meirbg

Meditation on Infinite 5-dimensional Space

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:22:12 GMT

When we view the Sefirot as being ten directions in a five-dimensional continuum, we can also interpret this in the following manner. Each pair of Sefirot defines an infinite line, extended infinitely in both directions. The end points of such an infinite line, however, come together and meet once again at the "point in infinity." This is a fact recognized by mathematicians, and considerable use of the "point at infinity" is found in complex analysis, the calculus of complex numbers.

One can use this as a meditation. Try to imagine the sphere at infinity and the point at infinity, and attempt to perceive how they are actually one. You will then see that your usual conceptions of space and extension are not as simple as you believe.

(Sefer Yetzirah, R. A. Kaplan Commentary)

Mystics of all countries – unite! Мистики всех стран - соединяйтесь!

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 20:46:59 GMT

Sefer Yetzira (The Book of Creation) is a concise mystical book (between 1,300 to 2,500 words) whose teaching were developed by the Patriarch Abraham and which was recorded at least 2000 years ago.

Sentence 7:

Ten Sefirot of Nothingness

Their end is embedded in their beginning

and their beginning in their end

like a flame in a burning coal

For the Master is singular

He has no second

And before one, what do you count?

Commentary

According to most commentaries, the “beginning” is Keter (Crown), while the “end” is Malchut (Kingship). These are the two endpoints of the spiritual dimension.

On the most basic level, Crown is seen as the concept of Cause, while Kingship is the archetype of Effect. Since a cause cannot exist without an effect, and an effect cannot exist without a cause, the two are interdependent on each other.

The Sefer Yetzirah likens this to a “flame bound to a burning coal.” A flame cannot exist without the coal, and the burning coal cannot exits without a flame. Although the coal is the cuase of the flame, the flame is also the cause of the burning coal. Without the flame, the would not be a burning coal.

Since Cause cannot exist without Effect, Effect is also the cause of the Cause. In this sense, Effect is the cause, and the cause is the Effect. Since beginning and end are inseparable, “their end is embedded in their beginning, and their beginning in their end.”

The commentary goes on to explain the 5-dimensional space (three physical dimension, time, and soul, meaning good/bad dimension), and describes an infinitely remote sphere where all these converge.

All of the above can be used as meditation devices for visualizing the complex spiritual worlds.

And now…

Mystics of all countries – unite!

One can easily see that many mystical schools engage in the same meditative techniques, thus they are dealing with the same spiritual worlds, which should really come as no surprise.

“Ten Sefirot of Nothingness” is parallel to Hindu meditation on Nothing, behind one’s head, which is one of the most powerful and dangerous forms of meditation.

“And before one, what do you count?” is the sound of one hand clapping. The reader is invited to find further parallels.

Синопсис страницы Талмуда ежедневно.

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:35:20 GMT

Welcome to a new bilingual community talmud_daily - concise summary of a page every day.

Приглашаю в новое двуязычное сообщество talmud_daily -краткое содержание страницы каждый день.

Charles Bragg - Midrash

Shakespeare Cheapens Reason?

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 03:28:22 GMT

Charles Altieri from UC Berkeley says in his lecture on Midsummer Night's Dream (here they all are!) that Lysander cheapens reason.

Lysander has just been awakened by Helena and, under the influence of the magic juice applied to his eyes, falls madly in love with her

HELENA
Lysander if you live, good sir, awake.
LYSANDER
[Awaking] And run through fire I will for thy sweet sake.

He now needs to explain his infatuation, as follows

The will of man is by his reason sway'd;
And reason says you are the worthier maid.
Things growing are not ripe until their season
So I, being young, till now ripe not to reason;
And touching now the point of human skill,
Reason becomes the marshal to my will
And leads me to your eyes, where I o'erlook
Love's stories written in love's richest book.

This is all upside down. Not the

The will of man is by his reason sway'd;

but it should be

The reason of man is by his desire sway'd;

But in this play, everything is reversed, as Bottom says:

The eye of man hath not heard, the ear of man hath not
seen, man's hand is not able to taste, his tongue
to conceive, nor his heart to report, what my dream was.

Furthermore,

Reason becomes the marshal to my will

sound like

Reason becomes the servant to my will.

This is contrast and funny, and we are entranced and enchanted.

I will posit though that Shakespeare with Lysander are correct in cheapening reason. Any time something touches us deeply, be it a fairy tale, a myth, or an episode in Shakespeare, then in addition to the talent of the author, it is a mystical principle that they touch upon is what makes us shake. We know this principle but have lost it.

As the Hindus teach us, the mind is often a Deceiver. So too in Kabbalah, the mind of the spiritual entity called Zeir Anpin, representing a supernal man, does not stay constant, but rather grows from the state of “Young Mind” to the state of “Adult Mind.”

Now this is what Lysander means precisely, “Things growing are not ripe until their season” - meaning, from the birth of Zeir Anpin till his mature age, he changes. Actually, as Kaballah teaches, Zeir Anpin becomes young again every year on Passover and reaches his full maturity at about the time that we are in now, the end of the month of Adar.

The fact that the Will is higher than the Mind is also true. In fact, the Will has to come first, for someone has to will for the other things (including his will) to exist.

Shakespeare as a Talmudist - Logic against Grammar

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:56:12 GMT

HERMIA

Sweet, do not scorn her so.

DEMETRIUS

If she cannot entreat, I can compel.

LYSANDER

Thou canst compel no more than she entreat:

Thy threats have no more strength than her weak prayers.

Helen, I love thee; by my life, I do:

I swear by that which I will lose for thee,

To prove him false that says I love thee not.

DEMETRIUS

I say I love thee more than he can do.

LYSANDER

If thou say so, withdraw, and prove it too.

"Sweet, do not scorn her so" sets up the scene for the disagreement. Demetrius claims an "a forteriori" argument: "since she cannot entreat, I can compel," which in his mind is stronger. As the Oxford School commentary notes, Demetrius is overly competitive.

Lysander counters with "compel and entreat are mentioned in the same phrase to teach us that they have the same power." Demetrius' argument now works against him: his compelling is not effective because her entreaties aren't. This in Talmud is called "argument by word analogy."

What is to decide? Both approaches are correct. As often happens in the Talmud, one opponent invokes an oath, "by my life!" What is the other one to say? A stronger oath! Such a thing doesn't exist, as Shakespeare has proven before:

HERMIA
By all the vows that ever men have broke,

In number more than ever women spoke,

and therefore it works only to make the first witness false. According to normal logic, it would not work, but according to the Talmud, the second set of witnesses is believed over the first, so it works.

What gives? A sexual innuendo raises it up to the level of mystery and thus resolves the argument.