無極 ~ אין סוף ~ Limitlessness

(L --> R) (L <-- R)

無極 אין סוף

Wu Ji Sof Ayn

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無 - Wu - no, none, not, to lack, -less, un-

אין - Ayn - no, not, is not, are not

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極 - Ji - extremely, pole (geography, physics), utmost, top, ultimate, limit

סוף - Sof - end, limit, finish, conclusion, termination, last, ultimateness

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For a while, I've had a sense that the concepts underlying Wu Ji and Ayn Sof were related. After all, the more i dig into the primordial pre-histories of the Chinese and Hebrew languages, cultures, and traditions of healing & spirituality, the more they converge. In my research, i have long since abandoned the notion of finding exact 1:1 correlations between the two, but look for larger trends.

Imagine my surprise, when i actually looked at the definitions of 無極 (Wu Ji) and אין סוף (Ayn Sof), words which represent that which is about as primordial as it gets, i was somewhat surprised to actually find a near 1:1 correlation in this case. Wu and Ayn both denote negation of all they come into close relationship with. Ji and Sof both denote the extreme ultimate end of a boundary or limit.

Wu Ji and Ayn Sof, then, both denote a state of absolute lack of any and all boundaries or limitations separating anything from everything. They both represent absolute unity, impossible for us to fully grasp all at once. Difficult even to write or talk about, so bear with me as i fail.

In Judaism, most especially within the mystery traditions, Ayn Sof is considered to be the Name for an aspect of the Divine representing absolute limitless totality of everything & nothing. Its the place that isn't, where all extremes meet there opposites and dissolve into one another. Ayn Sof is preceded only by Ayn itself... absolute nothingness.

Ayn Sof is the source of אין סוף אור (Ayn Sof Aur ~ Limitless Light) which itself is differentiated through the prism of the ספירות (Sephirot) into the myriad forms of diversity we experience in this life.

道生一, Dao Sheng Yi, The Way generates One,

一生二, Yi Sheng Er, One generates Two,

二生三, Er Sheng San, Two generates Three,

三生萬物. San Sheng Wan Wu. Three generates innumerable things.

(Dao De Jing: 42)

無極（Wu Ji）generates to 太極（Tai Ji ~ Supreme Ultimate),

Tai Ji generates 陰陽（Yin & Yang),

Yin & Yang generate 三寶 (Sān Bǎo ~ 3 Treasures),

Sān Bǎo generates 五行 (Wu Xing ~ 5 Phases).

There are many correlations between these two similarly ancient traditions, both based upon the underlying notion that humans (人 - Ren ~ אדמ - Adam) served as a bridge between the Heavens (天 - Tian ~ השמים - HaShamayim) to the Earth (地 - Di ~ הארץ - HaEretz), but the only 1:1 i've found are that of the core concepts of Wu Ji and Ayn Sof. There are still many other close correlations, but the further toward the surface you head, and away from this undifferentiated whole you get, the more labored connections become to make. We shall further explore some of these other layers at another time.