Archive for February, 2006


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What is a Spiritual Teacher?

Published on February 22, 2006

This is an excerpt from a weekly consciousness Tune-up by Yehuda Berg.

So, what is a spiritual teacher?

First and foremost, a teacher is a friend, probably the most important friend you could have. Teachers are essential to our lives not because they’re so much smarter, older, or more knowledgeable about spirituality, but because they can see the heights of our potential, and they aren’t afraid to push us there.

When we feel like we’re below zero and still heading further south, our teachers can boost us back up and make us see things for what they really are. They believe in us when we don’t believe in ourselves anymore.

Teachers don’t help us so we’ll love them more, but they know that they are just a channel for the Light and that the only way to truly help someone grow is to channel what is best for them. That’s why even when they tell us things that are difficult for us to hear or sometimes downright painful to realize, it can inspire us and make us feel great.

Essentially, they are simply plugging us back into the Light. A true teacher understands that our soul already knows everything we could ever need to know, and they help reconnect that part of ourselves.

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Quantum Zeno Effect

Published on February 21, 2006

Quantum Zeno effect

In plainer language this is about the theory that the more something happens, the more likely it is to continue happening. I use it here in reference to the effects of hearing, reading and practicing the ways in which we can accelerate our process toward enlightenment. In Dr. Hawkins last lecture he discusses the theory in regard to that journey. If we are diligent in our practice, we are infinitely collapsing the wave function and our eventual enlightenment is assured…Myswizard

The quantum Zeno effect is a quantum mechanical phenomenon first described by E.C. George Sudarshan and Baidyanaith Misra of the University of Texas in 1977. It describes that situation that an unstable particle, if observed continuously, will never decay. This occurs because every measurement causes the wavefunction to “collapse” to a pure eigenstate of the measurement basis.

Given a system in a state A, which is the eigenstate of some measurement operator. Say the system under free time evolution will decay with a certain probability into state B. If measurements are made periodically, with some finite interval between each one, at each measurement, the wavefunction collapses to an eigenstate of the measurement operator. Between the measurements, the system evolves away from this eigenstate into a superposition state of the states A and B. When the superposition state is measured, it will again collapse, either back into state A as in the first measurement, or away into state B. The probability that it will collapse back into the same state A is higher if the system has had less time to evolve away from it. In the limit as the time between measurements goes to zero, the probability of a collapse back to the original state A goes to one. Hence, the system doesn’t evolve from A to B.

In reality, collapse of the wavefunction is not a discrete, instantaneous event. A measurement could be approximated by strongly coupling the quantum system to the noisy thermal environment for a brief period of time. The time it takes for the wavefunction to “collapse” is related to the decoherence time of the system when coupled to the environment. The stronger the coupling is, and the shorter the decoherence time, the faster it will collapse. So in the decoherence picture, the quantum Zeno effect corresponds to the limit where a quantum system is continuously coupled to the environment, and where that coupling is infinitely strong, and where the “environment” is an infinitely large source of thermal randomness.

Experimentally, strong suppression of the evolution of a quantum system due to environmental coupling has been observed in a number of microscopic systems. One such experiment was performed in October 1989 by Itano, Heinzen, Bollinger and Wineland at NIST (PDF). Approximately 5000 9Be+ ions were stored in a cylindrical Penning trap and laser cooled to below 250mK. A resonant RF pulse was applied which, if applied alone, would cause the entire ground state population to migrate into an excited state. After the pulse was applied, the ions were monitored for photons emitted due to relaxation. The ion trap was then regularly “measured” by applying a sequence of ultraviolet pulses, during the RF pulse. As expected, the ultraviolet pulses suppressed the evolution of the system into the excited state. The results were in good agreement with theoretical models.

The quantum Zeno effect takes its name from Zeno’s arrow paradox, which is the argument that since an arrow in flight does not move during any single instant, it couldn’t possibly be moving overall.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article “Quantum Zeno Effect”.


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Responsibility and Culpability

Published on February 15, 2006

Responsible means to be accountable or to be held accountable. To account for is to be the sole or primary ‘factor’ within something.

Culpable is to merit blame. Blame is to be at fault, or to “put on” the responsibility for something.

In all cases, it is action. To be culpable, blaming, responsible, or accountable is an action. The words themselves can be nouns, adverbs, or adjectives depending on their use. As a totality, though, they are merely words used to describe an action. The action is being. When you describe someone or even yourself in these terms, you are describing a state of being. There are many states of being, these being just a few. They are powerful, though, because of their implications.

Day after day, throughout all of history, these actions are being used to explain ‘why’ things are the way they are. This gets back to cause and effect—the theory that there is a ‘this’ causing a ‘that.’ There are cause and effect theories (Causality, Myswizard.com) that will explain to the intellect with some degree of satisfaction why things are happening the way they are. Of course, they always give weak explanations for the “what happened before that.” It gets back to a imaginary ‘First Cause’ which is in Truth, Infinite Cause, and highly inexplicable in scientific language.

What does this have to do with responsibility and culpability?
In Newtonian terms, there is always a ‘this’ causing a ‘that.’ In nonlinear (spiritual realm) terms, there is never a ‘this’ causing a ‘that.’ Things are as they are because they are what they are. It is not an explanation for beginners. When you delve deeply into the spiritual domain, you ‘know’ there is no definition for anything other than what it is. To be responsible for anything means you have showed up there. You are always responsible. Your presence alone is your responsibility.

To be culpable as a spiritual being, your intention is involved, and that is connected to your level of consciousness. So for example, if you didn’t mean to “hit” that car, you are still responsible for ‘being’ there. There isn’t one who is ‘innocent’ and one who is at fault. It’s an advanced concept. You were both there at the same time and you came together and hit each other. There is no such thing in the higher consciousness levels as blame. It just ‘is.’ To be culpable means you ‘meant’ to hit the other person. The intention to ‘hit’ was there. In this instance, it still happened, but now you’ve created karma to unravel. That’s the biggest difference between responsibility and culpability. Both are whatever it is they are being, without blame. Blame is a negative force to rid one’s ego of responsibility or to make one’s ego ‘feel’ better. In actuality, it doesn’t exist.

The ego creates the entire scenario. The goal of the spiritual aspirant would be to create no negative karma in this instance. In our reality, a scenario such as this may occur: An ‘accident’ occurs. The one who is deemed responsible fulfills the necessary ‘action’ to make things right. The ‘other party’ is sensitive to the needs of the ‘other’ and is compassionate.
Or
The one who has deliberately had the accident out of willfulness or recklessness sincerely apologizes, having recognized the error, and takes full responsibility. The ‘injured’ party shows compassion toward the ‘other’ party. This is a win-win scenario in the karmic realm as well as the world of cause and effect.

When applied to all areas of one’s life, this same scenario has the ability to lift the consciousness level of both the responsible and the culpable, negating the negative ‘action.’ Although it doesn’t insure enlightenment, it’s another way of ‘being’ on the planet, while on the spiritual path.

*I’m using the terms “caused” and “accident” loosely. In the spiritual domain, there are no accidents and there is no one cause.


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Altruistic Love Related to Happier Marriages

Published on February 14, 2006

An article I found which directly relates to relationships and levels of consciousness. The term altruism is used here, but may be substituted with kindness or compassion… Myswizard

Altruistic Love Related to Happier Marriages
By Robert Roy Britt
LiveScience Managing Editor
posted: 09 February 2006
06:42 am ET

Altruism may breed better marriages, a new study suggests. Or, the data might mean that good marriages make people more altruistic.

Whatever, altruism and happiness seem to go together in the realm of love.

“Altruistic love was associated with greater happiness in general and especially with more marital happiness,” concludes Tom Smith of the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago in a report released today.

I do

Study participants were asked whether they agreed with statements that define altruism, such as, “I’d rather suffer myself than let the one I love suffer,” and “I’m willing to sacrifice my own wishes to let the one I love achieve his or hers.”

Those who agreed with the statements tended to also report happiness with their spouses.

Among the more altruistic, 67 percent rated their own marriage as “very happy.” Among those who were profiled as the least altruistic, only 50 percent said they were very happy in marriage.

And here’s one for those of you who’re still waiting for your partner to commit: Forty percent of the married people ranked near the top for altruistic responses, while only 20 percent of those who had never married did so. The divorced and separated came in at around 25 percent.

The study asked dozens of questions to gauge both altruistic intentions and behaviors. How often do you give blood? Do you return money when a cashier makes a mistake in your favor?

Rising altruism

In a separate finding, Smith looked at a similar study from 2002 and found that altruistic feelings are on the rise. The number of people having “tender, concerned feelings toward the less fortunate” rose 5 percent, to 75 percent.

Smith speculated why:

“People have been suffering more negative life events than in the past and as such there is greater need for caring and assistance,” he said. “Likewise, there is greater disparity between the rich and the poor with the lot of the former, but not of the latter, improving in recent years.”

It’s not known if altruism begets a good marriage or vice versa.

But Smith said connection between romantic love and altruistic behavior probably comes from an appreciation of love developed in a healthy marriage and reflects the connection between marriage and love in general, which is part of the teachings of many religions.

The study found that people who pray every day performed, on average, 77 acts of altruism a year vs. 60 for those who never pray.

Men vs. women

Altruistic love scores were higher for women who are homemakers than women who work outside the home. Men scored higher than women. “This may be because there is an element of heroic stoicism and being a protector,” Smith writes in the report.

Altruism runs higher among older people and those with college educations.

Smith also analyzed empathy, described as feeling protective of others or concerned for the less fortunate. Some of the findings:

Women have a greater feeling of empathy than men.
Children from two-parent homes are more empathetic.
Girls raised by a single father are the least likely to develop empathy.
Financial status bears little on altruism or empathy.
People who vote are more empathetic and altruistic.
Empathy is higher among those who fear crime.
Empathy is higher among those who support increased spending on social programs.
The research was based on data from in-home surveys conducted every two years with support from the National Science Foundation. Smith used data from the 2004 survey, of 1,329 adults, and compared it to the 2002 results.


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Benefits of Reading Power vs Force

Published on February 13, 2006

Keep in mind that this is an unusual book, acclaimed by Nobelists and world leaders, described by experts as “breathtaking” and it spearheads a major paradigm jump in human knowledge.

It is roughly akin to the discoveries of Leeuwenhoek (Microscope) or Galileo (Telescope) in which simple instruments revealed new universes and a shift of paradigm about the nature of reality.

Reviewed as “probably the greatest book of its kind ever written.” Claims for the benefits of reading the book are substantiated by documented research which reveals that merely reading the book advances the reader’s level of consciousness by a remarkable 35 points. (The average human’s consciousness advances by only 5 points in a lifetime).

1. Mere exposure to the “Map of Consciousness’ on pp. 52-53 advances one’s understanding of all human behavior
2. Instant access to information that is beyond the capacity of all the world’s computers.
3. By “critical point analysis” detect the exact point in any complex system where the least effort brings about the greatest result, (p.33).
4. Understand the significance of the holographic mind in a holographic universe (p.37).
5. Advance one’s level of consciousness faster than any course of study, mental or spiritual technique or consciousness expansion workshop (p.54).
6. Understand the nature and power of attitudes, emotions and their personal consequences (pp. 60-75).
7. Discover how to heal oneself of illness (p. 173).
8. Discern the reality of “near death” or “out of body” experiences-fact or fiction? (p. 81).
9. Understand the basis and recovery from addiction (p. 151).
10. Understand how to advance one’s own level of consciousness.
11. Efficiently advance industrial, scientific and medical research and achieve rapid breakthrough (p.88).
12. Ascertain correct medical diagnoses and treatments (p. 100).
13. Quickly obtain information unavailable to current military intelligence or forensic science. Identify validity of physical evidence and forensic findings (p.l 19).
14. Decipher codes that are beyond the capacity of the most advanced cryptographers. (Simply bypass the code and directly obtain the content of the message!) (p. 123).
15. Recognize and utilize the critical differences between power and force (p.l 19).
16. Differentiate powerful attitudes and concepts from weak ones (pp. 120-122).
17. Understand the basis of true political power (p. 126).
18. Understand the source of power of democracy.
19. Discover the true power base of successful business, and the marketplace and commerce (p. 132).
20. Reveal the power base of athletic prowess and the Olympics (p. 140).
21. Discover that who and what you are and have become is more powerful than anything you do, have, or possess (p.69).
22. Discover the basis of genius, creativity, and the arts (p. 164).
23. Discover how to advance health, wellness and reverse the disease process (p. 179).
24. Learn how to instantly access any information about any subject (p. 189).
25. Understand how the minds of all of mankind are secretly controlled and dominated by unsuspected energy fields which reside in the invisible quantum space of consciousness itself (p.200).
26. Discover how you and everyone you know is the prisoner of entrapment of dominant fields that determine perception and experience (p.205).
27. Understand the spiritual pathways to enlightenment and advanced states of spiritual awareness.
28. Understand the underpinnings and levels of truth of the worlds great religious and spiritual teachers (p.233).
29. Learn how 85% of the worlds population falls below the level of integrity and how it is counterbalanced by the 15% that calibrate above the critical level of 200 (p.234). How one person who calibrates at 500 counterbalances the negativity of 750,000 individuals who calibrate below 200. (One person at level 300 counterbalances 90,000 below 200; one person at 700 counterbalances 20 million below 200).
30. Learn how the level of men’s consciousness stood at 190 for centuries and has now jumped to 207 with major importance for the future of the human race (p.237).
31. Understand the common plight of all mankind - how to utilize that insight into the compassion that uplifts, heals and enlightens (p.242).
32. Calibrated levels of truth of each chapter (for the first time in history) documents objective validity of all statements made.
33. How to remove doubt and ascertain correctness of personal decisions.
34. Learn why this book which calibrates at an amazing 800 is described as one of the greatest books ever written with the intrinsic capacity to elevate one’s own power merely by reading the material.
35. Provide a calibrated level of power for each of alternate decisions and choices and an objective basis for action.
36. Resolve conflicts by merely recontextualizing them. Conflicts cannot be resolved at their own level but only by raising them to the next higher level when awareness become obvious.
37. Obtain answers to questions that are beyond the world’s current state of knowledge.
38. Discover the basis for all knowledge and how to access it.
39. Transcend the limitations of both past and future in the timeless quantum reality reachable only in this exact moment of now.
40. Differentiate the subjective from the objective and thereby transcend both time and space to reach the realm of absolute certainty.
41. Discover simple steps to reach inner serenity.
42. Discover how to unveil the mysteries of past events hidden from the public (what happened to Amelia Earhardt, the JFK assassination, O.J. Simpson trial, Clinton’s accusers, etc.).
43. Instantly detect counterfeits, bad checks, claims, or any fact that is in doubt.
44. Calibrate the level of truth of any teacher, leader, set of teachings, philosophy, religion, or government (p.90).
45. Differentiate between a cult and a legitimate spiritual group (p. 103).
46. Detect fallacies in history both recent and ancient (p.96, p. 107).
47. Eliminate needless avenues of research and instantly detect the most fruitful focus of inquiry.
48. Easily resolve complex business issues and decisions (p. 98).
49. Select best employee for a given job.
50. Discover the actual truth in any human endeavor (p. 103).
51. Benefit from a cutting edge coordination of the most advanced scientific information (chaos theory, non-linear dynamics, quantum theory, advanced theoretical subparticle physics, the thrust of these discoveries is expressed in simple easily understood language. (You don’t have to be an electrical engineer to throw a light switch), (p. 111-115).
52. Resolve marital and personal relationship problems.
53. Resolve doubts about fidelity of relationship, employees, romantic, business associates, lawyers, accountants, earnings statements, contracts, customers.
54. Knowledge of the easily performed kinesiologic response affords a benefit which has been unknown until the publication of this book - How to tell the truth or falsehood about any statement about any event.
55. Quickly know the whereabouts of lost objects.
56. Instantly know the genuineness of art or antiques.
57. Instantly know the honesty of any business, (p. 94), investment, politician, witness, crime suspect, (p. 94, 97).
58. Ascertain the degree of integrity and level of consciousness of any person living or dead
59. Instantly tell whether a politician is lying or telling the truth, (p. 95).

Ref. Dr Hawkins publishing house Veritaspub.com


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Monthly Tune Up…Yehuda Berg 1/30/06-2/28-06

Published on February 10, 2006

What can I do?

One of the rewards of Kabbalah is that it empowers us to change the world. This is an intoxicating thought, and (ideally) the more one practices Kabbalah, the greater the enthusiasm becomes for accomplishing this goal.

But we must remind ourselves that global change starts at home, in those little moments that we tend to pass off as “insignificant.” During the month of Aquarius we are better able to recognize that great transformation happens in the little moments.

The kabbalists relate the idea that the world rests on a scale. One side of the scale holds the energy of our positive actions, and the other side holds the energy of our negative actions.

The Zohar says that our actions are like grains of sand on that scale. Notice it doesn’t say rocks or coins or some larger object. In his choice of words, Rav Shimon Bar Yochai (author of the Zohar) is telling us that we never know which little action will tip the scales in our favor. Every act of sharing and every moment of restriction ends up on the scale which side it goes to is up to us.

When students ask me what they can do in response to the horrors of life — the starving children in Asia, the AIDS epidemic in Africa, the war in Iraq — I tell them what the kabbalists have been teaching for millennia — change yourself. Giving your friend those five minutes you don’t have as you are rushing off to an important event, treating your competitors with human dignity, loving someone when you dislike them — that’s how you change the world.

You can effect change in remote areas of the world by effecting change in your home, in your school, in your workplace.

The interconnectedness of all humanity is a fundamental kabbalistic teaching. Whether we see it or not, we share the same scales with the children in Asia, the mothers in Africa, the soldiers in Iraq.

A brief parable explains this. Two people were in a rowboat, when one suddenly took out a drill and began boring a hole in the boat’s bottom. His companion yelled, “Are you crazy? What are you doing?” But the other boatman just kept drilling. “Mind your own business!” he said. “I’m drilling under myself, not you!”

The lesson is clear: we must recognize that “we’re all in the same boat.” This is hardly a new teaching, but it is an awesome one, and we need to see it each day as if for the first time. It is not nearly enough to concentrate solely on our own development; yet “spiritual” people often fall into this trap. “As long as I am growing,” they think, “that’s all that matters.” But we have just seen how very far this is from the teachings of Kabbalah. As much as we are responsible for ourselves, we are responsible for the world.

This month, as you begin to realize the influence every word and deed has on others, do your best to bring this awareness into all the “seemingly insignificant” moments. You never know which grain of sand will tip the scales in the world’s favor.

All the best,

Yehuda


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The Lurianic Theory of Creation and Redemption

Published on

The Lurianic Theory of Creation and Redemption


Lurianic diagram of the emanation of worlds…see photo on right

The Lurianic and Sabbatian Kabbalah teach about a very dynamic and controversial (even dialectical in almost Schellingian sense of this word) process of self explication and self construction of the Absolute (as well as His liberation from even the shadow of the roots of evil) which as the process of tikkun.

(Restoration, or Universal Correction) unfolds the unlimited richness of His contents in the system of Personalities, or Hypostases (Partzufim). Therefore, the World of Restoration (’Olam Tikkun) is not equal (but is not different as well) to the world of ‘Or En-Sof (Ultimateless Light, or Absolute) of the beginning. Tikkun ‘Olam is of the same nature as ‘Or En-Sof but it is not simplicity and potentiality but concrete unity of differences and actuality. And the process of Tikkun is called “the repairing of the God’s Face” because it corrects the existential break, or gap in the Absolute Being as such which is also a moment in His unfolding.

Short essay on Lurianic Kabbalah
Yakov Leib HaKohain

Isaac Luria (1534-1572) — also known as the “Ari Zaal,” or “Divine Rabbi Isaac,” — was, and remains to this day, unarguably the greatest Kabbalist in world history. His doctrines, based entirely on the Old Testament and Zohar, anticipated virtually world-for-word — or at the very least, concept for concept — the theory of the “Big Bang” origins of the universe in astrophysics. Thus, the cosmogony of a 16th century Jewish Kabbalist was literally validated by modern science four hundred years later.

The details of Luria’s Kabbalah are far too complicated to be discussed here. Suffice it to say that his doctrine of SheviretHaKelim, or “Shattering of the Vessels,” was at their core and profoundly influenced all subsequent Kabbalistic theosophy.

Put simply, the doctrine of Sheviret HaKelim states (as does also the 20th century Big-Bang theory) that the Universe (i.e.,the Unity of God) was shattered at the moment of mundane creation. From this cataclysm, “Holy Sparks” flew off in all directions, some returning to their Source, others falling into the world of “things” and “beings.” Thus, as the Baal Shem Tov states, “In all that is in the world dwell Holy Sparks, no things is empty of them; in the actions of men also, indeed even in the sins he does, dwell Holy Sparks of God.”

Thus, the Kabbalistic notion of Tikkun Olam, or “Repair of the World,” is based on the principle that all things and actions in the world, no matter how seemingly trivial, are saturated with Holy Sparks, yearning to return to the state of premundane unity from which they fell at the creation of the world. Again, modern Chaos Theory in physics states much the same principle when it proposes that all disturbed systems seek to return to their pre-existent state of “quasi-stationary equilibrium.”

Sabbatean Kabbalah

One hundred years after Luria, in 1665-66, the Jewish Messiah and avatar, Sabbatai Zevi, began completing the Tikkun Olam through various “strange gestures,” including his conversion to Islam. Thousands of his millions of followers followed him into this “Holy Apostasy,” as did the followers of Yakov Leib Frank into Christianity another hundred years after that. Today, the DONMEH forum is attempting to complete the great task initiated by Sabbatai Zevi through the powerful medium of the internet.

The Five Worlds

Whereas in the Zohar and elsewhere there are only four worlds or universes (planes of existence) the Lurianic system adds a fifth universe, Adam Kadmon, a s ort of manifest Godhead, that mediates between the En Sof and the four lower worlds.
In Lurianic cosmology therefore we have the following strata of reality:
• En Sof - Absolute or Infinite - Beyond all archetpes
• Adam Kadmon - Tetragrammatons or Divine names
• Atzilut - Sefirot or Divine Archetypes and Partzufim or Divine Personas
• Beriah - Archangels and Divine Souls (neshamot)
• Yetzirah - Angels
• Asiyah - Inferior Angels and klippot; Physical world
It is interesting to consider that whereas for other Kabbalists it was the En Sof which was identical to the Deity, for Luria it was the world of Atzilut, or at least its higher aspects. These aspects of divinity Luria refers to as Partzufim, more on which shortly. Thus he distinguishes between Atzilut and the three lower worlds

The Soul and its Salvation according to Lurianic Kabbalah

In comparison with the Zohar, Lurianic teachings regarding the soul were far more elaborate. In one teaching the formation of the soul recapitulates the process of cosmic emanation and contributes towards the cosmic redemption or tikkun. Explains Scholem:

“Just as the supernal lights of the partzufim of Atzilut develop through conjunctions and “couplings” (zivvugim) of the parztufim, so are the souls born through a corresponding process. Within the Sefirah Malkut of each parztuf are…souls in a potential state that ascend…and are actualised as a result of the “unions” of the (higher) Sefirot. At the outset these souls exist only in the state of “female waters” (mayyim nukbin); that is, they are passive potencies that…lack harmony and form….Only through additional “couplings” of…Ze’er Anpin with its female counterpart or Nukvah do they receieve the actual structure of souls. With each new arousal of the “female waters” in these parztufim, new opportunities arise for the creation of souls. Such a process occurs in all four worlds…., the possible variation in modes of souls being practically infinite. Each of these souls recapitualtes…the structure of the worlds through which it passed (when)…being created, so that when it descends to enter a body in this world it will be able to work towards the latter’s tikkun…and, to some extent,…the uplifting of the higher worlds as well.”

No mention is made of the doctrine of gilgul or reincarnation in this particular account, although it is important in some other Lurianic and post-Lurianic teachings regarding the soul. Actually, the problem here is also what is meant by the term “soul”? Since the Kabbalists speak of a number of different “souls”, corresponding to the various worlds or sefirot in the emanation sequence, it may well be that what is being referred to here is something qite different to how the word “soul” is generally understood today: as the essential “I” or self distinct from the body - assuming of course that such a simplistic dualistic definition is even valid at all. But it seems that what is being referred to in the above doctrine is the origin of the various psychic principles (now that’s a better term than “soul”) that make up our consciousness.

Rather than being simple dualistic beings, we are made up of a number of different faculties, which existing together in the body make up what we like to call “consciousness”. These faculties, being different in nature (for example, the thinking faculty is not the same as the feeling faculty), would originate from different worlds or planes or spheres of existence, which correspond to or are the cosmic equivelent of those particular individual faculties. But the basic dynamic behind the formation of each psychic faculty may be the same, even if it occurs on different planes (the old law of correspondence again), and would logically also recapitualte the formation of the cosmos as a whole. So Anthropogenesis or Psychogenesis (pick whichever big word you prefer) recapitaltes cosmogenesis. Hence the above Kabbalistic doctrine.

Another novel Lurianic idea regarding the soul (that terrible ambiguous word again) is that the neshamah or higher soul proper does not actually enter into the body or the lower worlds at all. Instead, it radiates a spark of itself downwards to the mode that we call the “soul”, but strictly speaking can only be called a soul (neshamah) by analogy only. The true soul remains above, hovering over the person, whether from near or afar, but maintaining a link with its spark below.

This interesting idea - that even the individual divine or spiritual principle does not incarnate, but instead sends down an emanation or irridation - was also taught by the Neoplatonist Iamblichus, regarding the Nous or Divine Mind. Since it is unlikely that Luria was familiar with the teachings of the classical Neoplatonists, this seems to be a realisation independently arrived at. And this same idea of an overshadowing individual spiritual principle was to reappear in H.P.Blavatsky’s doctrine of the Higher Manas or Ego (which inspired later theosophical writers like Alice Bailey), as well as Qabalistic occultists like Aleister Crowley with his doctrine of the Holy Guardian Angel.

A third Lurianic teaching on the nature of the soul regards the soul of Adam; that is, the human biblical Adam, as opposed to the Adam Kadmon Godhead. But even here in Sunday School land things are not as they seem. For the Lurianic Adam did not contain just a single soul, like the conventional Christian Adam. Rather, he was also a sort of cosmic figure, containing all the souls of everyone who would be born, in a single mass in the breath (neshamah; as with the Indian Atma and the Latin Spiritus, the individual spiritual principle was originally identified with the breath) God breathed into his nostrils [see e.g. Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag, An Entrance to the Tree of Life, p.115]. As the inimitable Gershom Scholem explains:

“The soul of Adam was composed of all the worlds and was destined to uplift and reintigrate all the sparks of holiness…left in the klippot….It had 613 limbs, one for each of the commandments in the Torah…..Each of these limbs formed a complete partzuf in itself known as a “great root” (shoresh gadol), which in turn contained 613, or according to other versions, up to 600,000 “small roots”. Each “small roots”, which was also referred to as a “great soul” (neshamah gadolah), concealed within it 600,000 sparks or individual souls. These sparks too were apt to fission still further, but there remained a special affinity and power of attraction between all the sparks that descended from a common root. Each of these sparks formed a complete structure or komah in itself.”

So, what we have here is a very interesting idea. Ignore the religious stuff about Adam; that’s just the way the revelation appeared, through Isaac Luria who had a particular cultural and religious understanding and naturally interpreted things along those lines. But we want to understand the essence of things, independent of religious or cultural or personal distortion. So we have to extract the wheat from the chaff. So, what is being described here is a sort of psychogenesis - a theory of the origin of the souls. We have the idea that all the souls originated from a primordial anthropos, to use the Gnostic term. This Adamic anthropos, being a divine being, was organised in a particular archetypal, mandalic manner, hence the refence to “613 limbs”. Of course, it doesn’t have to be 613; it could be any number. 613 is chosen on purely theolotgical grounds (the number of positive and negative observences or precepts (mtzvahs) in Judaism. The derived divine souls or sparks still retain their connection with kindred souls of the same “root”. Hence we have “kindred spirits”; souls bound together by a common purpose, because they originated from the same archetype-aspect of the original anthropos. Their purpose therefore is the purpose defined by that particular aspect; a particular role to be played in the Divine Plan of cosmic evolution and unfolding. So perhaps a lot of hastles in this world come from souls with different missions that have been thrown together and are clashing, because of mutual incompatability: he/she/they don’t understand me. People with totally different destinies may be stuck together in mutually frustrating relationships, and they have to work out all that personal karma before they can get on with their true spiritual mission, the mission represented by that particular aspect of the original anthropos from which their divine soul derives.

The question is, how did all the souls get separated in the first place?
Luria relies on his favorite and very dramatic explanation; the Fall. And here he combines the exoteric biblical doctrine of Adam’s fall with his own esoteric gnostic doctrine of the pre-creation fall. According to him, if Adam, who had the fully developed powers of Adam Kadmon, had fulfilled his mission through contemplative action and deep meditation, the living chain between God and creation would have been completed, and the power of the evil Klippah totally overcome. But his fall caused the cosmos - already in bad straights after the “breaking of the vessels” - to fall even further. The world of Asiyah, which had previously stood firmly, was now immersed in the realm of the Klippot. As a result of this admixture of the world of Asiyah with the klippot, Adam assumed a material body and the unity of his soul was shattered. The fate of the fragments had either of three possible outcomes, depending on their purity.

Those soul-elements of high rank, called the “upper light” (zihara ila’ah) which refused to participate in his sin departed for above, and will not return to the world until the time of redemption. (Incidentally, there’s a parallel here with Basilides, who speaks of the first two “Sonships” ascending to the spiritual world, while the third remains below caught in matter).

Other souls remained in Adam even after his statue was reduced from cosmic to mundane dimensions; these were holy souls that did not fall into the clutches of the klippot, including the souls of Cain and Abel. They entered bodies through directy hereditary transmission rather than transmigration (gilgul).

But the majority of souls that were in Adam feel and were subjigated by the klippot; they must achieve their tikkun through the cycle of transmigration. Here we have a parallel with the Indian doctrine of karma, rebirth, and eventually liberation or enlightenment.

It is interesting to compare the above with the Gnostic and Manichaean theory of souls or sparks stuck in matter. The rather chauvanistic Gnostic cosmology has the origin and circumstances of the trapped sparks as due to the pre-creation sin and/or fall of a female creative divine principle called Sophia; the sparks originating from the light or spiritual principle (pneuma) of Sophia that had become captured by the hostile cosmic powers or archons (rulers), and Sophia engaing in a battle of intrigue and conter-intrigue to trick the archons into giving up the spiritual light. Eventually, an anthropos-like masculine saviour - either Seth or Jesus - has to descend to give saving gnosis.

In Manichaeism, the anthropos-like Archetypal Person, here called Anthropos (what else?), the primordial Soul, voluntarily sacrifices himself (or herself; the gender doesn’t matter as “Anthropos” simply means “human being”) by allowing himself to be swallowed up by the darkness or Ahriman. Both principles, Anthropos and Ahriman, are like a poison to each other; while the bulk of Anthropos is rescued by other Divine Powers and returns to his/her spiritual station (like Luria’s zihara ila’ah), much of his/her being remains as souls or light trapped in darkness; yet the very presence of these souls work to bring about the eventual downfall of the darkness.

Luria’s Adamic soul-doctrine seems to include elements from both the above teachings - both the foolish Sophia of the Gnostics and the noble Anthropos of the Manichaeans. As Scholem explains:

“…Lurianic Kabbalah went to great lengths to play up the dramatic elements of Adam’s sin and its consequences. The entire history of the Jewish people and the entire world was identified with the recurrent reincarnations through which the heros of the Bible struggled to acheive tikkun. Among these heros were both “original souls” (neshamot mekoriyyot), which…were capable of great powers of tikkun whereby the whole world stood to benefit, and other, private, individual souls which could achieve a tikkun only for themselves…”

An interesting parallel with Mahayana Buddhism here; the idea of the Bodhisattva who works for the salvation of others, as opposed to the individual realiser of enlightenment or arhat. Mahayana however stresses that the option is open for anyone on the spiritual path to become a bodhisattva, eventually, if he or she works at it. The Lurianic position institutes a more elitist teaching, only special, very elevated and so to speak archetypal souls - equivalent perhaps to the Buddhas of Theravada and popular Mahayana, sharply demarcated from the ordinary spiritual aspirant - have the status of neshamot mekoriyyah.
And what of the theory of related souls, or multipsychogenesis? Well,

“…Souls descending from a single “root” comprised “families” who had special relations of affinity and were especially able to help each other. Now and then, though very rarely, some of the upper souls that had not even been contained in the soul of Adam might descend to earth in order to take part in some great mission of tikkun…”

This last sounds suspiciously like the Vaishvanite doctrine of avatars; e.g Lord Krishna as described in the Bhagavad Gita, although in Vaishvanism there is no concept of a movement towards ultimate cosmic restitution (tikkun). And of course, the Avatar is not a “soul” at all, not even an extremely elevated one.
From Kheper.net

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Human Relationships and Levels of Consciousness

Published on February 9, 2006

Relationships are the most difficult, but effective way to “know” ourselves. As a societal entity, relationships are propitious for many other reasons. Basic biological impulses bring people together to propagate, and although a modern phenomena, “romantic” love continues to connect people, even if one cannot make sense of it.

Our human nature and egos have been a driving force to be together with others for pleasure, companionship, and sex throughout time. Mirroring each other (seeing ourselves in another) is another of the urgencies that drive us to be together (subsisting perhaps from our animal nature.) Within the levels of lower consciousness, individual neediness prevails and all of the baser instincts that accompany it. In all cases, humans will strive to “be” together, even if at war with each other.

The “health” of a relationship is direct correlation to the level of consciousness of the participants in that relationship. The probability of gross differences within mature relationships is minimal, however with an inequality of consciousness levels several things are apt to occur. Since there is more power within the higher levels of consciousness, the bouyancy of the higher level will “lift all ships.” Unless the ego becomes involved, the probability of falling back to a lower level, lessens. The higher the mutual level of consciousness, the higher the likelihood of a continued successful relationship.

The optimal relationship would be one in which both people calibrate* within a close range, or one calibrates high enough as to balance any negativity from lower levels. If the relationship is of the highest importance to both, then a commitment must be made to raise up the level of consciousness within and all that it entails.(i.e. therapy, counseling, cleric intervention) When only one has made a commitment, it’s only through the shear strength of the love in the relationship that it continues.

Another quality of an optimal relationship would be radical honesty. Radical honesty is living in Truth. This is Truth with the context of Divinity or The Infinite Field of Consciousness. Honesty wouldn’t be a concept with fear of reprisal, but practiced as a result of what you’ve become, or through having the intention to live Truth within the levels of Higher Consciousness. It is a way of a life which is lived completely in recognition of each others’ spirit. If the willingness to practice radical honesty is lacking, the relationship will remain within the confines of mediocrity.

Within the higher levels of consciousness, relationships stand a better chance of successful long term survival. By practicing courage, willingness and reason, relationships take on a different meaning. There is solidarity, alignment, common ground, desire for the good of the “other” and a healthy love for one another. As the levels of consciousness between couples rises, so does their goal for the common good of all. Divinity becomes a part of everyday life and the highest good for the relationship is realized. Egos have no place in the interaction within the relationship. Love is unconditional and joy abounds.

At the lower levels where ego reigns, relationships are at best strained, and at worst destructive. This is where shame, grief, fear, anger and pride reside. Relationships such as these may continue for a lifetime with no resolution to the upside or end in heartbreak, anger, and confusion.

If it seems as if relationships are a near impossibility to be successful, it is because of the present truth of that statement. The present consciousness levels of humankind (presently at 78% below that of integrity) will keep most relationships at their present levels. The success rate of all relationships can be gauged with accuracy within the levels of human consciousness at the time. The future of relationships is hopeful however, with the knowledge that the consciousness level of humankind is rising, even if at an infinitely slow rate. The willingness and the intention to be that which will sustain a healthy and higher relationship with another, will be the only way in which present and future generations will subsequently realize enlightened relationships…©Myswizard all rights reserved ‘05-’06

*See Dr. David Hawkins, Map of the Scale of Consciousness, “Transcending the Levels of Consciousness, the Stairway to Enlightenment”

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Dalai lays stress on scientific progress

Published on February 8, 2006

Dalai lays stress on scientific progress

Hindustan Times[Wednesday, February 08, 2006 10:28]

Varanasi, February 7 -

TIBETAN SPIRITUAL leader Dalai Lama said on Tuesday that the welfare of the world and peace was possible only when human beings co-existed with love and affection.

“ The present era of globalisation in reality has existed since centuries in our society with the concept of ‘ Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam’, he said.Chairing a programme ‘ Dialogue Between Indian Philosophical Traditions’ in the central library of the Tibetan Institute for Higher Studies here, Dalai Lama focussed on the various aspects of Buddhism in India. He said Buddhism had almost declined in the 11th century, causing philosophical discussions in society to come to a halt. The whole world had deviated from the Buddhist ideology then.

With the passage of time, later, a new period of rejuvenation of Buddhism came and scholars re-established the Buddhist ideology in practice through thorough discussions. This tradition should be continued forever to establish an atmosphere of fraternity, peace and love among human beings, he said.

Commenting on the scientific revolutions and race for inventions in the world, he said that despite claims of adequate scientific development across the world, science was still in its childhood. The Dalai Lama dwelt at length on the importance of Shepa (Knowledge) and science and said science and knowledge were being expanded not only in India but throughout the world in an unlimited manner. No society and nation could attain progress by disassociating itself from the pace of science and knowledge.

“For the progress and prosperity of the world, it is the need of the hour to attain scientific progress along with religion, philosophy and spirituality” he said.Indian Vedic philosophy stresses on soul while Buddhism talks about ‘ Shepa’, consciousness and cognition.

Director of the Central Tibetan Institute for Higher Studies, Prof N Samteng, Prof Joy Garefield, Vetina Bomer, SR Bhatt and Raja Ram Shukla also addressed the function.


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Starting Over

Published on February 7, 2006

There is nothing that has ever happened in one’s life that one cannot atone and be forgiven for. You cannot go back, but what you can do is witness where you were when you were “that”. The intention, combined with the action to not to be “that” anymore is all you need for your consciousness to transcend. That one thing is all you need for instant forgiveness. The past is just that…past. Say goodbye and let it go.

The planet is the proving ground for your soul. All you need is a thought infused with intention to change everything. Once you do this, you’re on your way to transcending what and who you were. Your intention and constant commitment to what you are becoming will keep you moving forward.


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Laws of thermodynamics

Published on February 5, 2006
Laws of thermodynamics

Thermodynamic equations
Laws of thermodynamics
Zeroth law
First law
Second law
Third law
Conjugate variables
Pressure / Volume
Temperature / Entropy
Chem. potential / Particle no.
Thermodynamic potentials
Internal energy
Helmholtz free energy
Enthalpy
Gibbs free energy
Material properties
specific heat
compressibility
thermal expansion
Maxwell relations
Bridgman’s equations
Exact differential

The laws of thermodynamics in principle describe the specifics for the transport of heat and work in thermodynamic processes. Since their conception, however, these laws have become some of the most important in all of physics and many other branches of science. They are often associated with concepts far beyond what is directly stated in the wording.

Zeroth law
If systems A and B are in thermodynamic equilibrium, and systems B and C are in thermodynamic equilibrium, then systems A and C are also in thermodynamic equilibrium.

When two systems are put in contact with each other, there will be a net exchange of energy and/or matter between them unless they are in thermodynamic equilibrium. While this is a fundamental concept of thermodynamics, the need to state it explicitly as a law was not perceived until the first third of the 20th century, long after the first three laws were already widely in use, hence the zero numbering.

Thermodynamic equilibrium includes thermal equilibrium (associated to heat exchange and parameterized by temperature), mechanical equilibrium (associated to work exchange and parameterized generalized forces such as pressure), and chemical equilibrium (associated to matter exchange and parameterized by chemical potential).

First law
The increase in the internal energy of a system is equal to the amount of energy added by heating the system, minus the amount lost as a result of the work done by the system on its surroundings.

This is the statement of the conservation of energy for a thermodynamic system. It refers to the two main ways that a system transfers energy between itself and its surroundings - by the process of heating (or cooling) and the process of mechanical work. The rate of gain or loss in the internal, or stored, energy of a system is determined by the rates of these two processes. In fact, these are only the two most well known processes. Other processes (e.g. adding more particles) may contribute to the gain or loss of internal energy, and for these cases, extra terms must be included in the expression of the first law.

A second aspect of the first law is to clarify the nature of the internal energy. It is a stored quantity. The amount does not depend on which processes put it there. More generally, the amount is independent of the history of the system. If a thermodynamic system goes through changes, becoming warmer, cooler, larger, smaller, whatever, but returns to its original state, then it will have the same amount of internal energy as it did to begin with. Mathematically speaking, the internal energy is a state function and infinitesimal changes in the internal energy are exact differentials.

Second law
It is impossible to obtain a process that, operating in cycle, produces no other effect than the subtraction of a positive amount of heat from a reservoir and the production of an equal amount of work. (the so-called Kelvin-Planck Statement)

The entropy of a thermally isolated macroscopic system never decreases (see Maxwell’s demon), however a microscopic system may exhibit fluctuations of entropy opposite to that dictated by the second law (see Fluctuation Theorem). In fact the mathematical proof of the Fluctuation Theorem from time-reversible dynamics and the Axiom of Causality, constitutes a proof of the Second Law. In a logical sense the Second Law thus ceases to be a “Law” of Physics and instead becomes a theorem which is valid for large systems or long times.

Third law
As temperature approaches absolute zero, the entropy of a system approaches a constant.

Except for the first law, the laws of thermodynamics are statistical and simply describe the tendencies of macroscopic systems. For microscopic systems with few particles, the variations in the parameters become larger than the parameters themselves, and the assumptions of thermodynamics become meaningless. The first law of thermodynamics, however, i.e. the law of conservation, has become the most sound of all laws in science. Its validity has never been disproved.

Extended interpretations
The laws of thermodynamics are sometimes interpreted to have a wider significance and implication than simply encoding the experimental results upon which the science of thermodynamics is based. See, for example:

Principles of energetics
Heat Death

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article “Laws of thermodynamics”.
See also: First Law of Thermodynamics and Thermodynamics


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Some of the Qualities and Rewards of Healthy Spiritual Practices

Published on

Some of the Qualities and Rewards of Healthy Spiritual Practices (and Healthy Spiritual Organizations), They:

1. always respect complete free will in spiritual choices.
2. create a balanced spirituality composed of physical, emotional and mental balance, practical idealism, science, philosophy and art.
3. assist the individual to harmonize their life with larger universal values and principles reflecting the Universal Spirit.
4. cultivate and expand awareness, loving regard for all life, compassion, empathy, sharing, and the wise and balanced application of the basic human virtues applied to oneself, to one’s family, tribe, nation, planet and the universe.
5. encourage their members to reality test their inner voice, inspirations or insights against reason, other mature and wise individuals or time tested community validity tests for authenticity.
6. are open to sincere outside review.
7. are designed and conducted in ways that respect the common good, with due regard for public safety, health, and order.
8. create a spiritualized social activism and justice for all that manifests in responsible ways that reflect a loving regard for all life.
9. respect and preserve the autonomy and dignity of each person. Participation is voluntary and based on prior disclosure and consent given to each participant while in an ordinary state of consciousness.
10. protect each participant’s health and safety during spiritual practices. Any physical or psychological risks are fully disclosed. There may be periods of vulnerability on a healthy spiritual path where participants may be especially open to suggestion, manipulation, and exploitation, but in a healthy spiritual practices there is no spiritual, financial, sexual, manipulation, psychological or emotional advantage taken during of any such periods of vulnerability..
11. maintain appropriate customs of confidentiality.
12. chose leaders and teachers of long standing moral character and whose actions have consistently reflected their spiritual statements and positions.
13. grow and attract other to them through attraction rather than active promotion.
14. are conducted in the spirit of service and accommodate participants without regard to their ability to pay or make donations. Authentic spirituality is a gift of the Ever Present Origin to the universal commons of all life. It is owned by no one and no one has an exclusive on any spiritual wisdom or processes.
15. create a new sense of youthfulness in the old and in individuals who have lost their vitality or purpose.
16. create an expanded identification with, becoming of or, beingness as, one’s highest self or, God and/or Buddha so that one more easily identifies and empathizes with one’s highest self, others, the family, tribe, nation, planet and universe.
17. create a relaxed sense of inner peace and a spiritual certainty of an eventual spiritual outcome that will be good in spite of any current circumstances.
18. increase the individual’s creativity, responsibility and control over their inner lives and will.
19. increase the gratitude, wonder, humility and awe that the individual fees toward life and the Ever Present Origin.
20. increase the sense of freedom and adventure in life and toward the spiritual journey.

As the above are the qualities/fruits of good spiritual practices and authentic spiritual organizations and, as the above is the results you can expect when you listen to your authentic inner spiritual “voice,” the probability is extremely good that you are on the right spiritual path. If the opposite of these things are occurring something is definitely wrong and, it is highly likely that you or the spiritual organization teaching you has gotten off a healthy and balanced spiritual path.
From integrativespirituality.org

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Creative Commons License
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