« Dreaming | Main | Avos 2:14: Learh all the Toras »

December 29, 2011

Comments

aa

As for plurality and unity.The rambam himself says that there is Gd and his knowledge but both are one this is beyond the ability of the rational mind to fully understand. The kabbalists say the same about the 10 sefiros.

Ron Krumpos

One and Many seems to be a paradox...that depends on your perspective.

Mysticism seeks to remove the blinders of this life, to expand our horizons beyond usual and accepted norms, to surpass restrictions of conditioned sentiments, ideas and sensations. Diffusion of the One into the many, which the Kabbalah calls the “breaking of the vessels,” is a cause for the sufferings of humans which the Buddha strove to overcome. Attachment to the fictions of this life, which Hindus call maya, prevents the compassion and mercy of the divine, sought by Muslims, from entering our lives. Seeking to satisfy our superficial ego ignores the “kingdom of God” within us which Jesus urged us to discover. Each of us create the barriers to our own spiritual realization.

There seems to be a paradox to mystics’ vision. On the one hand, they say that we must find our own inner self, or soul, a true self-realization which discovers the divinity inherent within us. On the other hand, they also say that all souls are One, that there is unity to all existence beyond multiple and individual manifestations. This paradox exists only in rational consciousness, which tries to explain everything with reason, logic or images. That limits our experience.

Suprarational consciousness, complete intuitive insight realized in divine grace, is aware that our soul and all other souls are divine and that the spirits of the many are united in the Spirit of the One, without contradiction. Certainty of oneness overcomes most of the uncertainties of this life; liberation from ego and individuality leads to a freedom seldom experienced in worldly existence. Many of the downsides of ordinary living become upsides during divine living.

(quoted from "the greatest achievement in life," my free ebook on comparative mysticism)

avakesh

You are right but this is a different issue. You are talking about the Attributes and the issue in this post is One and Many: superfically similar but quite different issues. We will see, for example, that Rambam gives a different explanation here than he does in Yesodei Hatora 2:10 to the issue of Knowledge as an Attribute question.

aa

I disagree. The way Gd interacts with the many is through his knowledge by contemplating himself so to speak he knows all but this knowledge is in total unity with himself. In short we must say that Gd has intellect and knowledge otherwise this would be an imperfection in Him but we also must say that this intellect and knowledge cannot be separate from the essence of Gd himself otherwise Gd would be composite and require another force,purpose etc. outside himself to unite these and this can't be true by definition (since then that force would be Gd). So we are left with the conclusion that both must be true Gd has intellect,knowledge but this is in no way separate from him and He is total unity.

The comments to this entry are closed.