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This week’s lesson has helped me mentally relax in trying to “force my mind” to understand what exactly is meant by a lot of the Kabbalistic language. I feel a new sense of “trust” that if I stick with this training, then there will come new moments within my conscious sphere where part of me will “recognize” these things that, right now, I am unclear about.
Thank you, Albert, for your prompt and clarifying reply to my cascade of questions. You have helped relax the wheels in my mind quite a bit, especially with…
“Kabbalah only deals with our desire for spirituality. Regarding the desires of our animalistic bodies, Kabbalah does not deal with these things.”
and…
“These (corporeal) desires will begin to obscure our point in the heart and give us room to grow spiritually, meaning to make that point in the heart even more important than all these basic things.”
Your second point is where I feel I find myself now in returning to this work. : )
I will re-read Chapter 3 in Attaining the Worlds. Many thanks for the link (and, I recently received my hard copy. [thumb’s up!])
Again, thank you!
Many good days…
Dyrk
Hello, I would like to ask for clarification on some of the terminology. I apologize in advance that my posting may appear long; however, your indulgence is appreciated because I really want to understand what is being said/meant in our lessons. I will place headings at the start of each topic area for ease of navigation.
Will vs. Desire (1 or 2 questions)
As it pertains to our learning in Kabbalah, do the words “will” and “desire” mean the same thing? In other words, can the terms “will to receive” and “desire to receive” be used interchangeably? If they are not the same meaning, can you please explain what is the difference between “will” and “desire” as Kabbalistic terms?
Corrections, Intentions, Desires (5 questions)
In this lesson, we are told that a correction occurs when we transform the intention to receive into an intention to bestow. In this regard, what we are changing is the intention, not the desire or behavior. First question: Is this accurate? If not, will you explain?
Recently, a classmate expressed difficulty in understanding how the intention for the desire to smoke could be changed from reception to bestowal. He was told, as an example, that he could be part of a group and commit to not smoking as a form of giving toward the benefit of others in the group. In this example, however, it is neither the “intention” nor the “desire” that is being “corrected.” Rather, it is the behavior of smoking that is being changed to “not smoking.” Moreover, the behavior of not smoking goes against both desire (wanting to smoke) and intention (for personal pleasure). In essence, he would commit to sacrificing something he enjoyed for the benefit of others. This seems like the path of pain.
Second Question: Rather than trying to suppress (or sacrifice) our physical desires (such as smoking, drinking alcohol, eating greasy foods, etc.), should we just keep reading Kabbalistic books and following the courses offered through KabU? If not a simple “yes,” can you offer guidance?
It seems to me that we are being taught through Kabbalah that we, as individuals, are powerless to change the objects of our desire (wanting to smoke) on our own. But, if we join a group, our desires will begin to change. Third Question: Is this accurate? If not, will you elaborate?
Fourth Question:Â If we continue feeling the new/additional desire for adhesion with the Creator and we choose to continue our pursuit through authentic Kabbalistic learning, how will our abilities to derive pleasure from base activities, such as smoking, drinking, over-eating, etc., change (or will they)?
Fifth Question: If we study the Path of Reception offered through Kabbalah, will Ohr Makif (Light surrounding the Kli) eventually become Ohr Pnimi (Light received inside the Kli) so that we (individuals) become transformed beings who experience pleasurable fulfillment, while still living in this world, and who no longer wish to conduct ourselves in unhealthy, egoic ways?
Thank you for your patience, guidance, and kind attention to my mind-gnawing questions.
Many smiles…
Dyrk
I have mostly gained the understanding that the Wisdom of Kabbalah teaches: (1) egoism is the will to receive pleasure for the (little, sensed as separate) self alone, (2) most people are unaware of their egoism, (3) there is little we can do on our own to alter the influence of egoism, (4) egoism determines the way in which we experience “this world,” and (5) we need to “join forces” with other like-minded people who desire adhesion with The Creator through the study of Kabbalah in order to access “other (spiritual) worlds,” which will then allow us to influence and change the way we experience this world.
In this week’s lesson, no question has formed for me…..yet, anyway. Granted, I am returning to this spiritual work after nearly 10 years of on-and-off study of Kabbalah through books, videos, and courses sourced from Bnai Baruch. That said, I want to convey that my learning is increasing as I view the questions and commentaries posted here. It matters very much what is asked by others and answered by instructors. I’ve gained much clarification in these first two weeks of KabU coursework that builds on years of study. It’s as though seeds that were planted, remained dormant and are now popping open and “sprouting new growth” in my mind. Thanks all!
