Levels of Awareness from Hassidut and the Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation

Levels of Awareness from Hassidut and Tibet Comparing the Levels of Awareness (seep. 24 from the Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation) and a key line from Hassidut. The explanations under the line "The Infinite ... " describes the stages of awareness encountered moving upwards (from right to left)towards enlightenment, through the levels of Rasha (wickedness) Benoni (middle--ness) and Tzaddik (saintliness). Although these terms are somewhat moralistic, they are reframed in Hassidut to describe levels of awareness not too different from the description of the meditative process outlined below. IIHassidut 11 Tzaddik Rasha Benoni Beyond Atzilut Atzilut Briah Yetzirah The Infinite emanated a substance I ess thing, separate Sensing Infinite powers to enable or to withdraw from. The calmness of the ocean Losing all sense of self-Identity: Identifying as Divine energy IThe elephant pricked with Sensing constant connection to an archetypal source. The mentally fascinated child thorns Beyond motion and rest Disconnecting the automatic chain of thoughts Watching the mind Losing the boundaries separating from everything else. Snappingthe straw rope Keeping the mind free Assiyah unto Itself. Losing the sense of se If containment. Spinning the thread Shepherd watching the flowing river Chopping thoughts and letting Nonth em roam reacting to thoughts Knowing the number of the enemy Inhibiting the thought process