Dr. Jigoro Kano, founder of the sport of modern Judo, proposed that, "for physical education to be truly effective, it must be based on the principle of efficient use of mental and physical energy."
From this principle, he defined the goal of his art as the:
"Maximum Efficient Use Of Force".
AT MEUK we focus this ideal on the force of knowledge.
"ME. WE." – The shortest poem in history!
During a ceremony at Harvard University, in which Mohammed Ali was presented with an honorary Ph.D., he provided a heartfelt speech to the graduating class.
He stated his conviction that with privilege came a responsibility to use one's knowledge for the benefit of mankind. At the end of the speech, the crowd prompted him for one of his famous poems. He responded, "ME. WE." - The shortest poem in history!
At MEUK, our motto, ME + U = Knowledge, symbolizes our conviction in Mohammed Ali's dream of maximizing the value of the individual, through collaboration with the group!
Contemplation of the three basic shapes of geometry; the square, triangle and circle, has been exemplified throughout recorded history in art, math, science, athletics and virtually every other field .
History
The term yantra, which literally means an instrument for holding or restraining, may be used to denote a variety of linear diagrams which play a significant role in the meditative practices of Tantric Hinduism. Yantras may be simple designs such as the cross, triangle, square, circle or lotus pattern, symbolizing basic concepts, or may be more complex combinations of such elements.
The best known and geometrically the most complex yantra is the Sri-yantra.
The mathematical interest in the Sriyantra lies in the construction of the central nine triangles, which is a more difficult problem than might first appear. A line here may have three, four, five or six intersections with other lines. The problem is to construct a sriyantra in which all the intersections are correct and the vertices of the largest triangles fall on the circumference of the enclosing circle.
Construction
A curious fact about Sriyantras, is that the base angle of the largest triangles is about 51°. The monument that comes to mind when this angle is mentioned is the Great Pyramid at Gizeh in Egypt, built around 2600 bc. The slope of the face to the base (or the angle of inclination) of the Great Pyramid is 51°50'35.
Historical applications
It is possible from the dimensions of the Great Pyramid to derive probably the two most famous numbers in mathematics:
• One is pi, and the other is
• Phi the 'golden ratio' or 'divine proportion', given by (1 + sqr-rt 5)/2 (its value to five decimal places is 1.61803).
The golden ratio has figured prominently in the history of mathematics, both as a semi-mystical quantity (Kepler suggested that it should be named the 'divine proportion') and for its practical applications in art and architecture, including the Parthenon at Athens and a number of other buildings of Classical Greece.
In the Great Pyramid, the golden ratio is represented by the ratio of the length of the face (the slope height), inclined at an angle theta to the ground, to half the length of the side of the square base, equivalent to the secant of the angle theta.
Mathematical implications
The ratio of these lengths is, to five decimal places, l.618 06, in very close agreement with phi. The number phi has some remarkable mathematical properties. Its square is equal to itself plus one, while its reciprocal is itself minus one.
This sequence occurs most natural phenomena - human and plant proportions.
Many of the accurate constructions of Sriyantras in India are very old. Some are even more complicated than the one shown. There are those that consist of spherical triangles which require knowledge of 'higher mathematics.
Zen priests - In Buddhism, the triangles symbolize the tension and integration of opposites, with the circle symbolizing enlightenment. Many believed that the culmination of these three shapes symbolized perfection.
Hindu priests - The Sriyantra ('great object') belongs to a class of devices used in meditation, mainly by those belonging to the Hindu tantric tradition. Tantric tradition suggests that there are two ways of using the sriyantra for meditation. In the 'outward approach', one begins by contemplating the bindu and proceeds outwards by stages to take in the smallest triangle in which it is enclosed, then the next two triangles, and so on, slowly expanding outwards through a sequence of shapes to the outer shapes in which the whole object is contained. The 'inward' approach to meditation, which starts from a circle and then moves inwards, is known in tantric literature as the process of destruction.
Sculpture & painting - Leonardo DaVinci praised the 'divine proportion' and used it to create all of his paintings.
Martial arts - Morihei Ueshibia (founder of the martial art of Aikido) often remarked, the only way I can really explain Aikido is to draw a square, a triangle, and a circle. The three most perfect proportions of geometry.
The square stands for form and solidity; it is the basis of applied control.
The triangle represents the generation of energy and initiative; it is the most stable physical posture.
The circle symbolizes unification, serenity and perfection; it is the source of unlimited techniques.
At MEUK, we use this intuitive model in combination with the three primary colors to represent the three necessary criteria to clearly define, concisely document, (experimental development projects) and thereby share all technical knowledge within organizations.
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