Edited & Updated 12-5-23

ADAM & the TREE OF LIFE – Part 1

This first paper focuses on the Kabalistic Tree of Life with regard to the descent of humanity into materiality, the esoteric knowledge of humanity’s divine origin and the spiritual potential of human beings who are created with godly attributes. The second paper explains the ascending Tree of Life and the meditation practices which guide the aspirant into the sublime states of divine consciousness.

These practices raise us above the impulses of the animal nature and lower emotions into the light and love of Christ in the Sacred Heart. By living in the “objectified, externalized, ego-driven” material world, we have lost and forgotten our true Self within and the peace of our divine, godly nature. Meditation can return to us the “peace which surpasses understanding.” 

Kabalah Tree of Life Knowledge

 

Before and beyond time there only existed the All and the nothingness, that is, no-thing, non-existence; only the undifferentiated Consciousness of the Absolute was present. In the desire to experience existence, the Absolute Consciousness formed an idea of creation and then “contracted” from a point within Itself, hollowing out a metaphysical Void. The Creator then emanated weaker lights back into this Void thus yielding a finite, independent, and illusory series of worlds we humans call Creation.

 

The diminution of the light did not mean a change or reduction in the divine light or an addition of non-divine substance in order to bring about the finite worlds; it simply represents “distance” from the original source based on the density of elemental matter.

 

It is believed that creation is the interplay between contraction and emanation as well as concealment and revelation, as the all-knowing Creator desired to enter into a firsthand, pristine discovery of Its “new finite self.” Only after the Creator’s “contraction and concealment” can there be an emanation of “lesser” divine light, as any emanation prior to this unique event would result in “pure, unfiltered light” entering the Void and causing the disappearance of the worlds.

 

The Infinite thus emanates a form of condensed or filtered light into the Void. Millions and billions of worlds are emanated in the Void – different kinds of worlds and universes are created and formed. Every one of them is inside the empty space of the primordial Void and no-thing is outside of it.

 

In the beginning, the Absolute, became the source, substance, and goal of everything in creation; and the emanation of Its Light became the life-force and energy of the cosmos. The original, all-inclusive source of being and energy contracts and conceals itself from itself and becomes alienated in seemingly independent and illusory realms of existence.

 

Eventually, through a series of self-alienations and emanations, the source of being embodies itself in an abstract Primordial Human called Adam. The male/female Adamic body is composed of and emanates from itself structures of ideas, values, qualities of being and worlds which metaphorically represent the individuality of human beings. These aspects of being and consciousness are revealed in the Tree of Life.

 

Adam becomes the pivotal symbol linking God, Man, and the World; he is the precursor of all things, the first archetypal form to emerge in the Void, and the sole vehicle through which the Tree of Life and all the worlds are emanated. Humans, created in God’s image, are comprised of the same archetypal, structural design and nature which comprises the body of Adam. Adam is said to emanate the light of consciousness which becomes the Tree of Life in the form of the Light World, Life World, Form World, and Physical World, in conjunction with the 4 organs of sense in the head: the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

 

Adam is a metaphor suggesting that the cosmos is a patterned-matrix representing the planes of the living human organism and that creation resonates with the values and nature of humanity; that is, God is the macrocosm and the human form is the microcosm. We are the individual living cells in the mind and body of our Creator; and according to God’s plan, this reality is concealed from us until we awaken and discover it for ourselves.

 

When we consciously awaken in this miraculous world, we also awaken God to the beauty of His Creation; when we praise God for His benevolence, we make God conscious of His goodness. God experiences creation through humanity just as earth-bound humans’ experience the divine, spiritual nature of light and life through God; God and humans are One!

 

The self-negation initiated by the Absolute Consciousness described above, gives rise to an alienated and illusory creation in which a created and personal manifestation of the Absolute becomes possible. This personal manifestation embodies the fundamental configurations, ideas, and values of the human world, which are inherently unstable and unravel, leading to a further descent into manifestation and an alienation of the primal energy from its source.

 

This causes the image of God to render apart the masculine/feminine opposite aspects of Its nature, resulting in the antinomies and perplexities existent in the world of duality. However, our Creator also devised a return path to the Ever-present Origin through a spiritual, intellectual, and psychological reawakening process (transformational meditation) which enables our spiritualized and regenerated consciousness to once again contain the primal energy of the Absolute as Jesus Christ demonstrated.

 

Adam: The Divine-Human Matrix

“Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created” (Genesis 5:2). God created Adam, the divine-human matrix with masculine/feminine characteristics and polarities, in the psychic, mental and spiritual image and nature of God’s own being.

 

As for the physical form, it was created from the “dust of the ground,” that is, from the 4 elements which comprise the physical universe. Since the Adam matrix is androgynous, Adam represents the masculine right-side of the body and Eve was “created” from the left-side, (not from the dust of the ground).

 

In this unique configuration, the male/female principles of the species are united, that is, intertwined and attracted to each other so they need each other to feel whole in the world. In this configuration, it is intended for humans to first “find themselves” by uniting both the masculine and feminine (animus-anima) principles within their own psychological nature so as to become a whole and harmonious being. The experience of wholeness enables us to know who we are, and from this awareness, we are able to recognize our opposite-gendered and complementary counter-part in life.

 

In our quantum universe, the divine-human Adamic form is always present and its God-like perfection continuously beckons for us to awaken to the fullness of our inner potential and the realization of our true Self. Two-thousand years ago Jesus Christ fully embodied this divine-matrix on the earth and demonstrated for us what our God-like potential looks like fully manifested.

 

Not only did He give us a preview of our future, but He also opened the door through which we may follow His path to Eternal Life. To complete His mission, He had to die, resurrect His body, and ascend back into the Eternal Light so humanity would unequivocally know that we too can embody the eternal God-like image our Creator has prepared for us.

 

The perfect Alpha/Omega divine-human radiant matrix of the androgynous Adamic body beckons and guides humanity toward its fulfillment in the sixth day of creation. There, we will manifest a spiritual state resembling the ascended Jesus. In the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus manifests as the embodiment of Holy Wisdom or Christ/Sophia and teaches his disciples about experiences of knowing the self within and experiencing creation as one’s own story. In the verses of Logion 18, the disciples said to Jesus, “Tell us how will our end come? Jesus said, “Have you found the beginning, then, that you are looking for the end? You see, the end will be where the beginning is. Congratulations to the one who stands at the beginning: that one will know the end and will not taste death.”

 

Jesus Christ is considered as the second Adam, and in His divine mission two thousand years ago, He embodied the divine-human matrix which He manifested in its fullness on the Mount of Transfiguration. As He said, “I am the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end.” We are to follow Jesus in this transformational journey and evolve our body, mind, and soul by freeing ourselves of all darkness, weakness and apathy of this world so we are clear, focused and filled with Light.

 

The Fall of Humanity

 

In the Judaeo-Christian tradition, the Kabalah contains the teachings which reveal the origins of human existence from the creation of Adam by the Elohim to the beginning of civilization. These teachings were passed down orally in a continuous, unbroken line from generation to generation until written language was invented. Among the Kabalists, it is commonly believed that Adam received the teachings regarding his origin and the nature of the human body from the angels. It is also believed that the angels taught these teachings to Noah and Enoch and later to Moses.

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The details of how early humans lived on a day to day basis is not the focus of this paper. More importantly, from Adam and Eve, there are many symbolic events and stories which begin to reveal the very unique nature of the human being, the experiences of the physical body in the kingdoms of the world, and the realizations of a newly awakening consciousness. A book from the Kabalah, the Torah, the first 5 books of the Old Testament, is replete with metaphorical knowledge about the growth, development and awakening of human nature as well as the potential of human consciousness.

 

Another book from the Kabalah, the Zohar, is considered to be the mystical teachings of the unfolding human consciousness as well as the living symbolism of human nature. The content in today’s publication of the Zohar is equivalent in size to an encyclopedia. The focus of this paper deals with the central theme of the Zohar which is the Tree of Life or the Sephiroth in Hebrew. Since the teachings of the Sephiroth were first published around 1300 C.E, many individuals and groups began to interpret and publish the symbolism and meaning of the Tree from their own unique perspectives.

 

Consequently, there are many different approaches one could choose from when interpreting the Kabalah. The modern academic-historical study among the Hebrew population is divided into three branches: the theoretical, the meditative, and the practical or magical. In my research of the Kabalah, I have also come across the: ethical, ecstatic or prophetic, mystical, unwritten, and the Christian or Hermetic Qabalah.

 

It is not my intention in this paper to discuss these different approaches to the Kabalah. I have studied many of these systems and gleaned important insights which correspond to the teachings I want to present here regarding the descending and the ascending Tree of Life.

 

It is my intention, God willing, to add a new section to this website titled, the Tree of Life Teachings which will delve deeper into the esoteric knowledge and living symbolism of the miraculous human being from the perspective of the Zohar. Presently, I would like to introduce the Descending Tree of the Kabalah and the Ascending Tree of Jesus Christ in 4 Stages of Meditation.

 

For obvious reasons, the diagram below of the Sephiroth has English terms for the individual Sephirah (vessels) rather than Hebrew. The top three Sephirah are considered the Supernal or Heavenly realm while the seven Sephirah below the “Abyss” are in the realm of manifestation. The right and left vertical columns are considered as masculine or feminine while the center column is androgynous or a synthesis of the two opposites; the center column is called the column of consciousness.

 

There is a tremendous amount of symbolism connected to the Sephiroth; more than can be touched upon in this paper. However, it is important to understand the key symbolism of the ten Sephiroth and the twenty-two paths which represent the manifestation of Adam Kadmon (or primordial Adam) into the physical realm. In essence, the 10 spheres and 22 paths represent the aspects, qualities, and characteristics of God’s own nature manifested in the visible and invisible human form. The following paragraphs will be a “crash course” in the symbolism of the Sephiroth so the reader will at least understand the significance of the Tree of Life in its relationship to the primordial Adam which is the matrix for the original bodily form humanity now embodies.

 

The Subjective Kabalah

 

The following is an allegory of subjective reality used to describe the creative functioning of the 22 Hebrew letters. The subjective understanding of the Kabalistic teachings is far more important than the objective symbols. Objective and subjective in space and time are relative in human consciousness. In the subjective, infinite spaces, it may feel is if one’s consciousness is traveling at the speed of light, but in reality, our point of reference is not moving, it is our consciousness filling the infinite.

 

At infinite speeds, distances make no difference as one can be everywhere in no time or in all places at once. In altered states, our perception of time changes; objective time is divided and measured in even units, whereas, subjective time is more flexible, it stretches or compresses according to our state of consciousness. When we are enjoying some activity, time flies, and when we are bored, times slows to a snail’s pace. However, in deep meditation, when subjective time overlaps objective space, we can be everywhere or anywhere at once.

 

From this infinite, subjective perspective, we can understand that God, the Creator spoke the Word to initiate the Creation of our universe, and this Word has the equivalent of letters, numbers, and sounds. If we were able to go back in time, we would see that humans were far more connected to the unseen world of angels, gods, and universal energies than are the seers and mystics of today. Long ago ancient Hebrew seers peered into the infinite and recognized that letters, numbers, and sounds were coming into creation from the Holy Trinity of God, and they incorporated these letters into an alphabet.

 

The first letter, Aleph or sound of Ah (image above), was perceived as an abstract three-dimensional shape formed by four creative energies that are active in the Infinite (image below). These four energies of different frequencies interact to create a rectangular interference pattern for all the letters which are a part of human consciousness, and they function as archetypal symbols for humanity. These letters effect Creation like the sound of OM, and if properly understood, people can create with them.

 

If viewed in infinite space, the front side of Aleph is luminous and the back side is dark, which expresses its dual polarities. From the luminous side emerges a stream of twenty-two interference patterns of Hebrew letters, in the correct order of the alphabet. From the dark side, the twenty-two streaming letters have no ordered sequence; they are randomly mixed.

 

The reason for the ordered and chaotic sequences is that the interference patterns of the letters are transducers of the energy emanating from Aleph, the first letter, as they incrementally are stepping down this energy to the physical plane. In the physical realm, good and evil manifest as order and chaos respectively; order is manifested in the correct sequence of energetic patterns called the knowledge of the law, whereas, chaos as ignorance of the law is expressed as confusion and a disordered sequence pattern.

 

In the living symbolism of Creation, Aleph is the first and most important letter. In the macrocosmic symbolism of Creation, Aleph or Wisdom, at the top, has three energy centers, like a three-sided pyramid, which stands for Love, Will, and Creation; the configuration of these primal centers are the matrix for creating universes in Creation.

 

The energy from each center represents a specific color: gold for Love, blue for Will, red for Creation and Aleph radiates a brilliant white light which contains all colors. Together, these colors as well as their corresponding numerical values and sounds are the frequencies representing the four energies which create the interference patterns of the Hebrew letters. The combinations of these numbers, letters and sounds express the laws of Creation on this level.

 

As an example of the Living Word expressing in the Infinite through the universal law of “as above so below…,” Hebrew words can be read in two directions, from right to left and from left to right, producing opposite meanings. If the letters representing the Will center are read from right to left toward the Love center, the combination of these four letters mean extinction or destruction. If read in the opposite direction, from the Love to the Will center, these four letters mean to go, keep walking.

 

The universal law expressed through the ordered or chaotic arrangement of these letters is that it is correct and safe to go from love to will, but going from will to love is destructive. The lesson here is we must know love first before exerting our will; in this universal system, love is the cosmic law. This subjective view of the Hebrew letters in relation to creation and the manifestation of forces in the universe will hopefully enlighten the reader in regard to understanding the subjective Kabalah.*1

 

The Symbols of the Sephiroth

For the different qualities represented in the diagrams of the ten Sephiroth, there are additional descriptive aspects for these virtues, presented in the order of their manifestation: 1-Crown is also Divine Will, Being, pre-conscious motivation, and hidden potential; 2-Wisdom is also Father, inspiration, imagination, and insight; 3-Understanding is also Mother, receptive intelligence, gestation, and nurturing; 4-Mercy is also kindness, benevolence, initiative, generating, and expanding; 5-Judgment is also severity, discipline, restraint, limiting, and defining; 6-Beauty is also harmony, and balance; 7-Victory is also nature, persistence, and initial action; 8-Glory is splendor, reverberation, and resistance; 9-Foundation is also the fulfillment of what began in Wisdom and incorporating all of the lessons learned above; 10-Kingdom is Earth, kingship, manifestation, materiality, but also Earth Mother called Shekinah in the Zohar. Remember, these are not labels on a diagram, but living qualities, attributes and potentials within each one of us.

 

There are four “worlds” associated with Adam Kadmon (and humanity) with each of these worlds being progressively more dense and distant from the Infinite or Ain-Soph in Hebrew. The first of these Atzilut is considered the highest triad of the worlds and is referred to as “Nearness” or Emanation. In descending order, Beriah is the next triad, it is referred to as Creation; next is Yetzirah referred to as Formation; and the last is our “lowly material world” of Assiyah referred to as “Making” or Action. Although the Kabalah considers these worlds to be allegorical, they are very real but invisible except for physical matter.

 

The 22 paths of the Sephiroth are the lines which connect in 10 Sephiroth. In the symbolism of the 22 paths, there are Hebrew letters and their numeric values assigned to each path. Each of these paths represents a card from the Tarot deck which consists of 78 cards. The first 22 cards are called the Major Arcana. These cards have symbolic meanings which focus on the material world, the intuitive mind, and the realm of change.

 

The remaining 56 cards are the Minor Arcana, and are divided into four groups or suits: Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles (or Coins). Each of the four suits focuses on a theme: Sword cards generally indicate conflict or moral issues; Cups reflect matters of emotion and relationships; Coins focus on the material aspects of life such as security and finance; and Wands represent things like jobs, ambition, and activity. As discussed above, the Tarot cards fall into the category of study Hebrew scholars refer to as the practical or magical Kabalah.

 

Some of the symbolism and terminology of the Sephiroth will have more meaning in the next paper when explaining the stages of meditation. The diagram below is self-explanatory; however some explanation is required for several of the terms. The “abyss” is the division between the heavenly realms and the world of manifestation through which Adam Kadmon “fell.” The parable in Luke 16:19-31 about the rich man and the beggar Lazarus reveals the abyss in verses 24-26, “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’

 

But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.” According to the law of correspondence, “As above so below…,” the abyss is present in the body also; this will be discussed in the next paper, The Ascending Tree.

 

Daath (experiential knowledge & will) is a mysterious term even to those who read the Zohar (See updated explanation in Stage 4). To paraphrase from Symbols of the Kabalah*2 – some Kabalists consider Daath as a reflection of Kether and necessary for the revelation of the upper Sephiroth; thus it is “invisible” on the Tree. Among certain Kabalists Daath appears between Chockmah and Binah, not as a separate Sephirah but as the “internal” aspect of Kether.

 

The root meaning for Daath is “union,” and it is said that it brings about a union or mediation between the two Sephirah above it, again establishing a pattern in which two opposing Sephiroth are resolved by a “third.” Chockmah and Binah are concealed and become manifest only by means of Daath.”  An alternate scheme for the ten Sephiroth excludes Kether, on the grounds that it is essentially identical with Ain-Sof, and interposes Daath as the third Sephirah, after Chockmah and Binah.

 

Moses Cordovero regards Daath as the manifestation of Kether that rises like a soul and informs the body of each of the Sephiroth. Because it is the “soul” of each Sephirah, and does not have its own independent vessel, it cannot be counted among the ten Sephiroth. Cordovero also emphasizes that Chockmah and Binah “unite in mystery” in the primordial Daath, which is the middle ground between the “Father and Mother” resulting in the existence and renewal of the Sephiroth.

 

Other Kabalists consider Daath to be the vehicle through which the intellectual activity of the upper Sephiroth is channeled into the lower seven “emotional” Sephiroth. In addition, Daath is considered to be the essence of these lower Sephiroth that serve to channel the divine will and intellect into feeling and ultimately, action. Psychologically, Daath unites emotion and intellect, and this balance is essential for the health of the human psyche. Daath plays a major role in the Ascending Tree of Life Meditation presented next.

 

All of the symbolism and explanations regarding the Tree of Life, the 10 Sephiroth, focus on the step by step descent into manifestation of the human being into the “Kingdom of the World.” The symbolism relates the human body to the planets in our solar system; to the seven chakras of the astral body; and to the physical, psychological, and intellectual nature. The 22 minor arcana of the Tarot reveal the strengths and weaknesses of the human character and they attempt to reveal the challenges and pitfalls we face on the ascending journey into materiality as well as the signposts for awakening to life experience.

 

Below is a diagram from the internet which represents both the 7 chakras and the Tree of Life in relation to the body. The two serpents represent nerve channels which run back and forth from the base of the spine to the third eye. Ida on the left represents the moon forces and Pingala on the right represents the solar forces. The interaction between Ida and Pingala corresponds to the internal dance between intuition and rationality, consciousness and vital power, and the right and left brain hemispheres.

 

The left diagram below represents the Kabalistic descent of the human into the material world. The zigzag direction of the descent establishes a male/female foundation on the spiritual, psycho-cognitive, and physical levels before descending into materiality. The Ascending Tree of Life is about consciousness ascending out of materiality; it represents the stages for awakening higher consciousness and regenerating the physical body.

 

Christ clearly stated that we are in the world, but not of the world; the Way of Life leads to Christ consciousness. Humans are the “Book of Life” and within our being are all the spiritual secrets about the image and likeness we were created in. It is humanity’s destiny to return to the Ever Present Origin and rediscover our true divine Adam nature and our relationship to the universe.

 

 

The study of the Zohar and the Sephiroth, the mystical teachings of the Kabalah, requires an understanding of the Hebrew language as well as a lifetime of study to fully comprehend it. It gets especially complicated when studying The Tree of Life by Vital and realizing that each separate Sephirah has ten Sephiroth which branch out from it. Although, for me, there is still a great deal to learn from the Zohar, it has never been my goal to have this depth of understanding.

For me, it is clear that humanity’s descent into physical manifestation was fulfilled, completed, and concluded when Jesus Christ was born into the Earth. He is the “New Covenant,” the beginning and the end; He is the Messiah. It is also clear to me that the Way of Life can be found in the Tree of Life as represented in the diagram on the right/above. The stages of transformation and realization of the ascending consciousness are explained in Part 2.

In the Kabalah, the central column of the Sephiroth is referred to as the column of consciousness. The reason the Sephiroth in the diagrams above show the central Sephirah in the solar plexus is this chakra is the center of the conscious human self in the material world. This chakra is an open portal to the external world where real and intense experiences, like fear and embarrassment, are felt (in the gut) from life. This is the center into which a human awakening to material reality must become conscious in order to control and integrate with the physical body; the solar plexus is considered the “brain of the body.”

 

From my 50 years of research and meditation practice, I know the solar plexus is the center of our self-image or self-perception in the world from which the ego emerges. This helped me to realize why the Sephiroth is configured with the central vessel in the solar plexus and not in the heart; the heart only opens as a conscious center of realization when the individual awakens spiritually to the Light and Love of Christ consciousness. (See: Stage 4 Meditation & St. Andrew’s Cross for explanation on the heart chakra)

 

The Ascending Tree of Life allegorically expresses the beginning of matter ascending into spirit; it focuses on the purification and regeneration of the body and psycho-cognitive consciousness which is incrementally transformed into light. This experience enables us to rise above the world into higher consciousness. These stages of awakening are explained in Part 2.

 

The Evolution of Consciousness

 

The Absolute God is All-knowing, Eternal Consciousness which is beyond the ability of the human mind to conceive. However, as taught in the Kabalistic Tree of Life, God “steps down from Eternity” so He can be present throughout Creation and in humanity as the archetypal matrix of our physical form as well as the “spark of Light and Life” within our souls. God also “steps down from Eternity” cosmically so He is present as God, the Father of our solar system.

 

Just as there are Creators for the innumerable universes in Creation, there is also God manifesting as the Fathers who are present with the “children of the Most High” who reside in this universe. This archetypal pattern is expressed in the Sephiroth as the supernal realm with God, the Absolute as Kether and Chockmah (Wisdom) as the Father, and Binah (Understanding) as the Mother.

 

~Note – I must admit that I do not necessarily agree with the left diagram above. First, the lightning strike begins as (F) female rather than M/F or Androgynous. If it was M/F or A, then CHOKMAH could be (F) and BINAH would be (M) on the right, masculine side of the body as the Light of Intelligence. This perception is also based on Proverbs, in which, Divine Sophia is referred to as Wisdom (Chokmah) and in Proverbs 8: 22-32, it says, “The Lord created me as the first of his creations, before all of his works,” etc. Since I understand the left side of the body to be feminine and Wisdom to be feminine, it seems correct that Chokmah is feminine so the right side would represent Our Father in Heaven (The Holy Trinity).

 

To continue: It could be said that the history of consciousness is also the history of God; likewise, the history of consciousness is also the history of humanity. Therefore, the collective history of humanity and the evolution of consciousness through the structures of consciousness in the elemental world of Creation is the history of God, the Father in physical manifestation. It has always been the destiny of undeveloped humanity to fall from Eden so we could awaken to our Godly nature, for we are sons and daughters of the Most High.

 

From humanity’s beginning, consciousness has been in a continuous process of integrating into matter, awakening, transitioning, and evolving all at the same time. The macro-cosmic matrix of the Adam body was gradually integrating with physical matter while awakening to the stages of consciousness development. Simultaneously, the individual human was experiencing the bodily growth processes, but was not yet awake to individual consciousness; only collective consciousness of the tribe or community.

 

In the early period of earthly life, humans were primarily focused on surviving, adapting, and integrating with the physical challenges of the natural world. It was not until around 1500 A.D. that human beings began to awaken to individual conscious awareness, that is, they became conscious of being a thinking individual separate from the external environment of the world. In other words, for the first time in history, humans became aware of individual self-conscious reality. For an explanation on the Structure of Consciousness, See: Perceptions.

 

From the fall of Adam and Eve to the birth of Jesus Christ, conscious humans were in a state of involution into matter; the physical form became denser, but more refined and more aware. At the lowest point of our descent into elemental matter, Jesus Christ, our Savior, changed the course of human destiny. With the spiritual transformation, resurrection, and ascension which took place in the body of the Son of Man, the matrix of the human body began the process of matter ascending into spirit. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was the “seed” of the transfiguration which awakened the potential of human consciousness to know and experience God-consciousness.

 

Ascending Meditations in the Tree of Life

 

To experience God-consciousness people must methodically and incrementally rise above their: animal-body desires; unstable, dark and painful emotions; the constant yakking of the chattering-mind; and purify their conscious thoughts so they can enter into the “quiet and peaceful” awareness of the Sacred Heart within.

 

The diagram below is an overview of this process based on the ascending Tree of Life. The ascending Tree represents consciousness ascending. The details of this process begin by understanding the resistance one will encounter from the ego and body-mind regarding meditation; this is explained in Part 2.

 

In the diagram above, the 4 worlds of creation are represented in the Kabalah as the World of Emanation, World of Creation, Form World and the World of Action. In these worlds, there are 7 “minds” (expressions of consciousness in our body) present in our: Light body, Life body, Form body, and Physical body respectively. In the uppermost supernal triad, the expressions of consciousness in the Light World, Self-knowledge and Self-identity, represent the Knowing-Self; the minds of Reason and Conscience represent the Thinking-self; the feeling and desire minds represent the Doing-self; and the Body-Mind is the sensual “mind” of the Doer.

 

The 7 chakras of the astral body are also represented in the 4 worlds; they are sometimes referred to as the “eyes of the soul” or as the “Lights before the Throne” in the Bible. The journey of descending into the world of manifestation is represented by the Tree of Life, but the ascent up the Tree represents the awakening of the 7 chakras ascending up through the 4 worlds and along the 22 paths of the minor arcana.

 

We live in the 4 worlds of Light, Life, Form (invisible), and Physical (visible) materiality; and God is ever-present throughout these worlds which comprise His body. These worlds are also the Tree of Life image of God taking form within each one of us. In truth, God is Consciousness as is everything in the world, unseen and seen, unmanifested and manifested. Without consciousness there would be no world to witness, and without a sense of self, experiences would be meaningless and irrelevant.

 

Next: Ascending Consciousness in the Tree of Life

*1A Brief Tour of Higher Consciousness by Itzhak Bentov
*2Symbols of the Kabalah by Sanford L. Drob
*3 The Zohar, Pritzer Edition by Daniel Matt

GOOD MORNING GLORY!

As in a dream I sank beneath the world's dark surface,

Slowly descending until I touched its fiery purpose.

There it turned me around and pointed me right,

That I might climb and leave behind the kingdom of night;

And though my body strains like an old tree root,

I believe someday, I will reach the roof.

For in my soul is a seed and in the seed is a tree,

Truly intricate and yet as simple to see,

As dawn crossing the void, imagining the day,

To shine in my eyes and show me the way.

Thus, I climb with lungs, shaped like little birds,

Inhaling the wind's most thoughtful words,

And as the simple dove opens its span for flight,

My heart bursts like a seed, taking root in the light;

And I'll look down no more, but rather mark the sky,

Waiting for the sun to come and help me fly.