Finding Our Blessings

Kabbalah stresses the need for transformation as the key to our spiritual work and ultimate fulfillment. It is important that we understand this in a deep way.

The important spiritual process is a constant transformation from a being of receiving into a being whose essence of one of sharing. There are many reasons for this needed transformation. The Kabbalists explain it in a simple and powerful way. Our destiny is a life full of blessings abundance and fulfillment. But, the place where we are right now is limiting. Our attachment to the desire to receive for the self-alone restricts our ability to receive all that we are meant to receive.

We can view it in physical terms where a person is standing fifty feet away from a million dollars, all he needs to do is walk and move those fifty feet and he will have the million dollars. But, as long as he stays stuck in his place or moves only forty feet then he might have no money and complain and be upset that he has no money. Looking at him we would think that he is pretty silly all he needs to do is move a little more and he will get the million dollars.

This is exactly where we all find ourselves in our spiritual development. There are unending blessings waiting for us, we simply need to move and transform - then we will begin finding those gifts waiting for us down the road. As long as we do not change or do not change enough we can find ourselves complaining about our lack, but as we see above, this is pretty silly.

We simply need to transform in order to move to where all the blessings are waiting for us.

There is another important aspect of this understanding. Sometimes when the Creator sees that we are not moving closer to our blessings fast enough, he assists along the way. Sometimes this push of assistance does not feel great but when we understand the reason behind it, we cannot help but be grateful for it.

Imagine if a friend of the man in the parable came over and pushed him towards the million dollars, the man will certainly not be upset, but ever-thankful for the push and assistance.

Understanding this we can realize the amazing blessings waiting for us, and the need to transform as quickly as we can to attain those blessings. We can also be more appreciative of the assistance we receive, even if it is not always pleasant, along our way towards the gifts that are simply waiting for us.

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.