unity100, after thinking about it some more I now believe that you were correct. I think that time/space is yin and space/time is yang.
3DMonkey, I think that what you mention is an important aspect of the concept of yin and yang.
The way that I use the concept is probably somewhat different from the way that it is used in the Chinese tradition. What I have observed is that "pairs of opposites," dualities, or polarities as Ra calls them, are a very common feature of mystical philosophies. In Ra we have positive and negative in the ethical sense, positive and negative in the sense of mover and moved, space/time and time/space. Expanding our view into mystical philosophy in general, we have spirit and matter, female and male, rational and intuitive, Chokmah and Binah (in the Qabalah), sulphur and mercury (in alchemy), etc. These "polarities" run amok in mystical philosophies.
These polarities form an interesting subject of study, in that each of them seems to bear a significant amount of meaning. Furthermore, all of them bear various relations to each other. For instance, the polarity rational/intuitive is related to the polarity male/female. The polarity male/female is related the polarity Chokmah/Binah. The polarity Chokmah/Binah is related to the polarity positive/negative.
I have come to the conclusion, in the course of my examining such polarities, that many of these polarities are distorted ways of thinking about a single, primal polarity which is one of the basic structures of existence. Chokmah/Binah, mover/moved, and yang/yin are two ways of naming this primal polarity. I am also of the opinion that Free Will and Love, in the sense of the first two distortions of the One Infinite Creator, are names for the two poles of this primal polarity:
I would consider the nature of this primal polarity to be basically ineffable, as it is on a level of existence far beyond what we know. My understanding of the concept is like shifting sands. For convenience, in the remainder of my post I will use the words "yin" and "yang" to refer to the two poles of the primal polarity. (This is also how I have used the words in my previous posts.)
I have also come to the conclusion that all, or at least most, other polarities are basically distortions of this primal polarity: even such "unmetaphysical" polarities as hot/cold, true/false, light/dark, male/female. It is my opinion some of these polarities are sufficiently undistorted relative to the primal polarity that we can meaningfully ask the question, "which side of this polarity corresponds to which side of the primal polarity?" So for instance hot is yang and cold is yin, true is yang and false is yin, light is yang and dark is yin, male is yang and female is yin.
All of these hypotheses set the stage for the question I originally asked: "how does the polarity space/time and time/space fit into this scheme?" As I stated above, I currently side with unity100's previous statement that time/space is yin and space/time is yang.
And now those comments set the stage for my response to your point, 3DMonkey.
I would agree that in these polarities there is a fluid and elaborate interplay between the two things opposed. One may take the principle to an extreme by saying that fundamentally, in every such polarity the two things opposed are one. This is the Law of One as it applies in this context. I believe that the Law of One is true, and also believe that there is value in studying the illusory, separate nature of metaphysical entities as a means of coming closer to the truth. Fundamentally the distinction drawn by any polarity is a false distinction. But, I nonetheless maintain that that distinction exists in an illusory way; the difference is as solid and tangible as the difference between hot and cold. On an even more solid and tangible level the difference is an illusion. How does that sound to you guys?
3DMonkey, I think that what you mention is an important aspect of the concept of yin and yang.
The way that I use the concept is probably somewhat different from the way that it is used in the Chinese tradition. What I have observed is that "pairs of opposites," dualities, or polarities as Ra calls them, are a very common feature of mystical philosophies. In Ra we have positive and negative in the ethical sense, positive and negative in the sense of mover and moved, space/time and time/space. Expanding our view into mystical philosophy in general, we have spirit and matter, female and male, rational and intuitive, Chokmah and Binah (in the Qabalah), sulphur and mercury (in alchemy), etc. These "polarities" run amok in mystical philosophies.
These polarities form an interesting subject of study, in that each of them seems to bear a significant amount of meaning. Furthermore, all of them bear various relations to each other. For instance, the polarity rational/intuitive is related to the polarity male/female. The polarity male/female is related the polarity Chokmah/Binah. The polarity Chokmah/Binah is related to the polarity positive/negative.
I have come to the conclusion, in the course of my examining such polarities, that many of these polarities are distorted ways of thinking about a single, primal polarity which is one of the basic structures of existence. Chokmah/Binah, mover/moved, and yang/yin are two ways of naming this primal polarity. I am also of the opinion that Free Will and Love, in the sense of the first two distortions of the One Infinite Creator, are names for the two poles of this primal polarity:
Quote:15.21 Questioner: In yesterday’s material you mentioned that the first distortion was the distortion of free will. Is there a sequence, a first, second, and third distortion of the Law of One?
Ra: I am Ra. Only up to a very short point. After this point, the many-ness of distortions are equal one to another. The first distortion, free will, finds focus. This is the second distortion known to you as Logos, the Creative Principle or Love. This intelligent energy thus creates a distortion known as Light. From these three distortions come many, many hierarchies of distortions, each having its own paradoxes to be synthesized, no one being more important than another.
I would consider the nature of this primal polarity to be basically ineffable, as it is on a level of existence far beyond what we know. My understanding of the concept is like shifting sands. For convenience, in the remainder of my post I will use the words "yin" and "yang" to refer to the two poles of the primal polarity. (This is also how I have used the words in my previous posts.)
I have also come to the conclusion that all, or at least most, other polarities are basically distortions of this primal polarity: even such "unmetaphysical" polarities as hot/cold, true/false, light/dark, male/female. It is my opinion some of these polarities are sufficiently undistorted relative to the primal polarity that we can meaningfully ask the question, "which side of this polarity corresponds to which side of the primal polarity?" So for instance hot is yang and cold is yin, true is yang and false is yin, light is yang and dark is yin, male is yang and female is yin.
All of these hypotheses set the stage for the question I originally asked: "how does the polarity space/time and time/space fit into this scheme?" As I stated above, I currently side with unity100's previous statement that time/space is yin and space/time is yang.
And now those comments set the stage for my response to your point, 3DMonkey.
I would agree that in these polarities there is a fluid and elaborate interplay between the two things opposed. One may take the principle to an extreme by saying that fundamentally, in every such polarity the two things opposed are one. This is the Law of One as it applies in this context. I believe that the Law of One is true, and also believe that there is value in studying the illusory, separate nature of metaphysical entities as a means of coming closer to the truth. Fundamentally the distinction drawn by any polarity is a false distinction. But, I nonetheless maintain that that distinction exists in an illusory way; the difference is as solid and tangible as the difference between hot and cold. On an even more solid and tangible level the difference is an illusion. How does that sound to you guys?