Mana Lore

Kabbalistic Buddhism

Transcendental Dependent Arising on the Tree of Life

Alexander Conroy

The cycle of continuity by which life is bound is commonly known as samsara in Buddhist religious doctrine and practice. Samsara exists because of a thirst or desire for becoming. Anything that becomes eventually perishes, thus creating the causal circle of suffering. The human psyche constructs a false idea of self due to this tendency to cling or attach to becoming. Suffering arises from this idea of a self that perishes, yet wishes to continue to become.

One of the most notable mandalas in Buddhist art is known as the Bhavacakra, or Wheel of Samsara/Life. The Bhavacakra is a representation of four primary Buddhist concepts: The twelve nidanas, the six realms of existence, the dual paths of light and dark, and the three driving forces behind the wheel: Greed, Hatred and Delusion.[1]Etz Hayyim, the Tree of Life. When I first encountered the Bhavacakra, I could not help but notice a resemblance to a diagram I have studied in Lurianic Kabbalah known as

The similarities demanded that I delve into further research on the diagrams. I realized, however, that because of the various interpretations and forms of both the Tree of Life and the Wheel of Life I would have to focus more on the ideology as opposed to the technical display in art. I will follow the diagrams as a guide and compare the concepts which are outlined. Due to the length and scope of such a project I will limit my analysis to the twelve nidanas and the ten sefirot. I will focus heavily on a concept known as transcendental dependent arising in an attempt to bring the two diagrams together. The causal chain of suffering and the twelve vessels which receive and emanate divine light both embody an essential property of human understanding of the way the world functions.

The Twelve Nidanas

The twelve nidanas, or causes, are displayed as the outer rim of the Bhavacakra. They are components of a process called paticcasamupadda, or Conditioned Genesis. Paticcasamupadda is a concept found in various texts including the Paticca-samuppada-vibhanga Sutta of the Samyutta Nikaya in the Pali Canon. It is a description of a causal chain that begins with ignorance and ends in death which then repeats itself. Everything in life is susceptible to this principle. The following is an edited excerpt from the Paticca-samuppada-vibhanga Sutta as translated by Thanissaro Bikkhu describing the twelve nidanas and its conditions:

1. From ignorance as a requisite condition come fabrications.

2. From fabrications as a requisite condition comes consciousness.

3. From consciousness as a requisite condition comes name-&-form.

4. From name-&-form as a requisite condition come the six sense media.

5. From the six sense media as a requisite condition comes contact.

6. From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling.

7. From feeling as a requisite condition comes craving.

8. From craving as a requisite condition comes clinging/sustenance.

9. From clinging/sustenance as a requisite condition comes becoming.

10. From becoming as a requisite condition comes birth.

11. From birth as a requisite condition, then,

12. Aging & death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair come into play.

Such is the origination of this entire mass of stress & suffering. [2]

I have added numbers next to each term for comparisons purposes. The Bhavacakra shows the above pattern in symbolic images beginning from the top of the wheel and flowing clockwise from one to twelve. It is believed that to disrupt or break the cycle would either present the practitioner with a glimpse of nirvana or full blown enlightenment. To escape from the Bhavacakra is to achieve nirvana which is a boundless state removed from the endless cycle of birth and death. Each nidana is conditioned by the previous, and furthermore conditions the next nidana. This principle is important because it establishes a hierarchy and fixed chain of events within the wheel. It is said that even the Gods are bound by this cycle, being under the ultimate illusion which is imparted on their ego: that they are immortal[3], when in fact everything that exists is impermanent.

Further research shows that there is a positive reference toward the causal chain known as lokuttara-paticcasamupadda, or transcendental dependent arising, that is found buried in the Upanisa Sutta. This text describes the ending of the cycle of suffering as the beginning of the cycle of transcendence. Stress and suffering become a prerequisite not of ignorance, but of conviction.

“conviction has stress & suffering as its prerequisite, joy has conviction as its prerequisite, rapture has joy as its prerequisite, serenity has rapture as its prerequisite, pleasure has serenity as its prerequisite, concentration has pleasure as its prerequisite, knowledge & vision of things as they actually are present has concentration as its prerequisite, disenchantment has knowledge & vision of things as they actually are present as its prerequisite, dispassion has disenchantment as its prerequisite, release has dispassion as its prerequisite, knowledge of ending has release as its prerequisite.”[4]

I believe lokuttara-paticcasamupadda is the key toward a comparison with the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. The Tree of Life is described with a more positive tone than paticcasamupadda. To interpret the direct opposite of its meanings would lead to many suspect assumptions that could invalidate a comparison. Often the path to enlightenment is described as going against or breaking the cycle at one of the nidanas to cause a chain reaction, freeing oneself from the rest of the cycle. When discussing lokuttara-paticcasamupadda we are still dealing with the concept of conditioned genesis, paticcasamupadda, yet in this case, the vehicle of suffering has been turned into a vehicle of liberation. According to Bikkhu Bodhi, this process describes the story of enlightenment of the Buddha. He began his search with the witnessing of suffering which generated conviction.[5] The understanding and harnessing of the method by which suffering comes about can be used as a tool. It is similar to understanding how one’s habits function, and then using the functionality of that habit to create a new one in its stead which manifests a desired quality.

The Ten Sefirot

In Lurianic Kabbalah, the ten sefirot seem the most accurate parallel to the twelve nidanas. Although the premises are not the same, mainly suffering not being the main result of the process of emanation, the method is. There are ten sefirot, each with its own purpose and interconnectedness towards the previous. The sefirot are considered vessels, empty shells until filled with divine light which stems from an infinite source beyond the finite void of creation. The void of creation is nothing else than the base material of which the entire universe is formed. The sefirot can be considered the backbone or infrastructure of the created universe. Their purpose is to channel the divine power from the infinite into creation. Were the full force of the infinite to enter into the void of creation, it would become reabsorbed into itself. Hence, the sefirot are the boundary between our world and the transcendent world. Each sefirah can be seen as a different plane or level of existence. The closer to the divine emanator the more subtle, abstract, pure and sacred the realm. The process of channeling this light is known as emanation; it is a process that begins with the divine will to create and culminates into manifestation within the void. All of creation comes about through this process. The sefirah Kether is commonly seen as the sefirah which expresses the boundary between the infinite light and the void of creation; however, Kether itself is still not connected to the infinite light directly even though it receives the divine ray of light.[6] This illustrates the transcendent and immanent relationship of the Infinite light from creation. The following is an edited list of the each sefirah’s Hebrew and English equivalent title, along with a short description as found in Chayyim Vital’s Etz Hayyim:

 

1. Keter (Crown) , The first sefirah, represents the will(ratzon) and desire to crea­te, the primal source of all creative activity…

2. Chokhmah (Wisdom), the first creative activity of the Emanator…

3. Binah (Understanding), the development, gestation, and unfolding of the conceptual details implicit in the ideas originating in Chokhmah…

4. Chesed (Lovingkindness, Benevolence, Grace), unconditional giving, unlimited kindness, total altruism-the free unrestrained outpouring of benevolent grace without regard to the merits of the recipient…

5. Gevurah (Strength, Might, Force), also called Din (Judgement, Law), is the opposite of Chesed-restraint and restriction, limiting the free flowing grace of Chesed…

6. Tiphareth( Beauty, Glory), harmonizes, balances, and blends the opposing forces of Chesed and Gevurah, making possible a balanced flow of energy and sustenance from the Infinite into the worlds…

7. Netzach (Victory, Endurance), active overcoming of obstacles, the conquest of anything that would interfere with the flow of divine energy…

8. Hod (Majesty, Splendor), represents empathy and consideration for others, limiting the domination that would be imposed on them if Netzach’s victory were total and unrestrained…

9. Yesod (Foundation), both balanced in Netzach and Hod and also acts as a funnel, collecting all of the preceding forces and channeling them into the tenth, sefirah, Malkhut…

10. Malkhut (Sovereignty, Kingdom), both the final stage in the creative process and the means of fulfillment, the instrument through which the creative potential that began in Chokhmah finally manifests itself as substantial reality. …it is the bridge between the seen and the unseen worlds.

Da’at () the revealed aspect of the hidden Keter[7]

Analysis: Twelve Nidanas and Ten Sefirot

There are striking similarities in concept between these two systems. Each is a diagram that portrays a linear cycle or process that occurs which manifests an action or result within the world. The Tree of Life is not displayed as a circle; however, it normally functions from top to bottom, from emanator to creation. The twelve nidanas are not displayed as a linear; however, they always function clockwise from ignorance to death. This is not to say that ignorance is an emanator, or that emanation begins through ignorance.

The fundamental difference in theology between the two concepts is the existence of a “who” behind the process of creation. In Lurianic Kabbalah there is a belief in a supreme infinite emanator, and in Buddhism the question “who” is behind the Bhavacakra, is unaddressed by the Buddha who proclaims such questions do not lead to the end of suffering.[8] Although in classical Buddhism there is no “who” driving the wheel of samsara, later developments and syncretism do indeed place a figure as the driving force, or wheel turner. In the Bhavacakra, there is an outline of a figure that is holding the wheel in its jaws known as Yama. Yama is the God of death which is both regarded with horror as the prime mover of samsara, and revered as a guardian of spiritual practice.[9] This character would not technically be considered the emanator, but merely the guardian of the wheel, the separation between the infinite or nirvana and the world. In Hekhalot, Heavenly Hall, literature which eventually became absorbed into broader Kabbalistic practice, there is said there are guardians preventing seekers from ascending to the next sefirah. Upon reaching the sixth hekhal Rabbi Azzai “…opened his mouth twice and said ‘Water water.’ In a wink they cut off his head and threw ten thousands iron cutters at him. This became a sign for all generations that a person should not err at the entrance to the sixth hekhal.”[10] The concepts of terrible guardians, as well as grotesque descriptions of creatures and the pain and suffering they inflict are found throughout both literatures. I believe they represent the horrible fear humanity has toward facing the demons within. Guardians of habit and ego do not give sanction to the untrained. Practitioners must be prepared to be tested before they are allowed to transcend the mundane. To go beyond Yama is similar to going beyond Kether and reaching the ultimate source.

The Tree of Life is a group of ten vessels which receive divine emanation, which then in turn emanate that light at a lesser frequency or power. This divine light could be compared to the continuity of thought moments as described in Buddhism. The unknowable link that creates the causal development of a thought as well as everything in the universe is a mystery yet a fact of existence. An interruption in the causal chain causes the rest of the chain to be illumined and understood to the point where it no longer holds value or sway over an individual.

An interruption of the divine light occurs when a sefirah on the tree of life begins to ascend toward the emanator. Both of these actions require the cultivation of the ideal form of the nidana or sefirah in question. If mercy is cultivated, that sefirah of mercy comes closer to the emanator, and in doing so, ceases to emanate until it has achieved its goal. If one cultivates proper practice to cease attachment, attachment ceases and as such no longer fulfills the prerequisite for the next step in the chain of suffering. The Buddhist poet Santideva eloquently scribes: “Without the Void (sunyata) the imprisoned thought is reborn again, even after attainment of the stage of unconsciousness. Therefore one should cultivate the Void (sunyata)”.[11]

When one of the sefirah ascends to the emanator to attain a higher state, the light of which it emanates is denied to creation, or Malkuth, which is the end receptacle (sefirah) of the Kabbalistic process of manifestation. The light instead is fed directly from the source of the infinite into manifestation.[12] The principle of ascending sefirah and reconfiguring the vessels is known as tikkun.[13] This glimpse of the divine is extremely similar to an epiphany in which reality is observed as it truly is because of a removal or lack of filter. The filter in Buddhism is the false concept of self or ego. I propose the uncultivated sefirot to be the filter in Lurianic Kabbalah, representing aspects of human being that can be active, balanced, or extinguished. When the filter is removed, even for a moment, in practices such as meditation, the practitioner experiences a spiritual experience beyond material or profane means. The practitioner is connected to the pure source of which is unveiled. The realization is similar to the Buddhist stanza: rupa shunyatam, shunyata rupam: form is emptiness, emptiness is form.[14] Lurianic Kabbalah portrays creation as a void within the infinite. The emptiness is what is seen in reality as form. The correlation between the Buddhist and Kabbalistic concept of reality and its emptiness is astonishing.

This interruption of light and the interruption of paticcasamupadda imply that there is a similarity between the divine experience and the world in which we exist. The world in which we exist always exists even if we are within a divine or ecstatic experience. The sefirot, which cease to emanate while ascending, inevitably continue emanating once at the appropriate level.[15] The nidanas, once ceased, bring about the realization: samsara is nirvana and nirvana is samsara.[16] The line between the sacred and the profane is blurred and one comes to a realization that everything is sacred and everything is profane. There is no duality, only an interconnectedness of reality.

Transcendental Dependent Arising

In the Upanisa Sutta, a positive form of the twelve nidanas is presented. This is an extremely powerful sutta as it uses the very functionality of the wheel which binds to become a wheel which liberates. I have already mentioned the basics of this process above, the following discussion will place the sefirot and positive nidanas side by side in an attempt to find a continuity or flow from one cause to the next as well as a similarity in the prerequisites of each station. For technical purposes, I have added Da’at as an 11^th, sefirah between Binah and Chesed. Da’at is considered the revealed aspect of a hidden Kether, a sefirah which requires self cultivation to present itself. It is not often displayed on the Tree of life, but is sometimes considered a transient sefirah which exists and yet does not. In the Upanisa Sutta, there is a oddity in that only eleven transcendental nidanas are mentioned. Because of both of these exceptions, the two processes can now be directly compared. It is interesting to note how one is reduced, and one is increased in order to arrive at this number eleven. Below is a chart with direct comparisons:

Pali Name	Transcendental Nidanas	Sefirot	Hebrew Name
Saddha	Conviction / Faith	Crown	Kether
Pamojja	Joy	Wisdom	Chokmah
Piti	Rapture	Understanding	Binah
Passaddhi	Serenity / Tranquility	Knowledge	Da'at
Sukha	Pleasure / Happiness	Mercy	Chesed
Samadhi	Concentration	Strength	Geburah
Yathabhutañanadassana	Knowledge and vision of things as they are	Beauty	Tiphareth
Nibbida	Disenchantment	Victory	Netzach
Viraga	Dispassion	Splendor	Hod
Vimutti	Release	Foundation	Yesod
Asavakkhaye ñana	Knowledge of Ending of Suffering	Kingdom	Malkuth

The order of the nidanas is maintained for significance and correlation with the sefirot. Mathematically it makes sense to compare the two systems directly by numerical order. It was tempting at first to reverse the order because of the apparent correlation between conviction and Kingdom. This was however found to be folly and led down an analytically erroneous path. The positive cycle must be cultivated first with wisdom and understanding. Kether stands more firmly as a root which would bring about conviction because a crowned king must learn to develop his kingdom through wisdom and understanding. The metaphor of the crown is interesting in Kabbalistic literature. To develop one’s self by cultivating the higher functions grants dominion of the process of manifestation. There needs to be a desire to cultivate such ability and accept ones kingdom. Just so, conviction attained from suffering as the original stimulus, culminates into the knowledge of ending of suffering.

Since there is no emanator within the nidanas, the order may be compared from top to bottom or bottom to top. To attain divine experience cultivation of the various aspects of the tree are necessary so that they engage in the process of ascension. This ascension process implies that there is a method of “climbing” the tree, or at least moving from one station to the next. Although much of this process is speculation, this is where the comparative essence of this process brings the two ideologies together. The following will explain the correlation of the sefirot with the nidanas. Afterwards a collaborative conclusion will be drawn bringing these two traditions, one from India, and one from the Middle East, together in essential conceptualization of the world and how it functions

Comparison: Eleven Transcendental Nidanas and Eleven Sefirot

For simplicities sake the following discussion will refer to the Hebrew translation of the sefirot as well as pali terms for the nidanas:

The sefirah Kether, or the Crown is paired with transcendental nidana of Saddha, conviction; Kether “is the will and desire to create, the primal source of all creation”[17] Saddha is, “… the mobilizing force of action, stirring up the energy to actualize the ideal”[18]. Without a desire to create, without saddha in ones path, nothing can manifest. The infinite light is full of saddha, it directs its energy consistently toward Kether. Kether then directs and engages all of creation, manifesting divine will throughout the rest of the Tree of Life.

Chockmah, or wisdom represents “the first creative activity of the emanator”. Its nidana counterpart is pamojja, Joy. Pamojja that comes through realizing one's purity confirms the confidence originally placed in a teaching. Pamojja, the initial creative act is the manifestation of the conceptualization of creation in Kether. Just so, pamojja confirms saddha toward creation by taking that first step and proving its validity. This is the fundamental first step taken toward any path. It is confirmation that a person has brought his search out of the abstract and into his process or cycle.

Binah means understanding; it is different than wisdom in that it is the unfolding of the first steps taken by Chockmah. The nidana piti, or rapture is the display of faith within the first steps taken. Piti is complete absorption with the task at hand, complete trust and faith in the steps that are being taken. Chockmah, by title alone describes the understanding of the wisdom by which one has set forth on their journey. Through understanding are abstract concepts brought into the world.

Da’at is normally not considered a sefirah, it is commonly referred to as knowledge. It is the product of a balanced Binah and Chockmah. It is considered to be conditioned by Binah and Chockmah because of its description as the revealed aspect of the hidden Kether. It is the culmination of abstract concept, its realization, and its implementation toward manifestation. It is a base by which the next pair of balanced sefirah, gevurah and chesed can remain one. Numerically it is the fourth sefirah, matching it with the nidana of serenity, pasaddhi. Piti implies an emotional bias and one sidedness that must be balanced.[19] Passaddhi describes the balance Da’at brings between Chochmah and Binah. It represents the culmination of skills and attributes necessary to continue the path. It is like preparing a backpack for a journey. To walk along the path in serenity and tranquility one must have the tools, knowledge, and courage to progress.

The next sefirah, Chesed, embodies the aspects of divine mercy. It is compassion and altruism to the extreme. It is unconditional giving and kindness. Sukha is known as happiness. It is the happiness of access to the path one has been granted to follow. It is appreciation and satisfaction. It is not as exuberant as piti, but it is a beneficial and pleasing state to be in. Chesed in a way resembles this as well. The person is so full of love and compassion that all else does not matter. Chesed however represents one pole of a yet balanced polarity which culminates in Tiphareth, as we will see sukha is a polarity which balances Samadhi, allowing the experience of yathabhutañanadassana.

Geburah is the opposite force of Chesed. It is strength and judgment, severity in discernment. Geburah restricts the free flowing Chesed, funneling its energy toward specific goals and manifestations. The nidana samadhi is similar to this sefirah. Samadhi means concentration, which is the fine tuning of sukha. It requires a refocus of balance within the cycle. Geburah is a form of concentration; concentration is a strict form of discernment which allows for one mindedness and meditation. It is particularly eerie how similar Geburah and samadhi are. It would be unlikely to assume that judgment and strength had anything to do with meditation or concentration, but reflection on the subject does indeed prove a correlation exist between the two. The greatest form of discernment comes from a concentrated mind.

The balancing of Geburah and Chesed is known as Tiphareth. It is the pathway by which the balanced energies of the higher sefirah flow into the world for manifestation. The entire upper portion of the tree is a system of subtle abstract opposing forces which go through series of checks and balances and eventually end up at Tiphareth. Yathabhutañanadassana is the knowledge and vision of things as they are.[20] What better nidana would describe the culmination of the past six? Through the entire cycle, at this point there is an epiphany, an opening in which three primary characteristics of the samsara, as a whole, is realized: impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and selflessness.[21] This vision is the vision of balance, one knows how the previous nidanas have conditioned and will condition the next. Within Tiphareth one can see the progress and future of the entire Tree.

Netzach is the sefirah which means victory, it is the “active overcoming of obstacles, the conquest of anything that would interfere with the flow of divine energy…”[22] “Nibbida, or disenchantment signifies in short, the serene, dignified withdrawal from phenomena which supervenes when the illusion of their permanence, pleasure, and selfhood has been shattered by the light of correct knowledge and vision of things as they are.”[23] The active overcoming of obstacles in Netzach would be signified by an aversion or revulsion toward the obstacle which is a product of nibbida. The realization of the true nature of the world, the beauty of it, drives the practitioner forth without hesitation. Balance has been cultivated, the veil has been lifted, and the world holds no sway on the practitioner.

Hod means splendor, it represents consideration and empathy that would otherwise be missing from an unbridled Netzach. Its counterpart is viraga, dispassion. Viraga describes the necessity to confront samsara, not turn away and lose oneself in a blissful void. Viraga makes sure that a practitioner remains focused on his goal and does not sway or fall prey to a false attainment due to emotional lack of consideration. Hod is considered empathy, in the case of viraga, it is empathy toward a person’s own emotional state. Netzach brings the ability to thwart any obstacles, Hod makes sure thwarting the obstacles does not become an obstacle itself.

Yesod is the foundation of the Tree of Life. It is where release or Vimutti occurs. Yesod gathers all of the balanced energy of the Tree of Life and funnels it into the final sefirah Malkuth. This is where the practitioner experiences his release from the cycle of suffering. It is an intense experience yet at the same time relaxing and peaceful. All of the balanced energy from traveling on the Tree is culminated in Yesod, where Vimutti occurs.

The final step is Malkuth, which is both “the final stage in the creative process and the means of fulfillment, the instrument through which the creative potential that began in Chokhmah finally manifests itself as substantial reality. …it is the bridge between the seen and the unseen worlds.” [24] Asavakkhaye nana, the knowledge of the ending of suffering. This is the state in which the practitioner realizes he is free of suffering and knows the entire process of how it came to be. It is the culmination of the entire process which started with Saddha and Kether. There is no rebirth, no falling into the cycle of samsara, no re-emanation for the practitioner who is now known as an Arahant.[25]

Conclusion

It is amazing how similar these two concepts are. The process of emanation described in Lurianic Kabbalah matches almost exactly that of paticcasamupadda. Both of these systems are diagrams of how the world functions, how it manifests itself through series of causes and conditions. There is an ongoing process of refinement and balance throughout each system that culminates into an experience of supra mundane proportions. Both diagrams follow the traditional set path of manifestation, yet while cultivating each step or cause to its fullest, they become a tool for enlightenment or divine experience. Although both systems come from very different backgrounds they both come up with the same conclusion. Human beings fool themselves into thinking that there is a schism between the sacred and profane. This is all illusory, made up because of the ignorance toward cultivating the sefirot or nidanas. Everything is sacred, from stones to humans. Freedom from these illusions brings the promise of paradise to the practitioner and all those around him. This comparison is worth further study. There are many more concepts within the Bhavacakra which I would have enjoyed to explore, such as the similarity of the five worlds of Creation in Lurianic Kabbalah with the six karmic realms. It is wonderful to realize that there may be a universal understanding of the world and how it functions, an objective truth one would say, only translated into vast arrays of subjective words.

References

Bhikkhu, Thanissaro (1997). Paticca-samuppada-vibhangaSutta: analysis of Dependent Co-

Arising. SN 12.2. http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn12/sn12.002.than.html

Bhikkhu, Thanissaro (1997). Upanisa Sutta Prerequisites. SN 12.23.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn12/sn12.023.than.html

Bhikku, Thanissaro (2000)Avijjapaccaya Sutta: From Ignorance as a Requisite Condition SN

12.35. http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn12/sn12.035.than.html

Bodhi, Bhikkhu (1980). Transcendental Dependent Arising: A Translation and Exposition of the

Upanisa Sutta. The Wheel. Publication No. 277/278. Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1980. http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/wheel277.html

Dan, Joseph. The Ancient Jewish Mysticism. Israel: MOD Books, 1993.

Epstein, Mark. MD. Thoughts without a Thinker. New York: BasicBooks, 1995

Garfield, Jay L. The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way: Nagarjuna’s

Mulamadhyamakakarika. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995.

Gombrich, Richard F., How Buddhism Began. New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal.

Kaplan, Aryeh. Meditation and Kabbalah. York Beach: Samuel Weiser, 1982.

Matics, Marion L. Entering the Path of Enlightenment: The Bodhicaryavatara of the Buddhist

Poet Santideva. London: The Macmillian Company, 1970.

Menzi, Donald W. and Zwe Padeh. The Tree of Life: Chayyim Vital’s Introduction to the

Kabbalah of Isaac Luria – The Palace of Adam Kadmon. New Jersey: Jason Aronson

Inc., 1999.