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Old 11-18-2011, 06:16 PM   #13 (permalink)
Andras
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Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Davis, California
Posts: 378
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Default Dogmatic non-duality is a mental illness

According to the Cabbala, Infinity (Oneness) is a very important concept. The undivided infinity of being (Atziluth), multiplies itself by another order of infinity and causes the infinity of specified, non-sequentialized meaning (Briah). In this state, Unitary being experiences the whole infinite variety of specific meanings, but without sequence or order. This is the archetypal, symbolic ocean, in which each drop reflects the whole and the whole is mirrored in each drop. It is a chaos of potentiality in which all things are not only possible, but also probable and actual.
This infinity of random meaning (Briah), multiplies itself by another order of infinity and causes the infinity of sequence and relationship (Yetzirah). This is the realm of symbol, of order, logic, emotion, thought -- the realm where one thing leads to another. This is also the realm of time, the essence of which is sequence.

This infinity of sequentialized meaning (Yetzirah), multiplies itself by another order of infinity and causes the infinity of spatial relationship (Assiah) and our familiar physical realm.

The first multiplication of The One Self -- the transition from the Atziluthic Unity of being, to the Braitic infinity of non-sequentialized meaning -- is described in the Genesis, chapter one, creation story. The second transition, from the Briatic infinity to the sequentialized Yetziratic infinity, is the topic of the Sepher Yetzirah. Thus the S.Y. is very orderly and systematic in its presentation and closely examines the structure of time ("eternity").

My conclusion is that Oneness, infinity only the realm de joure at the highest spheres and we as humans should strive to access and attain that level. Down on earth infinity exists only as an abstraction and polarity, decay (death) rules, on a simplistic level. The only escape is ascension which is everybody's birthright but will not be attained by reading acim repeatedly.
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