Posted by kat on September 02, 2001 at 08:00:13:
In Reply to: What Are We? posted by pollavon on August 31, 2001 at 14:20:23:
I have been reading everyone's posts and thinking to myself, what could I possibly write that would be relevant that someone hasn't already touched on. All i could think of is that I haven't even read about the Kabbalah and so I don't understand fully the context in which this passage is written.
I can say however that from what is put down here although beautiful and on the surface deep and meaningful, from my perpective seems all too empty (or hollow as John mentioned)
Here again we see man looking inside himself for truth and discovery of who he is.
This never makes sense to me nomatter how many times I've tried it myself or read about it elswhere.
If the answers where inside of me wouldn't I have a sense of comepleteness being alone?
You know that whole I am an island thing?
I have never felt complete or whole, even with God I have to remind myself that He is there and of course He is constantly reminding me He is!
I've tried inward meditation it did nothing but scare the s*** out of me. I believe it was more of God's rebuke now that I look back, but that is what you do when your young and searching for meaning and purpose.
I am glad now for God's guidance even when I didn't ask, he knew I couldn't handle the things I would have exposed myself to by dabbling in occult or false mysticism or whatever else I could get my hands on. I know the power and truth that people search for can in it's purest essence and most absolute truth only be found in one place. And it definately ain't deep inside ourselves until we know Christ.
: From The Essential Kabbalah translation by Daniel C. Matt, p. 124:
:
: What are We?
: The greater you are, the more you need to search for your self. Your deep soul hides itself from consciousness. So you need to increase aloneness, elevation of thinking, penetration of thought, liberation of mind- until finally your soul reveals itself to you, spangling a few sparkles of her lights.
:
: Then you find bliss, transcending all humiliations or anything that happens, by attaining equanimity, by becoming one with everything that happens, by reducing yourself so extremely that you nullify your individual, imaginary form, that you nullify existence in the depth of your self. "What are we?" Then you know every spark of truth, every bolt of integrity flashing anywhere.
:
: Then you gather everything, without hatred, jealousy, or rivalry. The light of peace and a fierce boldness manifest in you. The splendor of compassion and glory of love shine through you. The desire to act and work, the passion to create and to restore yourself, the yearning for silence and for the inner shout of joy- these all band together in your spirt, and you become holy.