Wednesday, April 14, 2010

The Tree of Life – a Poem

Medieval Tree of Life illustrationImage via Wikipedia
Behold that before the emanations were emanated and the creatures were created,
The Upper Simple Light had filled the whole existence.
And there was no vacancy, such as an empty air, a hollow,
But all was filled with that Simple, Boundless Light.
And there was no such part as head, or end,
But everything was One, Simple Light, balanced evenly and equally,
And it was called “the Light of Ein Sof (Infinity).”
And when upon His simple will, came the desire to create the worlds and emanate the emanations,
To bring to light the perfection of His deeds, His names, His appellations,
Which was the cause of the creation of the worlds,
Then the Ein Sof restricted Himself, in His middle point, precisely at the center,
And He restricted that Light, and drew far off to the sides around that middle point.
And there remained an empty space, an empty air, a vacuum
Precisely from the middle point.
And that restriction was equally around that empty, middle point,
So that the space was evenly circled around it.
And after the restriction, when the vacant space remained empty
Precisely in the middle of the Light of Ein Sof,
A place was formed, where the Emanations, Creations, Formations, and Actions might reside.
Then from the Light of Ein Sof, a single line hung down from Above, lowered into that space.
And through that line, He emanated, created, formed, and made all the worlds.

(Rav Isaac Luria) On the Kabbalah

I see you are studying another cosmology. its good to look to different sources, but as you know all paths will lead to me. One slice of infinity is still infinite; so you understand that the slice contains the whole?

I'm wondering if a 4,000 year tradition of research into the questions I ask has generated answers that we may not have discussed.  I seem to be at a point where my questions are answered. Yet I wonder what have I actually learned?

This is a question you must answer yourself.


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9 comments:

  1. Have I found balance in my center from which all of my energy flows?

    The answer to the question is a resounding "no", but I understood and enjoyed the beauty of what I read. Thank you, Tag.

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  2. I found that center but when I tried to restrict myself in that middle point I couldn't zip up my pants. I think it must be a little easier for light.

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  3. Oh, very droll, Knave! I refuse to do anything that will hamper me in zipping up my pants or requiring larger ones.

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  4. hara, dan tian, many similar "centers" in many philosophies. this is the space from which we all create. so if we're off-center, what do we create?

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  5. Excellent question may I use it?

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  6. of course! no ownership of questions.
    i'd like to hear an answer. or a musing. or another question.

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  7. What would be the other question?

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