1. Problem awareness
When viewing the entire universe spiritually as a "oneness," several similar concepts emerge.
For example,
- Oneness
- Brahman
- Ein Sof / En Soph
- God
- Cosmic order / Order
etcetera.
These all seem to be referring to a fundamental, singular being that lies beneath individual existences.
However, because the underlying ideological systems are different, it seems like they are saying the same thing, but there is a significant difference in nuance.
Here, we will focus on organizing the differences between the Vedanta-like concept of order and the Kabbalistic concept of Ein Sof.
2. What is Ein Sof?
Ein Sof / Ain Soph is a concept in Jewish mysticism, particularly Kabbalah.
In terms of meaning,
- Things that never end.
- Infinite things.
- Divinity without limits.
- The unnamable origin of God.
It is similar to something like that.
This is slightly different from "God" in the sense of a personal deity.
A god who listens to prayers, a god who judges, a god who guides, a god with whom one makes covenants – rather than these, it is something even deeper, an infinite divinity that transcends words and concepts.
In Kabbalah, Ein Sof itself cannot be directly grasped.
From there, a divine light flows out and expands as Sephirot, which is the structure of the Tree of Life, and thus the world appears.
In short,
Ein Sof ↓ Infinite Light ↓ Sephirot ↓ Creation World
It has this structure.
3. What is Brahman?
Brahman is a concept in Hinduism that refers to the ultimate reality, the absolute principle underlying all existence. It is often described as being infinite, eternal, and unchanging. Brahman is also said to be beyond human comprehension, but it can be experienced through meditation and other spiritual practices.
There are different interpretations of what Brahman means. Some see it as a personal God, while others view it as an impersonal force or principle. Regardless of how it is understood, Brahman is considered to be the source of all creation and the ultimate goal of human life.
Brahman is the fundamental reality of the universe in Vedanta, especially in the philosophy of the Upanishads.
In a non-dualistic Vedanta, ultimately,
Atman = Brahman.
It is said.
In other words, the essence of self and the fundamental reality of the universe are identical.
However, Brahman is not simply a "subject to be known."
In particular, Nirguna Brahman, which means Brahman without attributes, is...
- Beyond words.
- Beyond thought.
- Cannot be recognized as an object.
- Transcending the dichotomy of knower/known.
It is something.
In that sense, it is quite similar to Ein Sof.
Both of them point to ultimate origins that, in the moment they are conceptualized, deviate from their essence.
4. Differences with Oneness
"Oneness" is a word that is widely used in modern spirituality.
In terms of meaning,
- Everything is one.
- Separation is an illusion.
- The entire universe is a single consciousness.
- Individual existences are fundamentally connected.
It is an expression that conveys a sense of unity.
However, "oneness" is a rather broad term and, as an ideology, it is ambiguous.
On the other hand, Brahman and Ein Sof are each located within distinct systems of thought: Vedanta and Kabbalah.
Therefore, to put it simply,
Oneness = An experiential and sensory expression of "everything is one."
Brahman = A philosophical and spiritual principle that the fundamental reality of self and the universe are identical.
Ein Sof = The infinite divine essence, incomprehensible to human understanding.
It can be organized as follows.
5. Brahman and Ein Sof are similar.
Brahman and Ein Sof are quite similar.
Especially if you want to compare,
Nirguna Brahman ≈ Ein Sof.
It can be said that.
Both of them,
- Infinite
- Beyond language
- Beyond attributes
- Unfathomable by normal human perception
- The origin of everything
It has that property.
However, the center of gravity is different.
In Vedanta, Brahman is ultimately realized as the essence of the self.
In other words,
When you delve into your own essence, you become Brahman.
It is going in that direction.
On the other hand, in Kabbalah, Ein Sof itself is incomprehensible, and divinity is understood through the Sephirot that emanate from it.
In other words,
Infinite divinity gradually manifests in the world.
It is going in that direction.
6. Is "God" and Ein Sof different?
Ein Sof is closer to being considered the most profound and unlimited aspect of God, rather than something separate from God.
Normally, when people say "god," it refers to something that humans pray to and have a relationship with.
On the other hand, Ein Sof is an unnamable infinite divinity that lies even deeper than such a personal and relational God.
Therefore,
Ordinary God: = A god that humans pray to and connect with.
Ein Sof: = The infinite source, which is beyond words and concepts, that lies deeper than that god.
It can be organized as follows.
However, in the context of Judaism and Kabbalah, it is not a story about there being two gods.
It is described that Ein Sof is spoken of as the most profound aspect of the only God.
7. From the perspective of "Order"
Here, what becomes important is the Vedanta-like order.
In Vedanta, the universe is not merely a coincidence or chaos.
The entire universe can be understood, in a broad sense, as an "Ishvara's Order."
In this context, "Order" includes things like the following:
- Laws of physics
- Cause and effect relationship
- Structure of living organisms
- Functioning of the mind
- Karma
- Birth, aging, sickness, and death
- Moral and spiritual learning
- Origin of the entire universe
In other words, Order is not merely a social order or morality.
It is a cosmic order that permeates all existence.
8. From a Kabbalistic perspective, "En Sof appears prior to Order."
From a Kabbalistic perspective, Ein Sof exists prior to the Sephirot.
Sephirot are a structured representation of divine attributes, such as wisdom, understanding, compassion, strength, beauty, and kingdom.
Therefore, in Kabbalistic diagrams,
Ein Sof ↓ Sephirot ↓ An ordered world.
It becomes.
From this perspective, Ein Sof appears to be prior to Order, or beyond Order.
In other words, it is an infinite divinity that existed before order was created.
However, this does not mean "disorder" or "chaos."
Rather,
Before the distinction between order and disorder can be established.
It means that.
9. However, from a Vedanta perspective, it appears differently.
From a Vedanta perspective, there is a sense of incongruity with this idea of "before Order."
Because order does not arise from nothing.
If something appears, there must already be a possibility of its appearance, as well as rules, cause and effect, and order.
It is unlikely that an ordered universe would emerge from complete chaos, complete lack of rules, and complete unrelatedness.
Therefore, from a Vedanta perspective,
Things that appear to be disorderly may not necessarily be outside of Order.
It is more natural to think that way.
Things that appear to be chaotic are only things for which the overall order cannot be read from a human perspective.
In other words,
There is order within disorder. There is causality within chance. There is totality within separation.
It becomes a viewpoint like that.
In this sense, Order comes first.
10. "Enso > Order" is an organization from a Kabbalistic perspective.
If Order is,
The structured world order following Sephirah.
If we were to view it narrowly,
Ensofu > Order
It can be said that.
This is an organization from the perspective of Kabbalah.
In other words, it is a view that Ein Sof exists first, and from there, the Sefirot flow out, creating an ordered world.
However, this is merely a Kabbalistic hierarchical diagram.
11. From a Vedanta perspective, "Order > out of order."
If you want to look at "Order" more deeply from a Vedanta perspective, things change.
Order should not be considered merely a law of the phenomenal world,
Principles including possibility of existence, causality, laws, consciousness, and the necessity of the entire universe.
If we understand it in that way, Order becomes something quite fundamental.
In this case,
Order ＞ out of order
It is.
Because what appears to be "out of order" is ultimately contained within a deeper Order.
In Vedanta, the true origin is not disorder, but rather absolute order.
12. When compared, it becomes like this.
If we were to speak in a Kabbalistic way,
Before order, there is infinity that transcends order.
It becomes.
In a Vedanta style,
Things that seem to be beyond order may actually be within a deeper order.
It becomes.
This difference is large.
In other words, both things are similar, but their perspectives are different.
13. Correspondence Relationship
If we were to provide a very rough approximation, it would be like this:
Ein Sof ≈ Nirguna Brahman
Divinity appearing through the Sephirot ≈ The manifestation of Ishvara
The order of the created world ≈ Cosmic order through Maya
Oneness ≈ An experiential expression that everything is one.
However, this is not a complete correspondence.
Ein Sof and Nirguna Brahman are similar, but in Kabbalah and Vedanta, the way words are used and the direction of thought differ.
14. Final Arrangement
Finally, it can be organized like this.
Kabbalistic Organization
Ein Sof ↓ Infinite Light ↓ Sephirot ↓ An ordered world.
From this perspective, Ein Sof appears to be higher than Order.
However, it is not "disorder," but rather a fundamental principle that transcends the distinction between order and disorder.
Vedanta-based organization
Brahman ↓ Ishvara ↓ Order ↓ World
However, in this case, "Order" is not simply a lower-level rule.
It is a comprehensive order of existence, causality, consciousness, and laws that permeates the entire universe.
Therefore, from a Vedanta perspective, even things that appear to be out of order are within a deeper Order.
15. Conclusion
From a Kabbalistic perspective,
Ensofu > Order
It seems to be visible.
However, this is based on viewing "Order" as a "structured order that follows Sephirah."
On the other hand, from a Vedanta perspective,
Order ＞ out of order
It seems to be visible.
Because order does not arise from nothing.
It is not that order emerges from complete chaos; rather, even within what appears to be disorder, there already exists an underlying order.
Therefore, from a Vedanta perspective, the true origin is not "out of order," but rather an absolute Order.
If I were to summarize,
Kabbalah: Before order, there is infinity that transcends order.
Vedanta: Even what appears to transcend order is within a deeper order.
This is the difference.
したがって、アイン・ソフとブラフマンはかなり似ているが、 カバラは「無限神性から秩序が流出する」と解釈しやすいのに対し、 ヴェーダーンタは「すべては最初からOrderの中に存在する」と解釈しやすい。
This point is a significant difference between the two.