Dani did not know what to choose. Before him stood 2 doors, each with a word written on it in a language he did not understand. Behind one door lay a dragon ready to consume him while behind the other was the way outside to freedom. But how to choose, he thought. He examined each door closely. He analyzed the writing on each door trying to discover some clue as to what words were written on them. However, no matter how much he analyzed it and tried to compare it to words from a language he understood the meaning of the words eluded him. Finally, he sat down, frustrated, and held his head in his hands. Doing so he saw the sunlight shining under one of the doors. So, he opened it and walked outside.
Ayin is the 16th letter of the Hebrew Alef-Beis and has a numerical equivalent of 70 and a dual meaning of eyes and salvation. In the kabbalah ayin also means nothingness as opposed to yesh which means having existence and is closely related to Ain Soph, that which exists beyond the tree of spiritual and physical form. As such, it is associated with pure undifferentiated existence such as that before the universal source began the process of manifestation through the tree of life (Yesh me-Ayin). Ayin’s meaning of eyes tells us that this universal oneness is undifferentiated awareness or consciousness. However, it is a mistake to think that Yesh is separate from Ayin as Yesh is fully composed of Ayin. This is evident in the glyph for ayin which looks like 2 eyes whose roots connect at the base. This is representative of the link we all have with the universal Source and that all separation into Yesh is merely an illusion created as a means of Ayin to observe itself. Ayin’s meaning of salvation indicates that it is this link with the universal source by which we may transcend the illusion of materiality and see that there truly is no difference between self and other. Being the 16th letter of the Alef-beis, Ayin corresponds to the tarot card of The Tower. This is indicative of the revelatory nature of the experience of Ayin can have on the experiencer, shattering their previous notions of who and what they thought “they” and “others” were as well as the nature of existence.