, reflection, and radiance in a whole greater than its parts.

Meditation upon this glass art object enables self to witness symmetry, beauty and truth beyond self. Please visit the Karmatetra myglassart Gallery