And When it Rose – Part 5
Opening the 5th class this week began with a question, leading to the right intention while studying Kabbalah.
What do you focus on while studying Kabbalah?
When sitting in a prayer, what do you focus on?
There is a difference that we need to make clear, between soul of soul and should of spirit. Whether we work from the assumption that a point in the heart has awoken in us.
Rabbi Nahman speaks about Hidbodedut – isolation. It is a good example to distinguish between sitting and being self observed – with your thoughts, even trying to insert to your thoughts qualities like forgiveness, acceptance of others…it is still a cycle that relies on what is happening, and the limitation of your consciousness. Nothing breaks it. Even if you think of all humanity, it is still under the restriction of the will to receive for oneself.
Therefore, you might benefit by knowing the will to receive for oneself – in the way it causes you suffering, but you are still dealing with yourself. IN different points of pressure, under the same space of self. You are not able to connect to something that is beyond and above of the will to receive for oneself. even if you only want to do good.
Zohar says it clearly: All grace that they are doing (they meaning Torah scholars- dealing with the light), is for themselves.
Therefore, sitting quietly looking at yourself provides you intelligence about where you are causing suffering, but still in the arena of self.
How do you break it?
First know that this is what you are doing, especially our generation. Because it feels great to sit quietly, having joy in breathing, and forgiving and not carrying the burden of hate and resentment. But, it is still in the same prison, with a better view.
So, now our discussion is not just the differentiation…is that we need to see the differentiation. That even if we fly to the end of the space, I am still in the prison of the space. Untill we don’t say – I am fed up with this…you can’t proceed.
So first, we need to be fed up with ourselves.
Now, when we can go to the space of Hidbodedut, Isolation, of Rabbi Nachman. There are modes of meditation used by various Kabbalists – they deal with 2 issues: Letters, and sound. When we understand Rabbi Nachman – it is about ‘ there is no one else but Him’. How I can make holes , even if very tiny, in the bubble of self.
It isn’t about ‘non but me’…but rather ‘non but Him’. He is in every small detail.
Watch the full video here
