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kabbalahblog archive |
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Eternal LightAfter Endlessness (EIN SOF) withdrew itself (Zimzum) from one place and the void appeared, the EIN SOF OR, the Eternal Light, surrounded the void. With the appearance of the Light, the universe expanded, then the Eternal Light contracted and entered the void and poured its radiance into the center of the void. The center could not contain the Light and it shattered, and the light separated into tiny sparks or particles of light, which radiated outward in undulating waves of vibration. The light became concealed within these undulating waves which then unfolded into different forms and different worlds. This concealed light is the light of the whole spectrum of vibratory substance from cosmic rays to visible light to audible sound to the vibrating molecules of matter. Theoretical Physicist David Bohm considered light to be the entire electromagnetic spectrum and beyond it as well. He saw light as more than just energy, but as the potential and foundation of literally everything that exists, enfolding the whole material universe. (1)
With the
appearance of the light, the universe expanded.
the things that exist were
created in all their variety.
The light
is said to be hidden in Torah, in the human soul,
This Inner
Light is born within us at birth
My earliest childhood memory is of a haunting mystical experience of this vibrating reality that I had when I was in first grade. One morning, as I was getting ready to go to school, I experienced a deep sense of panic at the thought of returning to the ridicule and laughter I was receiving from my fellow classmates because of my stutter. Walking down the block with the other kids, the dread became unbearable. I turned the corner and slipped behind some tall bushes. As I watched the other kids going to school, I started to calm down. After a while, the street was empty. I slowly got up, turned down our back alley, and walked back to my house. I snuck into the garage, took my bicycle, and rode off feeling the urgency of escape. After riding through the neighborhood for a while, I turned down an alley and suddenly stopped. Autumn leaves swirled around the cracked pavement of the alley, being blown in spiraling waves by the strong Chicago winds. White billowing clouds swiftly rolled across the bright blue sky above, and the electric power lines gently hummed around me. In an instant all my pains and fears vanished, and I was filled with a sense of awe and wonder. Somehow I felt the power and beauty of nature washing over me and cleansing me. I sensed a presence of something vast and deep and unknown around me and within me. A feeling of safety and peace filled me, and I stood there for what seemed like hours. Now, after all these years I finally understand that I was bathing in the light of creation in all its vibrating forms, and this bathing awakened the light within me, producing a "lightness" of being. This brief glimpse of the great vibrating waves of existence has lived in my memory every since, lighting my way toward my return to a state of remembering the light that is me, that is everything, that is eternal.
Let's
close our eyes
and sense the vibrating reality beneath
(1) David Bohm (In Friedman, 1990, p. 292). (2) Image of the wave patterns produced as an electron passes through the mass of a crystal, revealing its underlying wave reality. Note the striking similarity between this image and the Kabbalistic Creation Mandala in the previous entry (Endlessness). (3) The relationship between modern physics and spirituality is part of an emerging debate between science and spirit. There are many different views and belief's within this debate, and the concepts I am presenting here represent one of many perspectives within this ongoing dialogue between these two spheres of knowledge. My reference to "the electron microscopes of science" is meant as a metaphor, since there are many different instruments and methods used by scientists to observe and explore the quantum universe. (4) Image of the sun's ultraviolet level of light. (5) Shim'on Lavi (In Matt, 1995, p. 91). (6) Rabbi Arthur Green (1992, p.154). (7) Adapted from Dr. Philip S. Berg (1981, p.24). (8) Kabbalistic image representing the Encircling Light. (9) Image of the sun's x-ray level of light.
Dr. Philip S. Berg. Kabbalah for the Layman. Jerusalem, Israel: Research Centre of Kabbalah, 1981. Norman Friedman. Bridging Science and Spirit. St. Louis, MO: Living Lake Books, 1990. Rabbi Arthur Green. Seek My Face, Speak My Name. Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson, 1992. Daniel C. Matt. The Essential Kabbalah: The Heart of Jewish Mysticism. New York: Harper-Collins Publishers, 1995.
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Comments
Is that your poem? It is beautiful. Posted by: WiseGuy
Yes, I did write the poem, or should I say, I was the channel for the creative force that wrote the poem. I am deeply honored that the words touched you and grateful for your kind words. In Gratitude for the gift of your response, Mark Posted by: markallankaplan
I recently received a new book from my Kabbalah teacher, Samuel Avital, who was raised in a Kaballist family in Morocco. He is also a world-class teacher of mime in Boulder, Colorado, where he has his mime school, Le Centre du Silence. His book is entitled "The Invisible Stairway: Kabbalistic meditations on the Hebrew Letters." You can get information from him at savital@bodyspeak.com.
This is a
private printing of only a limited number of copies, so it is
expensive, but very much worth whatever price you pay. Avital has
been steeped in this knowledge for a lifetime. His grandfather was
well respected in sacred circles, and Avital had a correspondance
going with Carlos Suares, author of The Cipher of Genesis, another
of my Thank you for your own meditations on this deeply connected network of thought-spirit-body-wisdom. Posted by: Lion Goodman
Thank you for the wonderful reference to the work of Samuel Avital and for your gracious words about my meditations on the Kabbalah. In Gratitude for the gift of your response, Mark Posted by: markallankaplan
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