An Introduction to the Holy Kabbalah

Much as physicists seek a Theory of Everything (commonly referred to as TOE), so students and practitioners of Kabbalah seek to incorporate all phenomena whatsoever into the framework of their theories. Strange though it may seem, there is really not a great deal of difference in the objectives of the Kabbalist and the physicist, although most physicists would scream blue bloody murder at the mere suggestion! The key point of departure for Kabbalah is that its roots, its deepest points of inception, are of a subjective nature, arising from the disciplines of meditation and prayer. Physics on the other hand begins with acts of observation through the medium of a mental apparatus we call the brain, or mind, depending on our viewpoint. .

Let us consider the first exercise of a student of the mysteries: meditation. The first objective of meditation is to clear the mind at will of all thoughts, images, sounds and other irritations. This is not easy, and requires mastery over one's own body as a non-negotiable prerequisite. Only when one is able to forget the body can one begin the even more difficult exercise of taming the unruliness of the mind. However, once achieved, the process becomes, subsequently, almost effortless. So imagine for a moment that you are without weight or physical sensation, shielded from any disturbance from the 'real' world and utterly unaware of your body.

What happens immediately is that your mind produces a torrent of images and sound that are just as real as the hustle and bustle of your day to day life. And then you realise - you have no control whatsoever over this phantasmagoric maelstrom that rages within you. And now begins the real work - suppression of every last squeak and glimmer from the arena that is you. And lo! There you are, suspended in the lightless void without intrusion from thought, or any aspect of physical existence.

Underlying this phenomenon lurks someone you haven't been aware of for a very long time, an entity that needs no conscious thought or word or image to move itself on its trajectory through nowhere and everywhere. It is your 'true self' of which you now become uncomfortably aware. Now the previous sentence is its own contradiction: can you see the duality that still pervades the self, the oberver and the observed facing each other off like two gunfighters? Something's got to give!

We've reached a point now where we can begin to discuss the origin of Kabbala. It should be fairly clear that so it is through exercises of the type we have just outlined that the substrata of reality are revealed. The exercise we have just described brings to one of the root perceptions of reality - dualism. The methods at which we have arrived at this conclusion are those of mystics. But though the man of science arrives at the same conclusion, he/she does so on a far more empiric basis, by observing duality in the physical universe, cataloging all instances and then declaring a universal truth, albeit with caveats.

So which is the more profiund of the truths revealed? I think I'll leave you to meditate on that!

To be continued...


	What is the kabbalah? (or is that qabAL-ah?!) Just how to begin a discussion on the meaning of life, the universe and everything..! Douglas Adams, in his own inimitable manner did this by reducing and distilling the machinations of the universe into the experience of one Arthur Dent, who, for reasons known only to God and those who have penetrated the mysteries of creation through the agency of alcohol and drugs, survives the destruction of the earth which, for reasons of bureaucratic necessity, is demolished at the outset of his tale, to permit the construction of an interstellar highway. Such genius! But our path shall be somewhat less erratic although I hope no less gripping. For the Kabbalah is, of all human disciplines, the most profound, exciting, and rewarding. It is the fruition of the work of human genius spanning generation upon generation of the most profoundly creative and inquisitive minds in history. I hope that you enjoy this very basic introduction, and that you will join and participate in our Kabbalah Forum / Blog which I have not yet posted! - all things in time. In the meantime, you may post questions and observations on our Thelema Blog, via our Email Service, or via our Guest Book. I am personally really excited about this discussion and forum, so let us proceed without further ado! First Swirlings It is in the nature of humans to gaze down time's arrow, forwards and backwards. ever seeking beginnings and causes, consequences and endings. Entering the realm of timelessness has become almost impossible for minds schooled in logic and reason alone and provided with no frame of reference that permit the student to develop forms of mentation beyond those arising from the time-dependent mechanisms we have summarized rather neatly in differential calculus. And yet, for students of the mysteries, the capacity to realign their all-too trained and conditioned neural networks into this alien and timeless mode of perception is he first requisite of understanding (Binah). "Where do I begin, to tell the story of a love that never ends?" This song, Love Story, for me captures the essence of the Holy Qabbalah. Gaze at the night-sky in wonder. Look through time into the memories of youth gone by, and worlds, customs and people long passed. Peer with joy and fervour into future of days to come when the past is a living memory. Gaze in wonder at the marvels of Music and Magick, of Physics and Philosophy, of Chemistry and Karma. All of these things are but the shadow of reality which Qabbalah comprehends. Kabbalah and Physics: Estranged Brothers or Mortal Enemies? Much as physicists seek a Theory of Everything (commonly referred to as TOE), so students and practitioners of Kabbalah seek to incorporate all phenomena whatsoever into the framework of their theories. Strange though it may seem, there is really not a great deal of difference in the objectives of the Kabbalist and the physicist, although most physicists would scream blue bloody murder at the mere suggestion! The key point of departure for Kabbalah is that its roots, its deepest points of inception, are of a subjective nature, arising from the disciplines of meditation and prayer. Physics on the other hand begins with acts of observation through the medium of a mental apparatus we call the brain, or mind, depending on our viewpoint. . Let us consider the first exercise of a student of the mysteries: meditation. The first objective of meditation is to clear the mind at will of all thoughts, images, sounds and other irritations. This is not easy, and requires mastery over one's own body as a non-negotiable prerequisite. Only when one is able to forget the body can one begin the even more difficult exercise of taming the unruliness of the mind. However, once achieved, the process becomes, subsequently, almost effortless. So imagine for a moment that you are without weight or physical sensation, shielded from any disturbance from the 'real' world and utterly unaware of your body. What happens immediately is that your mind produces a torrent of images and sound that are just as real as the hustle and bustle of your day to day life. And then you realise - you have no control whatsoever over this phantasmagoric maelstrom that rages within you. And now begins the real work - suppression of every last squeak and glimmer from the arena that is you. And lo! There you are, suspended in the lightless void without intrusion from thought, or any aspect of physical existence. Underlying this phenomenon lurks someone you haven't been aware of for a very long time, an entity that needs no conscious thought or word or image to move itself on its trajectory through nowhere and everywhere. It is your 'true self' of which you now become uncomfortably aware. Now the previous sentence is its own contradiction: can you see the duality that still pervades the self, the oberver and the observed facing each other off like two gunfighters? Something's got to give! We've reached a point now where we can begin to discuss the origin of Kabbala. It should be fairly clear that so it is through exercises of the type we have just outlined that the substrata of reality are revealed. The exercise we have just described brings to one of the root perceptions of reality - dualism. The methods at which we have arrived at this conclusion are those of mystics. But though the man of science arrives at the same conclusion, he/she does so on a far more empiric basis, by observing duality in the physical universe, cataloging all instances and then declaring a universal truth, albeit with caveats. So which is the more profiund of the truths revealed? I think I'll leave you to meditate on that! To be continued... \| Crowley \| FAQ \| Occult Musings \| Chaos and Desolation \| Thelemic Calendar \| An Introduction to The Kabbalah \| \| Return Home \| Art Mall \| Thelema Literature \| Contact \| Magick \| Thelema Prints \| The Crowley Tarot \| Blogs and Forums \| Thelema Guest Book \|