Invisibly Embodied
Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2016 11:05 am
Many thanks this Thanksgiving Day to Tau Malachi and his retinue!
You shall not make for yourself an idol-t'munah, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth (Exodus 20:4).
Idol, graven image, or carved image are common translations of t'munah תְּמוּנָה, of what shall not be made in place of the Invisible One. I'm fascinated by this word, whose root meen, is the same for kind, as of species and types. By this, I hear the commandment, "Do not make any type."
If an alef replaces the tav, the same remaining letters spell faith, emunah, אֱמוּנָה. This speaks so much about the mystery of faith itself, that its object is invisible, a non-object. Consider what the Apostle writing to the Hebrews encapsulates of faith so well: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (11:1). He goes on to list the entire lineage of tzaddikim throughout the generations of the covenant, all who walked by what was unseen. In a similar vein, St. Paul builds a elaborate argument in Romans for the efficacy of Grace over the Law: merit, righteousness, comes by acting in faith, in what is unseen. I also hear the Risen Savior speaking to St. Thomas in the Gospel of St. John, Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe (20:29).
It appears then, that anything believers construct, whether materially, emotionally, or mentally, can stand between them and the Invisible One. This is religion, reaching even into invisible layers of mentalities and ego-centric resurrection. Whether rigid and dominating, as in old-time religion, or all-subjective and narcissistic, as in the so-called new age, any idol, graven or carved image—t'munah—seems to substitute emunah.
It seems that the object of our faith is a non-object. Whatever appears of holiness, even with a physical a Body of Emanation, cannot be confused with its invisible, spiritual essence. Tzaddikim of the Threefold Body of Truth, Glory, and Emanation arise from invisibility into visibility out of compassion for beings to free us who are bound to physical identity; this is the mystery of the Divine Incarnation. Tzaddikim emanate from invisibility to call us to return to invisibility.
What continually purifies my misunderstandings of name-form is to discover and discard subtler and subtler idols eclipsing formless awareness. This is being born from above. Yet once one is conscious of being born of the Spirit—Light Transmission—then form is no longer the problem it once posed, but becomes a transparent ally of the awareness for sake of serving others.
Our lineage is non-dual in this regard. The barrier for faithful and elect souls in the seventh heaven, Arabot, is believing in their formless bliss that they've arrived at last in the arms of God, in ultimate unification with the One. I can't conceive of how subtle is this idol-t'munah. Here is a holy heaven, the holiest of the seven heavens, and yet there remains a barrier. What more could there possibly be? Yet, like the ceiling of peak, mental being characterizing cosmic consciousness, the teachings speak of this union as incomplete. For me, the teaching of this barrier conveys the sense of an embrace as through the most delicate gossamer barrier.
Just beyond Arabot is the eighth heaven that is no heaven, for it is a pure and holy emanation, a sefirah of Atzilut: Supernal Malkut. Where this is is everywhere the Perfect Master proclaimed, The Kingdom of Heaven has come near to you. He often describes this realization through material comparisons saying, the Kingdom of Heaven is like ____. These aren't metaphors, but secret teachings of Supernal Malkut. To have eyes to see that Supernal Malkut is spread out upon the earth is directly knowing for oneself that the habad of Messiah is One, in formlessness and form. As Our Lord ascended in repose into invisibility, so Our Lady remains in movement visibly in woman's form in every generation. They are One Messiah in formless and form. Such is the fullness of faith—habad—I've witnessed of Sacred Tau for whom movement and respose is the same as existing consciously in form and formlessness.
In this tension then between form and formlessness, idols and true faith, I hear exactly what language can't hold and exactly what Sacred Tau embody. The Hebrew letter Tau is this realization of Tzaddikim, who've entered beyond heavens and remain present physically in this world. This is habad, which we, as with St. John, can declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life (1 John 1:1). Practitioners need the appearance of Tzaddik to recognize what is beyond all appearances of Tzaddik. One and the same barrier makes an idol of or disregards Tzaddik. Precisely here in this tension, between the purpose for what is invisibly embodied, is our purifying work as practitioners: The Way.
May all who are seeking find.
Finding, may they become troubled.
Troubled, may they become astonished and embody all.
Elder Gideon
You shall not make for yourself an idol-t'munah, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth (Exodus 20:4).
Idol, graven image, or carved image are common translations of t'munah תְּמוּנָה, of what shall not be made in place of the Invisible One. I'm fascinated by this word, whose root meen, is the same for kind, as of species and types. By this, I hear the commandment, "Do not make any type."
If an alef replaces the tav, the same remaining letters spell faith, emunah, אֱמוּנָה. This speaks so much about the mystery of faith itself, that its object is invisible, a non-object. Consider what the Apostle writing to the Hebrews encapsulates of faith so well: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (11:1). He goes on to list the entire lineage of tzaddikim throughout the generations of the covenant, all who walked by what was unseen. In a similar vein, St. Paul builds a elaborate argument in Romans for the efficacy of Grace over the Law: merit, righteousness, comes by acting in faith, in what is unseen. I also hear the Risen Savior speaking to St. Thomas in the Gospel of St. John, Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe (20:29).
It appears then, that anything believers construct, whether materially, emotionally, or mentally, can stand between them and the Invisible One. This is religion, reaching even into invisible layers of mentalities and ego-centric resurrection. Whether rigid and dominating, as in old-time religion, or all-subjective and narcissistic, as in the so-called new age, any idol, graven or carved image—t'munah—seems to substitute emunah.
It seems that the object of our faith is a non-object. Whatever appears of holiness, even with a physical a Body of Emanation, cannot be confused with its invisible, spiritual essence. Tzaddikim of the Threefold Body of Truth, Glory, and Emanation arise from invisibility into visibility out of compassion for beings to free us who are bound to physical identity; this is the mystery of the Divine Incarnation. Tzaddikim emanate from invisibility to call us to return to invisibility.
What continually purifies my misunderstandings of name-form is to discover and discard subtler and subtler idols eclipsing formless awareness. This is being born from above. Yet once one is conscious of being born of the Spirit—Light Transmission—then form is no longer the problem it once posed, but becomes a transparent ally of the awareness for sake of serving others.
Our lineage is non-dual in this regard. The barrier for faithful and elect souls in the seventh heaven, Arabot, is believing in their formless bliss that they've arrived at last in the arms of God, in ultimate unification with the One. I can't conceive of how subtle is this idol-t'munah. Here is a holy heaven, the holiest of the seven heavens, and yet there remains a barrier. What more could there possibly be? Yet, like the ceiling of peak, mental being characterizing cosmic consciousness, the teachings speak of this union as incomplete. For me, the teaching of this barrier conveys the sense of an embrace as through the most delicate gossamer barrier.
Just beyond Arabot is the eighth heaven that is no heaven, for it is a pure and holy emanation, a sefirah of Atzilut: Supernal Malkut. Where this is is everywhere the Perfect Master proclaimed, The Kingdom of Heaven has come near to you. He often describes this realization through material comparisons saying, the Kingdom of Heaven is like ____. These aren't metaphors, but secret teachings of Supernal Malkut. To have eyes to see that Supernal Malkut is spread out upon the earth is directly knowing for oneself that the habad of Messiah is One, in formlessness and form. As Our Lord ascended in repose into invisibility, so Our Lady remains in movement visibly in woman's form in every generation. They are One Messiah in formless and form. Such is the fullness of faith—habad—I've witnessed of Sacred Tau for whom movement and respose is the same as existing consciously in form and formlessness.
In this tension then between form and formlessness, idols and true faith, I hear exactly what language can't hold and exactly what Sacred Tau embody. The Hebrew letter Tau is this realization of Tzaddikim, who've entered beyond heavens and remain present physically in this world. This is habad, which we, as with St. John, can declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life (1 John 1:1). Practitioners need the appearance of Tzaddik to recognize what is beyond all appearances of Tzaddik. One and the same barrier makes an idol of or disregards Tzaddik. Precisely here in this tension, between the purpose for what is invisibly embodied, is our purifying work as practitioners: The Way.
May all who are seeking find.
Finding, may they become troubled.
Troubled, may they become astonished and embody all.
Elder Gideon