So in the struggle for a little more perspective and perhaps a little less seriousness, I found myself somewhat coincidentally (although as I had come to learn, no such thing as coincidence really exists) with a yarmulke and a Jewish book of songs. The paradigm shift was necessary, and in reality my immersion into Kabbalah has been of significant educational and spiritual value.
Here it was finally, a non-elitist mystic tradition whose esoteric interpretations of holy scriptures was streamlined and attainable. Reality and every-day life seem to be the focus of all the classes, not axioms or metaphysical bubbles. That is not to say that the metaphysical aspects of this philosophy are undeveloped - the focus is all that is really different from any Muslim/Sufi/Christian tradition that I've experienced and studied. The idea is to fulfill one's life here on earth, full-stop.
Unlike Islam and Christianity (and perhaps even Judaism but I'm no authority on that yet) sin is an alien concept. Unlike Sufism, time is not devoted into sober/intoxicated gnosis, and into what sometimes felt like intellectual pomp (and an inevitable pity of the 'religious' masses).
The Zohar, the book interpreting the multi-layered codes that are verses of the Bible, provides more insight and fascinating interpretation than I can fill this page with, even after only two months of study. Instead I will give a brief snapshot of a lesson that illustrates the kind of things that are presented for me to analyze-
The title of this post is obviously a hint. The Tree of Life is a complicated concept, one that i haven't digested completely. The logical inconsistency of God (referred to as the Light) spending 6 days in creating the world is addressed here - Kabbalah takes us back to the Big Bang and states (now with scientific referencing!?) that the World exists in 10 dimensions. In the beginning, the Vessel that is our collective souls received Light in an uninterrupted infinity. The Vessel, receiving something which it has not earned, was unable to truly reflect this Light and appreciate it I suppose. When the Vessel (our collective souls into one) shattered (in Sufism, the day of primordial covenant alastu berabbikum - bala shahidna), a contraction in the universe took place and 6 of the 10 dimensions formed the Upper World of which the physical universe (Malchut, Kingdom) was begotten. A vacuum was created in the centre of an an infinite force of light (panentheism takes a literal meaning here), and within this vacuum the illusions of time, space, and motion existed. Malchut (in Quranic Arabic, the ملكوت) is the expression of Creation, of the world that surrounds us. It is 1% of our reality - the world of the 5 senses. It is the curtain that hides the Light.
In its practicality Kabbalah focuses its effort on removing every layer of cloth that shades our vessels from the Light, for that is the our vessels' only source of fulfillment. The paradox is that Light will only be received as you give it away or share it. Reactivity, blame, self-doubt, substance abuse, etc all remove perspective and keep you in the dark. Proactivity, identifying the opponents within you (again in Sufi terms the Soul and the Self), turning challenges into opportunities, etc. are all features of the Light and expressions thereof will in turn lead to happiness and fulfill the Vessel's primordial purpose - to earn the Light.
I guess in conclusion the most interesting aspect for me has been this 'illusion' of time, space, and motion. There is a general rejection of the concept of a future, particularly an unpredictable one (or a distant past for that matter). Each one of us possesses the ability to master the physical realm in almost godly ways. Since time, space, and motion are all illusions of the 5 senses, its your connection to the light and attitudes that you cultivate right here, right now that will determine your future without failure. "Miracles" are only more solid connections to the Light in the face of which physical limitations are inconsequential.
To demonstrate: When Pharoah and the Egyptian army were closing in on Moses and his army by the banks of the Red Sea, Moses cried out to God for salvation. God responded "Why are you calling out to me?"
In its commentary, the Zohar explains that there was no need for the Creator's help — because at that moment Moses revealed the 72 Names of God, and the collective consciousness of his people was elevated. But not a single molecule of water moved until the people had physically moved forward into the sea with unwavering certainty. Only when they were neck-deep in the waves — and still maintained complete certainty that the water would part — did the sea part to give them a passage to freedom.
