As we indicated earlier, this site is probably of less interest to scholars than to people interested in Kabbalah as a contemplative or spiritual path. So, let’s explore how that might work in practice. Let’s assume for a moment a basic tenet of Kabbalah: that, ordinarily, we are only receiving a small portion of what the world is manifesting at any moment. Scientifically, and intuitively, we know this to be true. If our minds did…
The Kabbalah offers three types of answers to the fundamental questions of existence. Because the answers are very different, as are the spiritual techniques involved, scholars, following Moshe Idel, have taken to referring to three streams of Kabbalah. Kabbalists themselves also recognize these three trends within Kabbalah, though it’s important to remember that they don’t see themselves as in one or another stream; there is interpenetration among all three. Like most categories, these streams are…
For Kabbalists, the visible world is only the superficial skin of Reality. Because of the way our minds are constructed to interact with the world, we imagine ourselves as separate selves, going about our business, trying to be happy. In fact, we, the stars, our friends and enemies, and everything around us — all of us are dreams in the mind of God. Nothing has any separate reality — it only looks like there are…
Kabbalah is: Literally, “receiving,” as in a received tradition. Some Kabbalistic teachings go back thousands of years, and were passed from master to disciple. Others were invented yesterday. Figuratively, “receiving,” as in receiving the truth of what is happening right now. The truth is, you are God reading about God, in the process of God becoming God. But chances are you don’t “receive” that truth fully, because of how your mind, body, and heart…