Qkab
Brain capacity
Those that say that we only use 10% of our brain’s capacity, to them I say: Perhaps the other 90% is being used to maintain processes and relationships that we are unaware of and that we are only capable of being aware in some form of fashion of 10% of what is actually going on in that amazing brain of yours. Perhaps it needs the other 90% to support the 10% that makes up the “I” that is self-aware.
Constraint
#constraint
One needs to practise constraint prior to the event, not subsequent to it. The latter removes all pleasure, making the experience rather torturous. That is the role of the teacher/mentor, to constrain the pupil, and upon (res)training him, provide the space for him to attain his form. He needs to be anchored. This is important. In the beginning he is tethered or chained to the tradition in which he is being schooled. This is through an oath or vow that he or she needs to declare. Once his position has been fixed, the teacher can then begin to take him deeper into the mysterious realm. Thus the constraint will form the student, not break him.
You have a choice:
That of being constrained by your own will, or by the will of another.
Due to the truism that to overcome your own weaknesses is the most difficult battle of all, many are defeated by their own desires, and end up driven by their selfish needs. The conclusion is that one needs help. As is said, “One cannot overcome the forces of evil alone.” Yet if one seeks help from another, one runs the risk of falling under the other’s influence, and not really acting from one’s truth.
The solution to this dilemma is to “create” an ideal, and to aim for that ideal. The most common and tested version of that is G-d, or some equivalent expression thereof. As long as that variant has the same attribute of Perfect, Absolute, Infinite, Indivisable Oneness.
Spiritual path
The way to find the spiritual in your life, is to constrain one’s material desires, and nourish one’s spiritual needs.
If one follows a spiritual path, then one’s way of life will be different to the “norm”. This is because of the dynamic mentioned in the previous paragraph.
Upon choosing, which is imposing constraints, you encounter and attract other choices. In other words, the “fruiting” happens through constraint. Through balancing the energy from certain areas, you have more energy to focus on the chosen path, which then grows stronger and thus more fruitful.
By choosing, and thus removing all the other possibilities, the “wave collapses”, and something will manifest.
However, if you choose not to choose, taking no action, making no decision, slowly your choices are reduced—like passing by doors and leaving them unopened—until you find yourself in a place of not being allowed or able to choose—a place of “no-choice”, which, G-d forbid, is to be in the realm of fear, which attracts evil.
The felt reaction to the “no-choice”—that of allowing some “other” impulse to direct your actions—is one of “guilt”. In that place, the desire for constraint arises. Remember, I can only desire what I don’t have. After (over-)indulging in one of my pleasures, a feeling of guilt arises. Guilt at having sinned. Guilt at having wasted pleasure. Added guilt because of the need to keep the sin secret. Which often is accompanied by lies… and more guilt. The only way of assuaging the guilt at this stage is through repentance, which requires “penance”, which means some sort of constraint—at least to stop behaving sinfully. Thus the lack of constraint in that specific area is needs to be balanced by an excess of constraint in some other area —perhaps itself hidden—producing another, often disconnected, re-enactment, a twisted pleasure—that is surely an expression of pain.
Behind, and intrinsic to this dynamic, is the fear of being seen. Especially if he or she is G!d-fearing, the knowledge that G!d is All-Seeing and All-Knowing will lurk somewhere in the background. Even if she rejects it, it is still bound in the rejection.
More than that, there are those who have sight in the other world too. We refer to them by many names, but the one I like the most is clairvoyant, meaning
“with clear vision”. We don’t have any similar names for the other senses. There’s an edge here. We hear of the mystic, the one who “walks between two worlds”. That is because she is interacting with the spirit of mother earth (Shekhinah). However, one who is clairvoyant is one who sees through the speculum into the other world. A mekubal (kabbalist), is one who studies, empirically, phenomenologically, and theoretically, the other spiritual realms. He is generally not focused on the non-spiritual, except as it is the actual representation (and thus proof) of any and all of the textual phenomenon he strives to comprehend.
Mercy - Chesed
It seems that only one side of the issue is being addressed here—that of restriction and constraint. That is because the desire to expand, to grow, to increase is a basic drive, almost a law of existence. Thus desire tends to expand, especially if nourished, and can easily become your mistress. Our work is to shape form from the energy that is always available to us, and that shaping requires constraint. Just as Michaelangelo cut into the marble blocks to produce a form, so we need to shape the light to produce form.
Unification
#sefirot/chesed{.tag .is-dark} #tol
Unification can only be achieved through accepting a common set of principles. It must carry the ability to enforce these principles too, else it is merely idealistic.
This is done by unifying behind a noble idea. The idea must be strong and clear, like “Unity is strength. United we stand. Divided we fall.” This enables the community to achieve its goals and thus become stronger, and if done cooperatively, everyone benefits. That is, if the goal of the community is to ensure the best for everyone, and not just a small part of the whole group. If one cares equally for all, then one cares as much for the violent disrupter as one does the valiant participant. This is where the fine line is.
The more unified the group is, the more homogeneous and tightly coupled it becomes. This environment is highly effective, and while it’s rigidity allows it to protect itself, it is susceptible to sudden collapse as the failure of one core component will likely cause cascading collapse.
The more heterogeneous environment is always the more robust, containing many and varied pathways to satisfying its basic needs. It needs to be constantly vigilant, though, able to reconfigure while maintaining its core structure, so as to be flexible enough to continue to not only survive but flourish.
May we attain this dynamic system of balance to enable us to truly support deeper investigation into the truth of what our lives are really meant to be.
Attract - Reject
#attraction
- In the physical universe, like rejects like and opposites attract.
That is because we can only desire what we do not have. In the physical realm the pain/pleasure response is a primal driver. Physical sensations are what enable us to know that we are alive. When asleep, and unaware of physical sensation, we are unaware that we are alive! Or, if dreaming, unaware that we are not alive!) - In the spiritual universe, like attracts like, and opposites oppose.
This is supported by the statement of distance in the spiritual realm, that is defined by difference in qualities, or characteristics, rather than measured space.
If this is the case, then, in this realm, as the spiritual entities gather, and have more and more energy, there arises the need to release, i.e emanate, that pressure. This is what produces life, or the vivifying soul. This “bursts” out as a soul that vivifies the dust of the earth, something that is dead, and thus, can only live as long as the soul is able to inhabit and thus enliven this earthly form. As is said: “Dust to dust, ashes to ashes”. Thus, through this process, this excess energy that needs to be expressed, i.e., formed, which once arisen, dissipates in what is called “death”.
The essential question here, is whether the higher soul, the Ruach, that continues to exist as your daemon is an expression of a larger journey, or a journey that spans a more extensive cosmology. That is what we are told by mystics, psychics, spiritual texts and NDE’s.
Compass
#compass
Providing people who are lost with a compass is not going to enable them to ‘find’ themselves. They have to first accept where they are, and who they are. The next step is to search for your anchor—something you believe in, that forms the rock upon which you stand, and, for which you are possibly willing to face death. This then becomes your true North. You are always going to have to tend to this rock, maintaining and strengthening it to the best of your ability.
Once you have this–you have arrived home. If you still wish to explore, and journey to discover new lands, then you need to learn to read the compass correctly. This requires some teaching and practice in navigating this new, unknown, territory, not within the safety zone called home.
What is really needed are accurate maps. That is one of the main drives of the human—to seek truthful maps! Then records can of the journeys can be made—but the paradoxical thing about these records is, that besides the protocols invoked, the experience, the actual journey is always unique and unexpected.
Then a compass can be used.
In the physical world, with a compass we can navigate by the heavenly bodies. What heavenly bodies do we use to navigate in the esoteric world? We determine today what is true north, and through that constant line, we determine where our journey is taking us.
If one walks a spiritual path, however, then it is the esoteric world that guides us. The “voice of G-d”, that speaks to us, with whom we are always dancing, always communicating with.
If one is a Kabbalist, then one has the Tree of Life and the sefirot, and appendices, to give voice to this communication, and speak of where and what the voice in “that" realm are. The most important lesson is to discern the source of the voice(s) you are always hearing. Who to listen to and who not to.
The story remains the same. First one has to learn a map. In order to do that, one has to grasp the cosmology within which the map is drawn, what the symbols represent and also the actual language in which it was written—in order to understand where the map fits in relation to the world and the heavens.
Then, in order to plan a journey, one has to know the rules and the tools. Most important of which is a compass, which requires one to learn how the compass is used in the mapping system.
Measurement or naming
#math/about
Even in the realm of the imagination, where anything is possible, patterns appear.
Our measurements are another way of naming natural phenomenon.
Perhaps mathematics is the naming of the energy, i.e., the pattern, inherent in the object. Alchemically, one could say that mathematics collates data on physical characteristics, and through its equations describes the imagined behaviour of the object. Be aware that the naming or descriptions we associate with objects are just pointers to them; they do not describe the reality of the actual event/image/object.
That is why mathematics can come up with descriptions that are either only approximations of the actual object or dynamic, or are describing objects that do not exist anywhere that we know of.
For example, circle is only a name to recall an image that exists in my mind, with a collection of qualities and characteristics that I have learnt to associate with it.
TODO: Give example of mathematical object that does not exist. I know there are plenty of them. One doesn’t pop into mind? A Klein bottle? A mobiouis strip? A tesseract? A 2 dimensional object - an axion? An E8-lie group? A 10th dimensional square?
Infinite collections
#infinity
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Infinite amount of infinite infinities in infinity.
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The “lowest” or densest infinity is made of infinite sets of finites. Then we derive the infinite set of infinities, then the infinities of infinite infinities, and finally the One Infinity of All infinities, finite or infinite.
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It takes an infinite amount of supernal energy to produce a single packet of finite energy.
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It takes an infinite amount of nothing to create something out of nothing.
- Therefore, paradoxically, only if you have a Divine self could you recognise the Divine anywhere or in anything—for it is Divine in you that recognises Itself. It is “G-d knowing itself”. Infinite collections
Nothing, by its very nature, must be infinite – or apparently so. Nothing can be added or removed from nothing, two of the basic characteristics of an infinite set. So we are a bounded collection of infinities, a finite one at that.
- Fractals are an expression of the infinite existing at every point that manifests, and every other point (that diverges) is black.
- The only thing that can be is finite. One infinity can be measured only by counting the finite–which can also be a quality or characteristic–in the infinite.
Even deeper: In terms of infinities, one cannot distinguish one from the other. In other words, in the infinite realm, there is only Infinity-–think of Russell’s paradox, “Is the set containing all sets itself a set?” {This is the Power Set, the set of all the sets from the original set}—and nothing else. Thus we return to the beginning again, that there is only One Infinity.
By comparing different infinite collections of finite elements no matter — a reductive process could reduce each one of these elements—no matter how complicated—to a point. We can now speak of different infinities. Each one of which is, in essence, a pseudo-infinity, or one could even say, a partial infinity (another absurdity).
Intention - Outcome
#math/prophecy
The conclusions drawn from data are dependent on the system of measurement used, plus the tools of interpretations, all heavily influenced by what is observed and thus included in the data set, as well as the underlying assumptions that were the impetus for the test to be done in the first place.
Due to the influence of capital into the profit making impetus of the Capitalist methodocracy, there is a race towards the goal, generally a pot of gold, or the equivalent, at the end of the rainbow, that perverts the process of experimental evidence. It is as if the data needs to match the goal, and not really test its underlying premise, with its clear, yet hidden, motivation.
During a time when future was unknown, the focus was on intent. After having gained some illusion of “control” (or so it may seem) — in terms of predictability/probability — over future events, this becomes as important, if not more critical, than intention was in the times past.
Those that practise this science have now become the prophets of our time, claiming to be able to predict coming events—most of which is based on predictive modelling. But sciences original breakthroughs, and what it has managed to achieve through the empirical arm of its progress, is astounding.
In ancient times, the belief was in spirits of gods and demons, entities from another realm, as well as those that resided here with us, were what influenced events. These beings needed to be related too. Some were honoured, others abhored, but all were feared.
Today, we no longer listen to these ancient voices, but instead hearken to the simple voice of science and its adherents. Probability has taken over the role of superstition and divination, because
There are two pitfalls.
The first is science for science’s sake. Most science has it base in mathematics, which can be practised for its own sake. However, science which influences the real world cannot follow such a path, for then it loses sight of what it is trying to achieve, and becomes caught up in the latest (gold) rush.
As the focus narrows, so the extraneous elements became less and less important. In a scientific environment, in order to interpret data, certain assumptions need to be made. Then decisions as to what needs to observed and what is irrelevant need to be settled. Finally, a model will be formed, and the size of said model will depend to a large degree on available finances. This process can produce huge bias.
Outcomes
#math/measurement{.tag .is-dark}
These outcomes need to be measured through the same empirical measurements as science is using to measure the “imaginary” energies that are swirling all around us, which
some, in almost every culture, were aware of—they just used a different cosmology (and language) to describe them. Often their goals were no different than our goals today: to describe the real elements in the world around us and predict their dynamics i.e., interactions.
By claiming a name, we believe we can claim some rights over the thing that we have named. The Holy Spirit, Creator of the Universe, All-Powerful, All-Seeing—whatever the reality of our existence truly is, and Who Emanated it, goes by different names in different cultures and religions. But claiming one of It’s names does bestow any claim on It. “It will still be, and is, and has ever been, what It is” whatever name you call It by.
Today, we call it a quanta, that moves in waves, and is made up (or from) a field. All modern terms, and thus we claim that we have found something new, something our less perceptive ancestors were unaware of. But they just referred to it by different names.
But everything that exists contains elements that are good and useful, and elements that are disturbing and we cannot use. The scientific paradigm and protocols have brought us many gifts, and provided us many benefits. We need to focus our attention and use the same fundamental methodology based on the same scientific principles that enabled us to produce as accurate a prediction as F=ma provides us.
Outcome can only be measured in relation to the dynamics of the system itself.
The veracity of the measurement depends on the breadth of data (whether local or global/general) collected, its original impetus (what caused it), plus its depth (how deep/powerful is its source).
Journey into sacred imagination
#qkab{.tag .is-dark}
We prefer to refer to this space as “sacred imagination” rather than the “spirit world”.
The flute and its sound are separate but one, just as we are separate from G-d, but one with Him.
Myth, drama and poetry, inspiration and ritual all borrow from the sacred imagination in their attempts to discover or create “portals” to the realm of the sacred, expressing that deep desire inherent in many to experience some essence of the Divine Spirit and manifest It in our lives i.e., in the world around in and around us.
It is a choice, and/or a training whether to acknowledge the sacred in our lives—though the need is latent in all of us. Those who are awake see it in the Great Mystery in which we are enshrouded. Our despair is based on the lack of acknowledgement of the mysterious in our lives.
This desire to embrace the Divine in our lives and expand it, until it becomes an essential part of life, so that we may experience a glimpse of the world to come, Olam ha’ba is like returning home.
Olam ha’ba is like the limit in calculus, the potential infinity that we can always approach, but never reach, never quite fully embrace. Until, in some magical, mysterious fashion, passing through a point of singularity—a dark night of the soul—to arrive at the empty, silent place where the sacred imagination lies.
For if, the edict, the “Will of G-d”, is for me to incarnate, my “natural” direction is towards מלכות - Malkhut. So the return, תשׁובה - tsuva, occurs when you no longer look towards Malkhut for your salvation, but change your orientation towards the heavens instead.
We assume that we comprise a set of “functions” that are well-behaved, a class that is based on the real world. That this is a specific class of functions that fit into certain criteria so that they will become rooted as they tend towards infinity. A representation of this has appeared as the fractal which comprise points which represent a set of functions that do not diverge as they approach infinity embedded in each one of the functions.
The functions we commonly use are all continuous… Which is not completely true of our consciousness—even if it is only from the viewpoint of the physical brain.
NOTE: Though we could look at everything as having an element of infinity embedded in it. We show this by asking the question does a finite number have infinity embedded in it, when it, by definition is embedded in infinity itself
Neshama
Imperfection
Desire arose…
Desire, the only force in creation, is always towards the unknown, for we can only desire what we do not have. And the only thing Perfection does not have is “imperfection”.
It is not an imperfection in the perfection. It “arose” in the “mind” or “will” of the Creator to create (His Creation). All of these words contain barely a grain of truth, because they are all anthropomorphic, using human ontology to describe the indescribable.
But why create imperfection just so it can be returned to its original state of perfection? Perhaps imperfection is part of perfection, in that, in order to be wholly and absolutely Perfect, it has to contain both perfection and imperfection.
In other words, the creation arose out of the perfection as an expression of that very perfection. It is possible to express Creation as a continuous process of synthesis, which emerges from both thesis and antithesis within it, else it could not fulfil its task of synthesising and would become fossilised.
Why, how, what or who, we will never know. For even the glimpses we are allowed might themselves be delusional—just keep on dreaming the dream. When enough of us dream the same dream, then we will begin to sing the songs that arise out of this dream. And when enough of us are singing the song of our souls, we will begin to manifest and build that which will allow us the freedom to dream and sing.