The Kabbalah Unveiled — S. L. MacGregor Mathers (from Knorr von Rosenroth's Latin) (1887)
The text is shown on its own: no facing layer is held for this issue.
127. “And it formeth a path to the inferior brain, and formeth a path to the inferior, and all the inferior lights are thereby ignited.”
128. Babbi Schimeon said : Thou hast well spoken, and the Ancient of Days will open this eye upon thee in the time of thy necessity.
129. Another tradition runneth thus: Whiteness in whiteness, and whiteness which includeth all other whiteness.
130. The first whiteness shineth and ascendeth and descendeth in three lights on the left-hand side, and they radiate and are bathed in that whiteness, like as when a man batheth his body in good unguents and odours, in better than he at first possessed.
1 3 1 . The second whiteness descendeth and ascendeth and shineth in three lights on the right-hand side, and they radiate and are bathed in that whiteness, like as when a man batheth in good unguents and odours, in better than he at first possessed.
132. The third whiteness shineth and ascendeth and descendeth, and goeth forth the light of the inner whiteness of the brain, and darteth forth its rays when necessary unto the black hair, and unto the head, and unto the brain of the head.
133. And it irradiateth the three crowns which remain, when it is needful, so that it may be uncovered,
* Netzach, Chesed, and Tiphereth, are respectively the seventh, fourth, and sixth Sephiroth.
THE GREATER HOLY ASSEMBLY.
2 7 if tliat be pleasing unto the Most Ancient One hidden from all.
134. And this is the tradition: This eye is never closed ; and there are two, and they are converted into one.
135. All is right; there is no left there. He sleepeth not and slumbereth not, and He requireth not protection. He is not such an one as hath need to defend Himself, for He defendeth all things, and He Himself waited upon all things, and in the sight of His eye are all things established.
136. This is the tradition : Were that eye closed even for one moment, no thing could subsist.
137. Therefore is it called the open eye', the holy eye, the excellent eye, the eye of Providence, the eye which sleepeth not neither slumbereth, the eye which is the guardian of all things, the eye which is the subsistence of all things.
138. And concerning it, is it written, Prov. xxii. 9, “ The bountiful eye ; ” thou shalt not read “ the blessed eye,” but “ it blesseth,” for it is called “ the bountiful eye,” and by it are all things blessed.
139. And this is the tradition: There is no light in the inferior eye, so that it can be bathed in redness and blackness ; except when it is beheld by that white brilliance of the superior eye which is called “ the bountiful eye.”
140. And to no man is it known when this superior holy eye may shine and may bathe the inferior; and when the just and the supernal blessed ones are about to be beheld in that Wisdom.
14 1. This is that which is written, Isa. lii. 8 : “ For they shall see eye to eye ; ” When ? “ When the Lord shall bring again Zion.” Also, it is writtten, Hum. xiv. 14:“ That Thou, Tetragramraaton, art seen eye to eye.”
142. And unless the bountiful superior eye were to look down upon and bathe the inferior eye, the universe could not exist even a single moment.
KABBALAH.
143. This is the tradition in the “Book of Concealed Mystery ; ” Providence ariseth from the inferior eye when the highest splendour shineth down upon it, and that highest splendour goeth forth into the inferior; for from it are all things illuminated.
144. This is that which is written, Num. xiv. 14: “ That Thou, 0 Tetragrammaton ! art seen eye to eye.” Also it is written, Ps. xxxiii. 18: “ Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him.” And it is written, Zech. iv. 10 : “The eyes of the Lord running to and fro throughout the whole earth.”
145. “The eye of the Lord is upon them that fear
Him,” if they he upright. This is the superior eye.
On the contrary, when it is said, “ The eyes of the Lord
run to and fro,” this is the eye which is below.
146. This is the tradition : On what account was Joseph worthy, so that the evil eye had no dominion over him ? Because that he was worthy of being beheld by the superior benign eye.
147. This is what is written, Gen. xlix. 22 : “ Joseph is the son of a fruitful bough ; the son of a fruitful bough above Ayin.” Why “ the son of a fruitful bough above Ayin ? ” * As though to imply, “ because of that eye which beheld him.”
148. Also it is written, Prov. xxii. 9 : “ The bountiful eye shall be blessed. ” Why ? Because it giveth its bread unto the poor.