Two Ways of Light: Kabbalah and Vedanta

By James N. Judd Ms.D. D.D.

There is an unique relationship that exists between the Jewish mystical teachings of Kabbalah and the highest spiritual philosophy of the Hindus, the Vedanta. Outwardly they appear to be vastly different, but study them, analyze them, come to understand what they are really saying, and the similarities become obvious. And such a study is not just an academic exercise, for it will be found that these ancient teachings not only augment each other in providing answers to the questions of life, but they also contain some very practical advice that can bring a greater measure of harmony in the conducting of our daily affairs.

Kabbalah and Vedanta can be called unique as:

The dedicated proponents of each one hold that theirs is the earliest spiritual teaching in the world.

Neither teaching owes its origin to any single person.

Neither can be called a separate religion in the sense of having its own set of man-made creeds and dogmas.

The profundity of their wisdom can be considered as equal.

In this book, Two Ways of Light, Dr. Judd devotes the first two chapters in examining the six principles common to all kabbalistic schools of thought, and the three essential points of Vedanta. The third chapter shows the intrinsic harmony that exists between Kabbalah and Vedanta by comparing the six principles with the three points. And the fourth chapter illustrates the practical value of both teachings through commentaries on kabbalistic verses that compare to the individual verses of a Vedantic scripture, the Isha Upanishad.

Finally, in the fifth chapter will be found not only the reasons for the basic harmony that exists between these two ancient spiritual philosophies and the major world religions, but also the relevance they have for us tody.

This book will be of interest for:

1). Those who wish to have a greater understanding of Kabbalah and/or Vedanta, and

2). Those who are looking for greater spiritual meaning in their lives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 18, 2000
• ISBN: 9781469109008

James N. Judd Ms.D. D.D.

Dr. James N. Judd is President of Universal Teachings, and has lectured extensively in the United States and England, including addresses at Parliament of World’s Religions (Chicago, 1993). He is past-President, Vedanta Society of Houston, and is listed in Who’s Who Worldwide. Dr. Judd is the author of eight books, and numerous articles.

Book preview

Copyright © 2000 by |udd, Ms.D., D.D.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in

any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without

permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-7-XLIBRIS

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

Contents

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

FIRST PREFACE

SECOND PREFACE

TRUTH IS ONE, MEN CALL IT BY VARIOUS NAMES.

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER ONE

THE KABBALAH AND JEWISH MYSTICISM

CHAPTER TWO

HINDU MYSTICISM AND VEDANTA

CHAPTER THREE

RECONCILING THE OPPOSITES

CHAPTER FOUR

THE TWO WAYS CONVERGE

CHAPTER FIVE

Ancient Wisdom for A Modern Age

NOTES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

TO MY WIFE AND COMPANION

KATHLEEN

WHOSE INSPIRATION

AND ENCOURAGEMENT

MADE THIS BOOK POSSIBLE

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Grateful acknowledgment is made to the following for permission to reprint previously published material:

Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, India: Excerpts from, Thus Spake Vivekananda (11th Edition, 1969), and Sayings of Sr. Ramakrishna (Ninth Edition, 1960)

Advaita Ashram, Calcutta: Excerpts from, Volumes One and Three of The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda:

Excerpts from, Vivekananda: The Yogas and Other Works, by Swami Nikhilananda, Trustee of the Estate of Swami Vivekananda, published by the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center of New York, Copyright 1953

FIRST PREFACE

Two Ways of Light is part of an ongoing effort by many scholars to show how unity in diversity is more than a slogan. It is a truism which can be substantiated by an in-depth study of the writings of teachers of truth among many people, and in many historical periods. In the past, religious theses of nations both East and West produced mostly inimical antitheses. Now Dr. Judd joins a host of scholars who advance to a third aspect-synthesis.

Modern society is plagued by a duality in which dominant and repressed elements struggle for supremacy. This ambivalence appears in two fundamental forces in the individual and the community. One is a desire for self-assertion and self-satisfaction, which we call the ego-force, and diametrically opposing it, the will for self-integration and world negation, or renunciation. When these forces are left to themselves they cause the state of confusion and inner conflict which is the lot of many individuals today.

In Judaism, compromise or balance, gives the man a definite character. The ego retains its importance, yet becomes an integrated part of the whole. The words compromise and balance are interchangeable. The KABBALAH addresses itself to the question of balance or harmony between the positive and negative; the active and passive; the divine and secular, etc. When these are balanced they produce a way for man to achieve his maximum purpose and role in life. We can say with Goethe that the real, only, and deepest theme of the history of the world, to which everything else is subordinate, is the conflict of faith and irreligion.

Konrad Burdach has pointed out the maxim in ‘Convivio’: the greatest desire nature has implanted in everything from its beginning, is the desire to return to its origin. Hebrew teachers have translated the creation of an Adam as a lesson that all human beings have a common ancestor. There is a yearning in the hearts of men today to find their commonality with our fellow man so that we may truly say We have but One God (by whatever name) and we are all His children.

Two Ways of Light is a valuable contribution to the clarification of a difficult area of religion-mysticism. What was said of Rabbi Akiva could also apply to the author, that he entered in peace, and came out in peace.

Rabbi E. L. Weiss Chicago, Illinois

SECOND PREFACE

TRUTH IS ONE, MEN CALL IT BY VARIOUS NAMES.

There is one truth behind this universe. The various religions have different names for it-God, Jehovah, Brahman-but they are all talking about the same Being. God is God, regardless of what men say about Him. It is the same God who is sought and worshiped in all of the religions of the world. Man’s attempt to establish contact with this one Being is the core of all religions.

The Indians have a fairy tale of the four blind men and the elephant. Four blind men came upon an elephant and tried to find out what it was. The first man touched the side of the elephant and said, An elephant is like a wall. The second man touched the leg of the elephant and said, No, it is like a column. The third man touched the ear of the elephant and said, I find that it is rather like a fan. The fourth man touched the tail of the elephant and said, You are all wrong. An elephant is exactly like a rope. The four blind men began to argue violently about the nature of the elephant, until a bystander who could see said, You are all right. An elephant is like all of those things and much more besides.

This is what happens when men try to describe the infinite God. Each one describes God according to his own limited view and does not realize that God’s nature is so vast that there is room for other views, which are also correct. Even the greatest teachers, the ones who could see God clearly, were only able to express as much as their listeners could understand. Owing to the limitations of human speech and mind, only a small portion of the truth can be put into words and only a few advanced students are able to correctly understand the teaching.

The different religions are like different roads that meet at the same point. In the beginning, when one is on the outskirts, there seems to be a great distance between the roads. But, as you approach your destination, the separation between the roads lessens, and they begin to merge together. At the level of dogma, ritual and custom, there is a wide variation among the world’s religions. But, the saints and mystics, who have actually experienced God, speak a common language.

Sri Ramakrishna, one of the foremost teachers of Vedanta in the modern age, verified this in his own life. He followed the practices of many different religions and sects of Hinduism, and discovered that they were all genuine. He found that, if the various paths were followed sincerely, they reached the same goal-God-realization.

It is an unfortunate fact of human nature that almost any difference between peoples will sooner or later lead to dissension and strife. Although love and harmony are taught by all of the religions, religion has been one of the major causes of war in human history. As long as the differences are emphasized, the variations in dogma and social custom, religion will continue to divide rather than unite. But, when it is understood that each religion represents the attempt to love and serve the same Being, then harmony and tolerance will naturally develop.

By attempting to compare Vedanta, the ancient religion of the Hindus, and Kabbalah, the ancient mystical tradition of the Jews, Dr. Judd has done a great service for religion. He has extracted the central truth from both religions and expressed it in language which can be easily understood. He has then shown that there are as many similarities as differences between them. He has not only provided an excellent summary of the two systems, but he has paved the way for greater harmony between them.

Swami Bhashyananda Vivekananda Vedanta Society Chicago, Illinois

INTRODUCTION

All of us are looking for something. It makes no difference who we are, rich or poor, high or low, saint or sinner, each one is looking for that certain something which will bring a greater measure of freedom from the limitations that are being experienced.

As our consciousness unfolds, and we become more aware of the inner nature of life, then we realize that this universal desire for freedom is an innate trait woven through the fabric of our being, expressing in both the inner and outer, the metaphysical and physical. From this have sprung the religious philosophical systems of the world, each one acting as a guide to show us the way to eternal freedom. For many people, however, the world religions fail in their purpose since their varied creeds and dogmas appear to offer conflicting answers to our questions, so instead of providing guidance they seem to offer only confusion.

There are, however, two unique religious philosophies that not only provide clear answers to all of our questions about life but, if sincerely followed, will surely lead us to eternal freedom. These teachings are the Kabbalah and the Vedanta, and there are several reasons why they have earned the description of being called unique. The proponents of each one say theirs is the earliest spiritual record in the world; neither one owes their origin to any single person, and neither teaching can be called a separate religion.¹

A cursory reading of these two religious philosophies would indicate that they are contradictory, which should not be surprising since Kabbalah is Hebraic in origin, and the Vedanta is Hindu. Upon deeper study, however, it can be seen that each one is giving the same message and, in fact, they augment each other by variously shedding a brighter light on various questions.

In this book, I have tried to show not only the harmony that exists between these religious philosophies, but also the practical relevance these ancient teachings have for us today. The first two chapters explain the Kabbalah and Vedanta, the third shows the intrinsic harmony between the two, and the fourth offers practical advice as to how we can apply these teachings in our daily affairs, all through commentaries on a Vedantic scripture, the Isa Upanishad. Finally, in the fifth chapter will be found not only the reasons for the basic harmony that exists between these two ancient spiritual philosophies and the major world religions, but also the relevance they have for our lives today.

In the final analysis, the vital message here was succinctly expressed by these stirring words from Swami Vivekananda,

Do