Upholding the World

With palms together,

Good Afternoon All,

In my very shallow study of kabbalah, I am coming to more deeply appreciate the actuality of Oneness. A 13th century kabbalist pointed out that "Being is in nothingness the mode of nothingness and nothingness is in being in the mode of being". In other words, as Rabbi Matt points out, "Nothing is being and being is nothingness".

Hmmm...sounds an awful lot like "Oh, Shariputra, form is emptiness and emptiness is form" to me.

We are left with the next step. In Zen the next step is always a step into the manifestation of the paramitas. In kabbalistic Judaism (which has become very much integrated into mainstream belief) the next step is always the partnership with the Divine Image to being completion to the Universe and we do this through manifesting the various "seferot". This is more specifically accomplished through doing the mitzvot (commandments regarding our actions).

"One pillar extends from earth to heaven. Its name is Righteous One, named for the righteous. If there are righteous people in the world, the pillar is strengthened, if not, it is weakened. It upholds the entire world, as it is written: 'The righteous one is the foundation of the world' " (the Essential Kabbalah, Daniel Matt, p. 78).

Here we might think of Buddha Nature as the pillar, zazen as the practice of the "righteous" (those committed to a life of practice), and realize the fact that the practice of Zen upholds the universe.

In fact, the practice of a disciplined spiritual practice is the universe.

Be well.