Base#
One Node is Digesting Everything#
Here’s an essay exploring the profound dimensions of sunrise and sunset rituals, their resonance across cultures, and their cosmic symbolism:
Fig. 17 Fajr Prayer. This is the first of the five daily prayers in Islam. It is performed at the break of dawn. Just before sunrise. It’s a special moment in the day. Fajr time marks the transition from night to morning. Furthermore, it holds a unique significance in a Muslim’s spiritual routine. Therefore, making dua for waking up for fajr is essential.#
Let There Be Light: Humanity’s Struggle and Celebration of the Cosmic Dance#
The rituals of prayer at sunrise and sunset in Islam encapsulate a profound connection between humanity and the cosmos, a tethering of the human soul to the great rhythms of the universe. They embody more than devotion—they are acts of alignment, reminding us that in the face of an infinite cosmos, we remain participants in its cycles, not mere spectators. These moments of prayer, framed by the light of the rising and setting sun, evoke universal themes that stretch across traditions, from the menorah of Hanukkah to the reverence for Amaterasu, the Japanese sun goddess. They even find echoes in the modern world of solar panels and off-grid living—a reflection of humanity’s enduring relationship with the light.
The Sun as a Symbol of Unity#
In Islam, the Fajr (dawn) and Maghrib (sunset) prayers bookend the day with a moment to pause and reflect. These acts are not mere obligations; they are reminders of our place within a cosmos that moves with precision and grace. The light of the sun serves as both a guide and a symbol—a connection to the divine that transcends time and space.
Fig. 18 The Spanish Phrygian scale is a nice starting point for the western ear attempting to appreciate the beauty of these microtonal intervals#
Similarly, the menorah of Hanukkah, with its seven branches, symbolizes wisdom and enlightenment. Rooted in Genesis, where “God said, ‘Let there be light,’” the menorah is a testament to humanity’s yearning to understand and harmonize with the cosmic order. The light of the central lamp, representing the Sabbath, mirrors the way prayer centers life itself—a luminous pause in the flow of time.
Amaterasu and the Sun’s Divine Face#
The Japanese worship of Amaterasu offers another layer of insight. The sun goddess, enshrined in mythology and cultural practice, is a beacon of life, harmony, and order. Her story speaks to the necessity of light as a force that overcomes darkness, echoing the Islamic call to prayer that begins and ends the day with light. In both traditions, the sun becomes more than a celestial body—it is a symbol of renewal, hope, and divine connection.
Cosmic Rituals and Modern Struggles#
In the modern age, the cosmic dance of light finds resonance in unexpected places. Consider the rise of solar panels, which capture the energy of the sun to power lives increasingly disconnected from nature. Those who live off-grid, harvesting sunlight to sustain their homes, are modern heirs to this ancient relationship with the sun. Their lives echo the principles of balance and harmony found in religious rituals, albeit through a secular lens.
Even the practice of morning gym sessions following Fajr prayer among your colleagues can be seen as a form of modern ritual—a fusion of physical discipline and spiritual mindfulness. Their vitality reflects the synergy of body and soul, a unity that countless traditions have sought to cultivate through rituals aligned with the sun’s cycles.
Humanity’s Struggle to Make Sense of Existence#
Across these traditions, we see humanity grappling with the same fundamental questions: How do we find meaning in a vast and indifferent cosmos? How do we align our finite lives with the infinite rhythms of the universe? Whether through prayer, myth, or technology, the struggle remains the same—a quest for harmony, order, and light.
There is a poignancy in this struggle. The rituals of sunrise and sunset, the lighting of the menorah, the myth of Amaterasu, and the installation of solar panels are all acts of defiance against chaos and darkness. They are humanity’s way of saying, “We will not be overcome. We will seek the light, even if it flickers faintly in the vastness.”
A Sympathetic View of the Human Condition#
To view these practices with empathy is to recognize the beauty in our shared humanity. Whether in the deserts of Arabia, the temples of Japan, or the rooftops of suburban homes covered with solar panels, the light connects us. It binds our rituals, our myths, and our modern technologies in a shared celebration of existence.
In the end, the sun’s light is more than a physical phenomenon; it is a canvas on which humanity projects its deepest hopes, fears, and aspirations. It is a reminder that even in our struggles, we are part of something greater—a cosmic dance that began with the words, “Let there be light.”
Show code cell source
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import networkx as nx
# Define the neural network structure
def define_layers():
return {
'Pre-Input': ['Life','Earth', 'Cosmos', 'Sound', 'Tactful', 'Firm', ],
'Yellowstone': ['Fajr'],
'Input': ['Dark', 'Light'],
'Hidden': [
'Night',
'Islam',
'Day',
],
'Output': ['Deeds', 'Wakeup', 'Modernity', 'Imam', 'Prayer', ]
}
# Define weights for the connections
def define_weights():
return {
'Pre-Input-Yellowstone': np.array([
[0.6],
[0.5],
[0.4],
[0.3],
[0.7],
[0.8],
[0.6]
]),
'Yellowstone-Input': np.array([
[0.7, 0.8]
]),
'Input-Hidden': np.array([[0.8, 0.4, 0.1], [0.9, 0.7, 0.2]]),
'Hidden-Output': np.array([
[0.2, 0.8, 0.1, 0.05, 0.2],
[0.1, 0.9, 0.05, 0.05, 0.1],
[0.05, 0.6, 0.2, 0.1, 0.05]
])
}
# Assign colors to nodes
def assign_colors(node, layer):
if node == 'Fajr':
return 'yellow'
if layer == 'Pre-Input' and node in ['Sound', 'Tactful', 'Firm']:
return 'paleturquoise'
elif layer == 'Input' and node == 'Light':
return 'paleturquoise'
elif layer == 'Hidden':
if node == 'Day':
return 'paleturquoise'
elif node == 'Islam':
return 'lightgreen'
elif node == 'Night':
return 'lightsalmon'
elif layer == 'Output':
if node == 'Prayer':
return 'paleturquoise'
elif node in ['Imam', 'Modernity', 'Wakeup']:
return 'lightgreen'
elif node == 'Deeds':
return 'lightsalmon'
return 'lightsalmon' # Default color
# Calculate positions for nodes
def calculate_positions(layer, center_x, offset):
layer_size = len(layer)
start_y = -(layer_size - 1) / 2 # Center the layer vertically
return [(center_x + offset, start_y + i) for i in range(layer_size)]
# Create and visualize the neural network graph
def visualize_nn():
layers = define_layers()
weights = define_weights()
G = nx.DiGraph()
pos = {}
node_colors = []
center_x = 0 # Align nodes horizontally
# Add nodes and assign positions
for i, (layer_name, nodes) in enumerate(layers.items()):
y_positions = calculate_positions(nodes, center_x, offset=-len(layers) + i + 1)
for node, position in zip(nodes, y_positions):
G.add_node(node, layer=layer_name)
pos[node] = position
node_colors.append(assign_colors(node, layer_name))
# Add edges and weights
for layer_pair, weight_matrix in zip(
[('Pre-Input', 'Yellowstone'), ('Yellowstone', 'Input'), ('Input', 'Hidden'), ('Hidden', 'Output')],
[weights['Pre-Input-Yellowstone'], weights['Yellowstone-Input'], weights['Input-Hidden'], weights['Hidden-Output']]
):
source_layer, target_layer = layer_pair
for i, source in enumerate(layers[source_layer]):
for j, target in enumerate(layers[target_layer]):
weight = weight_matrix[i, j]
G.add_edge(source, target, weight=weight)
# Customize edge thickness for specific relationships
edge_widths = []
for u, v in G.edges():
if u in layers['Hidden'] and v == 'Kapital':
edge_widths.append(6) # Highlight key edges
else:
edge_widths.append(1)
# Draw the graph
plt.figure(figsize=(12, 16))
nx.draw(
G, pos, with_labels=True, node_color=node_colors, edge_color='gray',
node_size=3000, font_size=10, width=edge_widths
)
edge_labels = nx.get_edge_attributes(G, 'weight')
nx.draw_networkx_edge_labels(G, pos, edge_labels={k: f'{v:.2f}' for k, v in edge_labels.items()})
plt.title("Let There Be Light: Genesis 1:3")
# Save the figure to a file
# plt.savefig("figures/logo.png", format="png")
plt.show()
# Run the visualization
visualize_nn()
#
Fig. 19 Paleturquoise, lightgreen, lightsalmon: Paradiso, Purgatorio, Inferno. The color-coding corresponds to Dante’s Magna Opera 3 2 1. And the lightgray represents the raw, unprocessed, yet-to-be transformed inputs. These triadic themes spawn an unlimited number of variants. For instance, the adversary-identity-tokenization-joy nodes can be thought of as tragical-comical-historical-pastoral. They align with the tragedy of commons, mistaken identity as the most accessible resource for comedy, and the history of mankind being a story of encoding everything into symbol, language, token, and commodity to facilitate dialogue#