Theos-Talk Archives (August 1996 Message tl00131)

Frank Dyer states that "There is no such thing (in any real tradition that I
am aware of) as the Book of Trees. This sounds like a pseudo-exegesis of
something that the author had no real knowledge of...I repeat, there is no
Book of
Trees (in any Jewish Kabbalistic tradition)."  It is unfortunate that so
many choose to believe that a work does not exist simply because they have
not personally seen or heard of a manuscript.  The manuscript, the "Book of
Trees", is a scroll written about the same time that the existing system of
the Ari was being formalized.  It is written in Hebrew, and currently
resides in a museum in Europe.  At that time there were many systems to
explain the Kaballah, not just the currently accepted form (the ARI, named
for it's author).  HPB obviously had access to the manuscript, or she was
able to duplicate the system by using her esoteric understanding (as
confirmed on Page 200 of Secret Doctorine, Vol. 1.)  As far as this being
"Something the author has no real knowedge of", The author possesses a
photostatic reproduction of the manuscript, and has learned much from it's
study. Further, It has been presented in a book on Kaballah (albeit with no
translation.) The book is unavailable to me at present however, if pressed,
I will go to the effort produce the text to prove the ignorance of Mssr. Dyer!
The model referred to is presented below:

               -----------
               |    1    |          (Keter-Chakhmah-Binah)        Monad
               |   / \   |                                       (Atman)
               |  3 - 2  |
               -----------
                 /  |  \
               /    |    \
         ---------  |  ---------
         |   5   |-----|   4   |       (Chesed - Gevurah)   [? Spiritual
Body ?]
         ---------  |  ---------                               (Atma-Buddhi)
             |  \   |   /  |
             |   \  |  /   |
             |  ---------  |
             |  |   6   |  |                Tiferet           Cause(al) Body
             |  ---------  |                                  (Buddhi-Manas)
             |   /  |  \   |
             |  /    |  \  |
         ---------  |  ---------
         |   8   |-----|   7   |        (Netzach - Hod)       Mental/Astal Unit
         ---------  |  ---------                               (Kama-Manas)
               \    |    /
                 \  |  /
                ---------
                |   9   |              (Yesot - Malkhut)         Sarira
                |   |   |
                |  10   |
                ---------

You will note that this model presents the central point, from above, as the
Causal body (into which the essence of each incarnation is eventually
transferred.)  From below, it is the creative hierarch that produces our
existance, with Tiferet correlating to the Eloheim (Per HPB), and
Yesot-Makhut coorilating to the Man of Genesis.  Using The Sefer Yetzirah,
the following would be a the Presented Model (with HPB's Coorilates):

   Sefirot       Sefer Yetzirah (True form)     Genesis             HPB(1880)
---------------- -------------------------- --------------------    ---------
    Keter            A-H                    The Tetragamaton
   Chakhmah          Y-H
    Binah          Y-H-V-H (read 'ELOHEIM')   (Gen 1:1 only)

    Chesed         ELOHEIM                  Creation (Genesis 1)       EL
    Gevurah      ELOHEIM YHVH                 (Genesis 2/3)           ELOAH

    Tiferet         YHVH                      (Genesis  4)           ELOHEIM

    Netzach      Eloheim Tzevaot
      Hod         YHVH Tzevaot

     Yesod        El Shaddai
    Malkhut        Adonoy

This model presents the logic HPB uses when she states (REPEATEDLY) that
"the EGO is only the 'Breath of life' that Jehovah, one of the ELOHEIM or
greative gods, breathed into the nostrils of Adam..."  Also note the
similarity of A-H (that the trained Kabalist defines as 'Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh')
to the Term 'Ah-Hi' used in Cosmogenesis.  Finally, for those not familiar
with Hebrew, the term 'Asher' is translated 'THAT'.  Is it possible that
this is the imfamous AHYH (the Macroprosopus) that HPB referred to as the
symbolic "Ancient of Days"?  Wouldn't this also answer why HPB always talked
about the worship of a PERSONAL god (placing YHVH at Tiferet, the same
location as the Cause-al Body?)
Perhaps Mssrs Dyer and Bain would care to share their views anf provide more
than retorical comments to back up the belief that "HPB missed a good deal
in her explanations of this subject."  If the response is again something
like "I do this in my 'Keys to Kabbalah' which is only available privately
printed from myself" and "Have to save up for my book then", then it would
appear that you approach these topics in the same manner as all of those
organizations HPB condemmed in the 1880s for claiming to make masters of
occultism 'for a price'.

Frank contunues "For the real essence of Kabbalah, one should look to
sources such as Rabbi Chaim Vital, Rabbi Yatzeck Luria (the Ari), and Rabbi
Moses Cordovero. Rabbi Moses Chaim Luzzatto should be studied thoroughly."
I would add works such as the Meam Loetz by Rabbi Yaakov Culi (and his
successors, who finished it after his death), and the writings of Rabbi
Aryeh Kaplan, and OMIT the works of Rabbi Berg (which contain more EGO than
Esoterism.)  And let us not forget the origin of much if this, Genesis (In
the Original Hebrew, as no other form is sutable for esoteric study.), the
Bahir, and the Sefer Yetzerah, from among many others.   I concur that "The
study of ... *genuine* sources will be repaid handsomely.", however, egotism
during this study leads to disaster in the end, as Frank's post has
unfortunatly proven.

Alan Bain writes:
> It is worth trying to get hold of the bilingual edition of "Likutei
> Amarim-Tanya" which is a modern standard 'Hasidic work with Hebrew and
> English on facing pages.  It has a description of the Sephiroth in an
> appendix, and uses a lot of Kabbalist terminology in its commentaries.

Mesorah Publications, in Brooklyn, New York, is an excellent source for such
"Bilungual (Hebrew/English)" texts.  The best for biblical texts is the
Artscroll Tanach Series, as it contains commentaries from hundreds of
Rabinical sources.   Another source would be Moznaim Publishing, also in
Brooklyn.  This would be an excellent source for the Me'am Lo'ez.  The
Moznaim edition I use is Bilingual Ladino/English text with english
commentary.  Advance warning: These texts are expensive in the long run.
Plan on spending hundreds (to thousands) to set up a complete reference set
to work with.

We shall see if the second object of the Society is alive and well if this
theosophical forum. "Ever Dance with the Devil in the pale Moonlight?"


                                James Scott Yungkans, F.T.S.


                 "THERE IS NO RELIGION HIGHER THAN TRUTH"


Note: FOR SECRET DOCTORINE STUDENTS - if you use the presented model to
allign the Stanzas of 'Cosmogenesis', you might find a WORLD of
understanding. (I.E.     '1-2-3' = Stanza 1,
      '6' = Stanza 4 "...LISTEN, YE SONS OF EARTH, TO YOUR INSTRUCTORS...",
   '9-10' = Stanza 7 "Behold the betinning of sentient formless life.")