What is meant to be is more than wonderful. It surpasses even our most imaginative speculations by revealing things that we could never in our present state of awareness conceive. This is the most amazing part of it all since the idea that conception is unlimited and by definition beyond the scope of ordinary reason is truly mind boggling. It grows into a source of resident energy that is like a cup that constantly renewed itself not just with what has come before but with a myriad of unthought of things that come during and after the initial focus is internalized.
The waking part of Torah which is the that which we can see and interpret is always a kind of pool that draws us in to depths we have heretofore left undiscovered. But since even the very nature of now is changed by this intersection of mind with Torah we can see how the transformations of thought do indeed lead to a transformation in the actual sensing of being. It is to this that the Shechinah acts as a tenuous intermediary to effectively evolve those thoughts to their fruition.
The process as it is taking place is as difficult to pin down as it would be to jump on a moving train. Difficult and yet not impossible if the timing of speed and opportunity directs itself perfectly in the moment which it must do of course in order for all of this to work out just so.
Consider the Mishkan and all that attention to details that here in our present day leaves us somewhat mystified except however, when we consider that each one of these details pertains to a particular state of Consciousness. When you reflect upon this then you realize that every detail was exactly necessary in order to paint these pictures of Consciousness in its primary form as an integrated vehicle for the expression of the holy through the mundane or the spiritual through the physical.
The pathways that are the expressions of thought are like woven tapestries with life built into them. These pathways are the vines that wrap themselves around the trees in tropical forest seeming to overwhelm the tree in their vibrant expressions. This however is not the case since the reason for the existence of both tree and vine is beneficial relationship or one that is meant to be.
The tree represents the grounded foundation of a persons being. It is the central core of their reality gripping with roots that are far beyond a simple touching of the ground but are rather rooted deeply in the core of the earth. All that the tree or the individual receives in terms of nourishment comes through this core attachment. It is a committment to the earth and as we shall see to the heaven above in which both tree and individual stands.
The vines represent the life experiences that enliven, enrich and sometimes also seem to overwhelm both tree and individual but their purpose then is two fold. On the one hand these life experiences deepen the tree's and the individual's connection above producing an exact reproduction as it were of those same roots that are earthly combined with the experiences that are heavenly. These vines effectively are producing 'Sky Roots' which are planted in the gardens of the world to come.
Secondly these vines offer ample connecting links to other individuals in the form of shared experiences upon which are based the many permutations of life that has the awareness to seek out and establish these connections.
The purpose that stands out in and amongst all of these connections is the central theme of the unification of Consciousness which we call Hashem. Imagine that there is change of focus between the center and the periphery and then you will begin to understand how we can either be close to that unity or far away from it depending upon the particular focus of the moment we are engaged upon.
What becomes clear after perhaps even several lifetimes is that we have this innate ability to rearrange that focus whenever we so choose. It becomes simply a matter of letting go of the outside and venturing closer with to that ever present central core which by definition is the reality of our existence. We come from there expand outwards and then by way of reflection return once more to get our bearings so to speak and then move on outwards again. This is called the development of Consciousness which Kabbalah explains through Chassidus or the descriptive states of awareness known through the various Sephiroth and their corresponding attributes.
Why go to all of these detailed symbolic explanations? It would seem all you would need to know was that you the center and cannot move anywhere without that center moving with you. What then is all the fuss about? In order to answer this first reflect upon the center, the periphery and an intentional focus. All of these concepts need to be kept in mind for what will be learned next.
These symbolic explanations bypass the everyday tendencies to float or go after this or that thought in response to outward stimuli. They directly cause the mind or the focusing ring of Consciousness to begin to attentuate its beam so that more and more it becomes centrally directed. This happens as a by product of the contemplation of these symbols. The way in which this works is as follows.
The core philosophies of Kabbalah called the Tree of Life, The Zohar and all of its companion works, the Sepher Yetzirah, the Bahir, all of the teachings of Chassidus all revolve around and take their emphasis from Torah. Torah is then the unifying principle of Kabbalah and by coherent extension of Consciousness itself. What does it mean to unify?
Unification of Consciousness takes the thoughts of Consciousness and places them into arranged orders that reflect no only upon each other but also lead the way for progressions of these orders ad infinitum. Example: You have a thought. It leads you to another thought which then unifies itself with another thought that links back to the first thought making all these thoughts one. If you think about it you will see that not only thought behaves in this way it may also tbe seen that the entire organization of life animate and inanimate arrive at a similar state of unifcation.
Why unification? Why is this so important? The simple answer is that this is the way everything works. The complicated answer is everything else, i.e. all that we are trying to detach ourselves from meaning from the thoughts of separation and chaos. Experience shows unity leads to harmony which brings forth abundance. It is the central message in the Garden of Eden description which is 'listen here is how everything works and if you try and make it work another way it is going to cause you trouble so above all listen.'
So there you have it. Creation is described along with the way everything works and how not listening causes trouble, chaos, complications, and above all a deep longing to return to the way things work. This is an understanding that will take take as far as you want to go since it contains within it the seeds for the world to come and all that is described when we speak about 'worlds without end.' B"H
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