Strengthening Our Blessings

For most of us there is a disparity between the blessings we have and the joy we receive from those blessings. The question is, what causes this disparity?

The Zohar (foundational text of Kabbalah) reminds us this problem has been around for a long time. It surfaced in one of the earliest biblical stories, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. At that time, according to the Bible, Adam and Eve were able to eat from any of the trees of the Garden except for one, known kabbalistically as The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

It is written that the snake (representing the dark side of our nature), approached Eve and began planting seeds of doubt in her mind, “So you can’t eat from any of the trees?”

“No, no, no,” responded Eve. “We can eat from all the trees except this one.”

The snake continued to badger her until her lack became her only focus.

Kabbalah teaches that this process is one many of us go through – although we have many blessings in our lives, we seem to focus on the one or two areas in which we believe we are lacking. When we start to focus away from the blessings we have, it’s as if a veil is drawn, blocking out the blessings and Light we can draw from what we already possess.

This week, we first have to understand this reality. There is a constant voice or force that’s going to try to get us to focus away from all the blessings we have and to focus us only on the areas we are lacking. This voice is coming from the dark side of our nature.

Second, we have to understand that it is our responsibility to fight this tendency. This means telling ourselves, “I am going to forget about that one area of lack, and I am going to focus even more strongly on, and reawaken even more appreciation for, the blessings I already have.”

Spiritually, this consciousness awakens more Light, blessings, and fulfillment to flow from all areas of our lives.

You can attain this consciousness by refocusing on the blessings you do have. Doing so allows them to shine and fulfill you in newer and greater ways. The underlying idea is that the blessings you already have in your life can give you so much more fulfillment than they currently give because you will appreciate and focus on them that much more.

Two Paths

In order to maintain a constant upward direction in our spiritual development it is important to remember clearly that there are only two paths one of Light and one of Darkness. And, that we are on either one of the two, there is no middle ground. In addition it is important to be clear what each path contains, and the connection between our actions and these paths.

The path of Darkness holds within it all negativity, sadness pain and eventually death. The path of Light holds within it all that is good, joy, freedom and life. The Kabbalists also clarify the two groups of actions that connect us to each path. Actions that are from our desire to receive for the self-alone connect us to the path of Darkness. Actions that are for our desire to share connect us to the path of Light.

This means that whenever we do an action that is based on our desire to receive we are connecting to the path of darkness drawing to ourselves negativity, sadness, pain and eventually death. This is a scary and important understanding. The ancient Zohar explains that death usually occurs when a critical mass of darkness has been drawn through actions based on the desire to receive. Conversely when we do positive actions we remove a degree of darkness and draw joy freedom and life.

I cannot exaggerate the importance of this lesson. It is pretty simple to understand and many people might feel that they know this information. But I know for sure that there are a precious few people who actually live this consciousness all the time. This is a lesson that when understood and remember can change the entire course of our actions and life.

Two Realities

All of nature is connected to the Creator. This means that they feel the Light of the Creator and act accordingly at all times. The Sun the Moon and all the stars; all creatures large to small are constantly connected to the Creator. The only Creations that are not constantly attuned in thought and action with the Creator are Human Beings. We are the only creatures that are disconnected from the Creator. The reason for this is that we have free will and need to earn our connection to the Creator, and the fulfillment that comes from that connection.

This is a lesson that is as beautiful as it is powerful and practical. We need to take the time to internalize this lesson and its ramifications. One way to understand this lesson is that there are two plains of being: there is the chaotic painful and disconnected level that we humans live in while we remain disconnected from the Creator. Then there is the true reality, which is full of nothing other then complete joy fulfillment and peace, which is the manifestation of a connection to the Creator. This reality is where the rest of the universe exists, and it is our spiritual work to get there. These two realities exist in almost seamless concert. The absurdity is that we believe that our virtual reality is the true reality, when the truth is that we are the only beings just outside the real reality.

It is inspiring to know how close we are to the reality of no pain, suffering and only fulfillment, it is literally all around us. The only barrier between the true reality and ourselves is the thin, but sometimes blinding, desire to receive for the self-alone, and as we break it we step more and more into the true reality, we simply jump the tracks. It is very inspiring to know how unbelievably close we are to this true reality.

Another motivating lesson from this understanding is the fact that all animals, from the worms to the elephants exist with a perfect connection to the Creator. We are the only creatures that are disconnected from the Creator. And who wants to be less than a worm?

As we internalize this lesson we will begin to see the true reality all around us. More importantly we will be even more inspired to step further and further into the existence of complete fulfillment, leaving all the pain, suffering and chaos behind in the virtual reality.