Monday, November 21, 2005

Light

Bill sent me an envelope filled with invaluable information. One line in particular stands out, and I'd like to share it here. I may post a few more lines throughout the day or next few days.

"...We receive the light and then we impart it..."
-The Kabbalah

This is in reference to the fact that we cannot begin to heal the world until we heal ourselves. We must first nourish our own souls so that we can next begin to nourish the world.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

The first question that pops to mind is where did the quote come from? There is no single work known as "The Kabbalah." Kabbalah is a mystic tradition that includes numerous texts and teachings.

Not saying anything about the quality of the quoted material, but the citation set my alarms off. And with the recent facination with Pop-Kabbalah (which is mostly garbage) I'm always a bit on guard about such things.

I do agree with the sentiment expressed in the piece you quote. Although I would argue that healing the world will help heal all of us.

Anonymous said...

What is light?

It is your awareness of yourself now.

Anonymous said...

Eliyahu ben Avraham vaSarah,

Thanks for your concern. Perhaps I was a little negligent in my quote. I should have stated that it came from the doctrine knows as the Kabbalah. The quote itself says,

"As the ancient mystical doctrine, the Cabala, says, we receive light and then we impart it... and thus we repair the world." (page xii)

This comes from the book "Handbook for the Soul", edited by Richard Carlsen & Benjamin Shield.

I like to look at it this way. If the world is filled with war and hate, it is probably because the world is filled with unconscious people. These people need to first be made conscious and aware. Start small and progress in stages until the world has become healed.

However, were the world as a whole to be miraculously cured of evil and hate, it would follow that individuals would be cured.

It's like a disease. First, find out what causes the entire body to be sick. Cure that one particular illness, and in return the entire body will be healthy.

Anonymous said...

By the way, I too am a bit disgusted with the "pop"-ularity of the Kabbalah, (like Madonna, etc.)

I can't claim to know much about the Kabbalah. I once sought a teacher, but it was even before I knew that Hollywood had taken a liking to it.

Anonymous said...

ack - the above links didn't work right.. better to just cut and paste maybe :)

www.kabbalaonline.org
www.inner.org
www.meaningfullife.com
www.chabad.org/library/article.asp?AID=76131
www.laiblwolf.com

Anonymous said...

it makes sense to me. love means sharing. but we have to start with ourselves!
Thanks stacey!

Anonymous said...

Maybe, we reflect the light of others and if we are not whole the light we reflect back will be fractured.

Thanks for the nice comment on my paddling poem.