Beginning this Journey of Awakening
The teachings of Kabbalah explain that there are seven "Divine Attributes"—Sefirot—that G-d assumes through which to relate to our existence: Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod and Malchut ("Love", "Strength", "Beauty", "Victory", "Splendour", "Foundation" and "Sovereignty"). In the human being, created in the "image of G-d," the seven sefirot are mirrored in the seven "emotional attributes" of the human soul: Kindness, Restraint, Harmony, Ambition, Humility, Connection and Receptiveness. Each of the seven attributes contain elements of all seven—i.e., "Kindness in Kindness", "Restraint in Kindness", "Harmony in Kindness", etc.—making for a total of forty-nine traits. The 49-day Omer Count is thus a 49-step process of self-refinement, with each day devoted to the "rectification" and perfection of one the forty-nine "sefirot".
The Realisation of Unity
The universal hallmark of mystical experience—the Realization of Connection, Wholeness, and Oneness—while itself beyond words, is contained in every spiritual tradition, with extensive writings attempting to convey the significance of this Realization.
Spirituality refers to the realisation of unity. The more spiritual the awareness, the more conscious one is of the interconnectedness of all being. The less spiritual the awareness, the more an individual focuses on separation and fragmentation. The degree of spiritual perception is directly related to the extent to which one feels a sense of belonging, of being in the right place, at the right time doing the right thing. The lack of spiritual consciousness is measured in the degree of alienation and confusion that is experienced.
On an emotional level, spirituality reflects itself in the enhanced capacity to experience and express love and compassion. On a physical level, spirituality manifests in a sense of harmony and balance, a sense of rightness. Spirituality expressing on levels of emotion and of sensation does not require perfect relationships or perfect health. It requires greater acceptance and the release of resistance so that the radical fullness of each moment might be fully experienced, even welcomed.
Spiritualised consciousness helps us appreciate the nature of Awareness itself. With an expanded awareness, there is a greater ability to know the unique beings we are and to perceive the special gifts we each bring. With a greater ability to perceive oneness, we understand more fully the spiritual teachings not only of our own tradition, but of other’s too.
Spirituality
Spirituality is a word often used to refer to meaningful experiences, or to that which is considered especially good or valuable. Many use the word to direct our attention to that which is deeper within ourselves- to a greater Self, to a greater Wisdom, to a greater Love. I prefer to use spiritual to refer specifically to the Realization of Unity. This is an operational kind of definition, in which spirituality relates to the degree to which we are conscious of the interconnectedness of all being.
The less spiritual our awareness, the more we perceive separation and fragmentation. Our degree of spiritual perception is directly related to the extent to which we feel a sense of belonging-of being in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing. Our lack of spiritual consciousness is measured by the degree of alienation and confusion we experience. The more spiritual the identity, the more inclusive it is; the less spiritual the identity, the more exclusive. Spirituality, in this sense, relates to perception, understanding, and experience—it is more a matter of being than a way of thinking.
On the mental level, spirituality reflects itself as a greater clarity and connection to deep inner resources of Wisdom and beginning this
Knowing. We are able to know ourselves as participants in a Universal Life. On an emotional level, spirituality expresses in the enhanced capacity to experience and share love and compassion. On a physical level, spirituality manifests in a sense of harmony, balance, and rightness. Spirituality expressing on emotional and physical levels does not require perfectly smooth relationships or perfect physical health. It requires greater acceptance and the release of resistance, so that the radical fullness of each moment might be met.
Spiritualized consciousness opens us to the healing nature of Awareness itself. With an expanding awareness, there is a greater ability to appreciate the unique beings we are and to perceive the special gifts we each carry. With a greater ability to know Oneness, we understand more fully the truths of spiritual teachings from all traditions. A greater possibility of individual and of world healing naturally begins to manifest.
This book provides clear and direct avenues that you can travel as you move toward greater spiritual awakening. These paths are constructed of meditative practices and kabbalistic insights designed to encourage the expansion of your own inner wisdom. Spiritual consciousness is the fullest freedom, as we become more able to participate in the great work called tikkun olam—the realization of deep Peace and Wholeness to
which we are each called.
Kabbalah
Many aspects of Jewish mysticism and spiritual teaching are referred to as the "kabbalah," the literal meaning of which is "that which is received." The Kabbalah contains evolving expressions and understandings of revelation within Judaism. Kabbalistic writings, like most rabbinic teachings, are based on Torah—on the stories, characters, ethics, and rituals that form the foundation of Jewish tradition.
But where rabbinic interpretations tend toward rational discourse and learned debate, kabbalistic insights stem from a more intuitive meeting between person and text.
One image from kabbalistic literature encourages us to learn to read not only the letters of Torah but also the white spaces around the letters. For the kabbalists, biblical characters often represent various cosmic processes and levels of awareness; rituals reflect universal principles underlying Creation itself; and mitzvot (traditional commandments) provide not only a language through which human and Divine communicate, but literally the means to ensure the continuity of Reality. For the kabbalist, Torah is a sourcebook of endless levels of meaning and of meeting.
On a theological level as well, the Jewish mystics differ radically from normative rational rabbinic thought. For the rabbis, God is a Being untouched and unchanged by the created world. For the kabbalists, God participates in creation. God needs humankind as much as humankind needs God—there is a mutuality of relationship in which God participates in all life.
Panentheism is the term that refers to the mystic's view that there is nowhere that God is not. God is Everywhere and Everything, yet God is also greater than everywhere and everything. God contains the world and is the world, yet God is Infinitely More. God is Being Without Limit. God is the Infinitely Inclusive "I." The kabbalists believe that we are all participants in the Life of God. Jewish mystical tradition supports the greater awakening to this Inclusivity through study, meditation, and right acts in the world.
The central symbol of the Kabbalah is called the Tree of Life, a map of cosmic, psychological, and spiritual Reality. Two other concepts often related to the Tree are the four worlds of Creation and the three levels of the soul. Each of these will be touched upon in this text.