Engage in discussions on the week 4 lesson and materials, receiving guidance from a Kabbalah instructor.

[Julian Edwards- KabU Instructor]

Engage in discussions on the week 4 lesson and materials, receiving guidance from a Kabbalah instructor.

[Marie]

The purpose and preparation for a Congress was very revealing and it elevate a desire to attend one and be among us, the other parts of us and be as one as the final aim is.

The dialogue with Mary and Dena was also impressive on the  preparation level with everyone participating with the desire to bestow. It was enlightening, thank you for sharing.

[malcolm]

I bacame quite emotional viewing the congress process and later explaining to my wife the impression this congress entailed.

[Helen]

with all respect, but I started to see why some people become skeptical upon this point of studying Kabbalah.  Because it does sound like an organization trying to market itself by wearing a hat that covers that intention.  Please help me understand this “worship” on Rav, like everything the Rav said must be THE answer. Is Ray himself still learning and correcting himself? even if he finished correction at some point, but before that, his views(reflected in his books, articles, videos, classes) probably only represent that particular ladder he was on at that time? which mean whatever his thoughts were at that time, it may not the complete/correct perspective?  I am not sure if I explained myself well.

[Gianni – KabU Instructor]

You explained well, but you should know that attaining spirituality has the following condition, described here by Baal HaSulam in The Teaching of Kabbalah & its Essence:

The most successful way for one who wishes to learn the wisdom is to search for a genuine Kabbalist and follow all his instructions, until one is rewarded with understanding the wisdom in one’s own mind, meaning the first discernment. Afterward, one will be rewarded with its conveyance mouth to mouth, which is the second discernment, and after that, understand in writing, which is the third discernment. Then, one will have inherited all the wisdom and its instruments from his teacher with ease and will be left with all his time to develop and expand.

However, in reality there is a second way: Through one’s great yearning, the sights of heaven will open before him and he will attain all the origins by himself. This is the first discernment. Yet, afterward, one must still labor and exert extensively until he finds a Kabbalist sage before whom he can bow and obey, and from whom to receive the wisdom by way of conveyance face to face, which is the second discernment.

[Katrina Leeks]

I appreciated the style of this week’s lesson. It allowed me to connect with the first-hand experiences of those who have been to a Congress. Thank you!

[N/a]

Hi Gianni,

My understanding is that the ego is the matter and the condition which forms the basis of my existence.  But the fact is that I have the freedom to choose how to use my ego based on an intention to bestow or to receive for personal benefit.  This suggests I am not my ego.  My ego is simply the only faculty I have at my disposal through which I can fulfil my intention.  This suggests to me that my true essence is anything but my ego.  So, my question is who or what am I?  Who or what is the true ‘I’ who has the freedom to determine the way in which his faculties ought to be used?

Thank you.

[Gianni – KabU Instructor]

You consist of various, unscrutinized qualities, which for now are all mixed up like in a soup. From the study of Kabbalah, this parts of this soup get divided out, and then you can work with them in a clear way. For now though, you try to determine your spiritual future by taking what you can from the egoistic direction, and placing it on the side of the spiritual direction. You’ll be able to do so to the extent you manage your environment, to make it more spiritual. Besides this management, everything else is predetermined.

[Hannah]

The week 4 classes freaked me out!  (all the other classes were great!).  I’ve been in so many groups before, large and small, where we had to do things like gaze in each others’ eyes in silence and hug each other.  I hated those so much!  It always seemed so fake, especially since afterwards in trying to talk with the same people, more often than not there was discomfort/ awkwardness,  mainly from lack of our personalities meshing comfortably I guess.  Maybe the gazing and hugging is what’s real and the trying to talk is what’s not, but I associate these types of exercises with nothing genuine and good.  I’ll feel really disappointed if the so-promising things in most of the lectures and books here turn out to be beautiful words only.  I guess I’m in a descent, is that correct?  What might I anticipate next?

[Gianni – KabU Instructor]

Hi Hannah,

I wouldn’t call that a descent. You’re just trying to make sense of this path, but there’s a lot of missing information as well as misinformation in the form of experiences from other paths which make it harder to imagine what we’re talking about.
What’s described here are laws of nature, which are eternal. We’re in them whether we learn about them or not, and eventually we’ll have to learn about them.

[Author]

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