The Decad, number Ten, or Panteleia, which meant "All complete" or "fully accomplished," is the grand summit of numbers, which once reached cannot be passed. To increase the sum we must retrograde to the Monad.
The Pythagoreans were entranced with its virtues and called it Deity, Heaven, Eternity and the Sun.
Ten being the recipient or receptacle of all members was called Decad, from dechomai=to receive, and hence Heaven, which was ordained to receive all men.
Like the Deity it is a Circle, with visible center, but its circumference too vast for sight.
It is the sum of the units of the number four as previously mentioned, a holy and Deistic number, thus 4+3+2+1=10 and thus ten gains splendor from its parentage.
Also spoken of as Eternity," which is infinite life, be-cause it contains every number in itself, and number is infinite.
It is also called Kosmos, that is the Universe," Proclus says: The Decad is mundane also, it is the world, which receives the images of all the divine numbers, which are supernaturally imparted to it.
It is called the fountain of eternal nature," because if we take the half, five as the middle number and add together the next above and the next below, viz., 6 and 4, we make 10 and the next two in a similar manner 7 and 3 are 10; and so on 8 and 2 and 9 and 1 give the same result.
All nations reckon by the Decimal scale of notation, to which they were no doubt led from the convenience of counting the ten digits of the hands.
It is also spoken of as Kleidoukos, that is, having custody of others," the magazine of the other numbers, because other numbers are branches from it. Also called Fate, which comprises all sorts of events. Age, Power; Atlas, because it supports the 10 spheres of Heaven; Phanes; Memory; Urania; and The first Square, because it consists of the first four numbers."
Two old conceits were that the Tenth wave of the sea is always larger than others; and that birds laid the 10th egg of a larger size than the others.
The word Ten was used by the Hebrews, instead of a large number," so that care must be exercised in translating this; thus Nehemiah interprets ten generations" of Deuteronomy xxiii. V. 3 to mean for ever." Nehemiah xiii. 1.
The Kabalists called 5, 6 and 10 circular numbers, because when squared, the result shows the same number in the unit figure, thus:
5x5= 25 and 5x25= 125 6x6=36 and 6x36= 216 10x 10=100 and 10x 100=1000
An old periphrasis mentioned by Shakespeare is, Id set my Ten Commandments in your face," meaning the finger nails for scratching. See 2 Henry VI. I.3.
The Mahometans say that ten animals were admitted to Paradise and are as follows:
We find 10 generations from Adam to Noah, 10 from Shem to Abraham. The 10 spiritual graces of Christianity are Love, joy, peace long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, prudence, meekness and temperature," says Dr. G. Oliver; although where he gets 10 generations from Adam to Noah, I know not.
Under 10 also falls the mention of the Pythagorean Triangle, Tetractys, consisting of an equilateral Triangle enclosing ten Yods. Thus the upper is the Monad, the second line the Dyad, the third the Triad, and the fourth the Quaternary or Tetrad thus representing the four forms of point, line, superficies and solid. A similar form is given by Hebrew Kabalists to form 72, the deity number, by placing in a triangle four Yods, three Hehs, two Vavs and one Heh final, being the letters IHVH of the Tetragrammaton; or they may be put conversely.
Note that ten is used as a sign of fellowship, love, peace and Union, in the Masonic third token, the union of two five points of Fellowship.
In the Bible, we notice 10 Commandments, 10 instruments to which Jewish Psalms were sung, 10 strings in the Psaltery, and that the Holy Ghost descended ten days after the Ascension.
Tucer, Rabanus and Raymond Lully associate the numbers 8 to Air, 5 to Fire, 6 to earth and 12 to water.
Apuleius states that among the Egyptians it was customary to fast 10 days before sacrificing and Budge says that they used a 10-day week.
The Ten Sephiroth form the essence of the Hebrew dogmatic Kabalah, a subject which is too vast and complex to be entered upon in this volume on numerals. A mere glance at the Sephirotic emanations of the Absolute Deity from the mathematical point of view is all that can be attempted; my Introduction to the Kabalah" may be referred to.
From the Absolute Passive Negativity Ain, proceeds Ain Suph the Limitless and then Ain Suph Aur, Boundless Light, which concentrates in the first manifestation of the Sephiroth, which is the Crown, Ktr, Kether; from Kether proceeds Chkmh, Chokmah, Wisdom, an active masculine potency, and Binh, Binah, Understanding, a passive feminine power.
These three form the Supernal Triad. The fourth and fifth are Chsd, Chesed, Mercy, active and male, and Gbvrh, Geburah, Strength, passive and female.
The sixth Sephirah is the notable Tpart, Tiphareth, Beauty, the Central Sun, the Logos, the Manifested Son. This completes a second triangle, the reflection of the former.
Number seven is Ntzch, Netzach, Victory, active and the eight is Hvd, Hod, Splendor, passive; the ninth is Ysvd, Yesod, the Foundation, completing the third trinity or triangle.
Mlkt, Malkuth, the Tenth Sephirah, completes the emanations. She is the Bride of Microprosopus the Son, the Sun, Logos; she is the Inferior Mother, Queen and the Manifested Universe.
The whole Ten are viewed as reigning over Four Worlds or Planes of Existence. These are the Worlds of Atziluth, Briah, Yetzirah and Assiah. Malkuth on the plane of Assiah alone is the visible tangible universe.
These Ten Sephiroth are the prototypes of everything spiritual and also of every part of creation. They are traced in the angelic host and in our universe. Three superior and seven succedent exist in all things. The lower seven are obvious to the uninitiated, but in these manifestations, the Supernal Triad is veiled to the profane.
Some occultists phrase it thus three are subjective and incomprehensible to man; seven are objective and comprehensible. Thus Seven archangels are commonly named and we have known only of Seven great planets of our system.
But in some cases, even the whole of seven are unknown. We acknowledge but five senses in man, but there are two more awaiting perception by process of evolution.
These Ten Sephiroth are not only viewed as triads from above below, but are also imaged in three columns entitled the Pillars of Severity and Mercy, with the median of Benignity or Mildness. But this scheme is not for this treatise, nor can the Sephirotic alliance with the Planetary symbols, the angelic host, the divine names and the Book of Thoth, or Tarot be here described. These subjects present a mine of wisdom concealed in the rituals of the Kabalistic Chabrath zereh Aur bokher," from whose parent stem the Rosicrucian Fraternities also may have arisen. These Rituals contain a more complex scheme of the mediaeval occult symbolism than exists in any other form known to me, and I believe that it would not be possible for anyone to reconstitute so complete a system out of all extant literature.
There are 10 Grades in the Rosicrucian Society. They are Zelator, Theoricus, Practicus, Philosophus; Minor, Major and Exempt Adept; Master, Magus and King. Some Magi are known, but only Magi know of a Rex.
Rosicrucian private rituals give the correct names and Kabalistic spelling of the Ten heavens of the World of Assiah, which is the material universe.
H. P. Blavatsky declared that a scheme of the Zodiac of 10 Signs preceded that of 12 Signs, but I have been unable to verify the statement, by any ancient work.
Hebrew and Talmudic references are as follows: - 10 men were necessary to form a legally convened meeting at the Synagogue. In London, as much as 1000 (British pounds) a year has been spent in providing spare men for this duty. Ten curses were pronounced against Eve. See Talmud, Eiruvin, 100. 2.
Ten things were created during the twilight of the first Sabbath eve. Consult Pesachim, 54. 1.
Ten facts proved the presence of a Supernatural Power in the Temple. Yoma, 21.1.
The Rabbis taught that a man should divorce his wife if for 10 years she had no offspring.
At funerals, condolences were recited by 10 men, and at weddings by ten men including the bridegroom. Ten cups were drunk at a funeral party three before supper, three at supper and four after the meal at the recitation of the four blessings.
Abraham was tested 10 times; 10 Miracles were performed in Egypt to help the Children of Israel, and 10 at the Red Sea. Ten plagues were made to afflict the Egyptians. Ten times the Jews offended God in the Wilderness.
Ten times did the Shekinah come down into the world; at the Garden of Eden; at the Tower of Babel; at Sodom; in Egypt, see Exodus iii. 8; at the Red Sea, Psalm cviii. 9; on Mount Sinai; at the Temple; in the Pillar of Cloud; on the Mount of Olives, see Zechariah xiv. 4; the 10th is omitted in the original reference, Avoth d Rabbi Nathan, chapter 34.
There are 10 Hebrew words to designate Idols and 10 for Joy. Sodom was to be spared for 10 righteous men; Gideon took 10 servants to destroy the Altar of Baal; Boaz chose 10 witnesses for his marriage with Ruth; Joabs armor was borne by 10 young men. Jesus speaks of 10 talents, 10 cities, 10 pieces of silver and gave a par-able of 10 Virgins. The Tabernacle has many 10 dimensions. There are 10 Bible names of God, 10 Canticles, and 10 necessaries for mans life. Ecclus. 39. 26.
There were 10 Pythagorean Virtues of Initiation and the Buddhists teach 10 Paramitas of Perfection.
In the Alchymico-Kabalistic tract called Aesch Metzareph referred to by Eliphas Levi and collected from the Zohar of Knorr von Rosenroth and translated into English, and forming Volume IV of my Collectanea Hermetica," will be found 10 names for Gold all extracted from the Old Testament; they are there related to the Sephirah Geburah.
The Hindu Puranas tell us of the 10 Avatars of the God Vishnu, the Preserver of the Brahmanic Religion; the yare periodical incarnations of the God and are as follows.
These Avatars are susceptible of a mystical explanation on the plane of cosmogony. It has been given in the Garuda Temple of the Oriental Order of Light" by Frater T. H. Pattinson of Bradford, a very notable mystic and occult student.
In the Yoga Vasishtha Maha Ramayana of Valmiki, edited by Vihari Lala Mitra, will be found an essay on Om-Tat-Sat, on-id-est, and this contains some very curious information on the 10 numerals as related to the mystical syllable Om or Aum.
Aum Mani padme hum" means literally, Oh, the jewel in the lotus," and is taken mystically to mean the spark of the Divine within me," as was fully explained by Blavatsky to her Esoteric section of Theosophists.
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