6. THE LIGHT AND THE VESSELS

It should be clear then, if one examines the sefirot in terms of the Light or purity, that the higher in the Sefirot model one looks the greater is the Light while when we reach an examination at the level of the Kingdom or in our terms Samsara, the world of Illusion, the more the Vessel or the human creature with lesser Light has control.

The highest level then represents the Desire to Give, in our Chan Dao terms the Natural survival processes of the human creature and his true nature, while when we reach the Kingdom level we find that the Desire to Receive is paramount.

It is here then that the Malkhut, Kingdom, level is where temptation exists and Identity Duality exercises its power.

We can agree with the Kabbalah then when it declares that until Nefesh, which is considered the lowest level of spiritual existence, has reached Malkhut where it can be made manifest in the physical world none of the higher Lights can be obtained by any person.

These lights of the Soul (the correct and natural self/non-self) are termed by the Kabbalah Yehidah (Individual Light), Hayyah (Living Light), Neshamah (Soul Light), Ruah (Spirit) and Nefesh (Crude Spirit).

From the Chan Dao point of view we might consider that Yehidah is the Light of the Feminine Principle; Hayyah, the light of the Masculine Principle; Neshamah, the light of the Natural Identity within Cognition; Ruah the Light of Correct Intention and Nefesh the resulting Crude Spirit or motivation within all human behavior. These lights of the soul the Kabbalah considers as various levels of Consciousness.

While we can apply this model to individuals it also represents the model of civilization and suggests quite clearly that until the Spirit of Nefesh becomes manifest in the world without physically-oriented, pleasure-seeking behavior there will be no advance to the natural and correct level which the human creature should enjoy with harmony and balance between all human creatures.