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CYCLES, NUMBERS AND UNIVERSAL CODING
The role of number in formulating the language of the Universe was
perhaps most eloquently described by the Greek mathematician,
Pythagoras, and his followers. It was he who tied together the
fundamental concepts of ratios, geometries and harmonics. If the
concepts of ratios, geometries and harmonics strike one as a little
too abstract, they may be substituted with the more familiar terms
of number, form and vibration.
Ratios simply describe the relationship between two or more numbers,
such as the familiar 2:1 ratio that we associate with the octave in
music. In fact, any single number may be represented by a ratio.
Even the so-called irrational numbers like p and 2 that are, by
definition, infinite may be approximated by a ratio between two
whole numbers. Our Universe is described by ratios that are
incorporated into the forms (geometries) and vibrations (harmonics),
comprising everything that we see, feel and hear. In essence,
geometries and harmonics are simply expressions or symbols of
number. So monumental was this Pythagorean understanding that it
serves as the basis for everything from music theory to subatomic
physics.
Whether symbols are spoken in the form of words (vibrations) or
written in the form of characters (geometries), they are indeed
based on number (ratios). It was the belief of the ancient Greeks,
as well as a myriad of other ancient cultures, that number
represents the sacred language of God or Spirit or the Creator.
Ancient and modern philosophers have repeatedly raised the question
of whether "God is number." Ratios between two or more lengths,
areas, volumes, angles, spirals or tones were considered to
represent a numeric code by which creation is manifested from the
infinite unmanifested potential of the Universe that I will refer to
as the Absolute.
The well-known Greek concept of logos, which is often used to denote
the manifesting potential of the Creator, is actually rooted in the
word meaning "proportion." Proportion refers to the relationship
among two or more ratios. For instance, 1:2:3:6 or one is to two as
three is to six indicates that the same proportion underlies both
ratios. One could think of the relationship among numbers, ratios
and proportions as being analogous to the relationship among
letters, words and language.
Vibration
In many ancient traditions, numbers were considered divine in their
roles as changeless principles underlying a world of matter that was
constantly changing. In the Pythagorean tradition, numbers were
based on harmonic motion (e.g., swinging of a pendulum or vibration
of a string) and an entire cosmology was built on the laws of sound
or tonal frequencies inherent in vibrating strings.1 Just in case
one were to consider the Pythagorean ideas to be out of touch with
modern science, the latest theory that physics has put forth to
explain the nature of both matter and spacetime is known as
superstring. Superstring theory supposes that particles are
represented by vibrating strings that are about 1020 (100 billion
billion) times smaller than a proton; such that each subatomic
particle is represented by a single string vibrating at a distinct
frequency. 2 In this theory, particles of the Universe are not
fundamental, but are simply the harmonies created by an almost
infinite number of these tiny vibrating strings. Astrophysicists
have furthered this notion by postulating the existence of cosmic
strings to account for the observed pattern of galaxies. So whether
we are talking about quarks or quasars, it all seems to come down to
vibration.
Vibration exits as waves that are present in a vacuum (e.g., outer
space) as well as in a medium such as air and water. What we refer
to as sound or tone is just waves traveling through a medium such as
air or water, permitting the vibration to be detected by our senses
of hearing and touch. Science tells us that visible light and
audible sound are just two examples of a much wider electromagnetic
spectrum (including microwaves, X-rays, radio, etc.) that may be
distinguished by their unique vibration or wavelength. For the
purposes of this discussion, vibration and waves are interchangeable
inasmuch as they create and are created by each other. While air and
water are ubiquitous media through which waves travel on Earth, this
is not the case for most of the Universe. One might inquire as to
the medium through which waves travel in the vacuum or void
of "outer space." The ancient Greeks would have answered this
question by saying that waves travel through the mysterious
substance known as aether (i.e., akasha in the Hindu tradition).
This aether has been redefined by modern physics as higher
dimensions of space that are hidden within the world we observe with
our five senses.
