Wednesday, May 9, 2007

The 72 Names of God

"The 72 Names of God" is a book by Yehuda Berg. These names of God each have three letters and are derived from three consecutive verses found in Exodus.

The names can be used for healing and blessing and are very powerful. Rather than being spoken, the names are to be visualized. When I visualize one of them I like to see it emanating light in all directions. Of course the more feeling and intensity you put in to the visualization the more effective it will be.

There is one of these names that most strongly corresponds to your own energy. To find out which one it is call 1-800-kabbalah and they'll be happy to tell you once they have your birthday. To learn more about the 72 names, go to 72.com. At this website, if you click on "free tools" you will be shown a Name of God and a meditation pertaining to it.

Water: The Universal Healer

Water. It moves, if flows, it warms, it cools. Water takes on the imprint of the energies around it. Through our intent we can both clear water of the vibrations already in it, and imbue it with whatever thoughtform we want.

Because of all the negativity on planet earth water has become polluted. Not just by chemicals and physical toxins, but by psychic toxins as well, our collective worries, fears, and stress. In Yehuda Berg's book "The 72 Names of God" there is a name for purifying water. (To learn more of the 72 names see the brief summary in this blog under "The 72 Names of God").

This name consists of three Hebrew letters: vav, mem, and bet. To use this name to purity water visualize the letters in that order -- vav, mem, bet, and visualize them from right to left -- this is the way Hebrew is read. See the letters as either black or white, or maybe gold, whatever your intuition tells you.

Visualize them within a container you've filled with water. Use your intent to see those letters glowing within the water and filling it with clarity, cleaning and clearing the water of all impurities, restoring it to its original pristine state. You can do this for a moment or two. or for a few minutes, or longer, whatever you want.

Once you have purified your water in this manner you can drink it -- it will give you energy and help you in every way. You can also use it for cooking and cleaning. You can also spray it around your house to energize and bless. Use it anywhere and everywhere you would use any other water.

If you don't know what these Hebrew letters look like you can go to http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Grammar/Unit_One/Aleph-Bet/aleph-bet.html and see them. This website is a wonderful source of information, history and lore for the Hebrew alphabet.

And by the way, you can also visualize these three letters inside your own body to purify all the water that's there. And while you're at it, visualize the whole earth with vav-mem-bet glowing deep through all the oceans.

The Ultimate Sin

A Great Rabbi said that the Ultimate Sin is not having fun. God wants us to enjoy life. Maybe the reason that Eve ate that apple in the first place is that she got bored and wasn't having any fun any more.

Have you had fun today?

Fun is often trivialized, but in spiritual terms it's serious business. People of the current world spend a lot of time, energy and money trying to have fun, but I think they often don't achieve their goal. It's hard to have fun when you're carrying around bundles of worries. The solution? Stop worrying! I know it's easier said than done, but the attempt to cease worrying is one of the noblest pursuits there is. Remember: the soul doesn't worry. Only the ego can worry. You may think you can have fun yesterday or tomorrow, but the truth is, you can only have fun now.

The ego delights in the past and future. In fact, the Ego is afraid of now! The ego loves to live in nostalgia (past), guilt and remorse (past), fears (which are fantasies about the future), and idealized visions of what could be (future). Drop it all and drop in to the present. Try some cheap, spontaneous fun!

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

God is not a CEO

Many people think, "why would God be interested in my little problem when there are so many others in the world who have far more dire problems than I, and so many bigger challences he/she has to address?" This question is based on a misconception. God is not a CEO working within a limited time frame and with limited resources. The head of a multimillion dollar corporation would not be expeccted to worry about how sharp the secretary's pencils are -- because that CEO probably has a very tight schedule. There are only 24 hours in a day, and the more important you are the more important your time is! This is how relativistic reality works -- it's all about limits.

But the sages have told us that God is infinite.

Let's say we're going to visit a place that is an infinite number of miles away from earth. The fact is, that if we take ten paces toward that place we're no closer to it than if we travel 50 million light years toward it. So in those terms ten paces and 50 million light years are equal. And by the same token God is just as concerned about the life of a blade of grass as he/she is about the whole earth. God has enough caring to go around, and far more than that -- more than is possible for us to even conceive.

The Kabbalists tell us that everything we do is important. Smiling at someone as you pass them on the street sends powerful waves of love through the spiritual realms. Every thought you think generates energy that is having an effect on the spirit realms.

Our physical reality is what Kabbalists call the 1 percent realm, in contradistinction to the 99 percent realm which is the realm of spiritual realities, other universes, abode of angels, etc. It's easy to get so embroiled in this 1 percent realm that we slip into thinking it's all there is -- that we are limited by time and space, that there'se not enough to go around. The truth is that if we allow ourselves to become a conduit for the spiritual light we realize that all limitations are ultimately illusions, that we can access infinite love, wisdom and power. And that everything matters.

As one Kabbalist said, each and every blade of grass his its own individual angel that watches over it.

Sunday, May 6, 2007

Problems: What are they?

There was a man with lots of problems. He didn't get along with his wife or his kids. He had health challenges. He didn't like his job. His employer didn't like him. He felt like everything in his existence was a mess.

So he decided to go to a famous Rabbi, a holy man who had deep spiritual insight, and to ask the Rabbi why he had all these problems, and how he could get rid of them.

When he got to the Rabbi's house the Rabbi was with someone else and the Rabbi's wife showed the man to the parlor and asked him to wait. There was a comfortable chair in the parlor and a warm fire (it was winter), and the man sat down in the chair and soon fell asleep.

And he had a dream: In the dream he saw a host of beautiful angels marching past him in a solemn procession. Thy were glowing with light and he was mesmerized by their glory. He saw they were proceeding into a dark wood.

And after them he saw a host of dark demons marching, ugly, nasty-looking creatures. There was a lot of them, and they were following the angels into the dark wood.

This all made him very curious so he followed the demons and angels deep into the wood until they came to a great circular open area in the midst of which was a gigantic balance scale.

All the angels climbed into the right-hand pan of the balance scale until the pan was near full and touching the ground. Then the demons began to climb into the left-hand pan. As they were doing so the man began recognizing the demons. Each one of them had been given birth to by a negative deed which the man had committed in his past. If he looked at any single demon he could even begin to remember which negative deed it was.

Turning to the angels he realized that he had given birth to them also through his positive deeds. As he watched the demons crawl into their pan he saw the pan growing heavier and heavier, and as they weighed the angels down, their pan began to rise into the air. "Oh no!" thought the man "I am witnessing my own judgement!"

But then a most wondrous thing happened. A motly host of beings burst through the trees into the open circle. They were dressed very colorfully in a variety of clothes. They ran over to the pan which was loading up with demons and began pulling them off one by one. "Who are these strange people?" thought the man. And as he looked at them he realized that these beings were his problems. There was his hernia, all dressed in red. And that one there who was all in tatters were his bills he couldn't pay. And that one there was obviously the embodiment of his problems with his wife. And that dark one there was his depression. And he realized that all of his problems, every one of them were actually his allies, were helping him to clear negativity, were neutralizing his bad karma.

And just then the Rabbi's wife came in and woke him and said, "The Rabbi can see you now."

"Oh," said the man, "Uh, well, that's O.K. I think I found the answer to my question. I know the Rabbi's time is valuable, so I think I'll be on my way. But thanks anyway."

Saturday, May 5, 2007

Resistance: A Key to Spiritual Growth

Resistance correctly applied is a key to spiritul growth. There is a lot of students I have taught Kabbalah who have had problems understanding this idea of resistance. For one thing, we tend to put a negative connotation on this word. The type of resistance of which Kabbalah speaks, though, is purely positive, in fact wonderful!

Resistance is all about going against any force which holds us down or back. Resistance is what balances the yin and the yang. for instance, water is yin and fire is yang. Put them together and either the water evaporates, if the fire is stronger at the time, or the fire is put out, if the water is stronger at the time. But lets put some resistance into the equation, lets put a steel cooking pan between them, something to resist the fire totally evaporating the water, and to resist the water spilling onto the fire and putting it out. Now we're cooking!

Resistance is not saying something negative when its come to mind and you have the impulse to do so. Resistance is not eating that piece of chocolate cake just because it's there. Standing up is an act of resisting gravity. Maybe you know you need to meditate, but it's easier to just turn on the T.V. Can you resist the impulse to do so, and go ahead and meditate? Resistance engaged in at the right place and time is what makes your spiritual light burn brighter.

One of the most important forms of resistance is that which occurs inwardly -- resisting the impulse to place your consciousness in the past or future. The only way to do this is to be in the NOW, to place your awareness in the moment. This act of resistance, repeated over and over can eventually clear all karmas and lead us into higher and higher states of consciousness.

What is Kabbalah?

The word "kabbalah" comes from an Aramaic word meaning "to receive." There are two ways of receiving: (1) receiving for the self alone, which is what the ego wants. This way will always create suffering and cut us off from the light. (2) receiving for the sake of giving. This is the key to attuning to the light and reaching total fulfillment. God is about giving, and if we are to become like God, then we need to overcoming the selfishness of the ego and share what we receive from the universe, be it time, energy, intelligence, money or anything else. Through sharing we dissolve the boundaries of the ego, heal conflict, and affirm the fact that we truly are all one and are all manifestations of God.

The thing I find so interesting about Kabbalah is that it is at root so simple. All you need is love! Now it is true that kabbalah can be very complicated, and for those of you who delight in learning and studying all the details of our miraculous reality, Kabbalah can take you into a very intricate world to show you all the subtle workings of energies.

The fact that Kabbalah is at once totally simple and yet very complicated is mirroried in our own bodies. On a chemical level we are elaborate beings consisting of a myriad of organic compounds all working together in a vast symphony. But on another level you don't need to understand chemistry, physiology and psychology to smile at someone. Really the simplist definition I can give for Kabbalah is that it's the art of continually being kinder and kinder to other people! That's the universal medicine!

A Key to Prosperity

The universe gives us more of whatever we focus on. So if we are enjoying life, and appreciating what we have, we'll get more. Sometimes are attention is so consumed by what we want and what we don't have that we start ignoring or taking for granted what is around us and near at hand. When we make an effort to look at what is in our vicinity -- all that we already have -- and tune in to the beauty and wonder of it, life will inevitably give us more to enjoy and appreciate.

It's Always New

Rav Nachmon of Breslav said that every moment is a new beginning. Every act is your very first. Don't think of any action you perform as if you have already done it two or four or a hundred times. See everything always with new eyes. This helps you to approach life with an open mind, and helps you to let go of the basic assumptions and biases that limit your experience.

Ana Bekoach Prayer

Ana Bekoach Prayer

This is one of the most power of all Kabbalistic Prayers. It was written by Rabbi Nahonia in the 1st century A.D. The Prayer has seven lines, each one corresponding to one of the lower seven stations on the Tree of Life. The last line (starting with the word bah-RUCH) is to be said silently or whispered, and is for the purpose of grounding the prayer into physical reality. The "ch's" in the prayer are to be pronounded gutterly (deep in the throat). Chant the words two at the time with a short pause after each pair. I've put in "/" marks to divide the words into pairs.

(line 1) a-NA bek-o-ACH / gay-du-LAT yeh-men-ECH-ah / ta-TIR ser-ru-RAH

(line 2) ka-BEL rih-NAT / am-ech-AH sag-VAY-nu / ta-hah-RAY-nu nor-AH

(line 3) NA gee-BOR / dor-SHAY yich-u-DECH-a / kay-va-VAT shom-REM

(line 4) Bar-CHEM ta-ha-REM / rach-a-MAY tsid-ke-TECH-a / ta-MEED gom-LEM

(line 5) cha-SEEN ka-DOSH / be-ROV tuv-cHA / nah-HAIL a-dah-tay-KAH

(line 6) yah-CHEED geh-EH / lay-ahm-CHA pen-AY / zoch-RAY kuh-dush-a-tech-AH

(line 7) sha-vah-TAY-nu ka-BELL / ush-MA tsa-a-ket-TAY-nu / yo-DAY-ah ta-al-u-MOT

(bah-RUCH SHEM kay-VOD mal-KU-to lay-o-LAM va-ED)

A whole book has been written about this prayer. It is "The Genesis Prayer by Jeffry Meiliken and is published by St. Martin's Press. I highly recomment it, for it will tell you many different ways the prayer can be used.

Sounds for you from Lady Nada

Vowell Sounds

The following vowel sounds can be intoned to create balance of mind, body, and spirit. The intonations can be done anywhere at any time, but are probably most effective when you take a few minutes to sit down to do them. Place both feet on the floor, take a deep breath, and let the sound come forth from you effortlessly. The information concerning the vowel sounds and “seed” (one syllable) mantras is from Oriental and Ayurvedic sources, as well as from a friend who is a Middendorf breathwork practitioner.

A as in “father: The universal vowel. Provides stimulation all over. Unifies the body. Helps all the parts to work together.

A as in “say”: Helps the heart and shoulders. This is an anti-depressant

A as in “glad”: Gets you more in touch with your physicality. Helps you to overcome fear. Over use of this could cause insensitivity.

O as in “mode”: Stimulates your center. This is a good one to use if you feel scattered, disorganized, or spaced out.

Oo as in “food”: Stimulates the lower charkas. Helps with sexual and urinary problems, or difficulties with the legs or hips.

Eeee as in “feed”: Good for the head, neck and nervous system, though overuse could agitate the nervous system.

Mmmm: Stimulates the body at the cellular level. Helps to dispel tiredness

O umlaut: Stimulates the center and helps the shoulders and arms.

U umlaut: connected spirit to matter, top to bottom. Helps with posture.


Chakra Seed Mantras


Root (first chakra): lam

Second chakra: vam

Third chakra: ram

Fourth chakra: yam

Fifth chakra: hum

Sixth chakra: om


Other Seed Mantras


Shrim: Prosperity, abundance, health, inner peace

Eim: Spiritual knowledge, musicical skills, spiritual endeavors

Klim: Increases energy of thought, increases power of attraction. Used with other mantras.

Dum: Protection, helps to dispel fear

Kreem: Used for protection also

Gum (pronounced “goom”): Removes obstacles, brings success to endeavors.

Glaum: Removes obstacles that are between the throat and the base of the spine.

Haum (pronounced “howm”): Raises consciousness.

Kshraum: Releases pent-up energies inside you. Makes your hidden power available to you. Destroys demonic powers, breaks up negative energy.

Hrim: For seeing through the illusion of everyday reality. Makes you more psychically sensitivity, and can bring insight.

Who is Lady Nada?

Lady Nada is the female counterpart of Christ. Her name, Nada, means "holy sound" in Sanskrit, and signifies in her highest aspect the "sound of silence." It is the everpresent silence which we may tap into at any time, drawing from it peace, bliss, and the ability to detach a little more from the realm of illusion which separates us from the light.
Lady Nada's color is pink and her sacred number is 52. The letters of the first word of the Ana Bekoach prayer add up to 52, and this number, signifying unconditional love is the seed of the whole prayer and of our universe.

Inner Light and Surrounding Light

Kabbalah tells us there are essentially two kinds of personal light: the light we have already assimilated within ourselves -- our inner light, and the light we are yet to take in -- the surrounding light, which we have not yet grown into.
Each of use burns with an inner light, but unless we have reached enlightenment there is still a part of our light which we have not integrated into our consciousness. Our task here on earth is to complete that process of taking in an becoming that light so that we are a complete manifestation of it. This is what evolution is all about.
How do we do this? By finding our limits and pushing against them. For instance, if you have a hard time being generous, then generosity is more a part of your surrounding light, and is something you are working toward becoming. If you are a naturally generous person, then generosity is part of your inner light. By knowing our inadequacies and current limits we become aware of that surrounding light which we are working on becoming.