Tao; I Ching; Ken-po Goku-i; Golder Flower, etc.

According to The Secret of the Golden Flower: A Chinese Book of Life translated by Richard Wilhelm.

Tao: The Chinese character for the word "Tao" is made up of the character for "head" and that for "going." Wilhelm translates Tao by Sinn (Meaning). Head can be taken as "consciousness," and "to go" as "traveling a way," therefore the idea would be: "To go consciously, or the conscious way."

Wilhelm goes on to let us know that in accordance with Chinese belief "the light of Heaven" which they say resides at a location approximately between the "eyes," where I like to refer to as the "third eye or metaphysical eye (philosophical eye or mirror of wisdom)," as the heart of heaven is what Chinese call the "Tao."

The light of heaven accordingly refers us to the fact that our nature, our very lives, are contained within the heart of heaven and are great secrets of Tao. The "light" in this particular reference is equal or likened to "consciousness," i.e. symbolic.

The Chinese refer to what we call, "Alchemist Instructions," as the method to take consciousness and life and bring them together. The union of both supposedly bring about "conscious life." The saying of one who accomplishes this, "The great Tao is completed."

Tao is sometime represented by a circle. This circle symbolically is shown by the Tai Chi symbol which encases the Yang and Yin within a circle. The circle represents and provides some very interesting things, concepts, etc.

When symbolism is referenced it may come as a drawing or a reference to a circular movement with a center. In the Fundamental Concepts section of the book, "The Secret of the Golden Flower," it says, "The union of opposites on a higher level of consciousness is not a rational thing, nor is it a matter of will; it is a psychic process of development which expresses itself in symbols. Historically, this process has always been represented in symbols, and to-day the development of individual personality still presents itself in symbolic figures."

The symbols referred to here and from the reference in this book are of the type called, "Mandala." Mandala means a "circle," more especially a magic circle, and this symbol is not only to be found all through the East but also among us; … "

When we practice with types of meditation, etc. we achieve things that are sometimes inexplicable for "life, if lived with complete devotion, brings an intuition of the self, the individual being."

The book goes on to tell us that, "A Very ancient magical effects lie hidden in this symbol (circle) for it derives originally from the - enclosing circle -, the - charmed circle -, the magic of which has bee preserved in countless fold customs. The image has the obvious purpose of drawing a sulcus primigenius, a magical furrow around the center, the templum, or temenos (sacred precinct), of the innermost personality, in order to prevent - flowing out -, or to guard by apotropaeic means against deflections through external influences."

The circle is an "enclosure" and much like our bodies enclosing it projects the idea of "circulation." This is not just motion in a circular fashion, but means, of marking off which equates to a fixation or concentration. In the book it says, "The sun wheel begins to run; that is to say, the sun is animated and begins to take its course, or, in other words, the Tao begins to work and take over the leadership."

The circle, circulation, is one turning the circle from within to "see" all sides of their own personality and thus causing all of them to become involved. Much like the rotation of light and dark, that is, day and night alternating. [person heart same heaven earth; blood circulates similar to sun and moon, etc.]

It is also believed that the circle symbolizes the circular movement to moral significance of activating all the light/dark forces within the human condition which also includes all the psychological opposites what ever the kind they are, exposing that which does not normally want exposure to the self.

The perfect being is symbolized by the "platonic man," who is round on all sides and unites within the male/female. This can be seen in the depiction of the "Vitruvian Man," who is encased in the circle along with the square where the circle is representative of Heaven, the square Earth, and the smaller circle between the square and circle at the top representative of the moon by its dimensional equation.

When we reflect on contemplate on any thought or idea, related thoughts and idea's will arise as if from out of thin air, so to speak, with what seems to be a reaching back into a realm that is referred to by Chinese scholars of I Ching as a primal source, i.e. Tao. We gloss over this as not possible in our desire to retain a hold on the outer and circumferential conscious as symbolized by a circle.

If we look at ourselves as being our own system, of man, as related to our solar system, and by connectivity of Tao that of the Universal system, these three systems are considered both diverse and identical.

The book goes on to say, "The unconscious can be reached and expressed only by symbols, which is the reason why the process of individuation can never do without the symbol. The symbol is the primitive expression of the unconscious, but at the same time it is also an idea corresponding to the highest intuition produced by consciousness. The oldest mandala or symbol drawing known to the author at that time was a Paleolithic so-called - sun wheel."

In another section it is said, "The protecting figure of the - enclosing circle is intended to prevent - outflowing - and to protect the unity of consciousness from being split apart by the unconscious."

The circle is also represented as a symbol in the art of Zen. It can mean or allude to infinity, enlightenment, or the void. It reflects that all things have a beginning and end as well as they tend to return completing a circle, etc. Symbolizing enlightenment, strength, elegance, the universe, and the void; it is also an "expression of the moment" and thus is often considered a form of expressionist art."

The Zen circle is a simple, stark black circle usually painted on white paper in ink. Typically the circle is said to represent the material world that continues endlessly without cessation. There is a beginning to life (where the brush first touches the paper) and an end (where the brush leaves the paper), but this beginning and end continue one after the other, thereby signifying the wheel of birth, death and rebirth. The space within that circle is the emptiness, or the void, the understanding of which lies at the heart of Zen and the experience of which is the goal of meditation.

Then we have the circle formed by a snake which seems to bite its own tail or is this an attempt of the snake in consuming itself. Foremost is the symbolism of the serpent biting, devouring, eating its own tail. This symbolizes the cyclic Nature of the Universe: creation out of destruction, Life out of Death. The ouroboros eats its own tail to sustain its life, in an eternal cycle of renewal. Often represents self-reflexivity or cyclicality, especially in the sense of something constantly re-creating itself, the eternal return, and other things perceived as cycles that begin anew as soon as they end ...

The other symbolic connections also include the view of our Universe. We can see that the path the Sun, Moon, Earth and stars is circular in nature. Elliptical circles. But circles none the same. When Heaven looks down on the earth it also perceives the circles that form across its surface which we refer to as the longitude and latitude lines. Basically circles that today help us find ourselves on our Earth.

Do not all the seeds from which live originates form a circle because being round and seen in one dimension forms a rough circle. The circle of life!

Lastly for this posting the circle is apparent in the Sun and the Moon. It is the shape of the Earth and all the other planets in the Universe. The eyes are the so called windows to the soul and they are round which if flattened to one dimension forms a circle. The circle or sphere are represented in all the myriad things from the duality created when the great Tai Chi formed from the Tao.

Something to contemplate on...