Adam Blatner

Humans have a problem with clearly interpreting certain  revelations that transcend their language / culture / conceptual systems in terms of what is known. For example, when Moses in the Bible encountered what perhaps he interpreted as a “burning bush that is yet not consumed,” and heard the voice of  God coming from it, what if some early prophet, maybe even Moses, did see something? Are there any other ways of describing what he “saw”? In general, humans have had difficulty articulating some vision of the higher realms? And, like a game of telephone, whatever words were used by some ancient mystic—how could that be translated into language that anyone else could understand? “Ineffable” mystical experiences cannot be accurately translated. And how then can whatever translations there are be re-translated as language shifts, and reduced into writing—which often does not fully express the subtle nuance of spoken (gestured, facial expression, etc.)  language.

The mystical diagram of the Tree of Life, were it perceived in its resonating fullness, might be described as being something like a burning bush by a person who doesn’t draw geometric diagrams; and similarly, the commandments may not involve the literal expression of the words. Yet there are ten commandments, ten centers or levels of emanation of the essential creative process, and these correlate with other metaphysical systems.

For our time, it may be enough to contemplate the meaning of God not as a king-law-giving-male-parent-projection, but rather as the Source. If the Source of all, or the All of all, or the general purpose or direction of the All were to be able to talk to people today, what would be the words? What would he / she / it tell / ask us? Would “It” offer guidance? Or maybe just encouragement? And perhaps Source cannot directly express itself at all, or only very indirectly and inefficiently in the imaginings, inspirations, yearnings, of those who seek to open to Source.

This is all mythic and psychodramatic. The more I learn about how many people have felt blessed with the inside track on what it’s all about—they think they’re genuine prophets of the Word—and the innumerable ways these revelations are completely inconsistent, I grow ever-more convinced that mere human-brains, no matter how inspired, can never begin to start to grasp or communicate an absolute truth that everyone must bow to. I grow apophatic, a word I learned this year that speaks to a disciplined practice of humility that declines to give in to the temptation to know anything about the Everything.

In this sense, then, as for those who “believe” the idea that the God of a yoctillion worlds is into making rules for humans on this planet, well, they probably feel deeply true about what they unconsciously expect.