ralis Posted February 13, 2011 Has anyone studied Kabbalah with his organization which is located in Israel? Apparently all the classes are online and free. http://www.kabbalah.info/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
idquest Posted February 13, 2011 Has anyone studied Kabbalah with his organization which is located in Israel? Apparently all the classes are online and free. http://www.kabbalah.info/ My friend read several his books. She says all the books are the same very basic level material. Actually no material, just musings on 'light'. I tried to read one of his books and couldn't. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ralis Posted February 13, 2011 I downloaded his translation of TheZohar. Not certain how well the translation is presented. Daniel Matt is working on the entire 30 volumes of the Zohar and has 5 complete. Some have argued that the Zohar inspired the Renaissance. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ralis Posted February 13, 2011 It's interesting. I found a part that is talking about something I had been thinking about recently. I had been reading a website with like, online Tibetan Buddhism meditations and practices that I saw here on this discussion forum. One of the practices they said they teach is to visualize people as skeletons when you look at them, to help the ability to have like, no selfish or self gratyfying desires towards anyone ever. I really wondered about that. I wasn't sure that's what is the best way to be, to never have desires? Maybe they have their place? I want to have vitality, energy, and focus to live life, to express my inner qualities into outward reality. I think perhaps desire is not bad in and of itself, but how it is channeled and used. Whether it is a selfish, self serving, inwardly self centered, desire that is destructive, or an outflowing, expressive, creative desire. Here is a quote I found from the site- Agree? Disagree? Do you think his comments are on point or not? His comments in regards to the ego are absolutely correct. Too many that jump on the spiritual bandwagon are too soft in the ego department. That is why so many fail. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sloppy Zhang Posted February 13, 2011 (edited) Agree? Disagree? Do you think his comments are on point or not? Q: I recommend that you read the book, “Dao and the Tree of Life” by Eric Yudlev. In it, the author analyzes all the eastern teachings and how they relate to Kabbalah. A: In order to compare two things you need to know both.... The Teachings of the EastQ: In one of your talks, you said that Kabbalah is the only method that allows us to come out to the spiritual worlds and to perform the correction of the world by ourselves. But there are other systems, such as Buddhism, Yoga, and sophism that speak of various means of enlightenment to develop cosmic awareness and states of nirvana, or Samadhi. I’ve read many of your books, and I think most of the Eastern teachings speak about the same thing, only in a different language, which stems from the differences in culture and psychological differences. But many sages from India and China, such as Buddha, Osho and others climbed very high in their spiritual development. How do you relate to those facts? Can you analyze in depth the common elements between the teaching of the East and Kabbalah and the differences between them? A: I don’t know any teachings but those of the Kabbalah. The difference between all the teachings and the Kabbalah, as I understand it from the perspective of the Kabbalah, is that they are built on the nullification of desires, or at least on their complete suppression, whereas Kabbalah states that the Creator can be sensed precisely by expressing the desire for Him (and certainly not by nullifying it), only by inverting the aim of its use. Not to say that this diminishes or invalidates his knowledge/understanding of the Kabbalah and the value it can give, just that... well, you know. Edited February 13, 2011 by Sloppy Zhang Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ulises Posted February 13, 2011 (edited) I tried to read them: too much traditional for me.. Jay Michaelson has a interesting progressive site about Kabbalah http://learnkabbalah.com/ and fascinating articles for example : http://www.jaymichaelson.net/ayahuasca-and-kabbalah/ A couple of books that look promising: http://www.jaymichaelson.net/everythingisgod/ http://www.jaymichaelson.net/godinyourbody/ Edited February 13, 2011 by Ulises Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
de_paradise Posted February 13, 2011 I watched the vids on google, Kabbalah revealed, an overview course. Great! http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1032618372088794051# I dont think its important so much that you agree with Laitman's every word on Buddhism, its whether you can further your understanding of spirituality with this non-Eastern mystery school. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Medhavi Posted February 13, 2011 (edited) He seems, from what I can see, to be pushing his own agenda. You might also read Fulcanelli's books where he warns the seeker that there is an important distinction between Kaballah and cabala. The ideas are outlined here in a rather concise manner, for those interested: Cabala vs. Kabbalah I wonder how you can take him seriously if he first mentions that he doesn't know more than his own philosophy and then proceeds to bash paths he obviously has not walked on. Makes it hard to take him as a credible source for anything. Edited February 13, 2011 by Medhavi Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mandrake Posted February 13, 2011 I wasn't sure that's what is the best way to be, to never have desires? Maybe they have their place? I want to have vitality, energy, and focus to live life, to express my inner qualities into outward reality. I think perhaps desire is not bad in and of itself, but how it is channeled and used. Whether it is a selfish, self serving, inwardly self centered, desire that is destructive, or an outflowing, expressive, creative desire. Immortal, You basically answered yourself. Too many people seem to have the mistaken notion that buddhism, daoism, eastern philosophies... are about "having no desires", "suppressing desires" and secondly, destroying the ego. From my understunding, desires will always be there, even when completely enlightened, but are you the master or them? Are all desires channeled for constructive purposes? Most importantly - are they mixed with a deluded apprehension of reality? The ego needs to "be destroyed" as much as the belief in the monster in the basement I had as a kid needs to be destroyed. Was no monster there. All needed was to grow up, explore the basement and see that nobody was there. Still, this concept of the monster, totally non-existent in any place but my idea-world, was threatening, and to go down the stairs also felt threatening and uneasy, but it was a relief to finally get that idea discarded; to not have life restriced and directed by imaginations was and still is only positive. The path (in buddhism) is about self-discovery, discovering the functions and the nature of experience, the world - external and internal - and in this process some beliefs are updated and/or discarded. About the skeletons: Context is everything. For a person with sexual addictions (relative to the past, quite common in all degrees) something like this is good to counterbalance excess desire. The point is to master it in order to allow for the mind to recognize that the objects of lust (I want) are sentient beings in themselves, with their own volitions, wills, emotions etc. and not tools for us to use, with the resultant negative attitudes when they don't behave as our lust would like. And also - be careful to generalize. I don't know who gave these teachings, but the words and deeds of that person as a singularity can't be generalized to be the ten commandments of all buddhist lineages. All the best! Mandrake 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jetsun Posted February 13, 2011 I don't think eastern methods are about supressing anything, at least the paths I have studied aren't Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ulises Posted February 13, 2011 (edited) When you want to find what is invisible, then look even deeper and even more lovingly into this concrete world here and the higher world will emerge. Kabalistic text of the 13th century a pith instruction for a whole lifetime... Edited February 13, 2011 by Ulises Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ulises Posted February 13, 2011 (edited) I'm curious about this crazy wisdom teacher...some feedback...? http://walkingstick.org/Faculty.html "Jewish shamanism? Jewish sorcery? Jewish magical healing? What would Aunty Fanny say? But it’s all here in Magic of the Ordinary, in which Rabbi Gershon Winkler with wit and wisdom leads us to rediscover the more paganistic and pantheistic mysteries underlying the ancient Hebrew tradition. I highly recommend this book." —Andrew Weil, M.D., author of Spontaneous Healing and Eating Well for Optimum Health "Gershon Winkler’s brilliance shines a light on the buried shamanic practices of Judaism. Magic of the Ordinary is a treasure—I loved it and was deeply inspired by it." —Sandra Ingerman, author of Soul Retrieval and Medicine for the Earth http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1556434448/walkingstickfoun http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0740747207/walkingstickfoun Edited February 13, 2011 by Ulises Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
