YANTRA and the inspiration for perfection in planning - 16 August 2008

YANTRA and the inspiration for perfection in planning in our work and our lives. 
Bharat Bhushan - 16 August 2008

As one knows, the word YANTRA is the Sanskrit word for an instrument and it represents the perfection in geometrical design. The symmetry is immaculate and the placing of such a perfect design is considered sacred in supplicating or in worship to deities. The perfection in geometrical design is deemed to be latent in the ability to create miracles where none existed before. Thus, is our universe. There is perfection in design out there.

The perfection is made more perfect, a cliche if there ever was one, it is more perfect when there is repetition and the design never fails. So, can we, as humans aspire to such perfection in our lives, have and attain symmetry and ensure that each time that we repeat an action, we do it with the same perfection, again and again and again? We have enabled the construction and manufacture of machines that can repeat the same action again and again. Similarly, we can plan and predicate the action of a planned object for a particular time and we never fail. A simple example would be the planning of TV programmes for various channels through out the world, and transmitting them through the air waves. A planned programme will be telecast as we had hoped it would be, on such and such channel at the proper time and for the exact duration.

Two persons with two different TV sets at two different cities will not get separate programmes for the same channel on the same day and at the same time. How does this happen? How did we create such perfect output? Let us take another example, with reference to the magical place that is India. This is an enormous nation, and is the world's largest multi-party democracy that changes its governments with most elections. If you look at the long-distance train reservation system, most Indians with the same surnames, booking at the same second over the internet and at every railway terminal, and asking for the same journey, for the same day and for the same train, will get different tickets for each one of them. How did this happen? How did such a large nation, at most times seemingly non-functional, how did this nation create such perfect management?

The secret is in the planning and the understanding of the symbolic perfection of geometrical figures. As an ancient land, and with ancient knowledge systems, much of traditional knowledge is hidden within myths, spiritual and religious symbols and, superstition and fear. We are usually misplaced in our knowledge, in our understanding and in our fears. The YANTRA was traditionally used as an aid in meditation and contemplation. The geometrically perfect design was recognised as a proper medium to convey our prayers and thoughts to the grand almighty. There are various theories and these include the implications in spiritual thought, astrology and palmistry, magic and sorcery. Even in ancient thought, the YANTRA was not accorded any fearsome place in the aspects of spiritual knowledge. It has been corrupted by fake godmen and fake posturing.

In prayer, traditionally, from ancient times, through the great myths such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the YANTRA is a place-holder, or a medium to dedicate a deity within its design while offering prayers. The geometry and its perfect design was recognised to be able to seek out the powers of the Grand Geometrician to convey the powers of the entire Universe. This phenomenon has been recognised over hundreds of years and has been known over all the continents of Earth.

It is meant to destroy evil and help one to avoid errors. Thus, it would be with planning in our work and our lives. Perfect planning. Can it be possible? Humans are prone to errors. But, humans are also the only persistent species that learns from its mistakes and shares its knowledge. And in today's world, we share our knowledge, almost immediately, across the world. We should therefore know that we will commit errors when we plan, and we should be ready to accept them and to learn from them. Once done, we should share our knowledge to make others perfect.

The YANTRA of the universe - 17 July 2008

The YANTRA of the Universe. Expressions in ancient literature or recognition? 
Bharat Bhushan - 17 July 2008

The use of the word 'YANTRA' and through the presentations of geometrical design, the perspectives in planning, is not to be extrapolated in religious thought with any prejudice. Knowledge is to be understood to be placed in the service of humanity and all natural systems and never to be established to any detriment.

YANTRA is presented by diagrams, usually geometrical, and mostly in precisely symmetrical representations. Any YANTRA being represented with non-geometrical design or in a totally asymmetrical sketch is most certainly a recent, i.e., less than 1000 years, visualisation by any seer, seeker or medium who would have placed it in a sequence or cluster of other YANTRAs.

Today, a YANTRA is usually recognised or is seen to mean a spiritual instrument or a mysterious diagram to be used as a hex or as a talisman. There are usually expressions in early spiritual literature or in claims made by those who would, that one could obtain a higher level of consciousness or achieve one's desires despite other problems.

The ancient sages, rishis or sadhus, studied the YANTRA, and taught about various representations. the earliest known use was in rituals, mostly spiritual, while also placed to consecrate events, structures, ownership, wars, blessings, victory, prevent defeat and later, as it began to be accepted greatly, as talismans and to ward away ghosts, demons, curses and hexes. The ancients came to understand that there seemed to be some unknown magic in the perfection of design. They were awed and amazed at the various aspects of geometry that could be seen in physical structures, and more so, in occurrences.

How can one explain the mind-numbing spectacle of the perfection of the Universe? Day follows night, and night follows day. The moon goes around the earth, as does our planet, traveling around its sun. What if, just imagine, what if, there was a sudden increase, at some moment in time, a sudden increase or flux in the gravitational pull of the sun on the earth, and later, it went back to normal. So, what if, the earth stopped for an hour or two, just stopped rotating or revolving, and then, resumed again, and went about its way, as if nothing happened.

Would it have an impact on the moon's orbit around the earth? Could such an occurrence have happened at any time? How would we ever know? There would be no signature of such an event. We do not know. We may never know. And yet, we assume we know all that there is to know about the Sun, the Moon and the Earth.

But, we do know, or assume that we know, that such an occurrence has never happened. And therefore, lies the continual appreciation of the perfection in the geometry of the Universe, and its representation in the YANTRA.