Zhirtueva N.S. Kabbalah in the context of comparative analysis of the philosophical-mystical traditions of the world

Abstract: The subject of this research is the Kabbalah as the most well-known mystical tradition of Judaism. It is studied in the context of comparative analysis of the philosophical-mystical traditions of the world in accordance with the three fundamental positions: 1) Essence of the Absolute and the character of mystical contact with Him; 2) Correlation between the ideal and phenomenal (material) being; 3) Methods of mystical psychopractice. The article carries out a comparative analysis of the ideas of Kabbalah and other immanent mystical traditions of the world, primarily Tantrism, Advaita Vedanta, and Buddhism. Kabbalah represents an immanent pantheistic integrative mystical tradition. The Absolute is being viewed as the Wholeness, which exists by the principle “everything in one, one in everything”. Through the mystical “closeness” (Devekut) with the Absolute (Ein Sof) the egocentric consciousness is being overcome, and the global unitotality achieved. The main methods of the psychopractice of Kabbalah consist in love and trust, meditative contemplation of the Absolute, psychosomatic exercise, and disciplinary asceticism. Such psychopractive actively uses the energy cores of a person (Sephiroth). As a result, the transformation of consciousness (enlightenment) is achieved.  

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