Thursday, May 20, 2004
Parshat Bamidbar
B"H
29 Iyar, 5764 * May 20, 2004
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O N C E U P O N A C H A S I D
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Parshat Bamidbar
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G-d spoke to Moses, saying... Place the Levites in charge of the Sanctuary, its furnishings, and all that pertains to it... when the Sanctuary is moved, the Levites shall take it down, and when the Sanctuary encamps, the Levites shall set it up... (Numbers 1:49-52)
Not only the tribe of Levi, but also any man of all the inhabitants of the earth whose mind has enlightened him and whose spirit has moved him to set himself aside to stand before G-d to serve Him, to worship Him, to know G-d and walk justly, and he cast from his neck the yoke of the many calculations that men seek - also he has become sanctified, a holy of holies, and G-d shall be his portion and his lot for all eternity... just as the priests and the Levites. (Maimonides)
29 Iyar, 5764 * May 20, 2004
===================================
O N C E U P O N A C H A S I D
===================================
Parshat Bamidbar
-----------------
G-d spoke to Moses, saying... Place the Levites in charge of the Sanctuary, its furnishings, and all that pertains to it... when the Sanctuary is moved, the Levites shall take it down, and when the Sanctuary encamps, the Levites shall set it up... (Numbers 1:49-52)
Not only the tribe of Levi, but also any man of all the inhabitants of the earth whose mind has enlightened him and whose spirit has moved him to set himself aside to stand before G-d to serve Him, to worship Him, to know G-d and walk justly, and he cast from his neck the yoke of the many calculations that men seek - also he has become sanctified, a holy of holies, and G-d shall be his portion and his lot for all eternity... just as the priests and the Levites. (Maimonides)
Friday, May 14, 2004
Wow, even at Chabad there is the recognition that the feminine will again lead
How Sin Started
By Tzvi Freeman
Why did Eve do it? Why does anyone mess up?
In truth, there is a certain nobleness to sin, something essential to our humanness that makes us more precious than the angels. As soon as any transactional relationship is set in place -- as in, "You do this, I will do that. If you don't do this, then..." -- our impulse is to break free. We are humans, there is a person inside, we want to relate as people. Not as what we do, but as who we are.
So it is with our spouse, with our children, with friends. We are always testing each other, testing to see just how deep this relationship extends. Testing to see: Are you interested in me as I know myself? Or are you interested in what you can get from me?
So, too, when it is a relationship with the Inner Mind of the Cosmos. We want to relate to Him from our inner being, from our humanness, not just from our behavior. Such was the test we put Him to when we built a golden calf. With that rebellion, we asked, "Even if we break these rules You gave, do You still love us then?"
Such was the test of Eve. With the story of Eve ends the story of G-d's creation -- His top-down management scheme -- and begins the story of humanity. The story for which He created the universe to begin with. The story of real, live people who succeed and fail and pick themselves up and succeed again. And whose lives are valuable for that alone.
If so, if sin is so beautiful, perhaps we should continue to sin?
No, because in the sin and separation there is only darkness and ugliness. In sin itself there is no beauty, but only in its resolution.
This is the other aspect to the story of Eve: Eve's loss. Her plunge into a world of madness and distorted roles, into exile. In particular, the loss of female supremacy.
Initially, it was most natural for man to follow woman. Read the story: If Eve was convinced to eat of the Tree of Knowledge through dialogue with a talking snake, what convinced Adam? Quite simply, nothing at all. As he himself admitted, "The woman you put here with me gave it to me and I ate!" If Eve told him to do something, Adam understood he was bound to listen. After all, hadn't she been put here by G-d as a "helpmate"? What else could that mean?
And so, writes the Nachmanides, (the "Ramban," 1194-1270) the logical consequence: From now on, the roles would be reversed. Adam would dominate Eve. A curse, truly, for both of them -- for how much of a helpmate can you be when you are dominated?
Until Sarah. Sarah was the first, the Zohar says, to begin to heal the catastrophe of Eve. And so, G-d tells Abraham, "All that Sarah tells you, listen to her voice" (Genesis 21:12). And so it will be for all of us once the moshiach arrives: The feminine will once again dominate in the world, as it was in the garden before the fall.
This is what was missing in Eve's story: the resolution. In all the instances where her story reoccurs -- with her firstborn son, Cain; with the making of the golden calf; with David and Batsheba; with the destruction of the Temple -- in all those sins and betrayals, the story continues and resolves. There is remorse, return and a deepening of the relationship. The contractual agreement is renewed -- but now with a deeper foundation, an intimate one based on the inner person and an Inner G-d.
But Eve's sin, the first separation from which all other fissures stem, remains unresolved. This is our job, to heal the chasm created by Eve, between body and spirit, woman and man, humankind and G-d. And so to create that inner relationship with the Divine, that relationship which Eve was desperately seeking.
By Tzvi Freeman; click here for bio, info and more articles by this author. To order his book, "Bringing Heaven Down to Earth",
By Tzvi Freeman
Why did Eve do it? Why does anyone mess up?
In truth, there is a certain nobleness to sin, something essential to our humanness that makes us more precious than the angels. As soon as any transactional relationship is set in place -- as in, "You do this, I will do that. If you don't do this, then..." -- our impulse is to break free. We are humans, there is a person inside, we want to relate as people. Not as what we do, but as who we are.
So it is with our spouse, with our children, with friends. We are always testing each other, testing to see just how deep this relationship extends. Testing to see: Are you interested in me as I know myself? Or are you interested in what you can get from me?
So, too, when it is a relationship with the Inner Mind of the Cosmos. We want to relate to Him from our inner being, from our humanness, not just from our behavior. Such was the test we put Him to when we built a golden calf. With that rebellion, we asked, "Even if we break these rules You gave, do You still love us then?"
Such was the test of Eve. With the story of Eve ends the story of G-d's creation -- His top-down management scheme -- and begins the story of humanity. The story for which He created the universe to begin with. The story of real, live people who succeed and fail and pick themselves up and succeed again. And whose lives are valuable for that alone.
If so, if sin is so beautiful, perhaps we should continue to sin?
No, because in the sin and separation there is only darkness and ugliness. In sin itself there is no beauty, but only in its resolution.
This is the other aspect to the story of Eve: Eve's loss. Her plunge into a world of madness and distorted roles, into exile. In particular, the loss of female supremacy.
Initially, it was most natural for man to follow woman. Read the story: If Eve was convinced to eat of the Tree of Knowledge through dialogue with a talking snake, what convinced Adam? Quite simply, nothing at all. As he himself admitted, "The woman you put here with me gave it to me and I ate!" If Eve told him to do something, Adam understood he was bound to listen. After all, hadn't she been put here by G-d as a "helpmate"? What else could that mean?
And so, writes the Nachmanides, (the "Ramban," 1194-1270) the logical consequence: From now on, the roles would be reversed. Adam would dominate Eve. A curse, truly, for both of them -- for how much of a helpmate can you be when you are dominated?
Until Sarah. Sarah was the first, the Zohar says, to begin to heal the catastrophe of Eve. And so, G-d tells Abraham, "All that Sarah tells you, listen to her voice" (Genesis 21:12). And so it will be for all of us once the moshiach arrives: The feminine will once again dominate in the world, as it was in the garden before the fall.
This is what was missing in Eve's story: the resolution. In all the instances where her story reoccurs -- with her firstborn son, Cain; with the making of the golden calf; with David and Batsheba; with the destruction of the Temple -- in all those sins and betrayals, the story continues and resolves. There is remorse, return and a deepening of the relationship. The contractual agreement is renewed -- but now with a deeper foundation, an intimate one based on the inner person and an Inner G-d.
But Eve's sin, the first separation from which all other fissures stem, remains unresolved. This is our job, to heal the chasm created by Eve, between body and spirit, woman and man, humankind and G-d. And so to create that inner relationship with the Divine, that relationship which Eve was desperately seeking.
By Tzvi Freeman; click here for bio, info and more articles by this author. To order his book, "Bringing Heaven Down to Earth",
Wednesday, May 05, 2004
Work Life as my school/Entering the Peace Dimension
Jumping back into work today. The new realization is that instead of avoiding/hiding from my work is to embrace it as my life school, my Darshan. Instead of hiding from what causes pain in them, to illuminate and release the false mind that is causing the pain.
It's like a cosmic bug zapper. :)
Fears arise. Then get really really in the NOW present and explore the sponsoring thought, while amping up the bliss vibe. Zap.
The I AM discourses said to call upon the violet ray of St. Germain. Tried that, didn't seem all that effective.
Eckhart Tolle says, become aware of the unease and become very present. That's it, up the Presence, the Being awareness and watch the unease 'false mind ego' thought or thought-emotion response.
Having the unconscious buggy boos becoming present provides a way of cleaning out the consciousness. The idea of you have to feel fear to confront fear.
I have been living with, up the bliss, let it permeate through all levels of consciousness and therefore liberate the ego.
I defiantly have the full on rush/ecstasy/bliss consciousness going on. Eckhart talks also about the Peace dimension. So, now I am working on gaining the Peace dimension.
We are in the time of the counting of the Omer. The Kabalah is that we are purifying our souls and at the level of the Seferiot of the blemish we have caused. Each day is a purification/cleansing. So, what more perfect time to do this cleansing of conscience's, this time when cosmic cleansing is taking place.
Ok, so having my work world be my school is a new method for me. Well... I have had for quite a while the concept of my work assisting my spiritual life. No doubt.
However, I did try to keep the pain levels of my work down. I do not answer my phone, I screen all calls, I have caller ID, now I've turned off my answering machine and have everything going directly to voice mail so I don't even hear the calls coming in.
I'm still using the techniques I learned in combating depression, up the joy, minimize the pain. Like, don't look at finances right before going to sleep or check emails right before sleeping when working through some kind of international crises.
Well, ok, that's still good time management. So, *blink* guess I'll stop writing and get on the phone with Florida and find out if they want to buy this router from me. Then it's emailing guys in about 12 countries on their voice routes, doing some custom programming for a client... and I think, I hike. :)
*wave*
It's like a cosmic bug zapper. :)
Fears arise. Then get really really in the NOW present and explore the sponsoring thought, while amping up the bliss vibe. Zap.
The I AM discourses said to call upon the violet ray of St. Germain. Tried that, didn't seem all that effective.
Eckhart Tolle says, become aware of the unease and become very present. That's it, up the Presence, the Being awareness and watch the unease 'false mind ego' thought or thought-emotion response.
Having the unconscious buggy boos becoming present provides a way of cleaning out the consciousness. The idea of you have to feel fear to confront fear.
I have been living with, up the bliss, let it permeate through all levels of consciousness and therefore liberate the ego.
I defiantly have the full on rush/ecstasy/bliss consciousness going on. Eckhart talks also about the Peace dimension. So, now I am working on gaining the Peace dimension.
We are in the time of the counting of the Omer. The Kabalah is that we are purifying our souls and at the level of the Seferiot of the blemish we have caused. Each day is a purification/cleansing. So, what more perfect time to do this cleansing of conscience's, this time when cosmic cleansing is taking place.
Ok, so having my work world be my school is a new method for me. Well... I have had for quite a while the concept of my work assisting my spiritual life. No doubt.
However, I did try to keep the pain levels of my work down. I do not answer my phone, I screen all calls, I have caller ID, now I've turned off my answering machine and have everything going directly to voice mail so I don't even hear the calls coming in.
I'm still using the techniques I learned in combating depression, up the joy, minimize the pain. Like, don't look at finances right before going to sleep or check emails right before sleeping when working through some kind of international crises.
Well, ok, that's still good time management. So, *blink* guess I'll stop writing and get on the phone with Florida and find out if they want to buy this router from me. Then it's emailing guys in about 12 countries on their voice routes, doing some custom programming for a client... and I think, I hike. :)
*wave*
Tuesday, May 04, 2004
Flagstaff Trail Head - The only sacred time, the NOW
Today was dedicated to the inner world, inner reality. Soaking in the tub anointed with oils. Today's Omer was Malchut in Netzach. Reading Eckhart Tolle's companion book to the Power of NOW.
Went for a hike up Buffalo Park to the Trail Head for Lower Oldham trail. Watched, listened, smelled, appreciated. Staying in awareness. Thought pops in while walking back out to look at the ledger entries in the trail head sign in box. The ledger is set up for Date, Time, Purpose, Name, Number of people in party. Most current entry was someone writing, "The only sacred time, the NOW."
Wow.
Went for a hike up Buffalo Park to the Trail Head for Lower Oldham trail. Watched, listened, smelled, appreciated. Staying in awareness. Thought pops in while walking back out to look at the ledger entries in the trail head sign in box. The ledger is set up for Date, Time, Purpose, Name, Number of people in party. Most current entry was someone writing, "The only sacred time, the NOW."
Wow.
Fear God??????????????
Long have I been wrapping my mind around the 'fear god' directions. In love consciousness G-d is LOVE.
Latest concept to arise is 'fear being separated from G-d'.
I was just watching or reading something where the dialogue went something like, "if the blessings for the crops of rain and (something) come from god, shall we not strive not to anger him?"
Anger god???? What's up with that?
I do not get the 'fear' god instructions. My working theory at this level of revelation is that it means 'fear separating yourself from god' and 'fear doing something that would cause the Active Presence of G-d from separating Itself from you.'
Then there are these instructions about 'Fear and Love God'. Is that just a guy thing?
For me the 'fear' of G-d exist only as the 'fear' of separation from the Presence of G-d.
First.
The 'fear' of me moving my consciousness away from the source of all life, of all goodness.
When I move my awareness into "ego - false self" consciousness I am moving my consciousness away from G-d awareness. I am leaving my bliss and falling into the pain of mass consciousness. This is the where I 'fear' separating my consciousness from the Goddess, from the source of love, life, joy, and all goodness.
Second.
The 'fear' of the Presence of G-d pulling Itself away, concealing Itself from me.
Feeling the Active Presence of G-d conceal Itself, pulling away to a level that I could no longer connect to with my Heart energy happened only once.
It happened on Yom Kippor and put me in a soul panic.
I could feel the Divine still in my cellular structure of my body, but I could not feel the Love pumping freely through my Heart.
While I was davening in Shul, I thought, great, I'm going to fall over dead and none of these people will even know why. I begged and implored the Divine Presence to return. I was in soul fear and panic.
Suddenly it became clear to me when Christ called out from the cross, "Why did you forsake me?", what he was crying about. It wasn't about being crucified, he had a handle on that. It was that the Divine Presence suddenly pulled away. It is the most frightening thing on a soul level. The Divine Presence returned to him. It also returned to me after the closing of the Gate and the blowing of the Shofar.
In the time of living in the desert with the Active Presence of G-d in the camp all of reality was relative to the Active Presence of G-d.
Judgment was instantaneous.
At times a blemish in consciousness of the tribes would exist which in response the Active Presences would depart, lest judgment would extinguish the tribes. After correction and cleansing the active presence would return. For example the golden calf.
So, I'm thinking the 'fear' reference is really about doing anything that would separate one's consciousness and level of beingness from the Active Presence of G-d.
My thought is that instruction got twisted into the idea of fearing the wrath of god as some big bully that ya better not piss off.
Latest concept to arise is 'fear being separated from G-d'.
I was just watching or reading something where the dialogue went something like, "if the blessings for the crops of rain and (something) come from god, shall we not strive not to anger him?"
Anger god???? What's up with that?
I do not get the 'fear' god instructions. My working theory at this level of revelation is that it means 'fear separating yourself from god' and 'fear doing something that would cause the Active Presence of G-d from separating Itself from you.'
Then there are these instructions about 'Fear and Love God'. Is that just a guy thing?
For me the 'fear' of G-d exist only as the 'fear' of separation from the Presence of G-d.
First.
The 'fear' of me moving my consciousness away from the source of all life, of all goodness.
When I move my awareness into "ego - false self" consciousness I am moving my consciousness away from G-d awareness. I am leaving my bliss and falling into the pain of mass consciousness. This is the where I 'fear' separating my consciousness from the Goddess, from the source of love, life, joy, and all goodness.
Second.
The 'fear' of the Presence of G-d pulling Itself away, concealing Itself from me.
Feeling the Active Presence of G-d conceal Itself, pulling away to a level that I could no longer connect to with my Heart energy happened only once.
It happened on Yom Kippor and put me in a soul panic.
I could feel the Divine still in my cellular structure of my body, but I could not feel the Love pumping freely through my Heart.
While I was davening in Shul, I thought, great, I'm going to fall over dead and none of these people will even know why. I begged and implored the Divine Presence to return. I was in soul fear and panic.
Suddenly it became clear to me when Christ called out from the cross, "Why did you forsake me?", what he was crying about. It wasn't about being crucified, he had a handle on that. It was that the Divine Presence suddenly pulled away. It is the most frightening thing on a soul level. The Divine Presence returned to him. It also returned to me after the closing of the Gate and the blowing of the Shofar.
In the time of living in the desert with the Active Presence of G-d in the camp all of reality was relative to the Active Presence of G-d.
Judgment was instantaneous.
At times a blemish in consciousness of the tribes would exist which in response the Active Presences would depart, lest judgment would extinguish the tribes. After correction and cleansing the active presence would return. For example the golden calf.
So, I'm thinking the 'fear' reference is really about doing anything that would separate one's consciousness and level of beingness from the Active Presence of G-d.
My thought is that instruction got twisted into the idea of fearing the wrath of god as some big bully that ya better not piss off.
Monday, May 03, 2004
Constant rush of ecstasy
Constant surging/rushing of ecstasy. It's like a hard-on of happiness. The rush is so strong I can do crunches in it. Now that I no longer hide it when I'm out, it's like to take a phrase from the Human Torch, "Flame ON!".
No more living in secluded temples
Seems the thing now is to live in awareness in life. No more staying secluded in Temples. The Chinese helped there, emptying out Tibet. No wonder I was born here, what would have been the point of incarnating in Tibet? No freedom.
The I AM Discourses talk about life outside of secluded monasteries. Kabbalah is practiced fully in life, liberating all of the life back to G-d. M complemented the 'open eye' meditation of these nuns we met, saying how the 'open eye' meditation integrated more with life.
Then there was driving to Santa Monica from Malibu. Earlier that day I'd been meditating at the ocean, feeling alive, aware, at peace. Then on HWY 1 a car zags in front of me and I give him the bird. Right away I reflect, "ooo nice reaction oh enlightened one."
So now, the Temple is my dwelling place. My apartment, my beingness. Everything is full on interfacing with life around me.
The I AM Discourses talk about life outside of secluded monasteries. Kabbalah is practiced fully in life, liberating all of the life back to G-d. M complemented the 'open eye' meditation of these nuns we met, saying how the 'open eye' meditation integrated more with life.
Then there was driving to Santa Monica from Malibu. Earlier that day I'd been meditating at the ocean, feeling alive, aware, at peace. Then on HWY 1 a car zags in front of me and I give him the bird. Right away I reflect, "ooo nice reaction oh enlightened one."
So now, the Temple is my dwelling place. My apartment, my beingness. Everything is full on interfacing with life around me.
Sunday, May 02, 2004
Earth, Heaven, and Hell
Ok, so this is both heaven and hell. There is no time, no space, everything is one.
People's consciousness is what exist in either, heaven or hell. The soul is in heaven. How much of the souls is aware/conscious/making choices and how much of it is simply a conduit to god?
Today, that man, 'no to gay marriage' = roots watered by the well of hatred. Think I even said to Eric, see there's one, he's a hate guy. Then of all the cool things I could have been working on in my head, I was working on the concept of hate.
The question is... When does thinking have value and when is it just ego and pain bodies?
The thought went back to 'speak only the truth' ok.. so what is it. The guy is actually g-d in human form, therefore the guy is actually a 'love guy'. I called him a 'hate guy'. That's not true.
Here on earth a persons can choose to express hate, then express love, etc. The Buddhist greeting of a master to their students, "congratulation for being born human." Reflecting the concept that in the god realms the being cannot work on karma and in the lower animal realms, the person cannot work on karma, only as human beings can the person do work that brings them enlightenment.
This is like a nexus dimension. Heaven, hell, growth, awareness, enlightenment, redemtion.
Hate is so easy here. It's in everything, in the air we breath (pollution is hatred), the water we drink, the food we eat (freaking barberry and torture). It's part of the dust, part of the cells. And yet even the most defiled can be redeemed. G-d redeemed the Temple Altar after it had pigs sacrificed on it. G-d redeemed Israel out of Egypt even at the level of the 49th gate. G-d already said that this world would be returned to Gan Eden. If that were not the case, I'd figure this was a check out planet.
So, here I am, existing in Heaven. Here this guy is existing in hell. We are standing next to each other, standing on the same land, in different dimensions.
Riding back into town is when I was pondering it. That he is not a hate being, yet he is watering his roots in the well of hatred. That everything is G-d, that he has free will and not to judge him. That would be the same as judging G-d and my thinking mind exist in a limited state a state that does not exist at that level of existence.
People's consciousness is what exist in either, heaven or hell. The soul is in heaven. How much of the souls is aware/conscious/making choices and how much of it is simply a conduit to god?
Today, that man, 'no to gay marriage' = roots watered by the well of hatred. Think I even said to Eric, see there's one, he's a hate guy. Then of all the cool things I could have been working on in my head, I was working on the concept of hate.
The question is... When does thinking have value and when is it just ego and pain bodies?
The thought went back to 'speak only the truth' ok.. so what is it. The guy is actually g-d in human form, therefore the guy is actually a 'love guy'. I called him a 'hate guy'. That's not true.
Here on earth a persons can choose to express hate, then express love, etc. The Buddhist greeting of a master to their students, "congratulation for being born human." Reflecting the concept that in the god realms the being cannot work on karma and in the lower animal realms, the person cannot work on karma, only as human beings can the person do work that brings them enlightenment.
This is like a nexus dimension. Heaven, hell, growth, awareness, enlightenment, redemtion.
Hate is so easy here. It's in everything, in the air we breath (pollution is hatred), the water we drink, the food we eat (freaking barberry and torture). It's part of the dust, part of the cells. And yet even the most defiled can be redeemed. G-d redeemed the Temple Altar after it had pigs sacrificed on it. G-d redeemed Israel out of Egypt even at the level of the 49th gate. G-d already said that this world would be returned to Gan Eden. If that were not the case, I'd figure this was a check out planet.
So, here I am, existing in Heaven. Here this guy is existing in hell. We are standing next to each other, standing on the same land, in different dimensions.
Riding back into town is when I was pondering it. That he is not a hate being, yet he is watering his roots in the well of hatred. That everything is G-d, that he has free will and not to judge him. That would be the same as judging G-d and my thinking mind exist in a limited state a state that does not exist at that level of existence.
