Today we will explore two more elucidations from 'The Seventh Day':
The English word for God is misleading, however it is useful to see it as synonymous with the Unconscious, and also Reality.
The English word 'God' is thought to have Anglo-Saxon origins, related to the relativistic Germanic word Gut, which also means ‘good’ (as opposed to ‘bad’). It has been suggested by some scholars that the Anglo-Saxon term in turn, came out of an earlier Indo-European word (Ghu-tó-m), meaning one who is called or invoked. This would place the original meaning of the word ‘god’ into the context of Pagan gods who could be invoked for example, to win battles, give successful crops or a hunt, give blessings, for fertility and children, wealth or curses on enemies or enhance survival in the face of the elements. This primitive concept, along with the capitalisation of the ‘G’ by later Christian sources to denote the God of Monotheism, has promoted the popular belief in a supernatural being, who when invoked by the prayers of the faithful has to apparently break the laws of physics to answer them. Modern Atheist scientists of course find it impossible to accept the existence of such a supernatural being. However, controversially it could sometimes be said that some people simply replace the word 'God' with the word 'Nature', which is an equivalent anthropomorphism, (as for example in 'Mother Nature').
The Greek word for God; Theos, as well as the Latin Deus, are almost certainly related to the Indo-European Sanskrt word, Deva (or its feminine form; Devi). The etymology of God’s Hebrew names is also very interesting, and God has many names in Hebrew. Since that was the ancient language known by the founders of Judaism as well as Jesus (who was not the founder of Christianity), it is worthy of further examination. The most commonly used names of God in Hebrew are EL (God), ELOHIM (God, literally Divine Mother), ADONOI (My Lord), SHADDAI (Almighty), HAKADOSH BARUCH HU, (Holy One Blessed be He) and finally YAHWEH. We will write this name as YHVH. That is because in Hebrew this Holiest of God’s names contains four Hebrew letters; Yod- Heh- Vav and again Heh. In Greek this was known as Tetragrammaton (four-lettered name). Some Hebrew names of God may be derived from earlier cultures, EL for example, occurs in Ugaritic and Canaanitish inscriptions and almost certainly pre-dates Judaism. Other names may be epithets, such as a HAKADOSH BARUCH HU, but the origin of the name YHVH is unknown. This name is the most mysterious and does not occur in any antecedent culture. We must therefore assume that it is uniquely Hebrew in origin.
It may be easier to understand Jewish mystical texts such as the Kabbalah, if we realise that the names of God, although often anthropomorphic, are not so much descriptions of rather large supernatural beings, as cardinal aspects of reality, or as CG Jung would call it, the Unconscious. He would also call these cardinal aspects of the Unconscious, Archetypes. According to all mystical traditions, reality is comprised of the Macrocosm, which is ultimately unknowable, and the Microcosm, which contains an 'image' of the macrocosm and is expressed generally in the physical cosmos but specifically within human beings. Once again, CG Jung would echo this idea in his description of the 'Personal Unconscious as a subset of the the Universal Unconscious. This idea also has some commonality with the more recent Holographic theory of the Universe (for example Pribam and Bohm), who believe that they found scientific evidence for this concept. Jewish mystical scriptures give us an extensive description of the Macrocosm and its creation, but although they hint at it, not so much the knowledge of how human beings as Microcosms may unite with the Macrocosm. Indian tradition, portrays God in part, as a state that may be attained through the practice of Yoga, and also describes in detail the anatomy of the Microcosm (for example through the knowledge of the Chakras), and how a human being may attain uniion with the Macrocosm. The Sanskrit term, Atma Paramatma, (meaning individual spirit and universal spirit), suggests that union between Microcosm and Macrocosm. The Hebrew name YHVH is the Hebrew symbol of the union between the Macrocosm and Microcosm, which describes the ultimate nature of reality. The first pair letters YH (Yod plus Heh) depict the masculine and feminine aspects of the ultimate reality in complete union. Yod describes the singularity that underpins existence itself and Heh is the Primordial Mother (also known as ELOHIM). The second pair of letters (Vav plus Heh), describe the Microcosm, epitomised as a perfected human being (cf the term, 'Son of Man). The constant theme here is the letter Heh, which represents the Divine Mother, who as ELOHIM is involved in the creation of the Macrocosm and ultimately the Microcosm (which could pertain to the physical universe and also to human beings, depending in which sense it is being used. As Shechina, She also helps human beings on their ascent towards Her Union with the Divine. In this respect, both Hebrew and Indian traditions seem to broadly be in agreement, in spite of cultural and etymological differences. In the Kabbalistic Book of the Zohar, there are many references to the importance of this union of the what they term, 'the Bride', and the Supernal King.
The online Oxford Dictionary defines 'reality', amongst other more prosaic meanings, as: “The state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them”.
Philosophers have long occupied their minds with such questions. In the 19th century Rene Descartes coined the phrase; ‘I think therefore I am’, and today’s problems are no longer epistemological or doctrinal, no longer questions of national identity or race, but of who or what we are in relation to reality. Science has blown a huge hole in our theoretical theology, which was the boundary of our old reality. Today’s problems are existential, a search for personal ontology, for the nature of existence, for truth and who we are in relation to it. In the past we thought we knew answers to such questions, and for many, even to question the established religious view would have been considered heretic.
The Oxford Dictionary definition is very interesting in as much as it suggests reality is not a function of our perception or desire of how it should be, (bounded by our belief systems), as much as a theoretical hyper-reality, of which we can only know a small part. This also raises the question of the experience of subjectivity and objectivity.
The rational mind works well enough at the level of the mundane world most of the time, for solving practical problems and reasoning out theories from existing evidence. However what we take to be reality is often coloured by our attention in the past or towards the future. It is interesting that there are those in the past, (for example the early Christian Philosopher Augustine), who have described an 'Eternal Present'. We will examine this idea in more depth in future blogs, but it would be good to consider where reality may be found and whether the rational mind is really always in contact with it. If we decide that we will judge “the state of things as they exist” by describing the world through the logic of the rational mind, we should understand that the rational mind is itself a product of a greater reality. If we accept the principle of Darwinian evolution, then the rational mind must have evolved from something else - so however important it is, it cannot be fundamental to reality. Our whole experience of the world is subjective, and in all probability there is no possibility of pure objectivity in our normal conscious state.
If the rational mind is not fundamental to reality then what is? We spend two thirds of our time awake and approximately a third of our time asleep. So we can say that our most common experience of reality comprises around 66% being awake and 33% asleep. In these two states of consciousness, most of us experience for a large part of that time, mundane thoughts and perhaps mundane dreams. However, for some a more salient third state of awareness may manifest. When an artist for example, creates or performs, or when an athlete is at their best, they enter into this third state. Some have described this state as being an instrument for an unconscious stream of creativity that seems to work through them. It has been likened to being connected to a reservoir of a greater intelligence that is neither personal, conscious nor rational, or of being 'in the zone'. One may be highly trained and talented, yet it is often not the rational mind that made people create the greatest works of Art, compose the most sublime pieces of music, invent life changing technology or come up with new scientific theories.
A very few people in history have described a fourth and ultimate state of consciousness, which we know of as 'Enlightenment', Nirvana or Self Realisation. The most famous such experience is that described by the Buddha, who after much searching and deprivation, attained it some two thousand five hundred years ago in India. In this state of rapture, all consciousness of being an individual is lost, there may be an overwhelming sense of divinity, love and peace. They may see great visions or gain great insights into how to help the human state. However, for most people this state remains unconscious. Because this state was thought, (by CG Jung), to underpin all of human consciousness, even though most people are unaware of it, he named it the 'Unconscious'. He described the process of 'Individuation' as being the force that even unconsciously, drives all human beings to try to seek it in some way in their own lives. It is also the force that urges a few to consciously seek their Enlightenment.
Reality for most of us is a subtle combination of these four states of consciousness, conditioned by our senses, conditioned reactions and social skills, rather than it being solely controlled by our rational mind and personal emotions.
Jewish Mysticism primarily focusses on the creation of the Macrocosm. This knowledge is expressed through the Four Worlds (Arba'a Olamim), which is a description of the descent of the Ultimate through descending Worlds of decreasing subtlety, until we come to our own physical world. In Indian tradition, because their focus is on the Microcosm and its path towards Self Realisation, they describe Four States of consciousness of increasing subtlety, that are only accessible through successively deeper states of meditation until Divine Union or Enlightenment is experienced in the highest and fourth state, (Turya).
Next time :
- The Jewish God YHVH (Jahweh), is a close equivalent to the Hindu mantra; AUM
- The Son of God/Man, Holy Trinity and word Amen all have their origins in mystical Judaism, not Christianity.
Please do let me know if you have any questions, comments or corrections.
Thanks again for reading.
Ray
Somebody noticed that by the 19th century, Renee Descartes would have been over 200 years old!
ReplyDeleteShould have read "...17th century philosopher".
Thanks.