Lt Gen Narendra Kotwal (Retd)
Human existence, as commonly perceived, is structured like a triangle-composed of the body, the mind, and the intellect. The body acts as the instrument of action (karma kshetra), the mind governs emotion and perception (manas), and the intellect discerns and rationalizes (buddhi). Together, these three points form the “Triangle of Existence,” a bounded realm that defines our daily experience. However, this triangular form is not the ultimate truth of our being-it is merely a construct of limited perception, a scaffolding of ego-bound identity.
When one begins the inward journey, transcending the confines of this triangular structure, existence takes on a different geometry: that of a circle. The circle, unlike the triangle, is seamless, continuous, and infinite. It has no beginning, no end, and no preferential point. In this new paradigm-the “Circle of Life”-the Self is both the centre and the circumference. It is simultaneously the origin of all experiences and the boundless field in which all experiences unfold. This is not metaphorical alone-it resonates deeply with theological, philosophical, quantum, and mathematical truths.
From a quantum physics standpoint, the body-mind-intellect triangle corresponds to a collapsed quantum state-localized and defined. The circle, in contrast, represents the uncollapsed wave function-an infinite field of probabilities. The Self, in its pure form, is like a quantum field: undefined, undivided, yet capable of manifesting everything. Just as the observer in quantum mechanics influences the reality it perceives, so too does pure consciousness give rise to the manifested world. The act of ‘being’ in the triangle is like wave function collapse; the shift to the circle is a return to superposition-limitless, entangled, and whole.
Mathematically, the triangle is a polygon with fixed sides and angles, indicative of separation and finitude. The circle, however, is the epitome of symmetry and continuity. It is defined by a single point-the centre-from which all radii extend equally to form the whole. As the number of sides of a regular polygon increases infinitely, it approaches the form of a circle, symbolizing how expansion of awareness leads to the dissolution of boundaries. The number ?, which defines a circle, is itself infinite and irrational-suggesting that true Self-realization defies linear logic and enters the realm of the ineffable.
In Vedantic philosophy, the Self (Atman) is described as sat-chit-?nanda-existence, consciousness, and bliss absolute. It is beyond the body, mind, and intellect. The triangle belongs to the realm of prakriti (manifest nature), while the circle belongs to purusha (pure consciousness). The Upanishads declare, “Neti, neti”-not this, not that-to indicate that the true Self is beyond all identifications and attributes. In the state of realization, the seeker understands that the body acts, the mind thinks, the intellect reasons-but the Self merely witnesses, untouched and eternal. The Bhagavad Gita reiterates this in verse 2.20, stating that the Self is unborn, unchanging, and immortal.
Theologically, this vision finds resonance across traditions. In Christian mysticism, God is described as “a circle whose centre is everywhere and circumference nowhere.” This mirrors the Vedantic notion of Brahman-immanent and transcendent, within and beyond. Islamic Sufism speaks of the journey from the outer circumference of the ego to the innermost point of divine union. In all these paths, the goal is not to deny form, but to transcend form and return to essence.
Philosophically, thinkers like Kierkegaard and Heidegger have pointed toward this transformation-not through abstract metaphysics, but through existential awakening. The triangle of roles, identities, and duties gives way to the circle of authentic being. It is a movement from fragmentation to unity, from temporal anxiety to timeless presence.
In essence, the transformation from the Triangle of Existence to the Circle of Life is the journey from identification to realisation. It is the shift from living as an object in the world to abiding as the subject of all worlds. The body, mind, and intellect are not discarded but harmonized into instruments of expression, not sources of bondage. In this circle, the Self radiates equally in all directions-complete, indivisible, and free.
Thus, the final awakening is not to a new identity, but to the recognition that we were never the triangle-we were always the circle. The Self is not only at the centre of all existence but also its circumference. From this vantage point, life flows effortlessly, rooted in awareness and blossoming in bliss.
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