生命の息吹と神話の真理

The Sacred Breath: From Genesis to the Sound of A-un

An Archeological Exploration of the Soul and Spirit

1. The Cosmological Breath in Chinese Philosophy

“The Way of Heaven is called Round (Circle), and the Way of Earth is called Square. The Square governs the profound darkness (the Hidden), while the Round governs the light (the Manifest). The Round exhales Qi (energy), thus Fire is known as the External Image. The Prodfound Darkness contains Qi, thus Water is known as the Internal Image. That which exhales Qi bestows it upon all things; that which contains Qi assimilates all things.” (Huainanzi, Tianwenxun)

2. The Equilibrium of Elements in Kabbalah

“Above is the Dragon (Draco), below is the World, and finally, there is the heart of man. God is in the center, governing all things. The primary elements are Air, Water, and Fire. Fire is above, Water is below, and the Breath of Air maintains the balance between them.”

3. The Breath of Life in Biblical Mythos

“The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.” (Genesis 2:7)

“Everything on dry land that had the breath of life and spirit in its nostrils died.” (Genesis 7:22)

From the Psalms:

• “Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.” (Psalm 18:8)
• “The valleys of the sea were exposed… at the blast of breath from your nostrils. He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.” (Psalm 18:15-16)
• “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.” (Psalm 33:6)
• “When you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.” (Psalm 104:29-30)
• “Man is like a breath.” (Psalm 144:4)
• “He sends his word and melts them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.” (Psalm 147:18)

4. Wisdom and Creation in the Apocrypha (Ezra)

“There is but one path between fire and water, so narrow that only one man can pass through it.” (7:8)

“You now fashion the body in the womb and give it life and organs; thus the creature is preserved in fire and water.” (8:8)

“I will light a lamp of understanding in your heart.” (14:25)

“The Lord created man and placed a heart in the center of the body, sending into it spirit, life, understanding, and the breath of God Almighty.” (16:62)

5. The Logos and the Holy Spirit

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.” (John 1:1)”And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.'” (John 20:22)

In the New Testament, Jesus frequently speaks of giving “eternal life” to those who believe. Thus, the “Holy Spirit” can be understood as the “Breath of Life.”

6. Alpha, Omega, and the Indian Concept of A-un

In the Greek New Testament, God is described as the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. This corresponds to the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.

This concept mirrors the “A-un” philosophy in Indian thought (Buddhism and Hinduism). A-un (A-hum) represent the first and last characters of the Sanskrit alphabet. “Om” is the decomposition of the sacred syllable Om.

Brahman and Atman: “A” represents the Atman (True Self), and “un” represents Brahman (Cosmic Spirit). The realization that the individual True Self is identical to the universal Brahman is called Brahma-Atman-Aikyam (Unity of Brahman and Atman). The “A” sound (Atman) was originally a personification of exhalation.

7. Divine Breath in Sumerian and Taoist Thought

Enlil: The name of the supreme Sumerian god literally means “Lord of the Breath (or Wind).”

Kon-Haku (Hun and Po): Human life arises from the fusion of Hun and Po. Hun (Soul) is Yang energy, light and clear, ascending to heaven. Po (Vital Soul) is Yin energy, heavy and turbid, descending to earth.

Qi, Aura, and Psyche: The Eastern concept of Qi corresponds to the Greek Aura (originally meaning “breath” or “breeze”). The Greek word for soul, Psyche, shares its etymological roots with “breath.”