Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Bahir 153-154-155

The next three verses all speak about the seventh Sephiroth - Netzach - Victory or Eternity.

Verse 153. What is the seventh? It is the heaven [called] Aravot . And why is it called heaven (Shamayim)? Because it is round like a head. We learn that it is in the centre, with water at its right and fire at its left. It supports water (Sa Mayim) from fire and water, and brings peace between them. Fire comes and finds the attribute of fire on its side. Water comes and finds the attribute of water on its side. It is therefore written (Job 25:2) , "He makes peace in His high places."

Commentary:
Here Netzach is described as heaven. It then speaks of water on the right and fire on the left. Chesed remember is directly above which can be seen as the water of mercy. The on the left is Gevurah and then extended into Hod the eighth Sephiroth. Both Netzach and Hod derive their essence from the central core of Tiphereth spoken of previously. So far just a bunch of symbols. The quote from Job ties it together somewhat and gives it a context. "He makes peace in his high places." What is this peace and what is this high place? First in reverse order the high place is where our thoughts are gathered in holiness following their central imbuement with our heart's desire. This peace is our recognition of stasis in thought and peace of mind due to following the dictates of this heart's desire. Netzach is called Victory because of our ability to overcome obstacles to achieve our heart's desire. Most importantly it is our recognition that we may sometimes stand fast in the holiness of connection resisting all negative attempts to dislodge us from our chosen position. The explanation is continued in the next verse.


Verse 154. Is it then the seventh? Is it nothing more than the sixth. But this teaches us that the Holy Palace is here, and it supports them all. It is thus counted as two. It is therefore the seventh. And what is it? It is Thought that does not have any end or boundary. This place likewise does not have any end or boundary.

Commentary: See how the Bahir makes sure you understand that we are talking directly about the sense of self or being that all of us share. Thought has no boundary meaning that it is Eternal one of the names for Netzach. This Eternity means that within this Holy Palace where our thoughts of our heart's desire are home to we are able to touch and experience the eternity of connection that our heart's desire has been placed there for in the first place. Yes this seventh Sephiroth shares its qualities with its immediate source meaning Tiphereth but there is a further extension as must occur as forms are meant to be awakeness from holiness into embodiment. Now as we move on to the following verse there are indications of what is to come next. Precursors and signs of awareness that having grown is now ready to reproduce itself in kind.

Verse 155. The seventh one is the east of the world. It is from where the Seed of Israel comes. The spinal cord originates in man's brain and extends to the [sexual] organ, where the seed is. It is therefore written (Isaiah 43:5), "From the east I will bring your seed, [and from the west I will gather you]." When Israel is good, then this is the place form which I will bring your seed, and new seed will be granted to you. But when Israel is wicked, [then I will bring] seed that has already been in the world. It is thus written (Ecclesiastes 1:4) , "A generation goes and a generation comes," teaching us that it has already come.


Commentary: Thought that has been immersed within the holiness of our heart's desire produces the Seed of Israel. It is the awakening now of the form beginning as a seed to become full with growth and then its own innate seed making ability. When Israel is good means that when our thoughts keep their focus our heart's desire is made into the seed of its self expression. When our thoughts do not revolve around the focus of our heart's desire and stray to things without they will only bring forth what has already been sown in the world. By definition the creative impulse is diluted. A generation goes and a generation comes speaks to the new life entering and the old life leaving. The generations of thought are what are experienced within the holiness of Netzach. This is why we must learn to always think for ourselves for only then will the truth of our heart's desire be brought home to us. You cannot work another's field and nor can you harvest their bounty without accepting what is by definiton second best for yourself. Sow your own thoughts and look after them to reap their rewards.

For further insights on netzach including some interesting gematria click here

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Bahir 152 Heart's Desire Tiphereth

The sixth Sephiroth Click here for a great site to explain some of the Kabbalistic Symbols is called Tiphereth known as Beauty or as we see in this verse 'the Crown of the Blessed Holy One.'

152. You said [that the sixth one was] His Throne. Have we then not said that it is the Crown of the Blessed Holy One? We have said, "Israel was crowned with three crowns, the crown of priesthood, the crown of royalty, and the crown of Torah above them all." What is this like? A king has a pleasing, beautiful vessel and he was very fond of it. Sometimes he placed it on his head ­ this is the Tefillin worn on the head. At other times he carried it on his arm ­ in the knot of the Tefillin worn on the arm. Sometimes he lend it to his son so that it should remain with him. Sometimes it is called His Throne. This is because He carries it as an amulet on His arm, just like a throne.

Commentary: The essence of this verse explains that Tiphereth may be seen in three ways depending upon how and where we are looking at it. Above all it is called a crown. What is this crown? It is the sum total of the focus of our awareness. This awareness is what we have been talking about all along namely the 'heart's desire' that our thoughts promote as the pinnacle of our attention. Our thoughts may stray and go far afield but they are always brought back to this central focus of attention. Each time we return our focus to our heart's desire we build what is equivalent to voltage in a capacitor. In order words our thoughts through compression produce the outworkings of our heart's desire connecting with the Unfathomable to produce the resonance of reflection culminating in the demonstrations of these heart's desires. The Bahir speaks in terms of the King because this King is alluding always to that which sends forth the images of awareness each day. Once again we cannot comprehend the majesty of this King yet we may describe within ourselves the actions that we are prompted to do by the inspirations we receive from this King. All must relate to the King as all relate to the holy One. You see the Holy One is the unity that is expressed in the SHMA Link to the SHMA.
The SHMA is another crown that we wear when we seek unity and behold our heart's desire.

As the lightning flash or Tzimzum issues forth from Kether the energy is increasing refined and goes through levels of attainment symbolized by each of the Sephiroth. In Tiphereth this energy is distinctly colored with our heart's desire directly pointing out our soul's purpose. Stand away from the symbol of the Tree of Life Link to Tree of Life
for a moment and visualize what happens as thoughts flow in and through you. The entire purpose of Modern Kabbalah is for your integration with this flowing power coursing through you in order to help you to realize that this power may be shaped into the fashion of your own heart's desire.

Kabbalah Study

When I say I study Kabbalah what is it that I study?

Most would say that I study Torah, the Sephiroth, the relationships found in Gematria etc. All of this may or may not be a part of my studies in Kabbalah. What I end up studying is my own internal relationship to what I believe is going on in any given moment. This is a far more pertinent study that directs us to the connection between ourselves and our relationship with the Incomprehensible.

Monday, July 24, 2006

The totality of being

Listening is the key to all spiritual endeavors. Kabbalah teaches us to listen in a very special way. Through Torah study and self study we are given clues to the way our awareness operates both day to day and in the long term views of human history. Always there is the question of what do we listen for?

A simple yet complex answer is that we listen always for our life's purpose. Why are we here and how can we make things better given the talents and opportunities that we have? Kabbalah gives us a distinct method of inquiry. It teaches us that our questions do not go unanswered. It shows us how to rise above the common thoughts and see the world and our lives from the vantage point of totality. Totality cannot be taught but must be experienced. Totality recognizes the Incomprehensible and allows us to act from this vantage point. Think about this Totality how all things are connected whenever you are pondering any of the deeper questions. As with everything you get to make of it what you will. That is the beauty of the process of Modern Kabbalah. It takes us deeper without losing us in a maze of symbols piled upon symbols. It strives to place meanings in front of these symbols so that clarity is supreme. Yes it is true that the symbols represented by the Hebrew letters are a very important focal point they are not the end all or be all. We can digest meanings that we make our own. The same is true for the Sephiroth and their various associations. When these are explained we try as well to separate the meanings from their symbolic icons. We are at all times speaking the language of meaning refering back to symbols for a point of reference but we must always move on from these symbols to explain their relevant meanings.

I think of Kabbalah as a miner's light that searches the depths for the precious stones. Then using refining this light even further reveals the minute details which speak directly to our inner being connecting us with the totality of being. I encourage everyone reading here to make their own inquiries using this subject matter as a springboard to search their own questions finding their own answers. Like ripples in a pond the waves of meaning never stop flowing as long as we keep wanting to know what is going on.

Monday, July 17, 2006

Bahir Verse 151

There is a twist in here. One has to be careful when the roads turns abruptly. Our vision may become blurred. The correction must be offered here. Lets see what develops.

Verse 151. Another explanation: "Life" is the Torah, as it is written (Deuteronomy 30:19), "And you shall choose life." It is furthermore written (Deuteronomy 30:20) , "For it is your life and your length of days." If one wants to be worthy of it, he should reject physical pleasure and accept the yoke of the commandments. If he is afflicted with suffering, he should accept it with love. He should not ask, "Since I am fulfilling the will of my Maker and am studying the Torah each day, why am I afflicted with suffering?" Rather, he should accept it with love. Then he will be completely worthy of the "way of life." For who knows the ways of the Blessed Holy One? Regarding all things, one must therefore say, "Righteous are You, O God, and Your judgement is fair. All that is done from heaven is for the good."

Life is the Torah and it is the study of Torah which is the study of the raison d'etre for life. Torah and its study produces a way within that we may follow in our thoughts both outer and inner. This way within can be likened to a vibration of a crystal that imbues all resonant frequencies with its particular pattern. It is this pattern that we are trying to return to and that is the reason why we spend any time whatsoever in contemplation. We meditate in order to not only reproduce the pattern that has been shown by the words of Torah, we meditate in order to in fact transcend these words. This transcendence allows us both the integration and the leap of faith necessary to describe the meanings that are being given expressly for our own enlightenment. Yes 'it is the life and the length of your days' because by extending your participation and immersion in this advanced pattern of awareness everything is made whole. Now be careful because this next part is definitely a blind (meant to put the reader off the track just in case the reader is profane). One does not have to accept suffering in the sense that we agree with it. Nothing could be further from the truth. This point of the ancient and not so ancient Kabbalists speaks to an inability to think outside of the box. The box is the status quo and this status quo is not brought about by the holy one blessed be but by the actions of man in his lack of understanding. Yes we should embrace life and be thankful for it but we should also be aware that in the midst of our illness there is healing. We must learn to pay attention to the holiness we seek and then find it inside. That is where we find the 'way of life.'

Sunday, July 16, 2006

Bahir Verse 150

For once a clear pathway is described.

Verse 150. Rabbi Rahumai said: What is the meaning of the verse (Proverbs 6:23) , "And the way of life is the rebuke of admonition"? This teaches us that when a person accustoms himself to study the Mystery of Creation and the Mystery of the Chariot, it is impossible that he not stumble. It is therefore written (Isaiah 3:6) , "Let this stumbling be under your hand." This refers to things that a person cannot understand unless they cause him to stumble. The Torah calls it "the rebuke of admonition," but actually it makes one worthy of "the way of life." One who wishes to be worthy of "the way of life" must therefore endure "the rebuke of admonition."

Commentary: This verse speaks about the degreee of focus which must be brought to bear upon our Torah studies. We stumble because we can only take in a part of this undestanding piece by piece. We learn from our errors in thinking. When one door is closed another on beckons. This is how we may continue to seek the light. First by knowing that it is there despite our stumblings and second by dusting ourselves off after we fall moving forward again with renewed determination.

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Letting It Happen

The hardest subject I ever tried to master was physics. I could not master this subject. It always was beyond me. I understand motion and the theory of relativity intellectually but when it comes down to figuring the mathematics of a problem I was conceptually impaired. I don't know why this was so. I understood and did well in Calculus up to a point but somehow figuring out all of those vectors in Physics made my brain turn to mush. Perhaps I would do better today but I am unwilling and do not have the interest to try and figure this subject out. I seem to have come across another subject in which I am having this conceptual difficulty, however, this subject is one that I still feel to need to comprehend even if this comprehension means abandoning everything I know about it in order to make some headway philosophically. This subject is the way things work. I have studied this endlessly going around in circles in inside trying to make things happen in order to prove the theories I was discovering. I find that now I have been going about it the wrong way all of these years. I began to feel frustrated about this but realized that even my frustration was a part of the problem I have been continuing to run up against. I theorized that thoughts can make things happen and even witnessed thoughts and then the things happening. Sometimes these were random occurences and other times directed circumstances that came true so fast it made my head spin. I could not duplicate my results in an orderly manner. Still I found that I was subject to the vagaries of chance in terms of what happens in between what I am thinking and what I am seeing. As with many who have come to this same fork in the road I thought that I was powerless against such an Infinite problem and that who would blame me if I just stopped trying to figure this out and pursued anything else. This was tough because even though the realization comes to me that I cannot directly influence anything by active thinking I still want to know how everything works including that part of me that keeps looking for these seemingly impossible answers. What could I do? How could I continue under such restraints? Luckily the answer came through. I was to give up trying to make things happen with my thinking and then let go of the frustration I was constantly experiencing which added further to the confusion that would take place within. The key was to allow things to happen. Get out of the way. Let the lifeforce operate unhindered to do what was wonderful and magnificent in the moment. It wasn't my responsibility anymore. I did not have to worry about making the world or carrying the world on my shoulders. All I had to do was to do what I thought was right in the moment. Consequences would develop or not from the way I was thinking but not necessarily what I was thinking. I had to let go of the consequences. They were driving me crazy and after all causing me to browbeat my own ignorance believing that if only I tried harder I could indeed think a thought and make a thing appear. What was or is missing here? It should be obvious to most and on some level I did realize this but stubbornly refused to acknowledge the presence of that power that runs through me. It is as if I said "I don't want to bother you I can do this myself."

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