1. Understanding the Concept of Unity (I vs. ~I).
2. Newtonian Dynamics & Einstein's Relativity.
3. Nature's Boundaries & Singularities.
4. The Singularity of Human Free Will.
5. Energy: The Unifying Aspect of Our Physical Existence.
6. (1=2) Transitioning from One to Two. The Active POV!

Unity Represents our Focal Point of Perceived Reality.
Just as we observed with Zero, we often find that things that are so universally prevalent in our lives are the very things we rarely give a second thought to…and One is One of the big Ones! J The number One is so prevalent in everything in our physical lives that many of us may not stop to consider its power. The number One represents the placement of a singular focus upon anything you could name. The human being's typical singular focus is the self, but the focus can also be applied to the non-self. The identification of self can naturally be associated with the number One. If we were to distill the essence of the human physical condition down to its most basic of concepts, the number One prevails. Any "normal" (whatever that is) human being is considered to be of "one mind." He or she is "one person." Each person possesses "one body." The concept of one helps us distinguish ourselves from the rest of our universe, and it allows us to set singular goals for creation through action. The archetype of One creates our ability to begin a sentence with "I". The letter-word "I" relates to our state of Being, our state of One-ness. We experience this state of Being and react to these experiences from our singular Point Of View (POV).

When We Refer to "I", We Refer to Our Point Of View (POV).
In the disciplines of science we will also refer to it as a Point Of Reference (POR). [Note: We will use the acronyms POV and POR interchangeably at times for different illustrative purposes.] Our POV is the fixed point from which we experience and live out our lives. We use the POV to reference everything else in our universe to the focal point of ourselves, or our immediate task at hand. Because we perceive the universe through this singular POV, we are, by our very nature, SELF-CENTERED beings. We all seek to experience the universe from our own unique POV, and this is how we live out our lives. As we mature from children to adulthood, we come to learn of POVs other than our own. We begin to grow in our knowledge of the world outside ourselves. We learn what it is like to take-on POVs other than our own as an exercise for our minds. The saying "put yourself in the other guy's shoes" is a call to move outside your own reality, and consider what someone else's reality might be like. This unified identification of "I", and the distinction from "NOT I", are areas of primary focus that permeate all levels of Tree-O-Life.Org coaching and instruction. Until we can fathom "I" and grasp the concept of Unity, we cannot hope to understand anything more complex.

The various different concepts associated with unity, or oneness, may be different for each of us, because we all operate from different physical bodies. You and I each have individual bodies with individual senses, and so we have two different physical POVs from which to observe our universe. We should not find it surprising that different physical POVs (or habits, or cultures, etc.) can lead to different sets of global belief systems. Different systems of beliefs will often seek to highlight their differences, rather than point out commonalties with other systems of beliefs. However, the fact is that each of us has a body, and each of us possesses a Will to be something and to achieve certain goals. The realization that we share the POV concept in common with other humans should be enough to convince us that the differences between our various POVs should not be called into question. Rather, different points of view should be revered! Each person's individual POV enhances the totality of the human experience. What one person in one location cannot perceive, another person in another location can. The singularity of the individual POV is what allows cooperation between individuals to take place.

"Everything" = "Self" + "All Things NOT Self". (0 = 1 + ~1)
In perfect "0=1" fashion, the number One can represent Two diametrically opposed concepts (1=2): One as the POV, and One as All Else. Just as we can point to our body and say "I" (=+1), we also have the ability to point to any other thing in the universe and say "thing" (=-1, or NOT I). The equation 0 = 1 + ~1 describes and represents our creative talent of being able to distinguish, discern, and discriminate self from non-self, and one thing from another. The ability to DISCERN one thing from another is a talent, or a tool, which we possess as humans The "I vs. ~I" dualism is the highest level of categorization which we, as singular, human POVs, can relate to.

We will learn that the ability to distinguish between self and not self eventually leads to the potential for a language between any two distinct "selves". We will explore language more when we discuss the concepts behind Three, but for now let's focus on how humans employ the process of identification. Each of us human beings, as wandering POVs in our universe, are constantly observing, evaluating, and categorizing all of our experiences. In fact, humans are experts at categorizing things as things, even those things that we may have never seen before, or things that may have never existed before. By categorizing things and assigning them a unifying NAME, we create a means for two people to refer to these things, and therefore, communicate. For example, the words "chair", "tree", "bird", and "telephone" all mean specific things to us. The words themselves cause our minds to focus on singular concepts. In some cases, such as "bird" and "tree", they are concepts that occur in the natural world. In English we have assigned these words to these naturally occurring elements in order to draw focus to them as common Points Of Reference (POR). This is for the specific purpose of allowing any two people who speak English to exchange information with respect to that common POR (i.e. a bird or a tree). The examples of "chair" and "telephone" demonstrate how we humans will even invent new unifying NAMES for those creations that we bring into the universe. Just as it is our core nature to identify and associate ourselves with the number one, it is also part of our core nature to impress the concept of unity (in this case, identification) upon everything else in our universe. As we continue to examine One, Two, and Three we will get a glimpse of how language, ANY language, has its basis in how these three numerical concepts relate to each other.

Newtonian Mechanics Describe Matter & Motion in Relation to POV.
Most of us are aware that Sir Issac Newton was one of the first humans to formulate and specify the laws of motion of bodies with respect to other bodies in space. Complex equations of Newtonian Mechanics can be and are derived for all sorts of bodies in motion, with the realm of aircraft/spacecraft design being only one of many good examples. The equations used to describe a spacecraft in motion are different from those of an aircraft. The reason is because the two vehicles are different and each has a different mission. But whether aircraft, spacecraft, or automobile, all of these derived complex equations have one thing in common. They can all be boiled down to the single, famous "summary equation" of Newton's 2nd Law of Motion:

As we further study the Science aspects of the TOL we will come to new understandings of the "F = ma" equation, including new ways of teaching the principles which underlie the equation. Through the study of Qabalah and TOL we will learn to focus on the trinity nature of equations such as this. We will also discover how all trinity-balanced equations of science and engineering (e.g. V=IR, E=mc^2, etc.) correlate to a single, universal law of balance through offsetting groups of three. 

Einstein's Relativity Showed How ALL is Relative to Selected POV.
Albert Einstein took the basis laid down by Newtonian Mechanics and advanced our understanding further by proclaiming that TIME is relative, not "absolute" as Newton had assumed. Through his Theory of Relativity, Einstein established that there is no single "correct" frame of reference. Any frame of reference will do, as long as all of your measurements and observations are consistent with the frame of reference that you choose. There are many discussions and arguments that can arise from Einstein's Theory of Relativity, and indeed, we will venture into such discussions, and likely spur plenty of arguments, in the remainder of these web pages. But what we wish to focus on right here, right now, is how Einstein established that ANY & ALL POINTS OF VIEW ARE "SACRED." No single POV is elevated above any other; therefore, all POVs are valid. This concept validates our own physical POVs on our universe, and makes it OK for us to trust our own instincts, since they arise from our POV. However, there is a responsibility that comes along with this validation of our own POV, and it is that we must always consider our POV with respect to other possible POVs. Because it is true that all POVs are valid, we cannot simply retreat into our own world or our own POV, ignoring all others. Our singular POV is limited, by its very nature. This limitation of the POV restricts access to certain types of information, because our perceptions, made possible by our physical senses, are also limited. Therefore, in order to gain access to the information that our limited POV cannot access, we must continually endeavor to transcend our POV... to experience other POVs, and thereby gain access to the otherwise restricted information.

Einstein wrote about a physical experience that demonstrates the limitation of a singular POV. There was a day when the good professor was traveling via the trains of Europe. While pulling out of a station he noticed a phenomenon wherein he could not detect whether his train, or another train was in motion. The diagram on the left shows the situation where two train cars are on adjacent tracks, with a person (POV) in each car, looking out the window at the other train. There are two criteria that are required to experience this phenomenon: (1) While sitting in your car, looking out the window, your field of view must be limited to ONLY the other train. This deprives you of the ability to reference the motion of your train to the surrounding terrain. Your only reference is the other train. (2) The acceleration of either train, from a dead stop to a state of motion, must be slow enough, and smooth enough, that your senses do not perceive this acceleration. For anyone who has ridden any of the fine trains of Europe, you know that they are very smooth in their acceleration from a dead stop. Therefore, it is quite easy to experience both of these conditions set down by Einstein. What you will experience in this situation is a momentary state of confusion. You can obviously SEE the two trains are in motion with respect to one another. However, since you have no visual reference to anything but the two trains, and because the acceleration is so small that you cannot detect it, you don't know whether it is your train, or the opposite train that is in motion! The lesson from this situation is that the POV of BOTH people, on both trains, is limited. Neither person is capable of accessing the information that will reveal which of the two trains are actually in motion. Given this situation, the only way to gain access to this information is the CHANGE YOUR POV. A person with a POV outside and above these two trains (as depicted in our diagram) has access to enough information to discern which train is in motion.

One Can Also Define a Physical Boundary or Interface.
Our ability to distinguish our self (body) from our "not-self" (everything else) is focused in our ability to identify the boundaries that separate physical objects. Our ability to identify boundaries also allows us to distinguish one object from another. For example, as human beings we generally consider our skin as the boundary between our self (body) and our "not self" (everything else). We focus on our skin as a SINGLE organ that separates all of our living body parts, from all those things that are not part of our living bodies. Because our skin is an organ that all of humans and animals share in common, it is a boundary which we can all readily accept and agree to without a whole lot of dedicated thought. The difference between you and me is that I am in one body (skin) and you are in another. It's all pretty simple this concept of a boundary.

• The shape and contour of an automobile delineates the boundary of an object we call "car."
• The front door on your house is a portal through the boundary of the house itself.
• The surface of the ocean is a boundary between the world of air and the world of water.
• Our thin, blue atmosphere is the boundary between our home planet and the rest of the universe.
• The amniotic sack is the boundary between the child and the mother.

How many other different types of boundaries can you think of? Take some time to consider how you define the boundaries in your life experience. Our perceptions and identifications of boundaries can tell us a lot about how we set limits on ourselves, for a boundary is another word for a limit. Wherever we set our boundaries in life, this will define the limits of our creative natures. If we are to attempt to overcome some barrier or limitation in our lives, we will need to understand how we employ the unifying concept of defining boundaries and limits in our lives. When we learn that all boundaries are illusions, and all things and all experiences are "as one", then we will be getting closer to living the life we intend to live.

Nature's Physical Singularities are Manifestations of One.
There are numerous manifestations of unification and singularities produced by nature. In fact, the weather events we call hurricanes are singularly relevant to our study of One, for we assign hurricanes human names. Through the act of naming a storm of nature, we are assigning it a significant element of distinction in our own reality. People remember the devastation wrought by hurricanes they have survived, and they relate these memories to the name given to the storm. While "hurricane" is a generic term that can define any of a class of low pressure, ocean-borne storms, the human name we give to each hurricane add uniqueness to this identification process. The name is a symbol of one-ness that distinguishes one hurricane from the next, just as our human names help us distinguish one human from another. We see that the naming of hurricanes is a human act that permits us to distinguish between the concept of a hurricane (which can have an infinite number of members), and a specific instance of a hurricane. This shows us how humans impose unity on hurricanes, but how is the hurricane itself a symbol of unity?

The eye ("I"?) of a hurricane is a singularity of air pressure in an organized mass of air. The eye is the unifying focus of the storm's organized airmass. How appropriate that we call the center of the storm an "eye", for that physical portion of the storm is, indeed, its focal point. The correlation between the "eye" of a hurricane and the "I" of unique identification is a good one for demonstrating the singularities found in nature. While we do not follow the practice of naming tornadoes, these weather phenomena are also singularities that form from a chaotic mass (mess?). In fact, ANYTHING in nature that permits distinction of one part of a continuum from the continuum itself can be described as a SINGULARITY OF NATURE. An ocean wave breaking on the shore is a singularity because, while it remains part of the ocean, it can be readily identified as "somehow different" from the rest of the ocean. Nature's willingness to reveal Her singularities is to our benefit as physical beings, for in identifying Nature's singularities we learn how to relate to the various parts of Her continuum. Take some time to look at all of Nature's singularities that surround us:

• A cloud is part of the continuum of the atmosphere, yet its relative density has become high enough to be visible as separate from the rest of the airmass.
• A mountain is part of the continuum of the landscape, yet its relative scale is large enough to be discernible from the land around it.
• Our earth is part of the continuum of the universe, yet its relative composition and location distinguish it from other celestial bodies.
• A newborn child is part of the continuum of the human race, yet its relative identity will set it apart from ones who have come before.
   

The Number One is Also a Statement of The Human Free Will.
When we focus our energies on creating some thing or some event, we are manifesting our Free Will. There is nothing more important to the human condition than the ability to understand what it means to have a Free Will. Once you understand the power behind your own Free Will, you will begin to understand how you create your own reality. When you comprehend the total freedom that your Free Will allows, you will learn how to be "cause" over everything in your life, rather than simply reacting to the effects which you create. The area where the Free Will becomes most powerful is when we consider our own feelings. We must all realize that we are the captains of our feelings. Nothing external to us can force us to feel one way or another. The way that you feel about any circumstance or event that occurs in your reality is totally up to you. A good example for us to examine this concept is that of a relationship. Let's presume a relationship between two people, and one person chooses to end that relationship. The other person in this relationship has a choice to make. They can choose one of three distinct reactions to the termination of this relationship: They can feel sad, bad, or some other "negative" feeling, as if the end of this relationship is a terrible loss. They can feel glad, happy, or some other "positive" feeling, as if the end of the relationship opens up a whole new set of possibilities for them to experience. Finally, they can feel indifferent, unaffected, or some other "neutral" feeling, as if they could take the relationship or leave it, without the eventual outcome affecting them one way or another.

Energy. A Singular, yet Composite, Focus of Physical Reality.
If we accept that Zero is the number of God, then One must be a number that describes that which is separate from God. As we have seen above, One describes a point of focus, or a POV. One represents an integration of many things into a singular POR. This might lead us to ask the question: "What single focus in our physical universe represents an integration of many things, yet also reflects the Zero nature of God?" The answer would be the measurable concept known to us as Energy. For clues as to why this is the answer, we refer to the scientific principle known as "The Conservation of Energy," which states that energy can transform from one state to another, but that energy can never be created nor destroyed. All measures of energy have one thing in common, and that is that they all contain mixed measures of our three basic systems of units: Mass, Space, and Time. We will get into these more when we explore the number Three, but for now we wish to point out that any measure of energy contains all three of these units. The combination of the three fundamental units of Mass, Space, and Time reflects an integration of the three elements that describe the "reality" of any physical event. Furthermore, they also represent a quantity which is forever unchanging, namely Energy. As our sciences tell us, the total amount of energy in the universe always remains the same, or the change in total energy is ZERO.

So is God nothing but energy? Well, not quite. We can measure the amount of energy present in any mass (Einstein's "E = mc²"). We can also measure the amount of energy present in a wave oscillation, regardless of whether mass is present at all. The equation which governs this measure of energy is known as Planck's Law, and is of the form "E = hf." In this equation, "E" is still energy, "h" is a constant called "Planck's constant", and "f" is the frequency of the oscillation (wave). So we see that there are many different ways to measure energy. If we were to claim that "God = Energy" then we could also claim that God is knowable, since we can measure (know) energy! Yet, we have always been told that "God is unknowable, and not measurable." If we relate God to the number zero, then energy would be equivalent to the number one. Thus, measurement of energy is the "closest" we can get to "knowing God", yet this does not equate to knowing all there is to know about God! Rather, God could be said to be that quality which causes the total amount of energy in the universe to remain constant. God is "beyond" all energy. God encompasses and controls the balance of energy. Once again we see that our fixed and limited human POV restricts our access to certain information, in this case the information about the "true nature" of God. However, if we understand energy, and how it transforms from one state to another, then we understand the "language" which God speaks. Therefore, the prime goal of both our scientific and spiritual establishments should be the understanding of energy, and the understanding of how to utilize energy for acts of balanced creation. 

The Dynamic Nature of One (Becoming). The Path from 1 to 2.
Up to now, this page has viewed the number one from a static, unchanging POV. We have even discussed how certain POVs are identified though the assignment of names, both humans and hurricanes. The concept of identification allows for solid reference points to be fixed in the universe, which allow beings to communicate with one another through language. We call this the state of BEING (to be). But there is an entirely different aspect to the number one, and it is dynamic in nature. It is the process by which any one thing BECOMES some other thing. Just as the static POV or POR could be aligned with the concepts of the ingredients ("states of being of matter") in a recipe, so the dynamic nature of BECOMING can be associated with the recipe's procedure. The procedural portion of a recipe delineates the process of becoming which the ingredients (the states of being) must go through in order to be transformed into some delectable delicacy! Mmmmmmmm. All this talk of recipes has me hungry! Guess that means it's almost time to share another recipe with you….

A Recipe as a Measure of Unity. Being & Becoming Combined!
When we read a recipe and like it enough that we decide we want to create it, this goal becomes a singular point of our focus. Our goal of creating the dish can be represented by the number 1 because we seek a single result: the food in the form described (and/or illustrated). And so we set out to achieve our goal... Some chefs might begin by examining the list of ingredients to see which ones they already have, and which ones they will have to purchase. They might then proceed to put together the shopping list. The next step would be to actually perform the shopping procedure to acquire all the ingredients. We see that each of these steps in the process of producing the culinary dish are individual points of focus in and of themselves. The goal of creating the dish described by this recipe is a singular focus of the number one. However, this single, top-level goal is composed of a nested set of sub-goals. Each sub-goal becomes a whole new focus of the number one at its own, sub-goal level.

This introduces the concept of scalability of systems on both a micro level (internal), and the macro level (external). We will come to learn that whenever we speak of scalability, relative scales, or any type of relative measure, we are actually referring to concepts made possible by the archetype behind the number 2. The dyad results in the concept of the mathematical differential, or the measurement of difference between one reference point and another. And speaking of difference...do you know the names of the two different pieces of the chicken that go into making a good recipe for wings? There is the dual-boned wing itself, and the drumette, which holds the wing to the chicken. Which piece do you like best? How do you like your wings prepared? By far, the "Buffalo" style hot wing is America's favorite. However, since we are talking about DIFFERENCE, perhaps it would make sense to give you a recipe that is a bit DiFfErEnT... Honey-Hot Teriyaki Wings! As with all the recipes I share, I value comment and feedback. If you create a variation that you find even tastier, bring it on! I'd love to try it! And any ideas you devise for accompanying dishes to serve with these wings, I'd like to know how they turn out! Share your creations with the rest of the universe!