The Gunas on the Tree of Life

I have invented a new interpretation of the Tree of Life. As it presupposes basic knowledge of the three gunas [modes of nature] of Hindu philosophy, I will quote Krishna on them. In fact, these quotes may be a good introduction to my new interpretation, as their subject matter has been the key, as it were, that opened my mind to it.

"SATTVA, RAJAS, TAMAS - light, fire, and darkness - are the three constituents of nature. They appear to limit in finite bodies the liberty of their infinite Spirit.*"
[The Bhagavad Gita, book 14, mantra 5, translation Mascaro.]

Translator's note: "* SATTVA, RAJAS, and TAMAS are the three 'Gunas', or the three 'strands' which, intertwined, are both the constituents and the changing conditions of nature. They are the light and harmony of pure intelligence and goodness; the fire and desire of impure mental energy and restless passion; and the darkness of dullness and inertia. Until final freedom is attained, they are clouds of matter darkening the Sun of the Spirit."

In my interpretation, which combines Hindu philosophy with Crowley's philosophy of the Qabalah, the "attainment" of this "final freedom" amounts to the attainment of Understanding, the initiate's reaching Binah, the 3rd Sephira, - to the crossing of the Abyss. I have always been suspicious as to the overwhelming, Apocalyptic qualities of the change of consciousness occurring to the initiate at this point, as imagined by some. To me, to the contrary, it seemed that this change - Apocalypse simply means 'revelation' - would rather be very subtle, a slight change, a shifting over the gravity point that, in a manner of speaking, could be a movement of less than an inch.

To Be Continued

Looking forward to more...

This sounds very interesting, Sauwelios. I am looking forward to hearing more!

The Gunas on the Tree: Continuation

I came to my interpretation by resolving the paradox that Krishna's words, in the chapter already quoted from, gave rise to: the paradox that Krishna's transcendence of the three gunas, Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas, is itself a form of Sattva, of harmony:

"He who hates not light, nor busy activity, nor even darkness, when they are near, neither longs for them when they are far;
Who unperturbed by changing conditions sits apart and watches and says 'the power of nature go round', and remains firm and shakes not;
Who dwells in his inner self, and is the same in pleasure and pain; to whom gold or stones or earth are one, and what is pleasing or displeasing leave him in peace; who is beyond both praise and blame, and whose mind is steady and quiet;
Who is the same in honour or disgrace, and has the same love for enemies and friends, who surrenders all his selfish undertakings - this man has gone beyond the three."
[ibid., mantras 22-25.]

This is not the harmony of which he says it "binds to earthly happiness and to lower knowledge" in mantra 6; it is a higher harmony. Thus there is a distinction between different forms of Sattva. My proposition is that there are three main divisions. These are - what wonder! - Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. These three main divisions correspond to the three Triangles on the Tree of Life. Each of these has an active - Rajasic - component, a passive - Tamasic - component, and a harmony between the two, a Sattvic component. The active components are represented by the Sephiroth on the Pillar of Mercy, the passive ones by the Sephiroth on the Pillar of Severity, and the harmonious ones by those on the Middle Pillar, the Pillar of Equilibrium.

The Rajas of Sattva

It is hard to clarify myself, because these findings are mostly Neschamic, that is to say, supra-rational, intuitive: what to me is self-evident may not be so to others: it may even run contrary to their feelings. When I say Kether is Sattva of Sattva, pure Sattva - unattached harmony, "pure bliss", bliss without attachment to the feeling of bliss - I trust that few will feel too differently about this. When I say Chokmah is Rajas of Sattva, that is to say activity, and even passion, without attachment to its fruits, I'm not so sure. Perhaps I would do better to explain myself.

It seems to me that this Rajas of Sattva is the "theme" of the Bhagavad Gita, the goal which Krishna's whole discourse intends. The story, in short, is at follows. Just before the great battle of Kuruksetra, which happens deep in the vast Indian epic, the Mahabharata, Arjuna, the general, refuses to fight. His army stands against an army led by some of his old friends, and even members of his family, and he does not dare fight them because of the grave Karmic consequences this may have. Krishna has an answer to this dilemma, however.

"It seems that Arjuna is persuaded to fight because Krishna has inspired him to believe that there is an attitude that can be taken by a person towards his or her activities which maximizes the creative benefit of those activities as well as ensuring that psychological and spiritual ill-effects do not accrue to the individual concerned. Krishna calls this attitude yoga".
[Simon Brodbeck, Introduction to the Mascaro translation.]

Krishna impels him, then, to the Rajas of Sattva: being active and even passionate, yet in a state of harmony, of Sattva, of yoga. For Rajas is the typical warrior's state of mind: a warrior must be positively impassioned in his activity in order to triumph, like the Celtic Berserkers, who literally went berserk in battle, Hulked in battle. Rajas is cognate to the Latin word rex, king [a Maharaja is a Great King], and designates a ruling spirit. We may compare this Rajas of Sattva to Crowley's description of Chokmah:

"In the middle, that of Chokmah, the Energy passes wholly through oneself: that is, one assumes the functions of Tahuti."
[Little Essays toward Truth, Energy.]

Arjuna, then, should annihilate his enemies not by rationally working toward this end, which would cost Karma, but by being a medium through which the Light, the Energy of Kether, could shine upon them, incinerating them, like the light from Shiva's mind's eye:

"Throw off this ignoble discouragement, and arise like a fire that burns all before it."
[Krishna, The Bhagavad Gita, section 2.3]

"In the highest, that is of Kether, the Energy radiates wholly from oneself: that is, one is entirely identified with Hadit.
In the middle, that of Chokmah, the Energy passes wholly through oneself: that is, one assumes the functions of Tahuti.
In the lowest, that is of Geburah, the Energy impinges wholly upon oneself: that is, one absorbs it as a man."
[Crowley, Little Essays, Energy.]

In the above case, the case of Arjuna, Arjuna in Chokmah is like a glass, Krishna in Kether like the sun, and their enemies in Geburah, the katabolic Sephira, like a piece of paper at the focal point - they are burned.