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SCIENCE & SPIRITUALITY
Kabbalah on Our Creation, Nature, and Destination P 1/2
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Welcome,
enlightened viewers, to
Science and Spirituality
on Supreme Master
Television.
Today our topic is
the wisdom of Kabbalah,
possibly one
of the oldest schools
of spiritual wisdom that
has existed till this day.
Kabbalah is often
incorrectly associated
with schools of
Judaic mysticism.
Kabbalah is
a supernatural science.
Kabbalahists study
the Upper World’s,
or Heaven’s, forces
and laws that govern
our physical world.
By contrast,
the natural sciences,
such as physics or biology
study our material world
in terms of
how it is perceived
by our five senses.
The start of Kabbalah
goes back around
3800 years ago
to the time of the ancient,
biblical figure, and
enlightened Master,
the Patriarch Abraham
who was originally from
the Mesopotamian region
in the Middle East.
Kabbalahists believe he
discovered the existence
of “Godliness,” a reality
outside this world,
and then wrote a book
about it, called
“Sefer Yetzira” or
“The Book of Creation.”
This is is
the world’s first book
about Kabbalah.
Kabbalahists also believe
that Abraham often
would sit by the door
of his tent and welcome
travelers to come in.
He would then feed them
and teach them about
the wisdom of Kabbalah.
Then, approximately
500 years later
around 1350 BCE,
Prophet Moses, also
an enlightened Master,
wrote his Book of Torah,
the first five books
of the Old Testament
or Hebrew Bible.
This is also considered
one of the books
that are a part of
the Kabbalah tradition.
In the 2nd century CE
Rabbi Shimon
Bar Yochai wrote
the “Book of Zohar”
or Brightness,
with commentaries
on the Torah.
This book features
much discussion
on the nature of God and
the origin and structure
of the Universe.
This fact makes
the Book of Zohar
a primary reference text
for Kabbalahists.
Rabbi Yitzhak
Luria Ashkenazi,
popularly known as
the “Ari,” lived
during the 16th century.
He is responsible for
making Kabbalah
more like a science,
and the nature of
the Kabbalah school
of today reflects his
enormous contributions.
Finally, in the 20th century,
Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag,
also known as
“Baal HaSulam”
or “owner of the ladder,”
wrote the book entitled
“Sulam” or “Ladder,”
containing
his famous commentary
on the Book of Zohar.
Since the times of Moses,
Kabbalahists have
written their books
using worldly language,
with references
in the texts to things
of this world.
However the books
actually do not refer to
this physical world.
Instead
they are descriptions
of the Upper World –
the root of forces that
create and sustain
all things
in our material world.
The Book of Zohar states
that Kabbalah will be
revealed in our times
in order to
elevate humanity
to a harmonious level
of co-existence.
In some ways
Baal HaSulam made
that prophecy a reality.
He made Kabbalah more
accessible to everyone,
even those who do not
follow Kabbalah by
use of modern language,
and by making
its spiritual philosophy
more understandable
through his explanations.
They also say he created
a practical method
of teaching Kabbalah
that can be used
by anyone to attain
the Upper World.
Baal HaSulam has written:
“And I have named
that commentary
The Sulam (Ladder),
to show that the purpose
of it is... that if you have
an attic full of goods,
then all you need is
a ladder to reach it,
and then all the bounty
of the world
is in your hands.”
The word “Kabbalah”
originates from
the Hebrew word
“reception,” which refers
to being in contact with
the Upper Light
or Creator, which is
pure bestowing love.
But if we are equipped
with just the five senses
that only tell us about
the physical world,
how do we develop
spiritually inside
and be in touch with
the Creator’s force
from Above?
Kabbalahists point to
their books as the answer.
They say the authors
of these texts reached
high levels of
spiritual attainment
and could recognize
the Creator.
Once a person studies
about the soul and
about their sixth sense
from these books,
the reader will be able to
draw the Light of the
Creator upon themselves
and advance
in spiritual knowledge.
This is an excerpt
from the “Introduction to
the Talmud Eser Sefirot”
by Baal HaSulam that
gives further explanation:
"... There is a wonderful,
invaluable remedy
to those who engage in
the wisdom of Kabbalah.
Although they do not
understand what
they are learning,
through the yearning
and the great desire
to understand what
they are learning, they
awaken upon themselves
the Lights that
surround their souls."
We’ll be right back
to discuss more about
creation and the nature
of our world from
the Kabbalah perspective.
You are watching
Supreme Master
Television.
Welcome to back to
Science and Spirituality.
Today we are discussing
the wisdom and science
of the ancient Kabbalah.
Kabbalahists believe that
the entire substance
of creation is born
out of a desire
to receive pleasure.
This desire evolved
in four phases, the last
of which is called
a “creature,” meaning
an independent being.
In Kabbalah, the
evolution of the desire
to receive controls
everything that exists,
in particular matter, time,
space, or motion,
in our physical world.
For this reason Kabbalah
focuses on the forces
of the Upper World.
Here is
a short description
of the four phases.
Each phase of creation
is not like
an independent stage of
development, but rather
each succeeding phase
is a new quality of desire
that is developed on top
of all previous ones.
One can view
the multiple phases
like the transition from
infancy to adulthood.
We know that
even a mature person
not only retains
memories of the past,
but also behaves
like a child sometimes;
on occasions he or she
overreacts emotionally
the same as when
he or she was small.
So the different phases
of development
are not erased
once passed through,
rather it is the latest phase
that primarily controls.
The Zero (Root or Keter)
Phase in creation is
Light or the Creator.
Light is love, bestowing
the gift of pleasure.
But in order to bestow,
Light must have
something to give to.
Therefore, Light creates
a vessel, called a kli,
a being, which is like
an imprint of the Creator
in order to fill it
with pleasure.
This is called Phase One
or Hochma.
We can compare
this phase to a baby
in the mother’s womb.
The kli is unaware of
desires, and depends
entirely on the Creator
who bestows Light
upon it.
At some moment,
through receiving
of this Light,
the creation senses love
and the giving intention
of the Creator.
This leads us to
Phase Two (Bina),
when the creation wants
to be like the Creator
and therefore
rejects the Light.
But again in order to
engage in creation, one
requires another being
that needs to receive
Light, and the closest one
is the Creator.
However, at this stage
of infancy, the creation
has nothing to give
to the Creator.
The creator just wants
to bestow pleasure.
Therefore,
the creation discovers
that by receiving Light
from the Creator, she will
actually be bestowing
by conferring what
pleases the Creator.
If one imagines the
pleasure a mother derives
from nurturing her baby,
one will realize that
the baby is actually
giving pleasure
to its mother simply by
receiving the nurturing.
Hence, in the Phase
Three (Zeir Anpin),
the creation
independently chooses to
receive some of the Light,
10% for example,
in order to please the
Creator, and the rest is
given back to the Creator.
Kabbalah says
the creation is still very
much dependent upon
the Creator’s giving.
They both share
equal status as givers,
although the creation
does not know the
thought behind creation
and just copies the
Creator’s will to confer
in order to be like Hirm.
Nevertheless,
Kabbalah says from
the Creator’s perspective,
Phase Three, could
complete the process of
creation, but the creation
did not settle for that.
At the end of Phase Three,
the creation feels
independent pleasure
from receiving Light,
as well as pleasure
from sharing
the Creator’s status.
This sensation constitutes
Phase Four (Malchut)
which is very different
from the first three phases
because the creature
develops a specific kind
of pleasure, one of which
is a desire for sharing
status with the Creator.
In fact, by sharing
the status of the Creator,
Malchut, which is now
an independent creature,
is elevated to
a higher spiritual state
that is even above
its own root.
It is called “Ein Soft”
(No End), which is
a land with no limitation
on receiving pleasure.
Malchut is in bliss.
Kabbalahists say there is
a beautiful connection
here. On the one hand,
it seems as if the
creation and the Creator
are separated and
pursuing different ends,
because the creation
receives Light
from the Creator.
But in fact, the Creator’s
greatest pleasure is to see
Hes creation enjoy and
share status with Hirm,
which is also the
creation’s greatest desire.
Similarly, children
generally want to become
like their parents, and
parents naturally want
their child to achieve
what the parents have
or even more.
Therefore, the created
being and the Creator
are actually pursuing
the same goal from
the beginning of the creation!
Kabbalah says that
if we could comprehend
this concept,
then our lives would be
very different now.
However Kabbalah says
Malchut is not
looking at things from
the Creator’s perspective.
Instead, Malchut looks
from its own perspective,
without complete
understanding of its
own nature which is
a “will to receive,” an
opposite of the Creator.
Thus, to become
spiritually like the Creator,
the creature
(Malchut) must
use its will to receive
with the intention
to bestow
like in Phase Three.
By doing that,
it will turn its focus
from its own pleasure
to bringing pleasure
to the Creator.
But the ultimate pleasure,
and goal of the creature,
is not in sharing
spiritual status but also
to resemble the Creator,
which would include
Hiers mind
and thought of creation.
And this obviously
could not be given to
an undeveloped creature,
which simply
responded to the Light
in its infancy stage.
It is what the Malchut must
achieve the hard way
and on its own.
Therefore, as Malchut
indulges in receiving
unlimited pleasures,
at the same stage
it becomes aware that
the Creator is
an ultimate Giver.
This leads to
a painful sense
of spiritual shame.
Malchut then regards
itself as a lower being
and these thoughts
moved Malchut away
from the Creator.
Malchut decides to,
first, restrict itself
from receiving Light
altogether
to stop the pain.
This act is called
Tzimtzum (restriction).
Malchut then acquires
tools to control
receiving light which is
called Masach (screen).
From now on,
the creature will only
accept the necessary
amount of light into the vessel or kli
and the rest will be reflected.
Clearly, Malchut, wants
to correct himself
by controlling
it’s own desires in order
to resemble the Creator.
Needless to say it was
part of the creation plan.
This is just
the beginning stage
of the creation.
At the end
of the correction,
the creature will receive
all of the Creator’s Light
and unite with Hirm
again.
This is the purpose
of creation,
to enjoy the bliss of it.
When we reach that state,
we will feel it both
as individuals and as
a single, united society.
This is because
the complete kli
or vessel is not
made of one person’s
desires, but of the desires
of all of humanity.
Kabbalahists say
when we complete
this last correction,
we will become identical
to the Creator
and Phase Four
will be fulfilled.
Thus creation will be
completed
from our perspective,
just as it is completed
from Hes.
Thank you for
being with us today on
Science and Spirituality.
Please join us
next Monday for part two
of our program
on Kabbalah.
Coming up next is
Words of Wisdom,
after Noteworthy News.
May your life be filled
with inner tranquility.
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