1 = 3
The Number 3 is an ancient and powerful number.
Three represents the trinity, a perfect number. The triad or trinity is a symbol of the unity of body, mind and spirit. The symbol is of universal significance - it is found throughout history and all over the world.
In science, Atomic Number Three - Lithium deuteride is the explosive material of the hydrogen bomb and may eventually be the fuel of controlled fusion reactors. Three symbolizes great power.
Three is important in geometry, which is the basic understanding of nature and engineering. Two straight lines cannot possibly enclose any space, or form a plane figure; neither can two plan surfaces form a solid. Three lines are necessary to form a plan figure; and three dimensions of length, breadth, and height, are necessary to form a solid. Hence three is the symbol of the cube--the simplest form of solid figure. As two is the symbol of the square, or plane contents (x2), so three is the symbol of the cube, or solid contents (x3).
The ancient Egyptians used the power of the pyramid, which is a triangle, to build great structures. It was believed that the Pythagorean theory was first used here.
Three, therefore, stands for that which is solid, real, substantial, complete, and entire.
There are three great divisions completing time--past, present, and future.
Thought, word, and deed, complete the sum of human capability.
Three degrees of comparison complete our knowledge of qualities.
The simplest proposition requires three things to complete it; viz., the subject, the predicate, and the copula.
Three propositions are necessary to complete the simplest form of argument--the major premise, the minor, and the conclusion.
In nature, three kingdoms embrace our ideas of matter--mineral, vegetable, and animal.
In all cultures and societies, the number three represents the basic unit of family: father, mother, child.
When we turn to the Scriptures, this completion becomes Divine, and marks Divine completeness or perfection.
The Divine completeness of the Shepherd's care (John 6:39), is seen in His revelations as--
- The "Good Shepherd" in death, John 10:14.
- The "Great Shepherd" in resurrection, Hebrews 13:20.
- The "Chief Shepherd" in glory, 1 Peter 4:5.
Many people believe that man embodies three principles of life: intellectual, moral, and spiritual.
Many world religions contain triple deities or concepts of trinity, including:
In Christianity, the Trinity defines God as three Divine persons: the father, the son, and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct, yet are one "substance, essence or nature". A nature is what one is, while a person is who one is.
In Hinduism, the Trimurti is the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified by the forms of Brahma the creator, Vishnu the maintainer or preserver and Shiva the destroyer or transformer.
In Hindu Tridevi, the three consorts of the Trimurti (Great Trinity), that are personified by the forms of three Goddesses. Saraswati is the goddess of learning and arts, cultural fulfillment (consort to the creator). She is the cosmic intelligence, cosmic consciousness, cosmic knowledge. Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and fertility, material fulfillment (consort of the maintainer or preserver). However, she does not mean mere material wealth like gold, cattle, etc. All kinds of prosperity, glory, magnificence, joy, exaltation, or greatness come under Lakshmi. Parvati is the goddess of power and love, spiritual fulfillment (consort of the destroyer or transformer). She also depicts transformative power of Divinity, the power that dissolves multiplicity in unity.
The Three Jewels of Buddhism, refer to the three things that Buddhists take refuge in, and look toward for guidance. The Three Jewels are:
Buddha: the ideal or highest spiritual potential that exists within all beings;
Dharma: the teachings of the Buddha, the path to Enlightenment; and
Sangha: the community of those who have attained enlightenment, who may help a practicing Buddhist to do the same. Also used more broadly to refer to the community of practicing Buddhists, or the community of Buddhist monks and nuns.
In the pagan world, the Wiccan Rule of Three (also Three-fold Law or Law of Return) is a religious tenet held by some Pagans that states that whatever energy a person puts out into the world, be it positive or negative, will be returned to that person three times
It is clear that he number Three is intertwined in both science and faith.
Throughout history, religion and pagan societies found great meaning and power in the number three. Why would so many diverse people on the planet gravitate toward this number? In 1966, scientists found that the Number 3 was a critical component of humans, as our DNA is sequenced in sets of three proteins. Many people believe that this represents a key to understanding the universe since we have been encoded with the number three.
In LOST, we fixated on The Numbers (4,8,15,16,23,42). We were told that the numbers only represented Jacob's final candidates, even though the Numbers had sew into the story at many times (lottery numbers, Hatch ID number, the Hatch alarm code, etc.).
But in the final candidates numbers, we can find an interesting solution to a math question. If the candidate's number represent the attributes of a person, can we distill a number from them.
If we take Jin minus Jack minus Sayid we can get a number.
42-23-16 = 3
If we take Sawyer minus Hurley minus Locke we can get the same number.
15-8-4 =3
When we take that to mean "33" as the solution to the Numbers Candidate equation, we look to the candidate's list to find that Candidate number 33 was "Novak."
Novak is the name is derived from the Slavic word for "new" meaning something similar to "new man", "newcomer" or "stranger" in English. The name was often given to someone who came to a new city, or a convert to Christianity.
In the church, Christian explains their situation in a triad expression for time in the sideways world that there is no past, present or future.
CHRISTIAN: Everyone dies sometime, kiddo. Some of them before you, some...long after you.
JACK: But why are they all here now?
CHRISTIAN: Well there is no "now" here.
JACK: Where are we, dad?
CHRISTIAN: This is the place that you...that you all made together, so that you could find one another. The most...important part of your life, was the time that you spent with these people. That's why all of you are here. Nobody does it alone Jack. You needed all of them, and they needed you.
JACK: For what?
CHRISTIAN: To remember...and to...let go.
We could make an argument that the Number 3 is a meaningful solution to the series. The concept of the past, present and future tied into one being or place or enlightenment is equivalent to any form of the Trinity. Here, Jack was a stranger (man of science) in a strange land (the island, a place of spiritual faith). He had to release his intellectual self, control his emotional/moral feelings, in order to become aware of his spiritual existence in order to move on after his death.
