zaterdag 12 november 2005

The Tridoshic Sefirot

The ayurvedic medicine separates three essences through which the living tissues can be influenced. They are called the Tridoshas and consist of three elements: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. The can be more or less associated to the elements earth, fire and air (water).
The idea to separate the world into triads seems intriguing. Most cultures give a more or less dualistic worldview. The Yi King use hexagrams based upon two extremes: Yin an Yang (yet pointing to the origin, the Tao where dualism disappears); the kaballistic tree makes use of two side pillars, one rather active and one rather passive symbolizing the path of consciousness wandering about away from the central path. In kabbalah also the dualism disappears above a certain level of consciousness.

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In the sefirotic worldview the right, active path makes use of the following sequence:
Netzach (eternal repetition)
Chesed (compassion)
Chochmah (wisdom)
And the passive path uses the following emanations:
Hod (reflection)
Geburah (justice)
Binah (understanding).
As a mental exercise I would like to think what would happen with 'Sefirot PO Tridoshas'. In other terms, how would the tree look like if tradic instead of dualistic? I suppose for a dogmatic kabbalist this could be the representation of one of the fallen kingdoms of Edom, an kellipotic experiment that didn't work out because the energetic relationship between the emanations couldn't come to balance.

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I wonder what aspects of earth, fire and air could be meaningful on the level of realization (reflection / repetition), on the level of formation (justice / compassion) and on the level of creation (understanding / wisdom).
Of course problems arise. Some mirrored paths (like the one through Daath) couldn't be mirrored no more. Numbers change so does the gematria and the meaning of all things. Kabbalah is an extremely fine-tuned mathematical system. Frankly I doubt it would be possible to build an equally working model if changing the premises. Also my knowledge of ayurveda is to say the least very limited!
I'll let this rest and maybe I'll pick up the thread in the future.

Update
Loplop Dadamax sees a similitude with "The Hat makes the Man" by Max Ernst!
Watch your overcoat.

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