Duality vs Trinity

[EarthBow]

Many of us are used to thinking about this physical reality in terms of duality; hot & cold, up & down, hard & soft, etc., but I have begun to see things more in terms of threes.

Left and right, up and down, hard and soft, and similar concepts are almost meaningless without a point of reference... the center. Although this is rarely seen as a distinct state in and of itself, looking at things from this point of offers some fresh perspectives.

As an example:

Black can only move in one direction... towards light.

White can only move in one direction... towards darkness.

(please note that I am talking about colors here, not spiritual paths)

These extremes are limited in their options. Change is inevitable, and from the extreme positions, there is only one possible direction to move. This does more than limit our choices, it removes free will entirely. We then become slaves to circumstance.

Now consider the middle position, in this example, gray.

Gray is free to move towards dark or light as the situation demands. By offering more options, it preserves free will. Such a stance casts off the shackles of circumstance.

If you think about it, all things are trinary, not just things in the physical realm. Consider a thought, for example. There is the thought itself, the thing being thought about, and the one doing the thinking... three, not two.

Realizing the three-nature of all things is a form of liberation.

I would be interested in hearing your perspectives on this concept.

EarthBow

[Briony Haldane]

The lesson of the third point becomes obvious within the triangle. Each apex represents a different stage- 1] initiation, 2] opposition and finally 3] integration. The lesson is inherent in the form..if we wish to evolve, we must allow polarities to be integrated. Without this additional "viewpoint" or facet, things remain two dimensional. The world is flat.

[EarthBow]

So true.

Of course, the concept can be extended.

In the physical, we can see up, down, right, left, front, back and center... 7 points.

In the energetic, we can see the 3 ordinal planes, the 3 cardinal planes, and the Akashic plane... again 7.

Whether we are looking at things in terms of 3s or 7s, the center always plays an important role as the connector... the bridge between the extremes where one is able to access the different aspects as the situation demands.

It's no wonder that 3 and seven are considered sacred numbers by so many cultures.

[Briony Haldane]

Agreed. In fact, the seven is a combination of the 3, significance already discussed, and the 4, the symbol of the material plane. Seven is seen as being the spiritual interpenetrating the physical and is the first number to contain the energies of both the spiritual and the temporal, not to mention the widespread cultural significances assigned to the number 7.

[Celtaur]

I think the trinity is the law of relativity, the point of reference, that which perceives the duality, and is necessary for duality to exist. I don't think it's trinity vs. duality, rather I think it's that the trinity and duality are one. I think that actually the statement trinity vs. duality actually points to exactly what you are saying the "vs." is that 3rd point, the center of that which is necessary to perceive the duality of the two points of reference as comparable concepts.

I don't think we can have a trinity without a duality. For instance the idea of gray, doesn't exist without a combination of the two - black and white, thus the duality creates the duality, but at the same time the combination of a duality creates the trinity and thus cancels out a duality as being self contained. It's as if they become a part of reality simultaneously, rather than broken down step by step, even though the steps can be counted in a sense. Amazing how a seemingly simple concept can be so complex.

[Abider]

The Dialectic Process is one method of taking a trinity perspective.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialect...alogic_process