Jewish Mysticism & Sant Mat

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Jewish Mysticism (Kabbalah) and the Way of the Saints

 

Meditation/contemplation can lead to inner experiences of the Light and

Sound of God

 

Abraham Abulafia, a Jewish mystic of thirteenth-century Italy, describes

experiences of inner Light and Sound during his own practice of meditation.

He says that Light seemed to be issuing from a source within himself,

and that after seeing the inner Light, he heard "the divine speech."

 

The source of the soul's own Light is the Shabd, the Ein-Sof or Word

from whom emanated the creation, which is also considered the primeval

Divine Light. When we "die" to the outside world and become alive to

the Divine, we will experience the Lights and Sounds of the inner regions.

As thirteenth-century Obadyah Maimonides, grandson of Moses Maimonides,

wrote:

 

When thou remainest alone with thy soul after having subdued thy

passions, a Gate will open before thee through which thou wilt

contemplate wonders. When thy five external senses comes to rest,

thine internal senses will awaken and thou wilt behold a

resplendent Light emanating from the Splendor of Reason. Thou

wilt perceive mighty and awesome voices which leave one

bewildered. ("Treatise of the Pool")

 

The Lights and Sounds we experience within help us on our spiritual journey.

Like a magnet, the Shabd/Ein-Sof/the Word pulls our soul upward to the

Lord. The Sound emanating from the Shabd helps us find the direction

to our True Home; its Light helps us stay on course and complete the

journey. The soul's power of seeing is called nirat, and its power of

hearing is called surat. Surat hears the Sound of the Shabd, and nirat

sees its Radiance. God has put the Sound and Light of the Shabd, the

Name, within us to help us find His inner "holy of holies," as the Bible

calls the highest region.

 

If we go out for a walk at night after dark and become lost, how can

we find our way home? We stand still for a while and listen for some

sound coming from our house -- the barking of a dog, the sound of the

television or stereo, or any other sound. From the direction of the sound

we can determine where our house is, but we need a light to illuminate

the path.... Similarly, the Light of the Shabd illuminates the Path

within.

 

The people that walked in darkness

Have seen a great Light;

They that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,

Upon them hath the Light shined. (Isaiah 9:2, Hebrew Scriptures)

 

Within us is the Light,

And from within the Light

Emanates the Sound;

We are attuned to the true Lord

Through the Word.

 

-- Miriam Bokser Caravella, "The Holy Name -- Mysticism In Judaism,"

 

RS Books

 

James santmat

santmatfellowship

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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