Quadrant Model of Reality: Quadrant Model of Reality Book 5 Religion

Religion

Buddhism Chapter

According to the Buddha

"There are these four nutriments for the maintenance of beings who have come into being or for the support of those in search of a place to be born. Which four? Physical food, gross or refined; contact as the second, intellectual intention the third, and consciousness the fourth. These are the four nutriments for the maintenance of beings who have come into being or for the support of those in search of a place to be born."

Puttamansa Sutta: A Son's Flesh

In many suttas Buddha talks about these four kinds of nutriment (food) for the maintenance of beings that already have come to be and for the support of those seeking a new existence.

The Four Nutriments:

1. Physical nutriment : gross or subtle (kabali'nkaaro)

2. Contact nutriment (phassa)

3. Mental volition (formations) nutriment (mano-sancetanaa)

4. Consciousness nutriment (viññaa"na)

Nayna ponika Thera says:

"All beings subsist on nutriment" — this, according to the Buddha, is the one single fact about life that, above all, deserves to be remembered, contemplated and understood. If understood widely and deeply enough, this saying of the Buddha reveals indeed a truth that leads to the root of all existence and also to its uprooting....

....the laws of nutriment govern both biological and mental life, and this fact was expressed by the Buddha when speaking of four kinds of nutriments

.... It is hunger that stands behind the entire process of nutrition, wielding its whip relentlessly. The body, from birth to death, craves ceaselessly for material food; and mind hungers as eagerly for its own kind of nourishment, for ever new sense-impressions and for an ever expanding universe of ideas.

.....Craving (ta.nhaa) is the principal condition of any "in-take" or "up-take" (upaadaana), that is, of nutriment in its widest sense. This is the first factor common to all types of nutriment, be they physical or mental.

Buddhist cosmology is the description of the shape and evolution of the Universe according to the Buddhist scriptures and commentaries.

It consists of temporal and spatial cosmology, the temporal cosmology being the division of the existence of a 'world' into four discrete moments (the creation, duration (the second square is always homeostasis), dissolution (the third square is always destruction) , and state of being dissolved (the fourth square is death)

In Buddhist cosmology

The Ārūpyadhātu (Sanskrit) or Arūpaloka (Pāli) (Tib: gzugs med pa'i khams; Jpn: 無色界 Mushiki-kai) or "Formless realm" would have no place in a purely physical cosmology, as none of the beings inhabiting it has either shape or location; and correspondingly, the realm has no location either. This realm belongs to those devas who attained and remained in the Four Formless Absorptions (catuḥ-samāpatti) of the arūpadhyānas in a previous life, and now enjoys the fruits (vipāka) of the good karma of that accomplishment. Bodhisattvas, however, are never born in the Ārūpyadhātu even when they have attained the arūpadhyānas.

There are four types of Ārūpyadhātu devas, corresponding to the four types of arūpadhyānas:

Arupa Bhumi (Arupachara Brahmalokas or Immaterial/Formless Brahma Realms)[edit]

Naivasaṃjñānāsaṃjñāyatana or Nevasaññānāsaññāyatana (Tib: 'du shes med 'du shes med min; Jpn: 非有想非無想処) "Sphere of neither perception nor non-perception". In this sphere the formless beings have gone beyond a mere negation of perception and have attained a liminal state where they do not engage in "perception" (saṃjñā, recognition of particulars by their marks) but are not wholly unconscious. This was the sphere reached by Udraka Rāmaputra (Pāli: Uddaka Rāmaputta), the second of the Buddha's two teachers, who considered it equivalent to enlightenment. Total life span on this realm in human years - 84,000 Maha Kalpa (Maha Kalpa = 4 Asankya Kalpa). Kalpa Vibhangaya This is realm is place 5,580,000 Yodun ( 1 Yoduna = 16 Miles) above the Plane of Nothingness(Akiknchaknkayatana). Sakwala Vibhangaya

Ākiṃcanyāyatana or Ākiñcaññāyatana (Tib: ci yang med; Jpn: 無所有処 musho u sho) "Sphere of Nothingness" (literally "lacking anything"). In this sphere formless beings dwell contemplating upon the thought that "there is no thing". This is considered a form of perception, though a very subtle one. This was the sphere reached by Ārāḍa Kālāma (Pāli: Āḷāra Kālāma), the first of the Buddha's two teachers; he considered it to be equivalent to enlightenment. Total life span on this realm in human years - 60,000 Maha Kalpa. This is realm is place 5,580,000 Yodun above the Plane of Infinite Consciousness(Viknknanaknchayathana).

Vijñānānantyāyatana or Viññāṇānañcāyatana or more commonly the contracted form Viññāṇañcāyatana (Tib: rnam shes mtha' yas; Jpn: 識無辺処 shiki mu hen jo) "Sphere of Infinite Consciousness". In this sphere formless beings dwell meditating on their consciousness (vijñāna) as infinitely pervasive. Total life span on this realm in human years - 40,000 Maha Kalpa. This is realm is place 5,580,000 Yodun above the Plane of Infinite Space(Akasanknayathanaya)

Ākāśānantyāyatana or Ākāsānañcāyatana (Tib: nam mkha' mtha' yas; Jpn: 空無辺処 kū mu hen jo) "Sphere of Infinite Space". In this sphere formless beings dwell meditating upon space or extension (ākāśa) as infinitely pervasive. Total life span on this realm in human years - 20,000 Maha Kalpa. This is realm is place 5,580,000 Yodun above the Akanita Brahma Loka — Highest plane of pure abodes.

The Rūpadhātu (Pāli: Rūpaloka; Tib: gzugs kyi khams; Jpn: 色界 Shiki-kai) or "Form realm" is, as the name implies, the first of the physical realms; its inhabitants all have a location and bodies of a sort, though those bodies are composed of a subtle substance which is of itself invisible to the inhabitants of the Kāmadhātu.

Like the beings of the Ārūpyadhātu, the dwellers in the Rūpadhātu have minds corresponding to the dhyānas (Pāli: jhānas). In their case it is the four lower dhyānas or rūpadhyānas. However, although the beings of the Rūpadhātu can be divided into four broad grades corresponding to these four dhyānas, each of them is subdivided into further grades, three for each of the four dhyānas and five for the Śuddhāvāsa devas, for a total of seventeen grades (the Theravāda tradition counts one less grade in the highest dhyāna for a total of sixteen). (THESE ARE THE 16 SQUARES OF THE QUADRANT MODEL- 17 if you count Being/God)- notice how the first three grades are different from the fourth.

In Buddhist cosmology

Heavens[edit]

The following four worlds are bounded planes, each 80,000 yojanas square, which float in the air above the top of Mount Sumeru. Although all of the worlds inhabited by devas (that is, all the worlds down to the Cāturmahārājikakāyika world and sometimes including the Asuras) are sometimes called "heavens", in the western sense of the word the term best applies to the four worlds listed below:

Parinirmita-vaśavartin or Paranimmita-vasavatti (Tib: gzhan 'phrul dbang byed; Jpn: 他化自在天 Takejizai-ten) – The heaven of devas "with power over (others') creations". These devas do not create pleasing forms that they desire for themselves, but their desires are fulfilled by the acts of other devas who wish for their favor. The ruler of this world is called Vaśavartin (Pāli: Vasavatti), who has longer life, greater beauty, more power and happiness and more delightful sense-objects than the other devas of his world. This world is also the home of the devaputra (being of divine race) called Māra, who endeavors to keep all beings of the Kāmadhātu in the grip of sensual pleasures. Māra is also sometimes called Vaśavartin, but in general these two dwellers in this world are kept distinct. The beings of this world are 4,500 feet (1,400 m) tall and live for 9,216,000,000 years (Sarvāstivāda tradition). The height of this world is 1,280 yojanas above the Earth.

Nirmāṇarati or Nimmānaratī (Tib: 'phrul dga' ; Jpn: 化楽天 Keraku-ten)– The world of devas "delighting in their creations". The devas of this world are capable of making any appearance to please themselves. The lord of this world is called Sunirmita (Pāli Sunimmita); his wife is the rebirth of Visākhā, formerly the chief of the upāsikās (female lay devotees) of the Buddha. The beings of this world are 3,750 feet (1,140 m) tall and live for 2,304,000,000 years (Sarvāstivāda tradition). The height of this world is 640 yojanas above the Earth.

Tuṣita or Tusita (Tib: dga' ldan; Jpn: 兜率天 Tosotsu-ten) – The world of the "joyful" devas. This world is best known for being the world in which a Bodhisattva lives before being reborn in the world of humans. Until a few thousand years ago, the Bodhisattva of this world was Śvetaketu (Pāli: Setaketu), who was reborn as Siddhārtha, who would become the Buddha Śākyamuni; since then the Bodhisattva has been Nātha (or Nāthadeva) who will be reborn as Ajita and will become the Buddha Maitreya (Pāli Metteyya). While this Bodhisattva is the foremost of the dwellers in Tuṣita, the ruler of this world is another deva called Santuṣita (Pāli: Santusita). The beings of this world are 3,000 feet (910 m) tall and live for 576,000,000 years (Sarvāstivāda tradition). The height of this world is 320 yojanas above the Earth.

Yāma (Tib: 'thab bral; Jpn: 夜摩天 Yama-ten) – Sometimes called the "heaven without fighting", because it is the lowest of the heavens to be physically separated from the tumults of the earthly world. These devas live in the air, free of all difficulties. Its ruler is the deva Suyāma; according to some, his wife is the rebirth of Sirimā, a courtesan of Rājagṛha in the Buddha's time who was generous to the monks. The beings of this world are 2,250 feet (690 m) tall and live for 144,000,000 years (Sarvāstivāda tradition). The height of this world is 160 yojanas above the Earth.

According to Buddhist cosmology

Earthly realms[ed

Manuṣyaloka (Tib: mi; Jpn: 人 nin) – This is the world of humans and human-like beings who live on the surface of the earth. The mountain-rings that engird Sumeru are surrounded by a vast ocean, which fills most of the world. The ocean is in turn surrounded by a circular mountain wall called Cakravāḍa (Pāli: Cakkavāḷa) which marks the horizontal limit of the world. In this ocean there are four continents which are, relatively speaking, small islands in it. Because of the immenseness of the ocean, they cannot be reached from each other by ordinary sailing vessels, although in the past, when the cakravartin kings ruled, communication between the continents was possible by means of the treasure called the cakraratna (Pāli cakkaratana), which a cakravartin and his retinue could use to fly through the air between the continents. The four continents are:

Jambudvīpa or Jambudīpa (Jpn: 閻浮提 Enbudai) is located in the south and is the dwelling of ordinary human beings. It is said to be shaped "like a cart", or rather a blunt-nosed triangle with the point facing south. (This description probably echoes the shape of the coastline of southern India.) It is 10,000 yojanas in extent (Vibhajyavāda tradition) or has a perimeter of 6,000 yojanas (Sarvāstivāda tradition) to which can be added the southern coast of only 3 1⁄2 yojanas' length. The continent takes its name from a giant Jambu tree (Syzygium cumini), 100 yojanas tall, which grows in the middle of the continent. Every continent has one of these giant trees. All Buddhas appear in Jambudvīpa. The people here are five to six feet tall and their length of life varies between 10 to power 140 years (Asankya Aayu) and 10 years.

Pūrvavideha or Pubbavideha is located in the east, and is shaped like a semicircle with the flat side pointing westward (i.e., towards Sumeru). It is 7,000 yojanas in extent (Vibhajyavāda tradition) or has a perimeter of 6,350 yojanas of which the flat side is 2,000 yojanas long (Sarvāstivāda tradition). Its tree is the acacia. The people here are about 12 feet (3.7 m) tall and they live for 250 years.

Aparagodānīya or Aparagoyāna is located in the west, and is shaped like a circle with a circumference of about 7,500 yojanas (Sarvāstivāda tradition). The tree of this continent is a giant Kadamba tree. The human inhabitants of this continent do not live in houses but sleep on the ground. They are about 24 feet (7.3 m) tall and they live for 500 years.

Uttarakuru is located in the north, and is shaped like a square. It has a perimter of 8,000 yojanas, being 2,000 yojanas on each side. This continent's tree is called a kalpavṛkṣa (Pāli: kapparukkha) or kalpa-tree, because it lasts for the entire kalpa. The inhabitants of Uttarakuru are said to be extraordinarily wealthy. They do not need to labor for a living, as their food grows by itself, and they have no private property. They have cities built in the air. They are about 48 feet (15 m) tall and live for 1,000 years, and they are under the protection of Vaiśravaṇa.

Buddhist temporal cosmology describes how the universe comes into being and is dissolved. Like other Indian cosmologies, it assumes an infinite span of time and is cyclical. This does not mean that the same events occur in identical form with each cycle, but merely that, as with the cycles of day and night or summer and winter, certain natural events occur over and over to give some structure to time.

The basic unit of time measurement is the mahākalpa or "Great Eon" (Jpn: 大劫 daigō). The length of this time in human years is never defined exactly, but it is meant to be very long, to be measured in billions of years if not longer.

A mahākalpa is divided into four kalpas or "eons" (Jpn: 劫 kō), each distinguished from the others by the stage of evolution of the universe during that kalpa. The four kalpas are:

Vivartakalpa "Eon of evolution" – during this kalpa the universe comes into existence. The first square is always good and inspiring.

Vivartasthāyikalpa "Eon of evolution-duration" – during this kalpa the universe remains in existence in a steady state. The second square is homeostasis and order.

Saṃvartakalpa "Eon of dissolution" – during this kalpa the universe dissolves. The third square is destruction and is bad.

Saṃvartasthāyikalpa "Eon of dissolution-duration" – during this kalpa the universe remains in a state of emptiness. The fourth square is death and transcendence.

The Jain theory of karma proposes that karma particles are attracted and then bound to the consciousness of souls by a combination of four factors pertaining to actions: instrumentality, process, modality and motivation.

The instrumentality of an action refers to whether the instrument of the action was: the body, as in physical actions; one's speech, as in speech acts; or the mind, as in thoughtful deliberation.

The process of an action refers to the temporal sequence in which it occurs: the decision to act, plans to facilitate the act, making preparations necessary for the act, and ultimately the carrying through of the act itself.

The modality of an action refers to different modes in which one can participate in an action, for example: being the one who carries out the act itself; being one who instigates another to perform the act; or being one who gives permission, approval or endorsement of an act.

The motivation for an action refers to the internal passions or negative emotions that prompt the act, including: anger, greed, pride, deceit and so on.

All actions have the above four factor present in them. When different permutations of the sub-elements of the four factors are calculated, the Jain teachers speak of 108 ways in which the karmic matter can be attracted to the soul. Even giving silent assent or endorsement to acts of violence from far away has karmic consequences for the soul. Hence, the scriptures advise carefulness in actions, awareness of the world, and purity in thoughts as means to avoid the burden of karma.

According to Jains

The nature of experience of the effects of the karma depends on the following four factors:[59]

Prakriti (nature or type of karma) – According to Jain texts, there are eight main types of karma which categorized into the 'harming' and the 'non-harming'; each divided into four types. The harming karmas (ghātiyā karmas) directly affect the soul powers by impeding its perception, knowledge and energy, and also brings about delusion. These harming karmas are: darśanāvaraṇa (perception-obscuring karma), jñānavāraṇa (knowledge-obscuring karma), antarāya (obstacle-creating karma) and mohanīya (deluding karma). The non-harming category (aghātiyā karmas) is responsible for the reborn soul's physical and mental circumstances, longevity, spiritual potential and experience of pleasant and unpleasant sensations. These non-harming karmas are: nāma (body-determining karma), āyu (lifespan-determining karma), gotra (status-determining karma) and vedanīya (feeling-producing karma), respectively.[59] Different types of karmas thus affect the soul in different ways as per their nature.

Sthiti (the duration of the karmic bond) – The karmic bond remains latent and bound to the consciousness up to the time it is activated. Although latent karma does not affect the soul directly, its existence limits the spiritual growth of the soul. Jain texts provide minimum and the maximum duration for which such karma is bound before it matures.

Anubhava (intensity of karmas) – The degree of the experience of the karmas, that is, mild or intense, depends on the anubhava quality or the intensity of the bondage. It determines the power of karmas and its effect on the soul. Anubhava depends on the intensity of the passions at the time of binding the karmas. More intense the emotions—like anger, greed etc.—at the time of binding the karma, the more intense will be its experience at the time of maturity.

Pradesha (The quantity of the karmas) – It the quantity of karmic matter that is received and gets activated at the time of experience

Pratyakṣa (प्रत्यक्षाय) means perception. Perception is the second square of the first quadrant of the quadrant model. It is of two types in Mimamsa and other schools of Hinduism: external and internal. External perception is described as that arising from the interaction of five senses and worldly objects, while internal perception is described by this school as that of inner sense, the mind.[16][17] The ancient and medieval Indian texts identify four requirements for correct perception:[18] Indriyarthasannikarsa (direct experience by one's sensory organ(s) with the object, whatever is being studied), Avyapadesya (non-verbal; correct perception is not through hearsay, according to ancient Indian scholars, where one's sensory organ relies on accepting or rejecting someone else's perception), Avyabhicara (does not wander; correct perception does not change, nor is it the result of deception because one's sensory organ or means of observation is drifting, defective, suspect) and Vyavasayatmaka (definite; correct perception excludes judgments of doubt, either because of one's failure to observe

Christianity Chapter

The legend of the Quattuor Coronati is a story of four stonemasons from Pannonia, who lived during the reign of the Roman emperor Diocletian (284 – 305 AD). They were called Claudius, Castorius, Simphorianus and Nicostratus (DEMETER, 1961; SIMON et al., 1988), and secretly devoted to Christianity.

The stonemasons opposed an assignment of the emperor to make a statue of Aesculapius, the god of surgery and medicine. Earlier they had, in cooperation with Simplicius, finished a statue of the sun god (Sol invictor) on a quadriga. The refusal of the stonemasons provoked anger with the emperor, who had the man whipped and put into lead coffins to be thrown in the river Save. This happened, according to legend, on the eighth of November, around 302 AD.

The Roman Catholic Church in the ‘Breviarium Romanum’ sanctioned this story, being part of the old-Christian and early medieval hagiography. In this version there were, together with the four stonemasons, another four martyrs (the brothers Severus, Severianus, Carpophorus and Victorinus), who were also tortured and killed under the reign of Diocletian. They were supposedly buried at the same place, along the Via Labicana in Rome, as where the Quattuor Coronati found their last resting-place.

The source in the ‘Brevarium‘ is not indicated. The work was a compilation of the ‘Vita‘, which circulated as legends. The story of the four stone-masons was only added to the ‘Brevarium‘ in the revision of 1568. KELSCH (1987) gave four primary sources of the legend of the martyrs:

1. A Roman calendar of the fourth century, which provided the anniversary of the martyrs. This was before the early Christian church became the state-religion within the Roman Empire;

2. The so-called ‘Depositio martyrium’ of Furius Dionysius Philocalus from the year 354;

3. The ‘Martyrologium Hieronymianum’, from the beginning of the fifth century and

4. A ‘Passio SS. Quattuor Coronatorum’.

A church on the Mons Caelius in Rome was mentioned in the year 595 AD as a place of pilgrimage for the ‘Quattuor Coronati’. Travelogues from the seventh century recorded a catacomb along the Via Labicana as their last resting-place.

Pope Leo IV (847 – 855)(fig. 319) had a particular affinity with the four martyrs, as described in the ‘Histoire des Papes et souverains chefs de l’eglise‘ by Francois DUCHESNE (1653): ‘Il auoit vne affection & deuotion particuliere aux saints Martyrs appelez les Quatre Couronnez. A cette cause il fit principalement rechercher leurs Os; & les ayent trouuez auec peine, les mit en la Basilique de leur nom, laquelle il regissoit auant son Pontificat. Il y transfera pareillement les Corps saints de Claude, Nicostrat, Symphorien, Castorius, & Simplicius ...’ (Tome I, p. 489)(He had an affection with and a particular devotion to the saints called the Quattuor Coronati. For that reason he searched for their bones; and after having found them with difficulty, he put them in the basilica bearing their name. He organized this before he received the pontificate. He moved apparently the holy bodies of Claudius, Nicostratus, Symphorianus, Castorius and Simplicius…). Historical evidence showed that Leo IV enlarged the old basilica, which is named after the ‘Quattuor Coronati’.

Pope Leo IV, with his pontificate from 857 – 865 AD, was an enthusiastic supporter of the ‘Quattuor Coronati’. He searched for their bones and had them transferred to a basilica. In: DUCHESNE (1653).

The saints on the ceiling of the church of SS. Quattro Coronati in Rome by an unknown master are of a much later date. The church itself (the emporium) dated from the twelfth century. In the apses are frescoes of Giovanni Manozzi, also called Giovanni da San Giovanni, painted around 1630. DUFFY (1997) gave an illustration of the ‘Donation of Constantine’ as a fresco in the Capella di San Silvestro in the church of the Quattro Santi Coronati (fig. 320).

The ‘Donation of Constantin’. A fresco in the Church of the Quattro Santi Coronati in Rome. Emperor Constantine gives Pope Sylvester I (in office: 314 – 335) the tiara, an event which supposedly took place in the fourth century AD. The fresco cycle was ordered by Pope Innocent IV in 1248 to consecrate the false legend of the transfer of temporal power from Constantine to Pope Silvester I. The forged document was probably written in Rome around 753 AD. Pepin, father of Charlemagne, had marched into Italy in 754 and 756 and defeated Lombardy. He gave the territories dominated by the Lombards to Pope Stephen because Pepin had conquered the country ‘for the love of St Peter and for the forgiveness of his sins’. In: DUFFY (1997).

Also in other places in Italy are representations of the ‘Quattro Coronati’, for instance, in Florence in the guildhall of San Michele at the Via Calzaiolio. The sculptor Nanni d’Antonio di Banco (c. 1373 – 1421) depicted the saints around 1415

The edition of Rupert van Deutz’s ‘De Divinis Officiis’ (On divine offices) in Cologne offered a book in which knowledge was presented in its most exuberant form (the original manuscript was from around 1110 AD). Remarkable is the quality of the indexes in the printed version of 1543. The reader is guided to a keyword in the text by a division of the reference-page in four parts.

——————————— A – principium

——————————— B – medium superius

——————————— C – medium inferius

——————————— D – finem paginae

Four incidents of purported psychic ability of Swedenborg exist in the literature. There are several versions of each story.

Fire anecdotes

On Thursday, 19 July 1759 a great and well-documented fire broke out in Stockholm, Sweden. In the high and increasing wind it spread very fast, consuming about 300 houses and making 2000 people homeless.[89]

When the fire broke out Swedenborg was at a dinner with friends in Gothenburg, about 400 km from Stockholm. He became agitated and told the party at six o'clock that there was a fire in Stockholm, that it had consumed his neighbor’s home and was threatening his own. Two hours later, he exclaimed with relief that the fire had stopped three doors from his home. In the excitement following his report, word even reached the ears of the provincial governor, who summoned Swedenborg that same evening and asked for a detailed recounting.

At that time, it took two to three days for news from Stockholm to reach Gothenburg by courier, so that is the shortest duration in which the news of the fire could reach Gothenburg. The first messenger from Stockholm with news of the fire was from the Board of Trade, who arrived Monday evening. The second messenger was a royal courier, who arrived on Tuesday. Both of these reports confirmed every statement to the precise hour that Swedenborg first expressed the information. The accounts are fully described in Bergquist, pp. 312–313 and in Chapter 31 of The Swedenborg Epic.

(Bergquist states, but does not document, that Swedenborg confirmed his vision of the fire incident to his good friend, Consul Christopher Springer, "one of the pillars of the church, … "a man of enviable reputation for virtue and intelligence", "and that Swedenborg's innkeeper, Erik Bergström, heard Swedenborg affirming the story.)

It seems unlikely that the many witnesses to Swedenborg’s distress during the fire, and his immediate report of it to the provincial governor,[96][97] would have left room for doubt in the public eye of Swedenborg’s report. If Swedenborg had only received news of the fire by the normal methods there would have been no issue of psychic perception recorded for history. Instead, "when the news of Swedenborg's extraordinary vision of the fire reached the capital, public curiosity about him was very much aroused."

A second fire anecdote, similar to the first one, but less cited, is the incident of the mill owner Bolander. Swedenborg warned him, again abruptly, of an incipient fire in one of his mills. Notice how the first two incidents are the duality. They are similar.

Queen of Sweden

The third event was in 1758 when Swedenborg visited Queen Louisa Ulrika of Sweden, who asked him to tell her something about her deceased brother Prince Augustus William of Prussia. The next day, Swedenborg whispered something in her ear that turned the Queen pale and she explained that this was something only she and her brother could know about.

Lost document

The fourth incident involved a woman who had lost an important document, and came to Swedenborg asking if a recently deceased person could tell him where it was, which he (in some sources) was said to have done the following night.

Although not typically cited along with these three episodes, there was one further piece of evidence: Swedenborg was noted by the seamen of the ships that he sailed between Stockholm and London to always have excellent sailing conditions. When asked about this by a friend, Swedenborg played down the matter, saying he was surprised by this experience himself and that he was certainly not able to do miracles. The fifth is always ultra transcendent

Emanuel Swedenborg (/ˈswiːdənˌbɔrɡ/;[1] About this sound Swedish pronunciation (help·info); born Emanuel Swedberg on 29 January 1688;[2] died 29 March 1772) was a Swedish scientist, philosopher, theologian, revelator, and mystic.[3] He is best known for his book on the afterlife, Heaven and Hell (1758).

Swedenborg has a book called "The Four Doctrines".These four statements of belief form the core of the theology of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772). The four doctrines are: a description of the nature of the Lord, by which Swedenborg means both Jesus and God; the inner spiritual meaning of holy scripture; the nature of evil and and importance of good works; and nature of faith.

According to Swedenborg there have been four Churches or dispensations preceding the New Church on this earth: the first was the "Most Ancient Church" before the flood, where contact with heaven was direct. The second was the "Ancient Church" which followed the flood, which was destroyed by idolatry. The third was Judaism, which began with the revelation of the Decalogue to Moses on Mt. Sinai. The fourth is Christianity established by Jesus and his apostles, which over time became divided primarily into the Orthodox Church, the Catholic Church, and Protestantism.[123] The New Church, which is the final phase or dispensation, is a renewal of Christianity based on the Lord's Second Coming.[124] The New Church is the fulfillment of the prophecy of the heavenly New Jerusalem which descends out of heaven in the book of Revelation.[125] Swedenborg stated that the establishment of the New Church would happen gradually, and not in a moment, as the false beliefs of the former Church had to first be set aside. According to Swedenborg the fifth has not come. The fifth is always questionable but is always ultra transcendent and representative of God.

The Swedenborgian Church consists of four Churches. They are

General Conference of the New Church (Great Britain): 1,314

Swedenborgian Church of North America, also known as The General Convention (USA): 2,029

General Church of the New Jerusalem: 5,563

Lord's New Church Which Is Nova Hierosolyma: 1,000

The New Testament is composed of four particular types of books:

1. The Gospels (Matthew - John) - Biographical accounts of Jesus Christ. The first square is weird

2. Acts of the Apostles - A historical account of the early church and its growth.

3. The Epistles (Romans - Jude) - Letters of instruction, correction and encouragement from early church leaders to church congregations and individuals that explain, expand upon and show Christians how to apply Christ's teachings. This is about doing

4. Revelation - A book of prophecy. Revelations is seen as a lot different from the other three and weird. The fourth square is weird. It is seen as allegory and has a lot of symbolism

Prayer is fairly prevalent in the United States. About 75% of the United States reports praying at least once a week. However, the practice of prayer is more prevalent and practiced more consistently among Americans who perform other religious practices. There are four primary types of prayer in the West. Poloma and Pendleton, utilized factor analysis to delineate these four types of prayer: meditative (more spiritual, silent thinking), ritualistic (reciting), petitionary (making requests to God), and colloquial (general conversing with God).

Athanasius completed his work Four Orations against the Arians. Athanasius is considered one of the four Church Fathers of the Eastern Church.

Islam Chapter

Hinduism Chapter

Paramananda (1884–1940) was a swami and one of the early Indian teachers who went to the United States to spread the Vedanta philosophy and religion there. He was a mystic, a poet and an innovator in spiritual community living.

He stated that there were four sources of knowledge, viz., instinct, reason, intuition

and super-intuition or Brahma-Jnana. The fourth square is always different/transcendent/points to God (the fifth square)

Char Dham (literally: 'the four abodes/seats') are the names of four pilgrimage sites in India that are widely revered by Hindus. It comprises Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri and Rameswaram. It is considered highly sacred by Hindus to visit Char Dham during one's lifetime. The Char Dham defined by Adi Shankaracharya consists of three Vaishnavite and one Shaivite pilgrimages

According to Hindu mythology, Badrinath became prominent when Nar-Narayan, an incarnation of Vishnu did Tapasya there. At that time that place was filled with Berry trees. In Sanskrit language they are called Badri, so the place was named Badrika-Van i.e. the forest of Berry. The particular spot where the Nar-Narayan did Tapasya, a large Berry tree formed covering him to save him from rain and sun. Local believe mata Lakshmi become the Berry tree to save Narayan. Post Tapasya, Narayan said, people will always take her name before his name, hence Hindus always refer "Lakshmi-Narayan " unlike "Shiva-Parvati" . It was therefore called Badri-Nath i.e. the Lord of Berry forest. This all happened in the Sat-Yuga. So the Badrinath came to be known the first Dham.

The second place, the Rameshwram got its importance in the Treta-Yug when Lord Rama built a Shiv-ling here and worshiped it to get the blessings of Lord Shiva. The name Rameshwram means "the God of Lord Rama". Rama himself is considered an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

The third Dhaam Dwarka got its importance in Dwapar Yug when Lord Krishna another incarnation of Lord Vishnu, made Dwarka his residence instead of Mathura, his birthplace.[7]

The Four Shankaracharya Peeth (Seats) at the Chaar Dham school of Hinduism, created at least four Hindu monastic institutions. He organised the Hindu monks under four Maṭhas (Sanskrit: मठ) (monasteries), with the headquarters at Dvārakā in the West, Jagannatha Puri in the East, Sringeri Sharada Peetham in the South and Badrikashrama in the North.[8]

The table below gives an overview of the four Amnaya Mathas founded by Adi Shankara, and their details.[9]

Shishya

(lineage) Direction Maṭha Mahāvākya Veda Sampradaya

Padmapāda East Govardhana Pīṭhaṃ Prajñānam brahma (Consciousness is Brahman) Rig Veda Bhogavala

Sureśvara South Sringeri Śārada Pīṭhaṃ Aham brahmāsmi (I am Brahman) Yajur Veda Bhūrivala

Hastāmalakācārya West Dvāraka Pīṭhaṃ Tattvamasi (That thou art) Sama Veda Kitavala

Toṭakācārya North Jyotirmaṭha Pīṭhaṃ

In Hindu Puranas Hari (Vishnu) and Har (Shiv) are referred as eternal friends. It is said wherever there resides Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva also resides nearby. Chaar Dhaams are also not exception of this. So the Kedarnath is considered as the pair of Badrinath, Rangnath Swami is considered the pair of Rameshwaram. Somnath is considered as the pair of Dwarka. However one thing is also to be noted here that according to some traditions the Char Dham are Badrinath, Rangnath-Swami, Dwarka and Jagannath-Puri all the four of which are Vaishnav sites and their associated places are Kedarnath, Rameshwaram, Somnath and Lingaraja Temple, Bhubaneswar (or may be Gupteshwar) respectively.

The oldest matha follows the Advaita Vedanta tradition and they are headed by Shankaracharyas, a title derived from the name of Ādi Śankara, a prominent religious teacher of the eighth century.[2] Ādi Śankara established the following mathas, with each of his four main disciples in charge: Sureshwaracharya, Hastamalakacharya, Padmapadacharya, and Totakacharya respectively. The four Āmnāya mathas founded by Ādi Śankara, all of which are Smartist, are:

Śringeri Śāradā Pīṭham, at Shringeri, Karnataka

Dvaraka Pitha, at Dwarka, Gujarat

Govardhana matha, at Puri, Odisha

Jyotirmath, in Uttarakhand

Krishna tells Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita there are four types of people that fail to submit to Him

Square 1: foolish and ignorant people who do not know they are related to Him

Square 2: thise who are somewhat aware that they are related to krishna but are procrastinators who do not do anything to strengthen their relationship with Him

Square 3: those who doubt the scriptures and are prideful

Square 4: those who are evil and do not attain Him and stop others from attaining Him

The fourth is always dofferenr

Krishna says the fourth is different from the other three in that they are demons

In Hinduism, lokapāla refers to the Guardians of the Directions associated with the four cardinal directions.

In Buddhism, lokapāla refers to the Four Heavenly Kings, and to other protector spirits, whereas the Guardians of the Directions are referred to as the 'dikpālas'

According to the Shāhnāma of the poet Firdausī, Jamshid was the fourth king of the world. He had command over all the angels and demons of the world, and was both king and high priest of Hormozd (middle Persian for Ahura Mazda). He was responsible for a great many inventions that made life more secure for his people: the manufacture of armor and weapons, the weaving and dyeing of clothes of linen, silk and wool, the building of houses of brick, the mining of jewels and precious metals, the making of perfumes and wine, the art of medicine, the navigation of the waters of the world in sailing ships. The sudreh and kushti of the Zoroastrianism are also attributed to Jamshid. From the skin-clad followers of Keyumars, humanity had risen to a great civilization in Jamshid's time.

Jamshid also divided the people into four groups:

Square 1: The priests, who conducted the worship of Hormozd

Square 2: The warriors, who protected the people by the might of their arms

Square 3: The farmers, who grew the grain that fed the people

Square 4: The artisans, who produced goods for the ease and enjoyment of the people

Jamshid [ǰæmšīd] (Persian: جمشید, Jamshīd) (Middle- and New Persian: جم, Jam) (Avestan: Yima) is a mythological figure of Greater Iranian culture and tradition.

In tradition and folklore, Jamshid is described as the fourth and greatest king of the epigraphically unattested Pishdadian Dynasty (before the Kayanian dynasty). This role is already alluded to in Zoroastrian scripture (e.g. Yasht 19, Vendidad 2), where the figure appears as Avestan language Yima(-Kshaeta) "(radiant) Yima," and from which the name 'Jamshid' is derived.

Because Ahura Mazda has four day-name dedications, the month dedicated to Him has four intersections (the first, eighth, fifteenth and twenty-third day of the tenth month). The others have one intersection each, for example, the nineteenth day of the first month is the day of special worship of the Fravashis.

The tradition of naming the days and months after divinities was based on a similar Egyptian custom, and dates from when the calendar was set up."The last evidence for the use ... with Old Persian month-names ... comes from 458BCE, ... after which the Elamite tablets cease." No dated West-Iranian documents from this period survive, but the fact that the Zoroastrian calendar was created at this time can be inferred from its use in a number of far-flung lands which had formerly been parts of the Achaemenid Empire.

The oldest (though not dateable) testimony for the existence of the day dedications comes from Yasna 16, a section of the Yasna liturgy that is – for the most part – a veneration to the 30 divinities with day-name dedications. The Siroza – a two-part Avesta text with individual dedications to the 30 calendar divinities – has the same sequence.

1. Dadvah Ahura Mazdā, 2. Vohu Manah, 3. Aša Vahišta, 4. Khšathra Vairya, 5. Spenta Ārmaiti, 6. Haurvatāt, 7. Ameretāt

8. Dadvah Ahura Mazdā, 9. Ātar, 10. Āpō, 11. Hvar, 12. Māh, 13. Tištrya, 14. Geuš Urvan

15. Dadvah Ahura Mazdā, 16. Mithra, 17. Sraoša, 18. Rašnu, 19. Fravašayō, 20. Verethragna, 21. Rāman, 22. Vāta

23. Dadvah Ahura Mazdā, 24. Daēna, 25. Aši, 26. Arštāt, 27. Asmān, 28. Zam, 29. Manthra Spenta, 30. Anaghra Raočā.

The quaternary (fourfold) dedication to Ahura Mazda (the highest God) was perhaps a compromise between orthodox and heterodox factions, with the 8th, 15th and 23rd day of the calendar perhaps originally having been dedicated to Apam Napat, Haoma, and Dahmān Afrīn. The dedication to the Ahuric Apam Napat would almost certainly have been an issue for devotees of Aredvi Sura Anahita, whose shrine cult was enormously popular between the 4th century BC and the 3rd century AD and who is (accretions included) a functional equal of Apam Napat. To this day these three divinities are considered 'extra-calendary' divinities inasfar as they are invoked together with the other 27, so making a list of 30 discrete entities.

Faravahar, believed to be a depiction of a Fravashi (guardian spirit), to which the month and day of Farvardin is dedicated

The 2nd through 7th days are dedicated to the Amesha Spentas, the six 'divine sparks' through whom all subsequent creation was accomplished, and who – in present-day Zoroastrianism - are the archangels.

Days 9 through 13 are dedications to five yazatas of the litanies (Niyayeshes): Fire (Atar), Water (Apo), Sun (Hvar), Moon (Mah), the star Sirius (Tištrya) that here perhaps represents the firmament in its entirety. Day 14 is dedicated to the soul of the Ox (Geush Urvan), linked with and representing all animal creation.

Day 16, leading the second half of the days of the month, is dedicated to the divinity of oath, Mithra (like Apam Napat of the Ahuric triad). He is followed by those closest to him, Sraoša and Rašnu, likewise judges of the soul; the representatives of which, the Fravashi(s), come next. Verethragna, Rāman, Vāta are respectively the hypostases of victory, the breath of life, and the (other) divinity of the wind and 'space'.

The last group represent the more 'abstract' emanations: Religion (Daena), Recompense (Ashi), and Justice (Arshtat); Sky (Asman) and Earth (Zam); Sacred Invocation (Manthra Spenta) and Endless Light (Anaghra Raocha). (the fourth square is always the most abstract)

In present-day use, the day and month names are the Middle Persian equivalents of the divine names or the concepts, but in some cases reflect Semitic influences (for instance Tištrya appears as Tir, which Boyce (1982:31–33) asserts is derived from Nabu-*Tiri). The names of the 8th, 15th, and 23rd day of the month – reflecting Babylonian practice of dividing the month into four periods – can today be distinguished from one another: These three days are named Dae-pa Adar, Dae-pa Mehr, and Dae-pa Din, Middle Persian expressions meaning 'Creator of' (respectively) Atar, Mithra, and Daena.

What might loosely be called weeks are the divisions of days 1–7, 8–14, 15–22 and 23–30 of each month – two weeks of seven days followed by two weeks of eight. The Gatha days at the end of the year do not belong to any such week

Hawaiian religion is polytheistic, with four deities most prominent: Kāne, Kū, Lono and Kanaloa.

In Hawaiian religion there are

the four gods (ka hā) – Kū, Kāne, Lono, Kanaloa

the forty male gods or aspects of Kāne (ke kanahā)

the four hundred gods and goddesses (ka lau)

the great multitude of gods and goddesses (ke kini akua)

the spirits (na ʻunihipili)

the guardians (na ʻaumākua)

notice how the number four is prominent. Even in the forty and the four hundred. Similarly in the Bible the number 40, bringing to mind the four of the quadrant, is pervasive.

In the ancient Hawaiian religion, the Kumulipo is a chant in the Hawaiian language telling a creation story.It also includes a genealogy of the members of Hawaiian royalty.

The Hawaiian creation myth the Kumulipo is a total of 2102 lines long, in honor of Kalaninuiamamao, who created peace for all when he was born. There was a lot of fighting between his ʻI and Keawe family, who were cousins so his birth stopped the two from feuding. The Kumulipo is a cosmogonic genealogy, which means that it relates to the stars and the moon. Out of the 2102 lines, it has 16 "wā" which means era or age. In each wā, something is born whether it is a human, plant, or creature.

The 16 wa bring to mind the 16 squares of the quadrant model.

The births in each age include:

In the first wā, the sea urchins and limu (seaweed) were born. The limu was connected through its name to the land ferns. Some of these limu and fern pairs include: ʻEkaha and ʻEkahakaha, Limu ʻAʻalaʻula and ʻalaʻalawainui mint, Limu Manauea and Kalo Maunauea upland taro, Limu Kala and ʻAkala strawberry. These plants were born to protect their sea cousins.

In the second wā, 73 types of fish. Some deep sea fish include Naiʻa (porpoise) and the Mano (shark). Also reef fish, including Moi and Weke. Certain plants that have similar names are related to these fish and are born as protectors of the fish.

In the third wā, 52 types of flying creatures, which include birds of the sea such as ʻIwa (frigate or man-of-war bird), the Lupe, and the Noio (Hawaiian noddy tern). These sea birds have land relatives, such as Io (hawk), Nene (goose), and Pueo (owl). In this wā, insects were also born, such as Peʻelua (caterpillar) and the Pulelehua (butterfly).

In the fourth wā, the creepy and crawly creatures are born. These include Honu (sea turtle), Ula (lobster), Moʻo (lizards), and Opeopeo (jellyfish). Their cousins on land include Kuhonua (maile vine) and ʻOheʻohe bamboo.

In the fifth wā, Kalo (taro) is born.

In the sixth wā, Uka (flea) and the ʻIole (rat) are born.

In the seventh wā, ʻĪlio (dog) and the Peʻapeʻa (bat) are born.

In the eighth wā, the four divinities are born: Laʻilaʻi (Female), Kiʻi (Male), Kane (God), Kanaloa (Octopus), respectively.

In the ninth wā, Laʻilaʻi takes her eldest brother Kiʻi as a mate and the first humans are born from her brain.

In the tenth wā, Laʻilaʻi takes her next brother Kane as a mate after losing interest in Kiʻi, she then had four of Kane's children: Laʻiʻoloʻolo, Kamahaʻina (Male), Kamamule (Male), Kamakalua (Female). Laʻilaʻi soon returned to Kiʻi and three children are born: Haʻi(F), Haliʻa(F), and Hākea(M). Having been born during their mothers being with two men they become "Poʻolua" and claim the lineage of both fathers.

The eleventh wā pays homage to the Moa.

The twelfth wā is very important to Hawaiians because it honors the lineage of Wākea, whose son Hāloa is the ancestor of all people.

The thirteenth wā is also very important to Hawaiians because it honors the lineage of Hāloa's mother Papa.

In the fourteenth wā Liʻaikūhonua mates with Keakahulihonua, and have their child Laka.

The fifteenth wā refers to Haumeanuiʻāiwaiwa and her lineage, it also explains Māui's adventures and siblings.

The sixteenth wā recounts all of Maui's lineage for forty-four generations, all the way down to the Moʻi of Maui, Piʻilani.

There is even qualitative differences between each four was. Again, notice how the number four and forty four and forty and anything with four is prominent

According to the Book of Abramelin the Four Crown Princes of Hell are Satan, Lucifer, Leviathan, and Belial

The practical magic of Abramelin (found in both Book III of the French text, and Book IV of the German original) centers around a set of talismans composed of magic word squares. These are similar to traditional magic squares, though the latter are usually composed of numbers, while Abramelin's squares contain letters. Commonly word squares are used as puzzles or as teaching aids for students. In the context of Abramelin, the focus becomes mystical—so that each square should contain words or names that relate to the magical goal of the square.

The word squares and magic squares are quadrant formations

The Mandé creation myth is the traditional creation myth of the Mandé peoples of southern Mali.

In the creation myth four pairs of male and four pairs of female twins became the original ancestors of mankind.

These four pairs of males and females.

That is the 16 squares of the quadrant model

In the Chinese creation myth Pangu, the first living being, is helped by the four most prominent beasts, namely the Turtle, the Qilin, the Phoenix, and the Dragon, in the establishment of the world.

The earliest record of the Sumerian creation myth, called The Eridu Genesis by historian Thorkild Jacobsen, is found on a single fragmentary tablet excavated in Nippur. It is written in the Sumerian language and dated to around 1600 BC. Other Sumerian creation myths from around this date are called the Barton Cylinder, the Debate between sheep and grain and the Debate between Winter and Summer, also found at Nippur.

Where the tablet picks up, the four gods An, Enlil, Enki and Ninhursanga create the black-headed people and create comfortable conditions for the animals to live and procreate.

Buga, the central deity, collected materials to make mankind. He gathered four materialsFrom the east he gathered iron; from the south fire; the west, water; and from the north, earth. From the earth he made flesh and bone; from the iron he made heart; from the water he made blood; and from the fire he gave them vitality, and thus he made two beings, a man and a woman.

The Tungusic creation myths are traditional stories of the creation of the world belonging to the Tungusic peoples of Siberia. Buga, the central deity of the Tunguisic collected four materials to make mankind. From the east he gathered iron; from the south fire; the west, water; and from the north, earth. From the earth he made flesh and bone; from the iron he made heart; from the water he made blood; and from the fire he gave them vitality, and thus he made two beings, a man and a woman.

Eliade points out that for all peoples the creation myth is the most central myth of their mythologies and all of their other myths point back to the creation and reference it. It is no wonder these creation myths reflect the quadrant model pattern. Because the quadrant model pattern is the form of Being.

The Four Heavenly Kings are said to currently live in the Cāturmahārājika heaven (Pali Cātummahārājika, "Of the Four Great Kings") on the lower slopes of Mount Sumeru, which is the lowest of the six worlds of the devas of the Kāmadhātu. They are the protectors of the world and fighters of evil, each able to command a legion of supernatural creatures to protect the Dharma.

In Norse mythology, Norðri, Suðri, Austri and Vestri ("Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western") are four dwarves in the Prose Edda book Gylfaginning who each support one of the four cardinal points. Together, they uphold the heavenly dome, created from the skull of the jötunn Ymir. They probably represent the four winds,[1] corresponding to the four stags of the cosmic tree Yggdrasill.

In Norse mythology, four stags or harts (male red deer) eat among the branches of the World Tree Yggdrasill. According to the Poetic Edda, the stags crane their necks upward to chomp at the branches. Their names are given as Dáinn, Dvalinn, Duneyrr and Duraþrór. An amount of speculation exists regarding the deer and their potential symbolic value.

The four sons of Horus were a group of four gods in Egyptian religion, who were essentially the personifications of the four canopic jars, which accompanied mummified bodies.Since the heart was thought to embody the soul, it was left inside the body.

Imsety - human form - direction South - protected the liver - protected by Isis.

Duamutef - jackal form - direction East - protected the stomach - protected by Neith.

Hapi - baboon form - direction North - protected the lungs - protected by Nephthys.

Qebehsenuef - hawk form - direction West - protected the intestines - protected by his mother Serket.

In Classic Maya iconography, the Bacab occurs in various stereotypical situations:

Fourfold, the Bacabs are repeatedly shown carrying the slab of a throne or the roof of a building. In this, young, princely impersonators can substitute for them (see fig.), a fact reminiscent of the drowned ancestors serving as earth-carriers mentioned above. On a damaged relief panel from Pomona, four of these young Bacab impersonators appear to have held the four Classic Year Bearer days in their hands.

To the Chinese the utmost deity (Di or Shangdi, or Tian) is manifested and embodied by the chief gods of each phenomenon and of each human kin, making the worship of the highest god possible even in each ancestral temple.

Shangdi is often depicted as a square with four lines protruding from it (a quadrant)

The Buddhist "Four Sacred Mountains" in China are:[6][7][8]

Wǔtái Shān[edit]

Chinese: 五台山; "Five-Platform Mountain", Shānxī Province, 3,058 m, 39°04′45″N 113°33′53″E

Wutai is the home of the Bodhisattva of wisdom, Manjusri or Wenshu (Traditional: 文殊) in Chinese.

Éméi Shān[edit]

Chinese: 峨嵋山; "High and Lofty Mountain", Sìchuān Province, 3,099 m, 29°31′11″N 103°19′57″E

The patron bodhisattva of Emei is Samantabhadra, known in Chinese as Puxian (普贤菩萨).

Jiǔhuá Shān[edit]

simplified Chinese: 九华山; traditional Chinese: 九華山; "Nine Glories Mountain", Ānhuī Province, 1,341 m, 30°28′56″N 117°48′16″E

Many of the mountain's shrines and temples are dedicated to Ksitigarbha (known in Chinese as Dìzàng, Chinese: 地藏, in Japanese as Jizō), who is a bodhisattva and protector of beings in hell realms

Pǔtuó Shān[edit]

Chinese: 普陀山; "Mount Potalaka", Zhèjiāng Province, 284 m 30°00′35″N 122°23′06″E

This mountain is considered the bodhimanda of Avalokitesvara (Guan Yin), bodhisattva of compassion

The "Four Sacred Mountains" of Taoism are:[6][9][10]

Wǔdāng Shān[edit]

simplified Chinese: 武当山; traditional Chinese: 武當山; northwestern part of Hubei. Main peak: 1612m. 32°40′0″N 111°00′4″E.

Lónghŭ Shān[edit]

Simplified Chinese: 龙虎山; Traditional Chinese: 龍虎山; literally "Dragon Tiger Mountain", Jiangxi. Main peak: 247.4m. 28°06′48.999″N 116°57′29.998″E

Qíyūn Shān[edit]

simplified Chinese: 齐云山; traditional Chinese: 齊雲山; literally "As High as the Clouds", Anhui. Main peak: 585m. 29°48′29.9988″N 118°01′56.9994″E

Qīngchéng Shān[edit]

Chinese: 青城山; Dujiangyan, Sichuan. Main peak: 1260m (surveyed in 2007). famous for "The most secluded place in China". 31°01′07.63″N 103°32′47.36″E.

The Five Great Mountains or Wu Yue are arranged according to the five cardinal directions of Chinese geomancy, which includes the center as a direction. The grouping of the five mountains appeared during the Warring States period (475 BC - 221 BC), and the term of Wu Yue (Five Summit) was made famous during the reign of Emperor Wudi of the Western Han Dynasty 140-87 BC.[1] During the next two thousand years the worship of the five mountains became ingrained in Chinese culture. The five mountains are among the best-known natural landmarks in Chinese history, and since the early periods in Chinese history, they have been the ritual sites of imperial worship and sacrifice by various emperors.[2] Although these five mountains are not traditionally canonized as having any exclusive religious affiliations, many of them have a strong Taoist presence,[2] thus the five mountains are also grouped by some as part of "Sacred Taoist Mountains".[4] There are also various Buddhist temples and Confucian academies built on these mountains.

East Great Mountain (Dōngyuè): Tài Shān[edit]

Chinese: 泰山; "Tranquil Mountain", Shāndōng Province, 1,545 m, 36°15′N 117°06′E

West Great Mountain (Xīyuè): Huà Shān[edit]

simplified Chinese: 华山; traditional Chinese: 華山; "Splendid Mountain", Shănxī Province, 1,997 m 34°29′N 110°05′E

South Great Mountain (Nányuè): Héng Shān (Hunan)[edit]

Chinese: 衡山; "Balancing Mountain", Húnán Province, 1,290 m, 27.254798°N 112.655743°E

North Great Mountain (Běiyuè): Héng Shān (Shanxi)[edit]

simplified Chinese: 恒山; traditional Chinese: 恆山; "Permanent Mountain", Shānxī Province, 2,017 m, 39°40′26″N 113°44′08″E

Center Great Mountain (Zhōngyuè): Sōng Shān[edit]

Chinese: 嵩山; "Lofty Mountain", Hénán Province, 1,494 m, 34°29′5″N 112°57′37″E

The fifth is the ultra transcendent one. The first four are the first four elements. The fifth is the transcendent Aether that Aristotle talked about the one that is in the center of them all

The Chinese word wu 巫 "shaman, wizard", indicating a man who can mediate with the powers generating things (the etymological meaning of "spirit", "god", or nomen agentis, virtus, energeia), was first recorded during the Shang dynasty (ca. 1600-1046 BCE), when a wu could be either sex. In Chinese bronze inscriptions the wu was represented by drawing a quadrant. Many Chinese would consider Jesus a wu and it is interesting that Jesus himself is represented by a quadrant/cross.

The four types of breads of the Korban Todah represent four aspects of true thanksgiving. The chametz represents the yetzer hara, the confession that even the misfortune and calamity were for our benefit and were brought about by our sins.

The Matzah that is boiled first in water so that it will absorb and hold in the oil is symbolic of the ability to contain oneself and admit that the county one received is unearned and undeserved.

The Matzah made of flour saturated with oil is symbolic of the feelings of gratitude that permeate one's entire being.

And finally, the Matzah fried in oil from without symbolizes the responsibility to publicize and share with others the enlightenment one receives from experiencing God's Divine Providence.

These four statements are really four different types of redemption. You may recall at the Passover Seder, where the four cups of wine symbolize these four phrases. So what does each of these phrases mean?

"I shall take you out from under the burdens." Even if God did not take us out, He still stopped the servitude, for which we are grateful.

"I shall rescue you." To rescue is to remove the problem altogether. We ask God to get us out of Egypt, so we won't have to worry about the problem happening again.

"I shall redeem you." The word "redemption" implies removing the effects of the problem - our slave mentality, our lack of wealth, our lack of infrastructure for an independent society.

"I shall take you to Me for a people." When God takes us to Him, He gives us a new purpose, something positive and proactive to do.

* * *

FOUR STEPS TO TESHUVA

Teshuva means to return. When we do something that we know took us away from the Infinite and holiness, we don't beat ourselves up, wallow in guilt, or crawl into a hole. We do something called teshuva. We try to correct ourselves. We return to the Almighty.

This is a four-step process, hinted to in the verses of redemption from Egypt:

Stop the problem - resolve not to do the transgression again.

Rescue - put yourself in a circumstance where you won't be tempted to do the transgression again. If every time you hang out with a group of people, you end up gossiping, consider not hanging out with that group anymore.

Remove the effects of the transgression - If you stole something, you need to return it. If you became insensitive to people, you need to read material on how to be more sensitive.

Do something positive - Every transgression comes from a misplaced desire. Look for opportunities to increase a positive activity that removes the desire for transgression. If you find yourself saying something negative about a friend, think of three constructive ways you can help your friend change.

One afternoon, Moshe, David, Nathan and Daniel, four students at New York University, are drinking coffee in Moshe’s room. Suddenly, Moshe puts down his cup and shouts, "Oy!"

David then puts down his cup and shouts, "Oy vey!"

Nathan then puts down his cup and shouts out, "So nu?"

On hearing what his three friends have been shouting, Daniel gets up and starts to walk towards the door. "Where are you going, Daniel?" the other three ask him.

"Listen," he replies, "if you don’t stop talking about Israeli politics, I’m leaving!"

SHABBOS AND SHALOSH REGALIM

This analysis gives us a fascinating insight into the nature of the yamim tovim vis-a-vis the weekly Shabbos. Each of the shalosh regalim, the three major Festivals, can be linked to one of the crowns we mentioned above. Pesach was the moment when klal Yisrael became a royal nation, fit for special treatment by God. This corresponds to the crown of malchus. Shavuos, when the Torah was given to klal Yisrael, obviously corresponds to the crown of Torah. Finally, Sukkos corresponds to the crown of kehunah, for Sukkos and Aharon, the founding father of the priesthood and the quintessential kohen, are intimately linked.

Each of these three festivals has the inherent danger we discussed earlier. As such, extra care must be taken at these times to avoid misusing their great spiritual potential for selfish uses. Indeed, each of the shalosh regalim has an element of judgment associated with it, which reflects the fact that one's service of God is under scrutiny at these times:

At four junctures of the year the world is judged: on Pesach for the grain, on Shavuos for the fruit, on Sukkos for the water... (Mishnah, Rosh HaShanah 1:2)

This element of judgment, however, is not present on Shabbos. This is analogous to the Menorah, which has no golden rim. According to the philosophy of the Arizal, there is no potential for abuse present in the atmosphere which prevails on Shabbos; everything can be used for spiritual progress on that day.

We can now understand another, related issue. The portable Mishkan, the construction of which is detailed in this parsha, was replaced by the Beis HaMikdash, which was a permanent structure. Although it was many years after klal Yisrael entered Eretz Yisrael before the Mishkan fell into disuse, it was clear from the outset that the Mishkan had a limited life and would one day become defunct.

My holy father noted that the very names of these sacred structures reveal the difference in their essence. Mishkan means "dwelling place," indicating that this was essentially a place where the Divine was manifest. Mikdash, on the other hand, means "holy place," for the Beis HaMikdash was primarily a place of exceptional sanctity, qualitatively different from anywhere else on earth. It is important to note that these names were not absolute, but were somewhat interchangeable. The Mishkan was also referred to as a mikdash and the Mikdash was referred to as a mishkan. It is the primary focus that the main name describes.

In the wilderness, klal Yisrael lived on a miraculous plane - they ate the mon, an angelic food which produced absolutely no waste, drank water from the well of Miriam, and lived in the presence of the Divine pillars of cloud and fire. In these circumstances, they already experienced life beyond the norm and did not need their center of worship to be anything other than a focus for God's presence. Thus their Mishkan was just that - a place where God was manifest. This was analogous to the Menorah, which had no rim, symbolizing the absolute lack of distractions and spiritual dangers. Since they lived such miraculous lives, their Mishkan was automatically a mikdash - a place which was different from any other.

Once klal Yisrael entered the land, all of these miracles stopped. They worked the land and lived more normal lives. Of necessity, they became involved with the physical world and were therefore at some risk of falling into materialistic lifestyles. They thus needed a place of religious focus which was different and separated from normal physical life, to remind them that successful Jewish life takes place beyond the material. So they required a mikdash, a place of exceptional holiness, which enabled a primarily agricultural nation to fulfill their spiritual potential. It would then automatically be a mishkan. This concern for the dangers inherent in the more worldly lifestyle of the post-desert generations is similar to the necessity for the golden rim on the three vessels in the Beis HaMikdash, for they remind us to use our powers for Godly, rather than self-oriented, pursuits.

But despite the apparent preference for the desert lifestyle, we can see that the reality of Eretz Yisrael and the vicissitudes of life within it are actually superior. It is clear that one can make matzah only from grains that could, if left for too long, become chametz. This underscores the concept that the greatest kedushah, holiness, is achieved in the arena where there is danger, but it is overcome and utilized for Godliness. As such, the Eretz Yisrael lifestyle is the ideal one, despite the potential dangers inherent within it. This means that the Beis HaMikdash was the greatest expression of klal Yisrael's spirituality. Thus, when they entered the land, they worked toward the day when they would build a mikdash to replace the Mishkan, which had only a temporary role to play.

Rabbi Shimon said, "There are three crowns: the crown of Torah, the crown of kehunah (priesthood), and the crown of malchus (kingship). But the crown of a good name is greater than them all." (Avos 4:13)

According to rabbis the fourth crown is the most important and transcendent.

Three of the four primary objects in the holiest part of the Beis HaMikdash had crowns, that is, golden rims decorating them: the Ark of the Covenant, the Golden Table, and the Golden Altar had rims, but the Menorah did not. The Ark, which contained the two tablets given by God to Moshe, obviously corresponds to the crown of Torah; the Golden Altar, on which the kohanim offered the incense, corresponds to the crown of kehunah; and the Golden Table, on which the special bread was placed, corresponds to the crown of malchus. The Midrash (Bemidbar Rabba 14:9) tells us that the Menorah, which had no crown, corresponds to the crown of a good name. Let us investigate the meaning behind all of this.

* * *

WHAT'S IN A CROWN?

The word used by the Torah for the decorative crowns on the sacred objects in the Mishkan is zer. This word is closely related to the word nazir, designating a nazirite, someone who dedicates his life to holy purposes by abstaining from wine and certain other things for a designated period. The Torah teaches us that he must avoid contact with corpses for:

...the nezer [crown] of God is upon his head. (Bamidbar 6:7)

The crown of God is upon his head - know that all humans serve earthly desires, but the true king, who has the crown and diadem of malchus on his head, is one who is free from earthly desires. (Ibn Ezra loc. cit.)

So it seems that the zer symbolizes raising oneself above the usual desires of humanity and entering a holier and more spiritual realm. Just as a crown sits on the king's head, above his whole person, so too, the spiritual crown sets a person above the norms of the physical world.

Each of the three vessels in the Mishkan, which represent the Torah, malchus, and kehunah, indicates that there is a need to rise above the potentially harmful elements inherent in each concept. Torah study, while clearly essential to Jewish life, carries the possibility of arrogance. Indeed, excellence at Torah study can result in a false feeling of superiority over one's peers. The king must obviously be very careful not to overrate himself and lord it over his subjects, for he is automatically showered with honor and respect. The extra restrictions applicable to a king testify to the necessity for care in this area. Similarly, the kohen commands a position of great respect in the community, whose atonement, Torah study, and many other factors depend on him. This position can be abused to the spurious advantage of the unscrupulous; great care is needed to avoid this. So each of these three great gifts to klal Yisrael - Torah, malchus, and kehunah - need special attention to ensure that they are used only for holy rather than self-seeking purposes. The crowns on the Ark, Table, and Altar represent this constant need.

However, the Menorah, which represents the good name attainable by every member of klal Yisrael, has no rim. The brightly burning lamps of the Menorah shine forth with the glow of Godly light, which can be received and internalized by all who seek it. There is no potential bad associated with this pure Divine influence, only good for those who are prepared for it. Thus the Menorah, alone among the vessels in the Beis HaMikdash, has no golden rim.

Gaozi (Chinese: 告子; pinyin: Gàozĭ; Wade–Giles: Kao-tzu; literally: "Master Gao"; ca. 420-350 BCE), or Gao Buhai (告不害), was a Chinese philosopher during the Warring States period. Gaozi's teachings are no longer extant, but he was a contemporary of Mencius (ca. 372-289 BCE), and most of our knowledge about him comes from the Mencius book (6) titled "Gaozi".

Warring States philosophers disputed whether human nature is originally good (Mencius) or evil (Xunzi).[1] The "Gaozi" chapter begins with a famous metaphor about a type of willow tree (qiliu (杞柳). (Qi was also an ancient place name, best known through the four-character idiom qirenyoutian [杞人憂天, "person from Qi who worried heaven might fall"] "groundless fears; superfluous worry".)

Christianity Chapter

The bible declares ‘Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch’ (Genesis 6:14). It is not exactly clear, which type of wood (or process) was meant. The Greek Septuagint, written from the third to the first century BC, translated the word as ‘xylon tetragonon’, or ‘squared timber’. The Biblical story of the Flood is the history of an apocalypse, in which opposite pairs (of animals) are saved in ‘quadrated wood’. The quadrated wood brings to mind the quadrant. The arc was salvation and the arc was termed "quadrated wood"

The Church Fathers used in due course the same (numerological) method and interpretations. Clement of Alexandria (c. 150 – before 215 AD) distinguished three levels: literal, ethical and mystical. Gregory of Nyssa (c. 330 – 395 AD) applied, in his ‘Vita Moysis‘ (The Life of Moses), a symbolic explanation for the life of Moses. His life was seen as a mystical journey of the soul towards God.

The clarification, as given by Augustinus (354 – 430 AD) in his ‘De Doctrina Christiana‘, was four-fold. He distinguished in symbolism the following ‘signa‘:

1. signa naturalia the given fact

2. signa data signs, scepters, attributes

3. signa propria words

4. signa translata ‘tropes‘, metafores

Aquinas recognizes four main kinds of law: the eternal, the natural, the human, and the divine. The last three all depend on the first, but in different ways. Were we to arrange them in a hierarchy, eternal would be at the top, then natural, then human. Divine law is not in conflict with natural law, but it reaches human beings by a different route, revelation.

According to Saint Thomas Aquinas (STh Supp q. 69, aa. 1-7), Hell (Latin: Infernus) is divided into four sections or abodes:

Square 1: Gehenna. This is hell in the strict sense, or the place of punishment for the damned, both demons or humans.

Square 2: Limbo of the Children. (Latin: limbus parvulorum) Where those who die in original sin alone, and without personal mortal sin, enjoy natural beatitude without the sensation of pain.

Square 3: Limbo of the Fathers. (Latin: limbus patrum) Where the souls of the Old Testament saints who died before Christ awaited their admission to heaven. Also called “Abraham’s bosom.” Also a natural beatitude without the sensation of pain. Limbo of the Fathers is now vacant.

Square 4: Purgatory. Where the righteous who die in venial sin or who still owe a debt of temporal punishment for sin, are cleansed by suffering before their admission to Heaven.

This pattern corresponds to Jewish belief at the time of Christ. In 1 Enoch we see a similar fourfold arrangement of “Sheol” – the Hebrew term for the underworld.

The sign of the cross (Latin: signum crucis), or blessing oneself or crossing oneself, is a ritual blessing made by members of some branches of Christianity. This blessing is made by the tracing of an upright cross or + across the body with the right hand, often accompanied by spoken or mental recitation of the trinitarian formula.

The motion is the tracing of the shape of a cross in the airor on one's own body, echoing the traditional shape of the cross of the Christian Crucifixion narrative. There are two principal forms: the one—three fingers, right to left—is exclusively used in the Eastern Orthodox churches and the Eastern Rites of the Catholic Church of the Byzantine and Chaldean Tradition; the other—left to right, other than three fingers—is the one used in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, Anglicanism, Methodism, Lutheranism and Oriental Orthodoxy (see below). The ritual is rare within other Christian traditions.

Many individuals use the expression "cross my heart and hope to die" as an oath, making the sign of the cross, in order to show "truthfulness and sincerity" in both personal and legal situations.

Christians view the Cross as a symbol representing Christ’s victory over sin and death.[2] The sign of the cross was originally made in some parts of the Christian world with the right-hand thumb across the forehead only.[3] In other parts of the early Christian world it was done with the whole hand or with two fingers.[4] Around the year 200 in Carthage (modern Tunisia, Africa), Tertullian says: "We Christians wear out our foreheads with the sign of the cross".[5] Vestiges of this practice remain: some Christians sign a cross on their forehead before hearing the Gospels during Mass; on Ash Wednesday a cross is traced in ashes on the forehead; holy oil (called chrism) is applied on the forehead for the sacrament of Confirmation (in the East, the Holy Mystery of Chrismation, as Orthodox call the Sacraments by the name "Holy Mystery"). By the 4th century, the sign of the cross involved other parts of the body beyond the forehead.

Among Lutherans the practice was widely retained. For example, Luther's Small Catechism states that it is expected before the morning and evening prayers. Lutheranism never abandoned the practice of making the sign of the cross in principle and it was commonly retained in worship at least until the early 19th century. During the 19th and early 20th centuries it was largely in disuse until the liturgical renewal movement of the 1950s and 1960s. One exception is The Lutheran Hymnal of 1941,[19] which states that "The sign of the cross may be made at the Trinitarian Invocation and at the words of the Nicene Creed 'and the life of the world to come.'" Since then, the sign of the cross has become fairly commonplace among Lutherans at worship. The sign of the cross is now customary in the Divine Service.[20][21] Rubrics in Contemporary Lutheran worship manuals, including Evangelical Lutheran Worship[22] and Lutheran Service Book,[23] provide for making the sign of the cross at certain points in the liturgy. Most places are the same as the Roman Catholic practice, such as at the trinitarian formula, the benediction, at the consecration of the Eucharist, and following reciting the Nicene or Apostles' Creed.

Devotional use of the sign of the cross among Lutherans also includes after receiving the Host and Chalice in the Eucharist, following Holy Absolution; similarly, they may dip their hands in the baptismal font and make the sign of the cross upon entering the church.

In the Eastern traditions, both celebrant and congregation make the sign of the cross much more frequently than in Western Christianity. It is customary in some Eastern traditions to cross oneself at each petition in a litany and to closely associate oneself with a particular intention being prayed for or with a saint being named. The sign of the cross is also made upon entering or leaving a church building, at the start and end of personal prayer, when passing the main altar (which represents Christ), whenever all three persons of the Trinity are addressed, and when approaching an icon.

When an Eastern Orthodox or Eastern Catholic bishop or priest blesses with the sign of the cross, he holds the fingers of his right hand in such a way that they form the Greek abbreviation for Jesus Christ "IC XC". The index finger is extended to make the "I"; the middle finger signify letter "C"; the thumb touches the lowered third finger to signify the "X" and the little finger also signifies the letter "C".[18] When a priest blesses in the sign of the cross, he positions the fingers of his right hand in the manner described as he raises his right hand, then moves his hand downwards, then to his left, then to his right. A bishop blesses with both hands (unless he is holding some sacred object such as a cross, chalice, Gospel Book, icon, etc.), holding the fingers of both hands in the same configuration, but when he moves his right hand to the left, he simultaneously moves his left hand to the right, so that the two hands cross, the left in front of the right, and then the right in front of the left. The blessing of both priests and bishops consists of three movements, in honour of the Holy Trinity.

The FIve Holy Wounds of Jesus comprised one through each hand or wrist, one through each foot, and one to the chest.

Two of the wounds were through either his hands or his wrists, where nails were inserted to fix Jesus to the cross-beam of the cross on which he was crucified. According to American expert in forensic medicine, Frederick T. Zugibe, the most plausible region for the nail entry site in the case of Jesus is the upper part of the palm angled toward the wrist since this area can easily support the weight of the body, assures no bones are broken, marks the location where most people believed it to be, accounts for where most of the stigmatists have displayed their wounds and it is where artists through the centuries have designated it. This position would result in apparent lengthening of the fingers of the hand because of nail compression.

Two were through the feet where the nail(s) passed through both to the vertical beam.

The final wound was in the side of Jesus' chest, where, according to the New Testament, his body was pierced by the Holy Lance in order to be sure that he was dead. The Gospel of John states that blood and water poured out of this wound (John 19:34). Although the Gospels do not specify on which side he was wounded, it was conventionally shown in art as being on Jesus's proper right side, though some depictions, notably a number by Rubens, show it on the proper left.

The examination of the wounds by "Doubting Thomas" the Apostle, reported only in the Gospel of John at John 20:24-29, was the focus of much commentary and often depicted in art, where the subject has the formal name of the Incredulity of Thomas.

The first four are normal the fifth is ultra transcendent

The sign of the cross is in the Methodist liturgy and is made by many clergy during the Great Thanksgiving, Confession of Sin and Pardon, and benediction.[24][25] John Wesley, the principal leader of the early Methodists, prepared a revision of The Book of Common Prayer for Methodist use called The Sunday Service of the Methodists in North America which does instruct the minister to make the sign of the cross on the forehead of children just after they have been baptized.[26] Making the sign of the cross at baptism is retained in the current Book of Worship, and widely practiced (sometimes with oil).[27] Furthermore, on Ash Wednesday the sign of the cross is almost always applied by the elder to the foreheads of the laity.[28] The liturgy for healing and wholeness, which is becoming more commonly practiced, calls for the pastor to make the sign of the cross with oil upon the foreheads of those seeking healing.[29]

Whether or not a Methodist uses the sign for private prayer is a personal choice, but it is encouraged by the bishops of the United Methodist Church.[25] Some United Methodists also perform the sign before and after receiving Holy Communion, and some ministers also perform the sign when blessing the congregation at the end of the sermon or service.[30]

Islam Chapter

Hinduism CHapter

The rivers and the flowing water (the ‘pantha rei’ of Heraclites) stand for the dynamic forces in time and place governed by a four-division. It is a theme, which can be traced back to the Babylonian creation epic, the Enuma Elish. The story was written around the twelfth century BC on seven clay tablets (KING, 1902; BRATCHER, 2010). The cuneiform tablets were discovered in the middle of the nineteenth century in the palace of Ashurbanipal in Nineveh.

It was Marduk, who first ‘crossed the heavens and surveyed the regions. He squared the Apsu’s quarter, the abode of Nudimud smile emoticon Ea). As the lord measured the dimensions of Apsu and then erected his palace as the ‘likeness’ of Apsu’ (DE SANTILLANA & VON DECHEND (1969; p. 270).

The constellation of Pegasus was characterized by a square, called ‘1-Iku‘ consisting of the stars alpha beta gamma Pegasi and alpha Andromedae. They are situated between the two Fishes (Pisces) (fig. 280). The German translator of the ‘Gilgamesh Epos’, Arthur UNGNAD (1911) equated, in ‘Das wiedergefundene Paradies‘ (1923), this square with the Paradise. A connection was made with the Biblical Ark, which shape was supposed to be an exact cube.

The Pegasus-square, called ‘1-Iku‘, surrounded by four rivers. This sketch by Arthur Ungnad (below) is inverted with respect to the usual order of star maps (above). The square, enclosed by Pisces, was understood to be the ‘Paradise’, the primordial field. In: SANTILLANA, de & DECHEND, von (1969).

ACcording to Plato

In the Greek underworld there are four rivers circled by a fifth (the fifth is always ultra transcendent)- the fourth is different

They are Phlegethon, Cocytus, Acheron and the Styx.

It seemed like a derivative of a balanced tetradic representation, as put forward by Plato in his ‘Phaedo’ and by Macrobius, in his ‘Commentary on the Dream of Scipio’. They tell the story of four rivers: the Phlegethon (as the fiery rage and passion), Acheron (as regret and sorrow), Cocytus (as the mournful and tears) and Styx (as the depth of mutual hate)

The (Pyri)Phlegethon is the River of Fire, which, like a lava flow, symbolizes the first period. The Acheron flowed, according to Plato’s ‘Phaedo‘, through the desert and is a land-river, discharging itself in a lake. The river Cocytus has an intermediate position, between the (Pyri)Phlegethon and the Acheron. The Styx is (in the ‘Phaedo‘) the fourth river, which disappeared in the depth as a waterfall. The Abyss (or Apsu) indicates the infinity at the end of a cyclic of existence.

In ancient Greek religion and myth, the Anemoi (Greek: Ἄνεμοι, "Winds")[n 1] were wind gods who were each ascribed a cardinal direction from which their respective winds came (see Classical compass winds), and were each associated with various seasons and weather conditions. They were sometimes represented as mere gusts of wind, at other times were personified as winged men, and at still other times were depicted as horses kept in the stables of the storm god Aeolus, who provided Odysseus with the Anemoi in the Odyssey. The Spartans were reported to sacrifice a horse to the winds on Mount Taygetus.[2] Astraeus, the astrological deity sometimes associated with Aeolus, and Eos, the goddess of the dawn, were the parents of the Anemoi, according to the Greek poet Hesiod.

Of the four chief Anemoi, Boreas (Septentrio in Latin) was the north wind and bringer of cold winter air, Zephyrus or Zephyr (Favonius in Latin) was the west wind and bringer of light spring and early summer breezes, and Notos (Auster in Latin) was the south wind and bringer of the storms of late summer and autumn; Eurus (Subsolanus in Latin), the east wind, was not associated with any of the three Greek seasons, and is the only one of these four Anemoi not mentioned in Hesiod's Theogony or in the Orphic Hymns. Additionally, four lesser Anemoi were sometimes referenced, representing the northeast, southeast, northwest, and southwest winds.

The deities equivalent to the Anemoi in Roman mythology were the Venti (Latin, "winds"). These gods had different names, but were otherwise very similar to their Greek counterparts, borrowing their attributes and being frequently conflated with them.

Four lesser wind deities appear in a few ancient sources, such as at the Tower of the Winds in Athens.

Kaikias was the Greek deity of the northeast wind. He is shown as a bearded man with a shield full of hail-stones, and his name is cognate to the Latin word caecus "blind", that is, he was seen as a "dark" wind. The Roman spelling of Kaikias was Caecius.

Apeliotes, sometimes known to the Romans as Apeliotus, was the Greek deity of the southeast wind. As this wind was thought to cause a refreshing rain particularly beneficial to farmers, he is often depicted wearing high boots and carrying fruit, draped in a light cloth concealing some flowers or grain. He is cleanshaven, with curly hair and a friendly expression. Because Apeliotes was a minor god, he was often synthesized with Eurus, the east wind. Vulturnus, Apeliotes' Roman counterpart, was also sometimes considered the east wind, in Subsolanus' place.

Skiron, or Skeiron, was the Greek god of the northwest wind. His name is related to Skirophorion, the last of the three months of spring in the Attic calendar. He is depicted as a bearded man tilting a cauldron, representing the onset of winter. His Roman counterpart is Caurus, or Corus. Corus was also one of the oldest Roman wind-deities, and numbered among the di indigetes ("indigenous gods"), a group of abstract and largely minor numinous entities.

Lips was the Greek deity of the southwest wind, often depicted holding the stern of a ship. His Roman equivalent was Afer ventus ("African wind"), or Africus, due to Africa being to the southwest of Italy. This name is thought to be derived from the name of a North African tribe, the Afri.

Bacab (Mayan pronunciation: [ɓaˈkaɓ]) is the generic Yucatec Maya name for the four prehispanic aged deities of the interior of the earth and its water deposits. The Bacabs have more recent counterparts in the lecherous, drunken old thunder deities of the Gulf Coast regions. Among the Classic Maya, Bakab was an important quadripartite deity associated with urban architecture

The veneration of the Bacabs was closely connected to that of the so-called Year Bearers and their prognostics. Each Bacab ruled one of the directions and the associated Year Bearer day (one of four New Year days), as follows:

Name Direction Color Years

Cantzicnal North White Muluc

Hosanek South Yellow Cauac

Hobnil East Red Kan

Saccimi West Black Ix

The Bacabs were invoked in connection with rain and agriculture, since they were intimately associated with the four Chaacs, or rain deities, and the Pauahtuns, or wind deities, all located in the four directions. The Maya of Chan Kom referred to the four skybearers as the four Chacs (Redfield and Villa Rojas).

Since they were Year Bearer patrons, and also because of their meteorological qualities, the Bacabs were important in divination ceremonies; they were approached with questions about crops, weather, or the health of bees (Landa).

In addition, the "Four Gods, Four Bacabs" were often invoked in curing rituals that had the four-cornered world and its beaches for a theatre (which is the basic reason why the most important early-colonial collection of Yucatec curing texts, the Ritual of the Bacabs, has been named after them).

Tertullian's Against the Valentinians gives a slightly different sequence. The first eight of these Aeons, corresponding to generations one through four below, are referred to as the Ogdoad.[4]

First generation

Bythos (the One) and Sige (Silence, Charis, Ennoea, etc.)

Second generation

Nous (Nus, Mind) and Aletheia (Veritas, Truth)

Third generation, emanated from Nous and Aletheia

Sermo (the Word) and Vita (the Life)

Fourth generation, emanated from Sermo and Vita

Anthropos (Homo, Man) and Ecclesia (Church)[5]

Fifth generation

Emanated from Sermo and Vita:

Bythios (Profound) and Mixis (Mixture)

Ageratos (Never old) and Henosis (Union)

Autophyes (Essential nature) and Hedone (Pleasure)

Acinetos (Immovable) and Syncrasis (Commixture)

Monogenes (Only-begotten) and Macaria (Happiness)

Emanated from Anthropos and Ecclesia

Paracletus (Comforter) and Pistis (Faith)

Patricas (Paternal) and Elpis (Hope)

Metricos (Maternal) and Agape (Love)

Ainos (Praise) and Synesis (Intelligence)

Ecclesiasticus (Son of Ecclesia) and Macariotes (Blessedness)

Theletus (Perfect) and Sophia (Wisdom)

According to Irenaeus,[6] the followers of the Gnostics Ptolemy and Colorbasus had Aeons that differ from those of Valentinus. Logos is created when Anthropos learns to speak. The first four are called the Tetrad and the eight are called the Ogdoad.

First generation

Bythos (the One) and Sige (Silence, Charis, Ennoea, etc.)

Second generation (conceived by the One):

Ennoea (Thought) and Thelesis (Will)

Third generation, emanated from Ennoea and Thelesis:

Nous (or Monogenes) and Aletheia

Fourth generation, emanated from Nous and Aletheia:

Anthropos (Homo, Man) and Ecclesia (Church)

Fifth generation, emanated from Anthropos and Ecclesia:

Logos and Zoe

Sixth generation:

Emanated from Logos and Zoe:

Bythius and Mixis

Ageratos and Henosis

Autophyes and Hedone

Acinetos and Syncrasis

Monogenes and Macaria

Emanated from Anthropos and Ecclesia:

Paracletus and Pistis

Patricos and Elpis

Metricos and Agape

Ainos and Synesis

Ecclesiasticus and Macariotes

Theletos and Sophia

The order of Anthropos and Ecclesia versus Logos and Zoe is somewhat debated; different sources give different accounts. Logos and Zoe are unique to this system as compared to the previous, and may be an evolved version of the first, totalling 32 Aeons, but it is not clear if the first two were actually regarded Aeons.

According to the ancients it was important these be divided in tetrads.

Goethe said

A few things are, however, as hateful to me as poison and serpents; Four: Tobacco smoke, bugs and garlic and a drawn cross"

Quadrant Model of Reality

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Quadrant Model of Reality Book 5 Religion

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