The illusions of diversity—form, place, and time—are classed by the Orientals under the general term Maya. The word Maya signifies the great sea of shadows—the sphere of things as they seem to be as distinguished from the blank piece of paper which represents the one and only THING as it eternally is. The mothers of the various World Saviors generally bear names derived from the word Maya, as for example, Mary, for the reason that the various redeeming deities signify realization born out of illusion, or wisdom rising triumphant from the tomb of ignorance. Philosophic realization must be born out of the realization of illusion. Consequently the Savior-Gods are bom out of Maya and rise through many tribulations into the light of eternity.
The keys to all knowledge are contained in the dot, the line, and the circle. The dot is universal consciousness, the line is universal intelligence, and the circle is universal force—the threefold, unknowable Cause of all knowable existence (the three hypostases of Atma). In man the spirit is represented by the dot and conscious activity or intelligence by the line. Con scious activity is the key to intelligence, because consciousness belongs to the sphere of the dot and activity to the sphere of the circle. The center and the circumference arc thus blended in the connecting line—conscious activity or intelligence. The circle is the symbol of body and body is the limit of the radius of the activity of mind pou/er pouring out of the substance of consciousness.
–Manly P. Hall