5. SEFIROT

Within Chan Buddha Dharma all begins really with the evolution of the Life Force, which has its equivalent in the Kabbalah as the Crown (Keter).

We then consider the two hemispheres as containing the base of all life, the natural programs in the right hemisphere and the expression of those programs in the left. In the Kabbalah we have corresponding elements of the model designated as Binah (Intelligence) and Hokhmah (Wisdom) respectively.

In Chan Dao the equivalent operation of Binah (intelligence) is that of the Masculine principle of Expression which transforms the programs of the Mother Principle (natural wisdom). This natural wisdom in Chan Dao is refered to as "the newborn child" or as "the uncarved wood"  and the Life Force is considered the fount of both which at birth is manifested as all know as Undifferentiated Light.

The Kabbalah explains that these three brought Light into the world but are not really part of the physical world.

The physical world for Chan Dao is dominated by Cognition and its quality directed by the Light provided by the Masculine Principle. The Kabbalah terms this the Energy of Gevurah or Din (Judgment or Justice) and the corresponding energy that is derived from Hokhmah is termed Hesed (Mercy)

In Chan Dao Dharma this Mercy is clearly what we term the Sublime States of Gladness, True Compassion and Benevolent Affect, the concommitants of which are natural and correct attitudes, intentions and readiness to respond.

TIFERET

In the Kabbalah we now find the central element called Tiferet which means Beauty, which is related to Jacob the quiet man. The concept quiet is considered as the state of being Complete, so that central element brings together the four previous elements which for Chan Dao are feminine Wisdom and masculine Intelligence, the Sublime States of survival (Gladness, Compasson and Benevolent Affect) and correct and natural Cognition.

We may consider then this central element which the Kabbalah terms Tiferet as correponding to the true  illusion of Self/non-Self. The Kabbalah terms this as the becoming of Israel, the Identity of every Jew (considered as the perfect potential, of course).

HOD and NEZAH

While the correspondance is remarkable in the higher elements with the Chan Dao model, which is a guide to correct contemplation, Hod and Nezah appear to move us into the apparent real world, for Hod (Glory or Majesty) is a manifestation of the total energy of the left column (left hemisphere in Chan Dao terms).

This then is ACTION or ACTIVITY generated within the world of Samsara.

Nezah (Victory) for Chan Dao would be considered as the Victory of the right hemisphere (function, essence and undifferentiated form in balancing Cognition and preventing the natural Self from reification as Identity illusions of real "I" "me" and "mine").

Nezah then is the correct balance and nourishment of the evolved right hemisphere processes.

We then find in the Kabbalah model the coming together of Tiferet, Hod and Nezah within Yesod (foundation).

YESOD

It is here in the Kabbalah that  all the energy of the higher sefirot is brought down to a physical level. In Chan Dao we would consider that as the Valid Perception that prevents debilitating Duality of the mind. Yesod then is correctly termed the Foundation, where name and form are brought together without the presence of a dual mind that gives apparent differences false reality.

Finally we have the last of the ten sefirot, Malkhut (Kingdom)

MALKHUT or SHEKHINAH

This represents the apparently real world where the battle is fought between what is natural and correct and the power of the false Identity and the subconscious presence of Confusion, Greed and Aversion.

For the Kabbalah this is the battle of God's Presence in the world.

It is evident that those who have really advanced upon the Chan Dao path can understand the amazing similarity at this level of the Kabbalah model and a Jewish person of the Kabbalah can, therefore, at this point readily see the similarity between the two philosophical and spiritual positions, which is as it should be.