INTRODUCTIONTOTHE
SECOND
EDITION
It
isironicthataperiodofthemosttremendoustechnologicaladvancementknowntorecordedhistoryshouldalsobelabeledtheAgeofAnxiety.Reamshavebeenwrittenaboutmodernman'sfrenziedsearchforhissoul-and.indeed,hisdoubtthatheevenhasoneatatimewhen,likecastlesbuiltonsand,somany
of
hischerishedtheories,longmistakenforverities,arecrumblingabouthisbewilderedbrain.Theage-oldadvice,"Knowthyself,"ismoreimperativethanever.Thetempo
of
sciencehasacceleratedtosucha
degree
thattoday's
discoveriesfrequentlymakeyesterday'sequationsobsolescentalmostbeforetheycanbechalkeduponablackboard.Smallwonder,then
that
everyotherhospitalbedisoccupiedbyamentalpatient.Manwasnotconstructedtospendhislifeatacrossroads,one
of
whichleadsheknowsnotwhere,andtheothertothreatenedannihilation
of
hisspecies.Inviewofthissituationitisdoublyreassuringtoknowthat,eveninthemidst
of
chaoticconceptsandconditionstherestillremainsadoorthroughwhichman,individually,canenterintoavaststore-house
of
knowledge,knowledgeasdependableandimmutableasthemeasuredtread
of
Eternity.ForthisreasonIamespeciallypleasedtobewritingan
introduction
toanewedition
of
A
Garden
of
Pomegranates.
Ifeelthatnever,perhaps,wastheneedmoreurgentforjustsucharoadmapastheQabalisticsystemprovides.
It
shouldbeequallyusefultoanywhochoosestofollowit,whetherhebeJew,ChristianorBuddhist,Deist,Theosophist,agnosticoratheist.TheQabalahisatrustworthyguide,leadingtoacomprehensionboth
of
theUniverseandone'sownSelf.