The Green Serpent and the Tree: Kabbala and Kundalini Yoga

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

Within the human system there are certain archetypes, centers, or vortexes of energy. As this energy or power exists at a different level than our conscious awareness it remains essentially dormant with most people, but when activated usually through meditation this force has a most profound influence upon our psychological, spiritual and physical nature.

As this inner, subtle energy plays such a vital role in our overall being there is much to be gained from understanding this force, and how to benefit from its power. This information can be found in the ancient spiritual teachings of the Jewish Kabbala and the Hindu Kundalini Yoga, but the complexity of these teachings, particularly with Kabbala, makes it difficult to find useful answers as to how this inner power can be utilized.

In The Green Serpent and the Tree, Dr. Judd cuts through the confusing terminology of these teachings and, in an easy-to-read style using practical examples and illustrations, logically explains:The inner nature of man and structure of the soul.How Kabbala and Kundalini Yoga can be reconciled, and how they augment each other.The difference between the symbols of The Tree of Life, and The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.Why the seven inner centers (Chakras) of Kundalini Yoga are the same as the ten centers (Sefirot) of Kabbala.The significance of the Green Serpent (Kundalini) and the functions of the various channels that connect the inner centers.The different centers, with a detailed description of their psychological and spiritual influence.Relationship of meditation with releasing the power from the inner centers.The practical value of meditation, its four stages, and the physical, psychological, psychic and spiritual effects.The risks involved in releasing these inner powers, and how to avoid them. The reason for the inter-relationship between Kabbala and Kundalini Yoga, and their original source.

Although this book is written in an explanatory style which guides the layman through the intricacies of these two teachings as they relate to our inner powers, the material content contains much that will interest the more advanced student. Based upon thorough research, Dr. Judd outlines in logical steps why,The Tree symbol that is frequently referred to as the Tree of Life is misnamed.Any attempt to reconcile the Chakras with the Sefirot using the wrong Tree symbol will lead to inaccurate conclusions.The position of the Sefirot changes depending upon which Tree symbol is used.

There are three central channels that connect the Chakras, rather than the one that is usually shown, and Kabbala supports this fact.This explains the different levels of power released from the same Chakra.Why some of the practices used to open the Chakras involve considerable risks

Anyone who wishes to expand their knowledge of Kabbala, Kundalini Yoga, the inner nature and powers of man, meditation, and the safe way to travel on the journey within, will greatly benefit from the information in this book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 3, 1999
• ISBN: 9781469109015

James N. Judd

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

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Copyright © 1999 by James N. Judd, MS.D.,D.D..

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Contents

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER ONE

Differences and Similarities

CHAPTER TWO

Symbols

CHAPTER THREE

The Seven Chakras and The Ten Sefirot

CHAPTER FOUR

Kundalini and Meditation

CHAPTER FIVE

The Source

BIBLIOGRAPHY

To my guru,

Swami Bhashyananda

And my spirit teacher,

Rabbi Amon

INTRODUCTION

How the Green Serpent of the Hindu teachings of Kundalini Yoga became entwined with the Tree that forms a prominent role in the Jewish mysticism of Kabbala is an intriguing mystery that would test the metal of Sherlock Holmes. But what is even more fascinating is that as this intertwining is explored it becomes increasingly obvious that several of the ideas that are commonly accepted regarding both of these teachings are inaccurate.

This could be considered as something that would only interest those who are avid students of these two teachings but, in fact, these differences have a greater significance for those who are just learning about, or who have only a general knowledge of either of these teachings.

As the interest in so-called ‘New Age’ matters becomes increasingly widespread more and more people are hearing about such things as the Chakras and Kundalini energy of Yoga—and to a lesser degree about the Sefirot and the Tree of Life of Kabbala—and all the wonderful things that can be accomplished by releasing the powers of these Chakras or centers that are within us. All too often, however, there is insufficient emphasis upon the dangers involved in trying to release these powers; or we become so enamored by the promises of what can be accomplished that any warnings tend to be disregarded. Each Chakra or Sefirot is rather like a Pandora’s Box, and if we don’t know what we are doing when we lift up the ‘lid’ then we will be ill-prepared to cope with the unknown forces that are released from deep within the unconscious, and which can affect us both psychologically and physically. Needless to say, this problem can be compounded if what we are doing is based upon inaccuracies.

With all of this in mind, I have endeavored to present the material in this book in a way that can be easily understood by a person who wants to learn more about either, or both, Kabbala and Kundalini Yoga. At the same time, there is much here that will be of interest to the advanced student.

An explanation of some of the background that led to the writing of this book, and the content material, will be helpful.

It was about 1966 that I first became aware of the Tree symbols that, when understood, reveal so much of the wisdom of Kabbala, but was unable to find anyone, or anything in print, that explained to my satisfaction the significance of two differently constructed Trees. (These symbols are illustrated as Figures 1 and 3.) My teacher at that time had the gift of what is called ‘deep-trance mediumship,’ which means that spirit entities could communicate through her while she was in sort of a sleep-like state, and I would ask some of the spirit teachers the meaning of the two Trees. The answers always ran along the lines that I should continue to meditate on the problem and, in time, the solution would come.

Now, that is always a great response to someone if you don’t know the answer, but it is also the sort of advice that is frequently given by advanced souls because it pushes us forward to make the personal effort to learn. If we always relied upon someone else to tell us what to do, whether or not that person was in spirit or in a physical body, we would never expand our consciousness and develop self-reliance. Well, in time, I did receive the meanings of the two different Tree symbols—whether in meditation or while I was doing some idle thing like counting my paper clips, I no longer recall-and this difference is explained in Chapter Two to the extent that it concerns the subject matter of this book.

A similar set of problems was encountered when I tried to determine if it was possible to reconcile the seven Chakras of Kundalini Yoga with the ten Sefirot of Kabbala as they are arranged on the Tree symbols. They appears to represent essentially the same thing, but trying to equate the number of seven with the number of ten became rather like the perennial problem of how to fit ten pounds of potatoes into a five-pound sack.

Finally, in a quiet moment about eighteen months ago, the entire explanation appeared in a flash; and as is often the case in metaphysical matters, when insights come like this the answer seems so obvious that we wonder why we did not grasp it before. The next step was to test this new information. For example, working strictly on the basis of numbers some of the separate Sefirot compare to a single Chakra (e.g. the second and third Sefirot would be the same as the second Chakra), and so the testing process required finding out if there was a similar correspondence between the qualities that each of these symbols represent? And in the process of solving this problem it became obvious that some of the models which are commonly accepted in both Kabbala and Kundalini Yoga are misleading.

In Kabbala the errors in the information that formed these models was undoubtedly by design, for earlier kabbalists purposely introduced some inaccuracies into their teachings in order to cloak the inner wisdom in secrecy. And when these are simply copied over a period of time then they come to be accepted as the authoritative standard. In the case of Kundalini Yoga something similar appears to have occurred, except the original cause was probably due to a misunderstanding. Irrespective of the reason, the entire subject matter is discussed in detail in Chapters Two and Three. Also in Chapter Three there is a detailed comparison of the characteristics of each Sefirot with each Chakra which shows how closely they match with one another.

Under the title ‘Kundalini and Meditation’ in Chapter Four there is information which helps us understand why the kabbalists considered their teachings should be guarded, why there are warning signs attached to all mystical teachings, and advice regarding safe meditation practices. Finally, in Chapter Five we try to emulate Sherlock Holmes and endeavor to find out if the marked similarities between Kabbala and Kundalini Yoga are there because they both came from the same source. And for those who would like to learn more about these two teachings, and/or do more research on the points covered in this book, a Bibliography has been included.

I would like to express my gratitude to those many students who, over the years, have provided that extra incentive for me to delve deeper into the mysteries of Kabbala and the various Hindu teachings. Also, special thinks to my wife, Kathleen, for somehow finding time in her busy schedule to assist with the cover design, prepare the illustrations, and also type this manuscript.

Dr. James N. Judd

CHAPTER ONE

Differences and Similarities

Have you ever considered the various mental steps we go through in connection with a creative endeavor? First, the idea seems to come out of or from some invisible source, then we sort of mull over the best way to form or shape up that idea and carry it out. Next, if still sufficiently motivated, we go ahead and physically complete the project.

If we couple that logical, creative process with the ancient metaphysical saying, ‘As in the greater, so in the smaller; and as in the smaller so in the greater,’ we can arrive at a wider understanding of the way that the entire cosmos manifested. Just as we go through a series of inner steps or layers in our constructive mental process then, similarly, the creation of the entire cosmos must have also followed the same general pattern. What applies individually also applies in a universal sense, so the picture emerges that the world and everything and everyone upon it is contained within the ‘ideas’ which emanate or flow from an invisible central source we variously call the Divine Creator, God, First Cause, Brahman, En Sof, etc., etc. After passing through a number of subtle, transforming layers or steps within the Cosmic Consciousness these ideas finally appear in physical form.

This concept is an integral part of a number of different mystical teachings and world religions, including the Hindu system of Kundalini Yoga and the Jewish Kabbala which are the philosophies we are concerned with in this book. As we might expect, these two teachings explain the whole thing in different ways but, as we shall see, these differences can be reconciled since they are fundamentally the same. Both systems have taken what we might call the ‘layered process’ of emanation and refined its many subtleties into an explanation of the inner structure of man. In Kabbala this is accomplished with the assistance of symbolic drawings of the Tree of Life, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and the Sefirot, and in Kundalini Yoga (sometimes called Laya Yoga, literally, Yoga of Suspension) we find such symbols as the Kundalini Serpent and the Chakras.

Now, the word, ‘Yoga,’ means union with God, and so all of the different Yogas outline various practices that when followed will lead to the realization of divine union. Each Yoga recognizes that we have different temperaments, and so some find it easier to seek God-awareness through love or devotion (Bhakti Yoga), some through the knowledge of discriminating the Real from the unreal (Jnana Yoga), and some through various other disciplines. In Kundalini Yoga the idea is that through controlling our infinite, life-giving force