Everything is cyclic in nature; the sun, the earth, the moon and all other planets in the universe. The circle has always played an important symbolic role right from ancient times. It has come to signify perfection and an infinite cyclical movement is embedded in it. Tantric art has explored the bindu and the power of the circle. The supposedly seven centers in the human body coinciding with the glands of the endocrine system are called chakras, again suggesting a cyclical movement of energy. All the planets and stars in the universe take the shape of a circle and the basic structure of an atom again is circular, with the electrons and protons moving around the circular nucleus in circular orbits. Even the earth’s electro magnetic field or the sun spurts from the sunspots take an elliptical path.

Coming back to earth, our seasons are cyclic, our day and our nights are cyclic. The growth pattern of animals and plants and the soil itself is cyclic.

We have small white flowers of the coffee plant aptly called “Blossom showers” that sprout in March-April soon after the pre monsoon showers. We have the spring rush of tea buds in September-October. And if there is a change in the cycle, if the rains don’t visit us on time, the crops are also destroyed. (Destruction of crops due to delayed monsoons and mango trees flowering at the wrong time or not flowering at all are common sights these days.)

Since the growth and death of all plants are cyclic in nature as per the four seasons, and we are also dependent on our seasons, it is probably safe to assume that we human beings too cannot escape the cycle. We are the cycle! Just like we are affected by the earth’s gravitational pull, so are we affected by the moons pull. If the oceans can rise and fall as the moon waxes and wanes, then human beings whose bodies consist of 90 percent water will also have to experience cyclical changes in their bodies.

Problems arise when the human mind decides to resist the natural cyclical changes. It likes to think it is not part of the cycle, and so ends up destroying or goes against nature; and all qualities that arise in our nature; both evil and good, both happiness and sadness are only natural. But again we like to cling to certain qualities and deny other qualities.

We like life, we don’t like death, we like growth, we don’t like decay, we like good and we don’t like bad. Overcoming or transmuting these tendencies of the human mind seems to be one of life’s greatest mysteries. 

Hazel Henderson(economist)- We are embedded in a cycle of the cosmos.