Three Faces
The "Three Faces" concept, as described by Blavatsky, refers to a divine trinity or a unified divine principle manifesting in multiple aspects or realms. It suggests a cosmic unity that bridges the material and spiritual planes, with a supreme entity absorbing these distinct manifestations.
Where the word comes from
The term "Three Faces" is a descriptive English translation rather than a direct etymological root. It alludes to triadic divine concepts found in various traditions, most notably the Trimurti (Sanskrit: त्रिमूर्ति), meaning "three forms," a Hindu concept representing Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva as the creator, preserver, and destroyer.
In depth
The Trimurti of the Indian Pantheon ; tiie tliree persons of the one godhead. Says the Book of Precepts: "There are two Faces, one in Tushita (Dcvdchan) and one in Myalba (earth) ; and the Highest Holy unites them and finally absorb.s both."
How different paths see it
What it means today
The idea of "Three Faces," as articulated by Blavatsky, speaks to a profound human intuition that the divine, or indeed ultimate reality, is not a static monolith but a dynamic, multi-faceted expression. It echoes Mircea Eliade's observations on the hierophany, the sacred manifesting in diverse forms across the cosmos, from the celestial to the terrestrial. The reference to "Tushita (Devachan)" and "Myalba (earth)" suggests a cosmic architecture where spiritual planes are mirrored in the material, a concept explored by thinkers like Carl Jung in his understanding of archetypes and the collective unconscious, which bridge the visible and the invisible. The "Highest Holy" uniting and absorbing these faces points towards a teleological unfolding and eventual reintegration, a process of cosmic evolution and return to source. This is not merely a theological abstraction; it implies a path for the individual seeker. The spiritual journey, in many traditions, involves recognizing these multiple facets within oneself—the earthly, the psychological, and the transcendent—and working towards their harmonious integration, a process akin to the alchemical opus where disparate elements are transmuted into a unified whole. As Rumi might suggest, the divine is both the lover and the beloved, the journey and the destination, a constant becoming that encompasses all apparent divisions. The ultimate absorption signifies a dissolution of illusory separateness, a return to the undifferentiated unity that underpins all existence. It invites us to see the sacred not as an external deity but as the very fabric of being, manifesting in the myriad forms of life and consciousness.
The concept encourages a profound re-evaluation of duality, suggesting that what appears as separation is merely a temporary phase in a grander, unifying process. It is a call to perceive the divine not as a singular, distant entity, but as an immanent, ever-present force that manifests in the most diverse and unexpected ways, inviting us to recognize its presence in the seemingly mundane as well as the sublime.
Related esoteric terms
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