The Levels of the Tree of Life
Part 3
Binah
An adept who succeeds in the annihilation of self crosses the abyss, and becomes awakened. This is the level of Nirvana. At this level, one is attuned with the state of death, of annihilation. The Buddha is no longer an ego personality, as exists beneath the level of Tiphareth, nor is he a centred individual, as one exists between Tiphareth and the abyss.
Instead, one has merged with the ocean, the great water. Indeed, Binah is called "Mara, the great water". It is an ocean in which your drop has fallen, and become completely lost. At this state, you are nondifferent from any and all things.
The level of Binah is the level of what is also called the awakening to the valley of sorrow. It is the vision and spiritual experience of this level that one is connected to the profundity of all things, but also the emptiness and misery that exists in all beings. The experience is one of profound silence, and indeed the grace of silence is one of the experiences associated with this Sephiroth. This silence can be so overwhelming that it affects the new Buddha at all levels, and indeed many of those who become enlightened find themselves totally unable to communicate. Some, like Meher Baba, become silent for the rest of their lives.
In Buddhism, this level of enlightenment is what is called an Arhat. The Arhat chooses to keep to silence, to conceal his awakening or fails to communicate it. The vast majority of those who become awakened become Arhats. At this level of enlightenment, one is incapable of offering any teaching.
At this level of existence operating at this level or moving forward to the next is in one sense a simple matter of choice. One is now free, capable of moving in any direction that is wished. But so powerful is the experience of Binah that many remain there. In most cases, a newly awakened person will either very quickly move to the level of Chokmah or they will remain at the level of Binah until near the end of their lives.
Chokmah
The level of Chokmah is the level of the Bodhisattva, the teacher. The central experience of this level is that of expressing the divine in every action. One at this level is not just awakened, but has a living embodiment of enlightenment, projecting what my master, Osho, termed a "Buddhafield". Thus the term the Buddhists use for this level is Paranirvana. His very presence is a teaching, and in most cases he adds to this a "word"; that is, a new school and method to help others to do the work of awakening.
The Boddhisattva has moved beyond the deep oceanic state of the Arhat, simply through choice. It is a very little difference, but it means that the Boddhisattva is now capable of teaching, of transmitting what he has gained. It is said that what moves him is divine compassion; a result of experiencing the suffering of all beings.
There is very little more that can be said about this level of existence.
Kether
Kether is the level of total dissolution into life. It is also termed Mahaparanirvana. Most masters do not achieve this state until very shortly before they leave their bodies, or just after. It is the state Osho called "beyond enlightenment".
I cannot make any further comment on this.
Conclusion
With an understanding of the framework of the tree of life, and of these various spiritual states as I have described them to you, a working "practical Kabbalah" is now possible. Such a practice would consist of studying the Kabbalah and then understanding that each of the symbols corresponding to the different Sephira of the Tree of Life are symbols that act as keys for the instruction of these spiritual lessons. If you can be aware of your own challenges and progressions through the Tree of Life, it will be a great assistance to you in confronting the dangers and tasks required to reach each level of spiritual awakening.
Swami Anand Nisarg