T H E T H R E E E S S E N T I A L S
"Thoughts create a new heaven, a new firmament, a new source of energy, from which new arts flow."
PARACELSUS
Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim
PARACELSUS
Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim
This last couple or three generations have been lead to believe that the 'east' had it all down where the mystical arts are concerned. And that we in the 'west' - albeit so much more advanced in the very much superior 'hard sciences' - were spiritual primitives by comparison. Which simply betrays an understandable but massive ignorance; and testimony to the almost complete effectiveness of a millennia, or so, of Christian propaganda and disinformation (not to mention more than a few 'object lessons' in the town square). Take the example of the ubiquitous principal of Yang/Yin which has become completely assimilated into popular western philosophy.
It's generally overlooked that 'western' natural philosophers also recognised the principal of complimentary opposites (termed by our alchemists Sulphur and Mercury). Not only that, thanks to a ground-breaking 16th century Swiss alchemist/physician (who gloried in the name Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim - 'Paracelsus' to his friends), this principal of was further refined by the addition of another element, which he termed Salt, that is entirely missing from the 'eastern' model. Thus the ménage à deux of creation became a ménage à trois.
Prior to Paracelsus we had Sulphur (Yang) and Mercury (Yin) representing the primordial opposites; the inherent duality of creation - masculine/feminine, light/dark, expanding/contracting, energy/matter. It was Paracelsus' genius to identify (what has since become an article of faith with alchemists) a third principal (which are called 'essentials' by alchemists) which he termed 'Salt'. This 'Salt' state represents the static result, or resolving force, which is revealed or concealed by the 'dance' of Sulphur (Yang) and Mercury (Yin). 'Salt', therefore, is the embodiment of the principal of form and structure.
Above (top) is my version of the Yang/Yin glyph updated to accommodate this third 'essential' (this is my own design so please don't take it as holy writ). It is quite clear from alchemical writings that Salt is not considered a 'late edition' or 'poor relation' to the Sulphur/Mercury partnership; it is an equal and integral participant in 'the dance'. 'Salt' (revealed by the creative interaction between Sulphur and Mercury) has inherent instability and soon collapses back into its elemental state to fuel continual cycles of creation and destruction. Think of a saline solution; 'dryness' dances with 'wetness' to reveal or conceal the crystaline 'structure' of salt.
'Sulphur' (Energy) and 'Mercury' (Matter) need the resolving quality of 'Salt' (Form) to complete and perpetuate their dance. And it's this last 'essential' which is entirely absent from the eastern Yang/Yin model. (Note, in case you missed it, that the dots in the glyph represent the seed of the preceding force which is the causal principal and the catalyst of this perpetual process.) The dynamic interplay of these three interdependent forces of creation results in the manifestation of this universe; it's nothing less than the the giddy,whirling dance of life.
The Three Pure Ones also translated as the Three Pure Pellucid Ones, the Three
Pristine Ones, the Three Divine Teachers, the Three Clarities, or the Three
Purities is the Taoist Trinity, the three highest Gods in the Taoist pantheon.
They are regarded as pure manifestation of the Tao and the origin of all
sentient beings. From the Taoist classic Tao Te Ching, it was held that "The Tao
produced One; One produced Two; Two produced Three; Three produced All things".
It is generally agreed that: Tao produced One - Tao produced Taiji; One produced
Two - Taiji produced Yin and Yang. However, the subject of how Two produced
Three has remained a popular debate among Taoist Scholars. Most scholars believe
that it refers to the Interaction between Yin and Yang, with the presence of
Chi, or life force [2] In religious Taoism, it is therefore held that the
interaction between Yin and Yang manifests Three Pure Ones, of which created all
Life as we know.
Pristine Ones, the Three Divine Teachers, the Three Clarities, or the Three
Purities is the Taoist Trinity, the three highest Gods in the Taoist pantheon.
They are regarded as pure manifestation of the Tao and the origin of all
sentient beings. From the Taoist classic Tao Te Ching, it was held that "The Tao
produced One; One produced Two; Two produced Three; Three produced All things".
It is generally agreed that: Tao produced One - Tao produced Taiji; One produced
Two - Taiji produced Yin and Yang. However, the subject of how Two produced
Three has remained a popular debate among Taoist Scholars. Most scholars believe
that it refers to the Interaction between Yin and Yang, with the presence of
Chi, or life force [2] In religious Taoism, it is therefore held that the
interaction between Yin and Yang manifests Three Pure Ones, of which created all
Life as we know.